Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson
Source: From the publisher, via NetGalley
Finished: 7/24/11
Rating: 8 out of 10
Publisher: Harper
Pages: 368
Published: 2011
Synopsis (from the product description): Every day Christine wakes up not knowing where she is. Her memories disappear every time she falls asleep. Her husband, Ben, is a stranger to her, and he’s obligated to explain their life together on a daily basis–all the result of a mysterious accident that made Christine an amnesiac. With the encouragement of her doctor, Christine starts a journal to help jog her memory every day. One morning, she opens it and sees that she’s written three unexpected and terrifying words: “Don’t trust Ben.”
Overall Impression: One of the marks of a good story is when you think, oh noes…this could actually happen! I felt that way while reading Before I Go To Sleep. It all seemed so happenable. Which made it frakkin’ scary.
I thought the pacing was a little uneven…fast in the beginning, slogged a bit through a somewhat repetitive middle, and then raced toward a thrilling conclusion. The plot is what drove the book — intricate, thoughtful, and gripping. Watson did a great job of making it seem plausible and realistic. The writing could have been a little stronger, but considering this was written from the point of view of a woman struggling to write down everything in her journal while no one was looking, it didn’t bother me all that much. I just wanted to find out what the hail was going on! There were a couple of loose ends in the conclusion, but other than that, I’d recommend this as a really intense read that most fiction readers would find thrilling.
Positives: Fast-paced and plot-driven. It’s a page turner!
Negatives: There was some things that happened at the end that weren’t explained fully. I felt a little cheated.
Extras: Follow SJ Watson on Twitter
Other books I’ve read by SJ Watson: none
Other blogger opinions:
Hardkover: “Reading this book was a little like watching Memento – I felt like I was literally on the edge of my seat the entire time!”
KellyVision: “I thought the pacing was a little off (it was a little too slow) but I also thought it was all very plausible, and that’s scary.”
That’s What She Read: “At a certain point in time in Before I Go to Sleep, a reader will find his or her heart racing, breath quickening, and eyes frantically darting across the page in an effort to read faster.”
The Owl Bookmark: “It was an incredibly descriptive book that made me feel like I was right there experiencing all of this with Christine.”
Legal gobbledygook: I received this book free from NetGalley as part of their Reviewer program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Ha ha, when I read the synopsis, I immediately thought of Memento, and I see that Hardkover said the same thing in the excerpted review.
It definitely had a Momento feel. I must go back and watch that movie again! It was so good!