Helpful Score: 12
Best thriller I have read for ages! The book is based on a similar concept to Memento, but the way in which the author tells the story (in the form of diary entries by the protagonist) is very clever. Very suspenseful!
Helpful Score: 7
I read an ARC of this debut novel and was totally drawn in to the story. Told through a journal, the novel details Christine Lucas's attempts to recapture her memories lost each night when she goes to sleep. For twenty years after an event puts her into a coma she loses her memories each day, awakening to an almost blank slate. Daily she has to be told who she is, how much times has passed and what has taken place in all the missing years. A harrowing tale because the reader doesn't know (along with Christine) what is real and what isn't. Is she having a break-through?
Is her husband always telling her the truth? Is the doctor she secretly sees helping her or does he have his own agenda?
The tension builds to a surprise ending that makes it so you can't turn the pages fast enough.
Hope this author has more great stories to get on paper.
Is her husband always telling her the truth? Is the doctor she secretly sees helping her or does he have his own agenda?
The tension builds to a surprise ending that makes it so you can't turn the pages fast enough.
Hope this author has more great stories to get on paper.
Helpful Score: 6
4.0 out of 5 stars Creepy suspense..., April 1, 2011
This was an entertaining thriller with an interesting middle-aged heroine. Christine Lucas wakes every morning without any memories -- she remembers nothing of her childhood, young college days, married life, or even the mundane details of yesterday that preceded her going to bed the night before today. Some sort of calamitous event has caused her to not only have amnesia, but the inability to form any new short term memories as well. Each day dawns and finds her uncertain as to who she is or how she came to be in the house she shares now with a man who claims to be her husband, Ben. As the story starts, Christine is jarred by a ringing phone. The caller is Dr. Ed Nash and he claims he is trying to help her discover her past while also admitting that he's going to do a research study of her case. He encourages her to write in a journal each day, recording the events and thoughts she has. They both hope that this exercise will help Christine recover her history and lead her to understand her situation and experience some kind of life in the present. It's during the course of this activity that Christine begins to have flashes of what she believes are people and events in the years leading to the current time -- the problem is that she can never be quite sure if she is actually rediscovering her own memories or confabulating - making up a history to replace what she doesn't really remember. As she writes in her journal, Christine also discovers that Ben seems to be lying to her -- is he trying to protect her from feeling the pangs of loss and the pain of not being present in her past? Or is it something more sinister? And who really is Dr. Nash and why doesn't he want Ben to know that he's treating her?
The narrative moves along, unfolding with deliberate pacing as the tension builds to a somewhat anticipated climax as Christine is pulled inexorably to the ultimate revelations. The conclusion is somewhat unsatisfying and not completely unpredictable, but I do read a lot of books of this type and made some accurate guesses. That's not to say the book isn't enjoyable, it is -- and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written and suspenseful mystery. I look forward to the film adaptation as well.
This was an entertaining thriller with an interesting middle-aged heroine. Christine Lucas wakes every morning without any memories -- she remembers nothing of her childhood, young college days, married life, or even the mundane details of yesterday that preceded her going to bed the night before today. Some sort of calamitous event has caused her to not only have amnesia, but the inability to form any new short term memories as well. Each day dawns and finds her uncertain as to who she is or how she came to be in the house she shares now with a man who claims to be her husband, Ben. As the story starts, Christine is jarred by a ringing phone. The caller is Dr. Ed Nash and he claims he is trying to help her discover her past while also admitting that he's going to do a research study of her case. He encourages her to write in a journal each day, recording the events and thoughts she has. They both hope that this exercise will help Christine recover her history and lead her to understand her situation and experience some kind of life in the present. It's during the course of this activity that Christine begins to have flashes of what she believes are people and events in the years leading to the current time -- the problem is that she can never be quite sure if she is actually rediscovering her own memories or confabulating - making up a history to replace what she doesn't really remember. As she writes in her journal, Christine also discovers that Ben seems to be lying to her -- is he trying to protect her from feeling the pangs of loss and the pain of not being present in her past? Or is it something more sinister? And who really is Dr. Nash and why doesn't he want Ben to know that he's treating her?
