Synopsis:
Christine Lucas wakes up each morning confused. She believes that she is a young woman in her twenties. She looks around her bedroom and it does not seem familiar, and is sometimes shocked to see that a man she does not recognize is in bed with her. As she finds her way to the bathroom and looks in the mirror, she is shocked to see the reflection of a forty-seven-year-old woman staring back at her. Her hands do not seem to belong to her, her body does not respond in the way she expects. Then she sees the photographs taped around the bathroom mirror, some of which bear names.
Her husband, Ben, explains to her yet again that they have been married for many years, are still in love, and very happy. Before he leaves for work, he writes reminders on a white board in the kitchen, telling Christine what household chores to perform during the day or, perhaps, that they will be going out in the evening so she should get ready before he returns.
Christine suffered head trauma that left her with amnesia. She is unable to make new short-term memories. Every night when she goes to sleep, everything that happened during the day is erased and she awakens the next morning unable to recollect what transpired the previous day. So each day, Ben painstakingly explains who he is, where they live, and that her condition was brought about as a result of a terrible accident many years ago.
Without Ben’s knowledge or approval, Christine has been seeing Dr. Ed Nash and, as a result of their work together, she is having flashbacks of memory. Dr. Nash encourages her to write in a journal each day, logging the bits and pieces of memory that she retrieves, as well as the information that is imparted to her by Ben. He has provided her with a cell phone and calls her each day to remind her about the journal’s existence and tell her where she has hidden it from Ben so that she can read it and create new entries.
But inside the front cover of the journal, in large red letters, Christine discovers the words “Don’t trust Ben.” As the days pass and she compares the things Ben tells her against what she has written in the journal on previous days, she realizes that he is lying about important aspects of her life, and omitting others, including the fact that Christine fulfilled her dream of being a writer and her first published novel was a success. Why is he lying to her and withholding important details about her past from her? And why did she make that notation? What really happened to her that caused her to lose her memory? Can she ever regain any portion of her memories and live a somewhat normal life?
Review:
The story would have been far less captivating had Watson not chosen to present it as a first-person narrative. But with Christine telling the story from her exclusvie vantage point, the reader is drawn into the story from the very first paragraph:
The bedroom is strange. Unfamiliar. I don’t know where I am, how I came to be here. I don’t know how I’m going to get home.
I have spent the night here. . . .
. . .I hear a juddering intake of breath behind me and realize that I am not alone. I turn around. I see an expanse of skin and dark hair, flecked with white. A man. He has his left arm outside the covers and there is a gold band on the third finger of the hand. I suppress a groan. So this one is not only old and gray, I think, but also married. Not only have I screwed a married man, but I have done so in what I am guessing is his home, in the bed he must usually share with his wife. I lie back to gather myself. I ought to be ashamed.
Christine’s frustration is palpable, as day after day begins in exactly the same way. She cannot retain information from one day to the next, so every morning she awakens with a mind like a computer hard drive that has been reformatted, all of the previously stored data erased. She has only flashes of memory from time to time, such as being at a party during her college years with her best girlfriend whose face is familiar, but she can’t remember her name and has no idea what became of her in the ensuing years.
Watson takes his readers along with Christine on her journey of discovery as she works with the younger and attractive Dr. Nash, a neuropsychologist who is providing treatment free of charge as part of his research for a paper he is writing. It is Dr. Nash who suggests that she memorialize each day’s events and revelations in a journal so that the next day she can read her entries and, hopefully, eventually retain some information from day to day. Christine’s emotional roller-coaster is fascinating as she repeatedly experiences the same losses and heartbreaks anew. Her determination to solve the riddle that is her life history and improve the quality of her life is juxtaposed against her absolute vulnerability. Since she cannot remember where she lives or with whom for more than a few hours, she is utterly dependent upon Ben for her very survival. Without him, she would be back in the institution in which she resided for many years before Ben finally took her home to be with him.
To some extent, the book is about stories: telling stories, and what we believe to be true, and how we can be affected by things just because we believed that they happened — they don’t have to actually have happened.~ Author S. J. Watson
With each successive chapter, Christine pieces together more and more details about her life and, in the process, becomes increasingly suspicious of Ben. Her suspicions leave her feeling guilty, however. After all, she appreciates how frustrating it must be for him to live with her in her condition, constantly having to reacclimate her each day, and is appreciative of his patience, confident that he truly loves her. Still, even though she can rationalize and justify all of the lies Ben tells her and his failure to inform her about key aspects of her life, Christine cannot bring herself to fully trust him. Her inner dialogue about her conflicted feelings is heartbreakingly believable and propels the action forward as Christine searches for the truth.
Amnesiacs have a tendency to invent details of their lives in order to fill in the gaps in their memories. Compounding Christine’s quest for answers is the fact that she was a novelist before her traumatic brain injury, and she might creating memories, rather than actually recalling past events.
The character of Ben is crafted carefully, always saying and doing the right things. His motivations seem pure — he constantly reassures Christine that he loves her and they have been happy throughout their twenty-two-year marriage. Christine has no way of knowing if that is true, of course, because she cannot remember their wedding, much less the years between that day and this morning. Something is not quite right about Ben, but what is it exactly?
