Before I Go to Sleep is one of those books that you see raved about everywhere you go and so I was really excited when I got a copy and started to read it straight away.
It is the story of Christine, a woman who has amnesia and everyday she wakes up not knowing where she is or who her husband is or anything. The story develops in the form of a diary that Christine’s doctor asks her to keep, so that she can re-read everything she knows, and find out what her husband isn’t telling her...
Being in a diary form, it opened up a close connection between the reader and character and every time a new day began I felt I was learning everything all over again with Christine, but each time hoping she’ll learn that little bit more. The power of the book, I found, comes from the ability to draw the story out, building up such suspense, yet still constantly leaving the reader guessing right up until the end.
I ended up reading Before I Go to Sleep in two sittings – it was that compelling and the more I read, the more I wanted to find out how it would end. Having been brought up on all the crime-mystery stories, I knew there was a lot more than just a simple case of amnesia. There are various points in the book where you find out, at the same time as Christine, some shocking revelations, but they are fed through one by one that makes you hang on to the edge of your seat waiting for the next one.
Despite it having a dark, mystery twist to it, it is an amazing, heart-felt story and you find yourself rooting for Christine the whole way through. It is a great read and I’m glad I got a chance to finally read it. I will definitely be passing it on to my friends!