The narrative moves along, unfolding with deliberate pacing as the tension builds to a somewhat anticipated climax as Christine is pulled inexorably to the ultimate revelations. The conclusion is somewhat unsatisfying and not completely unpredictable, but I do read a lot of books of this type and made some accurate guesses. That's not to say the book isn't enjoyable, it is -- and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a well written and suspenseful mystery. I look forward to the film adaptation as well.
Helpful Score: 5
A suspenseful thriller with a very interesting premise. It is about a woman with amnesia due to some head trauma. The kicker is every day she starts anew because, she can hold onto memory only for for a day and then becomes a blank slate again after a night's sleep. She depends on her husband each morning, who she usually doesn't recognize, to fill her in on important life details each day. A nice young doctor is also of assistance....but who can she really trust? No one seems to be telling her the whole truth of what exactly happened to her. There are so many holes in what information she is given and she doesn't even trust herself because her memory is so faulty. Keeping a journal is helpful and she refers to it daily but some of the things she is told by people who she should be able to trust, just don't add up. This book is a real page turner and I highly recommend it.
Helpful Score: 3
Before I Go to Sleep is one of the best things I've read this year. From the very first page, I knew it was going to be one of those books you just can't put down, and S.J. Watson did not disappoint.
This tense thriller introduces Christine, an amnesiac whose memory resets every night while she sleeps. Some mornings, the 47-year-old wakes thinking she's a college student -- on others, she rouses and believes she is even younger. She never remembers her husband, Ben, who seems to love her very much and who has built his life around her care and comfort. She has no memory of her career accomplishments or what has happened to all her family and friends. Most of her adult life is a total blank slate.
Then, Christine get a phone call from a man who claims to be her doctor, and who urges her to go to the closet, open a shoebox, and recover a diary she has been keeping without Ben's knowledge, as part of treatment she's sought behind her husband's back. Through her own journal entries, we as readers learn Christine's secrets as she does, and unravel the mystery of her condition -- and her strange marriage -- through flashbacks of recovered memories.
I loved this book, and can't believe it is a first effort by the author. Watson masterfully doles out small details of Christine's life and meticulously builds a mystery with a twist I truly didn't see coming. And that's my favorite kind.
Christine is very likeable and sympathetic as a main character -- although she's not reliable, I wanted to believe her, and I was frantic to put together the pieces of her story. It's creative and very "different" from most other books in this genre, and I look forward to recommending it to friends who like a suspenseful mystery as much as I do.
I hope this is only the first of many books by Watson, and will eagerly await her next release.
This tense thriller introduces Christine, an amnesiac whose memory resets every night while she sleeps. Some mornings, the 47-year-old wakes thinking she's a college student -- on others, she rouses and believes she is even younger. She never remembers her husband, Ben, who seems to love her very much and who has built his life around her care and comfort. She has no memory of her career accomplishments or what has happened to all her family and friends. Most of her adult life is a total blank slate.
Then, Christine get a phone call from a man who claims to be her doctor, and who urges her to go to the closet, open a shoebox, and recover a diary she has been keeping without Ben's knowledge, as part of treatment she's sought behind her husband's back. Through her own journal entries, we as readers learn Christine's secrets as she does, and unravel the mystery of her condition -- and her strange marriage -- through flashbacks of recovered memories.
I loved this book, and can't believe it is a first effort by the author. Watson masterfully doles out small details of Christine's life and meticulously builds a mystery with a twist I truly didn't see coming. And that's my favorite kind.
Christine is very likeable and sympathetic as a main character -- although she's not reliable, I wanted to believe her, and I was frantic to put together the pieces of her story. It's creative and very "different" from most other books in this genre, and I look forward to recommending it to friends who like a suspenseful mystery as much as I do.
