Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book chronicles the life of Christine, who loses her memory each morning. Christine spends each day putting her life back together using the items and people she doesn't remember. The problem is that the memories and other information she learns doesn't always match or make sense. This puts the reader on edge as you try and determine who she can trust, what is really going on, and whether her memories are real or figments of her imagination.

I really enjoyed this book. Christine is fragile, because of her condition, but determined to rebuild her life and figure out as much she can about her memory loss and how to continue her life. Everyone, including Christine, has secrets that keep you wondering what really happened. The people Christine depends on all act in ways that make you wonder if they can be trusted.  There is an innocent explanation described by the characters, and sometimes Christine, that is believable but questionable.

The author did a good job of dealing with the repeated loss of her memory through the use of a journal that Christine is keeping. She is hiding the journal from her husband and even she isn't sure why, but it reminds her of what she has already learned each day so she, and the reader, don't need to repeat it. This kept the pace of the book at a speed necessary for a suspenseful mystery.