Thursday, October 20, 2011

Before I Go to Sleep

I generally don't go for thrillers when I pick up books from the library, but this one got fantastic reviews.  With excellent reason: Watson has crafted a taut suspense that kept me up at night.
Christine suffered an injury several years ago that left her without her memory.  She begins each day thinking she's a single 25-year old woman, only to be jolted back to reality when she looks in the mirror and sees a married woman in her 40s.  She has no recollection of the past two decades, her marriage to Ben, her head injury.  Her therapist encourages her to keep a journal of what happens to her every day, including her interactions with her husband, Ben, and what she remembers of her past life.  Her therapist, though, tells her that the journal must be kept secret, as Ben is prone to fits of jealousy.  When she starts reading through her older entries, Christine realizes that something in her life is amiss, especially when she comes across an entry that simply says, "Don't trust Ben."
Suddenly, Christine's tenuous grasp on her identity slips.  What has Ben done?  Why are there so few photos of their two decades together?  Why does she have to hide her journal away?
I could not tear myself away from this debut novel!  I read it in just a few days, staying up late and eating cereal for dinner to make more time for each chapter.  You've got to pick up this book, if only to remind yourself of just how riveting the written word can be.

2 comments:

  1. I read this book as an advance reader copy and absolutely loved it! I also got to hear the author speak at the ALA Conference in New Orleans- his english accent was wonderful to listen to. =)

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  2. I immediately put it on my "request" list at the library and I'm first in line!!! I'll let you know if I like it as much as you did. Thanks for the recommendation. XXXXX -- G'ma

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