I hope this is only the first of many books by Watson, and will eagerly await her next release.
Helpful Score: 3
This was an incredible read. I was hooked after the first page and read the first 100 pages without interruption I couldnt put it down! An up close look at the terrors of amnesia. Very real. A great read for anyone who is even the least bit curious about the workings of the mind when something goes wrong. We are all too ready to accept that the mind is always there for us. To think otherwise would cause us to investigate, and possibly try to imagine, what it would be like if it happened to us or to someone we loved. And we dont really want to know or do we?
Helpful Score: 3
A thriller which holds your attention to the very end. Every day is a new day as she remembers nothing after she falls a sleep. She has to rely on what they tell her. Who do you trust?
Helpful Score: 3
I read the first pages and was intrigued by the main character immediately. No other book has shocked me right off the start like this one did. I couldn't wait to read it, once I started I couldn't put the book down. Highly recommended.
Helpful Score: 3
I liked this book a lot. It wasn't fluff and predictable. I would recommend it.
Helpful Score: 2
You know what -- it was just ok. As others have posted, it was a bit tedious. It's a quick read, but I found that I kept waiting for something to happen. I have to admit that I was disappointed -- if you're paying attention, you'll see the ending coming -- but the ending -- completely unrealistic -- left me a bit flat. Really isn't as good as all the press and hype it's getting. As someone said much better than I, "The conclusion is somewhat unsatisfying and not completely unpredictable." Try to read it through, without any interruptions, if you can.
Helpful Score: 1
This book is excellent for a first time novel! The book kept you in suspense and on the edge of you seat I figured out part of the ending, but it was a total surprise. I can hardly wait til her next book comes out!
Helpful Score: 1
I got tired of hearing in every chapter each and every day about when she woke up and the story her husband would tell her. Felt like a lot of repetition to me. I read the book quickly though and liked the ending.
Helpful Score: 1
When I found out what was really happening in this story I was scared. What a chilling story, therefore, 5 stars plus.
So good! I blitzed through it because there was a great feeling of low-grade creepiness and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I figured out the twist a little over half way through, but that didn't lessen my enjoyment at all.
A suspenseful thriller, kept me reading. a bit confusing at times when the text switches between present events occurring & when the main character Christine was reading. I figured out the twist before it occurred in the book, but still pretty darn good read, especially for a first novel.
This was a compelling thriller. The tension and suspense builds, even though you may guess some of what is going on. It is very hard to put down toward the end and it is gripping and emotional all the way through.
Story about a woman with severe amnesia, Such that she can retain a day's worth of memories but wakes up every morning with a blank slate. The story takes the reader through her coping strategies and struggle to try to regain and retain important memories. At times it seemed a bit whiney, and I found myself asking âIs this what the whole story is going to be?â
One of the best suspense novels I have read in a long time. Do not see the movie and the book is so much better.
Just OK, rather slow going. Nothing great here.
I picked this one up because it was on the "Hot" list for book clubs and I am inherently interested in what other book clubs are reading. (That's a lie; I'm interested in books, period). I was not disappointed; this one riveted me and yes, the ending contained the customary twist that was unexpected in how the author presented it. I enjoyed this one cover-to-cover and by the time I finished the first section I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down.
Christine's life has been essentially taken from her because of a traumatic event that happened twenty years ago and she tries desperately to piece together the missing years, the missing people, etc. However, there is a huge problem: she forgets everything she's learned once she falls asleep. This problematic situation does seem to have a remedy and she pursues it and that creates another problem and things get complicated and discoveries are madeyou'll love following Christine's story as she learns to love her husband again and little memories slip back here and there. And she learns there is more to her story than she thinks or remembers or is told - or is there?
