Before I go to Sleep
Posted by Book Mavens on May 18th, 2011
Title: Before I go to Sleep
Author: SJ Watson
Publisher: HarperCollins, June 2011
Summary: Christine is a brain trauma patient who suffers from amnesia. Each morning she has no idea who she is, where she is, or how she got there- most days still thinking she is a 20-something. Each day, she must be reminded by her husband Ben about her life. After working closely with a young doctor, Christine feels as though she may be making progress- until she finds her own hand-written journal with the words “DO NOT TRUST BEN” written firmly on the front. As she struggles to piece together her life each day, she now must figure out whose version of her life is truth.
Before I Go to Sleep is a fast-paced psychological thriller- a great read with both depth and action. The reader is pulled in all directions as Christine questions not only everyone around her, but herself- and maybe most importantly, how she got this way. Eventually, the reader will too. Unpredictable, sensational, and emotionally charged, Watson’s debut is a sure hit.
Who will like this book?: Anyone with the slightest interest in psychology. Those who wants a quick-paced book that you won’t be able to put down. Anyone interested in mysteries with tons of twists and turns
Recommended by: LB, Library Assistant
Review 2: I seem to be drawn to psychological thrillers and this debut novel by British writer S.J. Watson hits the mark. We all live on our memories, happy, sad or fleeting but imagine losing them every time you went to bed. Your name, your identity, the people you love – all forgotten in the morning. This is what happens to Christine, a 47 year old woman who is married and has a son.
She wakes up every day with no knowledge of whom she is or who the man sleeping next to her might be. The novel follows her as she tries to reconstruct her life through a journal. How does she remember she has a journal, her psychiatrist calls her every morning to remind her, on a phone he purchased for her. Why doesn’t her husband remind her, well, he has no knowledge of the journal or the psychiatrist? As her journal grows, it begins to cast doubts on the truth behind her memory loss and her life. Her husband, the only person she thinks she can trust, may not be telling her everything she needs to know.
The pacing is intense so beware; once you start this thriller it is hard to put down. If you love trying to put all the clues together and figuring out mysteries you will love this book.
Recommended by: Nancy, Deputy Town Librarian
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