I wanted to read Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson l before I went to see the movie which stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. The book came highly recommended. For the most part, it didn’t disappoint. It reminded me of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It’s a page turner — at least for the first third of the book or so and then again in the final chapters.
So, what’s it about?
Before I go to Sleep is the story of a woman called Christine who lost her memory in a traumatic incident. Now, she wakes up each day with no memory of the past. Her life is necessarily narrow. Her only two relationships are with her husband Ben and with the mysterious Dr Nash.
Christine uses a journal to record what she uncovers each day and her own writing becomes her only reliable guide to her past. But can she even trust herself?
Like Christine, the reader too is not sure who to believe. The seeds of mistrust are sown at the outset. The very first page in Christine’s journal says “Don’t trust Ben”.
But is Christine a reliable narrator or is her journal made up of imagined events rather than real? What about the creepy Dr Nash? Can Christine’s former friend Claire be trusted? Who is lying and why?
As a tool, Christine’s journal works well bringing the reader with her as she slowly pieces together her past. Before I Go to Sleep is a powerful page turner — worth a look, particularly for readers who enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.
[Disclosure: A free copy of Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson was made available via Netgalley for the purpose of this review].