What this story does for the reader is even more interesting - and somewhat traumatic, too. For me, it made me think about the process of forgetting and things I'd like to forget and it made me remember things I thought I *had* forgotten. But you can't make yourself forget things. It doesn't work like that. Instead, we forget the things we don't want to. Memory clouds the thrill of first time we met the love of our life, the surreal moment our love proposed, our first kiss, the time our love first told us he/she loved us. Why do these memories get fuzzy but the painful ones are crystal clear? Is it because we wear them out from repeated recall? It doesn't seem fair. Is it apparent, now, why this book is a hit with book clubs?
Christine's life has been essentially taken from her because of a traumatic event that happened twenty years ago and she tries desperately to piece together the missing years, the missing people, etc. However, there is a huge problem: she forgets everything she's learned once she falls asleep. This problematic situation does seem to have a remedy and she pursues it and that creates another problem and things get complicated and discoveries are madeyou'll love following Christine's story as she learns to love her husband again and little memories slip back here and there. And she learns there is more to her story than she thinks or remembers or is told - or is there?
What this story does for the reader is even more interesting - and somewhat traumatic, too. For me, it made me think about the process of forgetting and things I'd like to forget and it made me remember things I thought I *had* forgotten. But you can't make yourself forget things. It doesn't work like that. Instead, we forget the things we don't want to. Memory clouds the thrill of first time we met the love of our life, the surreal moment our love proposed, our first kiss, the time our love first told us he/she loved us. Why do these memories get fuzzy but the painful ones are crystal clear? Is it because we wear them out from repeated recall? It doesn't seem fair. Is it apparent, now, why this book is a hit with book clubs?
I'm only half way through this book and nothing exciting as others have commented. It's repetitive almost like watching Groundhog Day, but no comedy. I'm going to try to finish it. If my opinion changes I will update my review.
...the Protagonist in this book was right on when she described herself as "pathetic"....The dialogue was so repetitive that I was not sure I would make it thru it. I forged on and although I should have seen it coming the ending was a shocker. Read it...just do it! The movie is coming out in 2014 with Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth and I will see it as I suspect it may be better than the book...i usually think vica versa.
Once I started this book, I could not put it down. Fascinating and compelling, the plot keeps right on moving from the get go. I couldn't wait to see the ending. It keeps you guessing the whole time.
I have to say this started out a bit slowly - after all the premise is that the main character, Christine, has lost her memory and that all of her short term memories are wiped out when she sleeps. (think Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore in 50 First Dates)Every morning her life begins anew, and she knows nothing about her history or her present until someone tells it to her AGAIN, so the author has to build that part of the story for you. While I understood it, it did get a bit monotonous. Things start picking up when she begins keeping a journal and as the mystery deepens as to the whys of how she got this way, I found myself unable to read fast enough to satisfy my curiosity! A couple of times I woke up in the morning trying to piece it all together - with "I wonder if" scenarios! Overall, quite a satisfy thriller with an equally satisfying ending.
The story captured my interest immediately, and made me want to keep reading. It drew me in, and for once I was not able to guess the ending before it happened. Basically, a woman with amnesia, who forgets everything during the night while she sleeps, begins to keep a journal in order to piece together her life and memories without starting over every day, and the story reveals itself through these journal entries. It is a clever storytelling mechanism, and is used to great effect. There were a few parts that came across as a bit off or flat to me, but overall it was a great book.
Really liked this storyline! Starts off a bit slow but be patient & stay with it because once it takes off you won't put the book down till you reach the final page!!! So many twists & turns.....very exciting.
I liked this better than a few of her other books I've read.
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is playing the lead role......looks good!
I liked this better than a few of her other books I've read.
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is playing the lead role......looks good!
Really enjoyed this book. It was entertaining, great premise, and a fantastic ending that you don't see coming.
I like memory stories. Our memories are strange and we rely on them so much. I was looking forward to a feeling in this novel that expresses the confusion and horror of not remembering, day after day. I didn't get that.
Christine suffered a trauma that left her without her memory. Over time she regained enough so that she could remember events during an awake time, suggesting that she was capable of using her long-term memory. But then she would go to sleep and wake up not knowing where she'd been for the last 20 years.
