Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson

Before I Go to Sleep was the October pick of the FLICKS Book and Movie Club. It was a perfect suspenseful pick for the month of Halloween. Christine was involved in an accident and now cannot retain any memories. She falls asleep at night and wakes up the next day not remembering anything. She either thinks she is still a child, or a twenty-something when she is in fact in her late forties. It is a shock every day to wake up in a strange bed and to see her older face staring back at her in the mirror. Luckily her patient husband Ben helps to remind her each day that he loves her and guides her through the memories of her life that she has forgotten.


After Ben leaves for work, Christine gets a call from her doctor that is working with her without Ben’s knowledge. He tells Christine that she has been writing a journal and where she hid it the night before. Christine can then catch up on what she has discovered about herself and how she has been living her life. She soon discovers that there are many layers and secrets to her life to uncover and that it is hard to find someone that she can trust.

I loved the unique style of this book. Told from Christine’s prospective, we get what she is doing day by day and then her journal makes up a large part of the novel. Finding out the mystery of Christine was very intriguing. I literally couldn’t put the book down by the end and I was shocked by the ending. The premise of the book did remind me a lot of one of my favorite movies, Memento, but the storyline was completely different. Watson did a fantastic job of creating the world through Christine’s eyes where you had to question every move and every person in her life. Every day was a new day with new things to learn.

Sadly I missed book club meeting, which I hate to do. I had been out of town for work and was missing the kids. Although I missed the discussion, the kids were glad to have Mommy at home so it was worth it.

Overall, Before I Go to Sleep is a gripping suspense novel with an unforgettable plot and heroine. I would love to read more novels by S.J. Watson. This is her first novel and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library – Thanks!