Everyone is a suspect, the plot twists and turns unexpectedly, and no clear answers emerge until the fast-paced and satisfying conclusion. You will find yourself determined to read the last page before going to sleep yourself. Before I Go to Sleep is a NY Times best-seller and the movie rights have been acquired by Ridley Scott. S. J. Watson’s life has been suddenly transformed by success . . . for good reason. I look forward to reading more from the incredibly talented first-time author.
Enter to Win a Copy of Before I Go to Sleep
One lucky reader, selected at random, will receive a copy of Before I Go to Sleep, graciously provided by the author.
To enter, simply post a comment! Be sure to include your email address (for notification and delivery purposes). The book can only be shipped to a United States or Canadian address (no P.O. box).
The comment posted by Cindy Swanson at Cindy’s Book Club was selected at random so a copy of Before I Go to Sleep was sent to Cindy.
51 Comments
sounds really fascinating! would love to win.
strandedhero@gmail.com
enter me!!
I just love a good mystery and this one sounds like a great one.
The concept for this book is the same as 50 First dates, which I loved. I love the idea of less humor to the situation being told from the point of view from the person who is experiencing it. I hope I win, but if not I’ll probably still get it! Sounds fascinating!
stimble AT hotmail DOT com
I really enjoyed your review. I would love to read this book.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com
Sounds fascinating! I’d love to win!
patricia dot mariani dot esq at gmail dot com
I’m glad you enjoyed this one! Thanks for being on the tour. I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page today.
I would love to win this one!
stacybooks at yahoo
Wow! This sounds like a fantastic story. I would love to win it. 🙂
I love mysteries. I also loved 50 First Dates, so I know that with the added mystery tot his story I am going to love it. It definitely sounds like a page turner! Win or lose, I will be reading this. Of course, I’d love to win a copy and save my wallet another hit from the book store 🙂 Thanks for the excellent giveaway!
jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net
Thanks for the giveaway.
coffeebooksandlaundry(at)gmail.com
Thanks so much for this!
thegirlonfire27 at gmail dot com
This book sounds amazing. I want to give it a try 😛
Sounds wonderful. Thanks for the wonderful giveaway
Thanks for the opportunity.
This sounds like it will be a very interesting book. Thanks for a chance to win.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
What an intriguing premise!
Best wishes and thanks for a chance to win this fantabulous giveaway!
Chanticlear1(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you for the chance to win!
methom@earthlink.net
Sounds great! Count me in.
reading_frenzy at yahoo dot com
This sounds like a fascinating book. Thanks for the giveaway and the excellent review!
Thanks for the opportunity. Would love to win.
Please count me in. This book sounds like a keeper.
jmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love to read this!
Great giveaway – thank you! I’d love the opportunity to win!
tommygirl828 (at) gmail (dot) com
I love books about memories! This novel has such a cool plot line. Thank you for hosting this giveaway! edysicecreamlover18ATgmailDOTcom
This sounds like a really good read. So different sounding than what I have been reading lately. hootowl1978 at gmail dot com
This book sounds so good. Count me in 🙂 Thanks!
quixoticdreamer(at)hotmail(dot)com
I am so intrigued by this storyline, I’d love to read the book. Thanks!
This sounds like a very intriguing storyline. Thanks for the giveaway.
How scary that would be to look in the mirror and see an older version of yourself. I’ve added this book to my list of good books to read. Hope I win this. So many interesting twists and turns in this story. Thank you.
makeupgirl21@comcast.net
Wow, this book sounds incredibly creepy (in a good way :)). I will have to make sure to read this one with the lights on :)! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
The premise of this book is so amazing that I have to know what happens. Thanks for the intro and review
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net
Would love to win-thanks for the giveaway
would love to read this story…thanks for the chance 🙂
This book looks very interesting! I would love to read this. Definitely added to my TBR pile!!
Laceymatt26@yahoo.com
Sounds like a book I would enjoy! Thanks for the giveaway.
mamabunny13 at gmail dot com
I stopped by your blog today.
Ann
Thanks for the giveaway!
mce1011 AT aol DOT com
Wow. This book sounds fantastic. The synopsis hooked me in, but your review reeled me in. Okay, I will stop with the cliches. 🙂
Anyway, I would love to be entered in this giveaway.
Sounds like this one has enough suspense to keep you up 🙂 Thank you for the wonderful review and giveaway opportunity.
dz59001[at]gmail[dot]com
Quite interesting to unveil the story’s mystery. I like the lessons to be learned as well. In other words, mg attention was attracted to this kind of book. Thanks for posting! =)
What a good book. I can’t imagine being in this situation. I would love to read it. Please enter me. Thanks!
ayancey(at)dishmail(dot)net
Sounds like an interesting book. Love to win a copy!
Leslie
workingforthemandroid at gmail dot com
sounds like a great read!
Katie
This has been on my to-read list for a while, and I was unable to get it at the library just yesterday. Do enter me for the giveaway!
Hope you’ll stop by and say hello…
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This sounds interesting. Does she ever piece it all together? I guess I have to read the book to find out.
lkish77123 at gmail dot com
What a wonderful review. This book has been on my wish list for a few weeks now. Please include me in your giveaway.
thriftyways(at)gmail(dot)com
I would love to win. THanks for the giveaway!
I have been wanting to read this one! Hope I win 🙂
stacybooks at yahoo
This looks intriguing–I’d love to win!
shana
shanaelyse@gmail.com