But she began to put some things together, thanks to the help from a head doctor she started seeing without telling anyone else. She would wake in the morning, frantic, wondering who she was sleeping with, then later, when she was alone again, get a phone call from the doc. He would explain that she had a journal hidden and she could read up and write more. Through this journal (the bulk of the book) she records each day's events and revelations.
It's a good way to tell the story. I had difficulty with how it seemed that by reading previous entries Christine remembered those events. When we know she didn't, really. The journal gets quite long, too, and I wondered how she read so much every morning. And what was her husband thinking that she did during the day? It was a mystery to me that he would leave her with nothing to do at all except once or twice ask her to pack a suitcase or wash something.
In time, Christine's memory gets jogged by this or that and she notices inconsistencies in what she has been told. Who is lying?
In the end, it is a good plot, I felt, although strange. I just didn't get a real psychological buildup from it.
Christine suffered a trauma that left her without her memory. Over time she regained enough so that she could remember events during an awake time, suggesting that she was capable of using her long-term memory. But then she would go to sleep and wake up not knowing where she'd been for the last 20 years.
But she began to put some things together, thanks to the help from a head doctor she started seeing without telling anyone else. She would wake in the morning, frantic, wondering who she was sleeping with, then later, when she was alone again, get a phone call from the doc. He would explain that she had a journal hidden and she could read up and write more. Through this journal (the bulk of the book) she records each day's events and revelations.
It's a good way to tell the story. I had difficulty with how it seemed that by reading previous entries Christine remembered those events. When we know she didn't, really. The journal gets quite long, too, and I wondered how she read so much every morning. And what was her husband thinking that she did during the day? It was a mystery to me that he would leave her with nothing to do at all except once or twice ask her to pack a suitcase or wash something.
In time, Christine's memory gets jogged by this or that and she notices inconsistencies in what she has been told. Who is lying?
In the end, it is a good plot, I felt, although strange. I just didn't get a real psychological buildup from it.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was not predictable and the characters were rich. The story is about a women writer who has no memory. Every morning she wakes up and starts the day anew. She begins to record her days as she remembers only to wake with a clean slate and return to her hidden writings to see wht the previous day held. Captivating. Did not predict the ending as usual.
Tedious is the only word I have to describe this book. I got so tired of the repitition that I gave up after about 200 pages. I certainly don't understand what all the hubbub is about. Different strokes, I guess.
For a debut novel all that can be said is wow! This is an edge of your seat, cannot put it down thriller. Using books to entice myself onto the treadmill to read, all I can say is that I walked more than usual. Watson will be an author I will keep track of for future reads. Give this one a try!!
I really liked this book and it twisted and turned as I did not expect. I love a mystery that you did not guess the end. Its a good read.
I loved this book. I highly recommend it.
The idea of this book is pretty sweet: Christine wakes up each morning with total amnesia, and the only thing she has to hold her life together is a journal she has been keeping which contains everything she has learned about herself. So she has this fascinating memory problem, which means she is completely defined by the book that she is writing. Sounds great!
Unfortunately, the execution was so bad. Not only was the writing terrible, but I could not at any point agree that Christine writes her journal in amateur-novel style. NOBODY would do that. Obviously, she would write it in point form (remembering that she has to read the whole thing every morning), but I was willing to suspend my disbelief and just go with a journal that has lengthy descriptions and even dialogue in it. But I still kept getting angry at Christine for wasting her time on so many words. She is constantly writing things like, "I heard his key in the lock, the door pushed open, feet being wiped on the mat. A whistle? Or was that the sound of my breathing, hard and heavy?" Over and over I kept thinking that this can't possibly be a journal. Nobody wonders after the fact whether that noise she heard was a whistle or her own breath! You just write down what it was, and move on. Better: if you are both a) rushing to write everything down before your husband gets home, and b) aware that you have to read the whole thing tomorrow morning and every morning after that, you skip that crap and GET TO THE POINT.
