I cannot imagine how I will cope when I discover that my life is behind me, has already happened, and I have nothing to show for it. No treasure house of recollection, no wealth of experience, no accumulated wisdom to pass on. What are we, if not an accumulation of our memories?
Before I Go To Sleep has officially gained the title of shortest life on the shelf. I purchased it on a trip to Left Bank Books in St. Louis on Sunday. (Is this the cutest little book store I've ever visited? Possibly.) After four days of what was basically non-stop travel, I was looking forward to dedicating Tuesday to reading. And that's exactly what I did.
Christine Lucas wakes up each and everyday to an unfamiliar body lying next to her. When she rushes to the bathroom, she is shocked to find herself aged 20 years, with no memory of the days leading to this one. When she begins secretly meeting Ed Nash, a doctor who believes her memories are trapped on account of trauma, the audience learns small pieces of Christine's life before and after the accident, as she documents the day-to-day in a journal hidden in her closet.
Let me start by saying that this is not going to be your read of the year, and this certainly isn't going to be on any flawless list, but books that were highly entertaining? Yes, it should certainly carve a spot there. After reading reviews from Jackie at Farm Lane Books and Carrie at Nomad Reader, I knew that it wasn't going to be easy to put down.
Sure, there are several inconsistencies, and there are a number of "that sure is convenient" moments, but the premise is interesting. The pace is quick, and I was genuinely surprised with some of the events that managed to emerge. The characters maintained a depth despite the brevity of their appearances. I found that I was constantly changing my judgement of some characters, although I was well aware that Christine was completely unreliable. Overall, it was a very smart and entertaining thriller. I'll be looking forward to more of Watson's work in the future!
Read Before I Go To Sleep? If so, I'd love recommendations of similar reads!
Before I Go To Sleep was so good! After reading it, I discovered Sister by Rosamund Lupton. Fantastic book! Maybe even better than Before I Go...!
ReplyDeleteAnother good one coming out in a couple of weeks is The Expats by Chris Pavone. It has a great main character that I just loved!
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the recommendations! I had Sister on my Goodreads TBR list, but I just added the Pavone novel. I've heard that Laura Lippman is similar to this and Tana French. Have you read those? I think they're easy to obtain at the local library so I'll be reviewing soon.
There is always room on my bookshelf for smart and entertaining thrillers. You devoured this one quickly!
ReplyDeleteI did... That's twice this year; although, I really don't think it's a case of having so much time on my hands. But maybe. It's a quick one. Would make a great beach read!
DeleteI read The Devotion of Suspect X at a similar time and found them both equally hard to put down. They are a bit different in terms of setting, but Suspect X has far fewer holes in its plot. I'm planning to read Into the Darkest Corner soon. I've heard it is also quite similar and look forward to comparing notes.
ReplyDeleteJackie,
ReplyDeleteI'm adding both of these to my Goodreads account. I really enjoyed this one and have avoided thinking about it too much more than the fact that it was entertaining. I've heard that it could be compared to Laura Lippman's work. Have you read her work?
Sarah from SarahReadsTooMuch.com really likes Tana French's series. Both Lippman and French are on my TBR lists (I even own a Lippman), but I still haven't read either author. Soon though!
ReplyDeleteMelissa,
DeleteThe Tana French series is amazing. Way better than Before I go... Seriously, you have to find one and read it immediately! I am anxiously anticipating reading her newest when it comes out in June. You have time to read all 3 before then ;) Let me know what you think!
This book has been absolutely massive here for a very long time, which to be honest put me off reading it for a while. I have it on hold at the library now, and I'm about number 60 in the queue.
ReplyDeleteSam,
DeleteIt's funny because I didn't even know about it until I saw a number of bloggers I follow regularly gushing about it. I understand about the hype. I hope it doesn't kill it for you! I think it was pretty entertaining, so you might want to hold off a little longer. By the time it's your turn to pick it up at the library, you'll probably think it's ok as well!
So glad you found this one to be a quick read too! I've also heard Into the Darkest Corner is quite similar. I'm hoping to get to it soon too.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on setting a new shelf life record! I had been on the fence about this one, but seeing that you really enjoyed it has made me want to pick up a copy. This book's been everywhere so I was a little afraid that the hype monster would rear its ugly head again.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it fun when a book just doesn't allow you to put it down? Sometimes that visceral reaction to a book is exactly what I'm looking for. This sounds great, and I am putting it on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this after seeing all the hype. But it was very clever. It's a compelling thriller. I was impressed to discover that it was written by a man as the main character (a woman) was believable. Before I Go To Sleep definitely delivers.
ReplyDelete