Review: Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep, a novel by S.J Watson, is a fantastic first-person suspense story told from the journal entries that make up the memory of Christine Lucas. The tale is fictional, however, the ideas are rather close to reality. Imagaine waking up every morning, not knowing who you are, let alone what you did the day before. This is the day-to-day reality of Chistine, the existence of a woman whose husband and doctor have to explain her life to her on a daily basis. At the recommendation of her doctor, a man her husband doesn't know about, Christine starts to keep a secret journal as a means of piecing her life back together. Sound suspicious? It ought to as Christine soon discovers that her reality might actually be someone else's twisted fantasy. Those who she ought to trust, and had trusted, don't appear to be who they seem. This book was difficult to put down, and ironically, I'd read it before I'd go to sleep. When I first picked it up, I had only intended to read a chapter or two before getting some shut-eye. Next thing I knew, I'd blown through 40 pages, and my clock read 2am. If that doesn't indicate the start of a good book, I don't know what does. Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense novels and psycological thrillers. A few things were repetitive, but necessary for the character's development. Give it a go. It won't put you to sleep.