Finally, the ending. ***spoiler*** It's common for film directors to take a clever premise, explore it thoroughly, and then resolve the problems posed with straight-up violence. You know what, though: that's really boring, and also it's what your audience thinks is probably coming, so don't do it. I skimmed. Part III of the book could use a complete rewrite.***end spoiler***
Despite how disappointing this book was, I kind of enjoyed reading it. There was genuine tension in the plot, and the author did a good job making sure I didn't know whether to trust the main character's story (she is told she has a history of paranoia) or her husband's (her journal says "DON'T TRUST BEN" on the front page). It was an unsatisfactory novel, but a satisfying airport read. So, I would recommend it maybe if you need something to pass the time in an environment where it's hard to focus, but definitely not if you have something good waiting on your bookshelf.
Unfortunately, the execution was so bad. Not only was the writing terrible, but I could not at any point agree that Christine writes her journal in amateur-novel style. NOBODY would do that. Obviously, she would write it in point form (remembering that she has to read the whole thing every morning), but I was willing to suspend my disbelief and just go with a journal that has lengthy descriptions and even dialogue in it. But I still kept getting angry at Christine for wasting her time on so many words. She is constantly writing things like, "I heard his key in the lock, the door pushed open, feet being wiped on the mat. A whistle? Or was that the sound of my breathing, hard and heavy?" Over and over I kept thinking that this can't possibly be a journal. Nobody wonders after the fact whether that noise she heard was a whistle or her own breath! You just write down what it was, and move on. Better: if you are both a) rushing to write everything down before your husband gets home, and b) aware that you have to read the whole thing tomorrow morning and every morning after that, you skip that crap and GET TO THE POINT.
Finally, the ending. ***spoiler*** It's common for film directors to take a clever premise, explore it thoroughly, and then resolve the problems posed with straight-up violence. You know what, though: that's really boring, and also it's what your audience thinks is probably coming, so don't do it. I skimmed. Part III of the book could use a complete rewrite.***end spoiler***
Despite how disappointing this book was, I kind of enjoyed reading it. There was genuine tension in the plot, and the author did a good job making sure I didn't know whether to trust the main character's story (she is told she has a history of paranoia) or her husband's (her journal says "DON'T TRUST BEN" on the front page). It was an unsatisfactory novel, but a satisfying airport read. So, I would recommend it maybe if you need something to pass the time in an environment where it's hard to focus, but definitely not if you have something good waiting on your bookshelf.
Good book with a twist at the end.
Woman has amnesia. Every day she awakes but does not recall her life before she went to sleep. I enjoyed this book despite its slower pace. Each new revelation is like peeling an onion - each layer is a new finding.
I really enjoyed this book. It was the first time I had read anything by this author, but I'd gladly try another. It's pretty creepy, but in a good way.
Very good book ! I liked this better than a few of her other books I've read.
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is staring as the lead......looks good!
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is staring as the lead......looks good!
At first I thought this book would be like 100 First Dates or Groundhog Day, but very little of it was repeated, or if it was - it was done in a way to be different. I could not put this book down and was blown away by the ending, I can usually tell what's going to happen - but not with this book, wow is all I can say.
My take on the book is a little different from the rest here. I really didn't want to read the book, but I was given a copy and decided to try it.
It is much better than I thought that it would be. There is not a lot of repetitive plot.
However, the big twist I saw fairly soon on. It was worth reading, but I would not have sought it out.
Still it is a unique book and well written.
It is much better than I thought that it would be. There is not a lot of repetitive plot.
However, the big twist I saw fairly soon on. It was worth reading, but I would not have sought it out.
Still it is a unique book and well written.
So good I read it twice!
Hard to put down!!!
An awesome read! This was a real page turner.
Obviously, a lot of people liked this book, so I guess I'm in the minority on this one. And, I have to admit it isn't a bad book. I gave it a low score because I found it to be very repetitive and quite predictable. After all the hype, I was just a little disappointed.
I went into this book not knowing much about it. I had just read the description and it was on my Kindle recommendations. It sounded interesting, so I gave it a try! I was very please! The first half of the book goes a little slow...but hang on, because the last half will go so quickly and you will wish it never ended! I found myself changing my theories on "what happened and who did it" several times over during the book. The author has such a gift of making you second guess yourself and wonder just how it could have happened.
I did not find the way the book was written to be distracting at all, as some reviews have said. It is written from the view of Christine, in journal entries to herself. I would often forget I was reading a journal entry at all.
Definitely pick this book up if you like suspense and books that are hard to put down!
I did not find the way the book was written to be distracting at all, as some reviews have said. It is written from the view of Christine, in journal entries to herself. I would often forget I was reading a journal entry at all.
Definitely pick this book up if you like suspense and books that are hard to put down!
this was on my wish list for a long time and I guess either no one is wanting to part with it so anyway I found one at Kmart and went ahead and bought it. It is not as good as I thought it would be, it is okay and you have to read a long time and over half way before you finally get to the really suspenseful part that will keep you going.
Really liked this storyline! Starts off a bit slow but be patient & stay with it because once it takes off you won't put the book down till you reach the final page!!! So many twists & turns.....very exciting.
I liked this better than a few of her other books I've read.
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is staring as the lead......looks good!
I liked this better than a few of her other books I've read.
10/10/14 UPDATE:
This book was now made into a movie & is coming out soon!!!
Saw the movie trailer this morning & Nicole Kidman is staring as the lead......looks good!
I love the diary style of the book and the basic premise. I did guess the twist early on, but still enjoyed it. It is one of those plots that if one person had asked questions or checked facts on earlier, the entire plot would fall apart. The fact that she lost her memory in 87 helps with technology invented since then.
A good, fast read, but not a necessary one. Good for the beach, etc.
A good, fast read, but not a necessary one. Good for the beach, etc.
I am not much for thrillers, but this looked good. I really enjoyed the story line. Loved the way this story was told as a diary. Great surprise ending. Suspense at every turn. Kept me on my toes without being gory.
Before I Go to Sleep is one of the best things I've read this year. From the very first page, I knew it was going to be one of those books you just can't put down, and S.J. Watson did not disappoint.
This tense thriller introduces Christine, an amnesiac whose memory resets every night while she sleeps. Some mornings, the 47-year-old wakes thinking she's a college student -- on others, she rouses and believes she is even younger. She never remembers her husband, Ben, who seems to love her very much and who has built his life around her care and comfort. She has no memory of her career accomplishments or what has happened to all her family and friends. Most of her adult life is a total blank slate.
Then, Christine get a phone call from a man who claims to be her doctor, and who urges her to go to the closet, open a shoebox, and recover a diary she has been keeping without Ben's knowledge, as part of treatment she's sought behind her husband's back. Through her own journal entries, we as readers learn Christine's secrets as she does, and unravel the mystery of her condition -- and her strange marriage -- through flashbacks of recovered memories.
I loved this book, and can't believe it is a first effort by the author. Watson masterfully doles out small details of Christine's life and meticulously builds a mystery with a twist I truly didn't see coming. And that's my favorite kind.
Christine is very likeable and sympathetic as a main character -- although she's not reliable, I wanted to believe her, and I was frantic to put together the pieces of her story. It's creative and very "different" from most other books in this genre, and I look forward to recommending it to friends who like a suspenseful mystery as much as I do.
I hope this is only the first of many books by Watson, and will eagerly await her next release.
This tense thriller introduces Christine, an amnesiac whose memory resets every night while she sleeps. Some mornings, the 47-year-old wakes thinking she's a college student -- on others, she rouses and believes she is even younger. She never remembers her husband, Ben, who seems to love her very much and who has built his life around her care and comfort. She has no memory of her career accomplishments or what has happened to all her family and friends. Most of her adult life is a total blank slate.
Then, Christine get a phone call from a man who claims to be her doctor, and who urges her to go to the closet, open a shoebox, and recover a diary she has been keeping without Ben's knowledge, as part of treatment she's sought behind her husband's back. Through her own journal entries, we as readers learn Christine's secrets as she does, and unravel the mystery of her condition -- and her strange marriage -- through flashbacks of recovered memories.
I loved this book, and can't believe it is a first effort by the author. Watson masterfully doles out small details of Christine's life and meticulously builds a mystery with a twist I truly didn't see coming. And that's my favorite kind.
Christine is very likeable and sympathetic as a main character -- although she's not reliable, I wanted to believe her, and I was frantic to put together the pieces of her story. It's creative and very "different" from most other books in this genre, and I look forward to recommending it to friends who like a suspenseful mystery as much as I do.
I hope this is only the first of many books by Watson, and will eagerly await her next release.
Loved this book!!! Tense, psycological thriller that kept me up until 3 AM to finish it. Sincerely hope this author writes more - I checked and this is her only book - :( It is creepy, scary and wonderful. D.
This was a good read - a bit redundant in spots, but held my interest. Read it in a weekend.
This was my first real foray into this genre of reading, and I am quite glad I chose this book. It was a very good read. As a few others have stated, in the middle it does get kind of slow and repetitive, but the ending is worth it! The premise of the main character, Cristine, having lost her memory and can only remember the things that happen during that current day. It makes a good story, go on & try it for yourself!
This book was really raved about and highly recommended by a few members of my online book club, The Reading Cove. So I had high expectations; but after reading it, the plot had the substance for a short story.....but it was drawn out for 360 pages!
It's an interesting premise: Christine has severe memory loss whenever she sleeps. Every morning, she wakes up having forgotten the last 20 years.
The story starts out interestingly enough, but the middle is boring and repetitious to a fault. It's just wash, rinse, repeat for 200 pages, and then the most obvious twist imaginable. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it, but only the heavily Xanaxed couldn't see that coming, LOL. And you have to suspend a lot of common sense and logic to buy that she'd have had a loving husband and son and still fall into something like this.
On the positive side, this is a first novel and the writing in the beginning and the very end showed promise, so I'd be open to more from the author in the future.
But I think this one's a C, average.
It's an interesting premise: Christine has severe memory loss whenever she sleeps. Every morning, she wakes up having forgotten the last 20 years.
The story starts out interestingly enough, but the middle is boring and repetitious to a fault. It's just wash, rinse, repeat for 200 pages, and then the most obvious twist imaginable. I won't spoil it for those who haven't read it, but only the heavily Xanaxed couldn't see that coming, LOL. And you have to suspend a lot of common sense and logic to buy that she'd have had a loving husband and son and still fall into something like this.
On the positive side, this is a first novel and the writing in the beginning and the very end showed promise, so I'd be open to more from the author in the future.
But I think this one's a C, average.
I have to agree with the reviewer who found this book "tedious". It is slow moving, repetitive, makes very little sense, and I had to force myself to finish it. Plus, I found the ending completely unbelievable. So, all that reading for a ridiculous ending. Don't waste your time with this one.
This is a fabulous read. It will keep you guessing until the end. :)
First off let me say that i'm not really into the hardcore mystery/thriller genre. I like cozies but not this. HOWEVER, once I started this book I found I couldn't put it down. It is mainly in diary form and after awhile the missing quotation marks didn't phase me anymore (they did at first). I had a small guess in the beginning to what may have happened and I was 1/2 right. Looking forward to S.J. Watson's next book. I read this one in 2 days and it helped me get over my reading slump I was in. :)
This is an unusual subject with a twist at the end. I enjoyed it so much I gave it 5-stars. I would recommend it to anyone.
Decidedly boring and predictable. 85% of book repeating leading up to 15% ending.
