return to home  
Join   |  Gift   |  Member Login   |  Library Login
BookBrowse Mobile
twitter Bookmark and Share mail to a friend Email
   Summary and Book Reviews

Before I Go To Sleep: Summary and book reviews of Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson, plus links to an excerpt from Before I Go To Sleep and a biography of S.J. Watson.

Before I Go To Sleep

Before I Go To Sleep
A Novel
by S.J. Watson
Hardcover: Jun 2011,
368 pages.
Paperback: Feb 2012,
368 pages.

Publication information
First book/First Novel


Author Information
Critics' Opinion:   
Readers' Rating:  
About BookBrowse Rankings
Buy This Book

BOOK SUMMARY

S. J. Watson makes his debut with this fast-paced psychological thriller, reminiscent of Shutter Island and Memento.

A terrible accident has robbed Christine of her memories. She cannot remember the past - or even yesterday. Determined to discover who she is, she has begun keeping a journal before she goes to sleep. Before she can forget again.

But the truth may be more terrifying - and deadlier - than she bargained for...
BookBrowse

I'll be honest - Before I Go to Sleep wasn't what I was expecting when I agreed to review the book. So many recent novels have been dubbed "psychological thrillers" that the term's meaning has perhaps become watered down, leaning more toward "thriller" than "psychological." I suppose I was expecting a good but not great page-turner that would entertain but otherwise have little depth. What I found instead was an exceptionally well-crafted novel of slowly building suspense - a "thinking woman's" thriller, if you will.  (Reviewed by Kim Kovacs).

Full Review Members Only (987 words).

Media Reviews

  Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax.

  Library Journal
[I]t's a gripping, one-sitting psychological thriller. The publishers in 34 countries that have bought the rights, plus Ridley Scott, who's producing the film, can't all be wrong.

  Kirkus Reviews
Starred Review. Watson's pitch-perfect writing propels the story to a frenzied climax that will haunt readers long after they've closed the cover on this remarkable book.

Author Blurb Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Moonlight Mile
An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page.

Author Blurb Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series
The best debut novel I've ever read.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated 3 of 5 of 5 by Michèle Dextras
Not a mystery novel fan
I hate books that wrap up everything in the last 20 pages. This book is a good read, you want to know how it will end but there is so much repetition in this story and then everything happens and the mystery explained in the last 20 pages. I think...   Read More

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Carolyn Watters
Couldn't put it down!
Not your typical mystery/thriller. Makes a great book club selection. I loved the author's style and the pace. Would make a great movie!

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by Louise J
Could be a TOP Book of 2011....Don't Miss It!!
This is the first book I’ve read on my brand new KOBO e-reader and what a book it was!!! The mystery and suspense kept me turning page after page. The further the story went along, the faster I read and the quicker I turned the pages. This could...   Read More

Rated 4 of 5 of 5 by Diane S.
Before I go to sleep by S.J. Watson
This book would make a great Hitchcock film. Suspense, twists and a completely original story, very well written for a fist novel. The ending was a little to pat for my liking but still a good read. Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rated 5 of 5 of 5 by mainlinebooker
Run...to get this
I almost got into 3 accidents because I kept trying to read this at every stop light while I was in the car. Perfect for vacation, a long flight or just everyday reading. The tension continued to build in this book until the last couple of pages...   Read More

Amnesia

Amnesia, also known as "amnestic syndrome," refers to a person's inability to retrieve memories or pieces of information from the brain and occurs when the areas of the brain responsible for recovering stored information become compromised by physical or psychological damage.

The limbic system Several structures located deep within the brain, such as the hippocampus (responsible for the formation and storage of memories) and the thalamus (involved in the regulation of sensory perception), comprise the limbic system, a complex network that controls our emotional responses, survival instincts, memory creation, and memory retrieval. Amnesia can be caused by physical or psychological trauma to these structures, brought on by diseases such as Alzheimer's, encephalitis or meningitis, seizures, stroke or drug use.

Most types of amnestic memory loss fall into one of two categories: anterograde or...

Continued...  Beyond the Book (members only)

Readalikes Full readalike results are for members only

If you liked Before I Go To Sleep, try these:


Keeping Watch
by Laurie R. King

Riveting, harrowing, and unforgettable, Keeping Watch takes psychological suspense to its most dizzying heights and proves again why Laurie R. King has been called by both readers and critics an undisputed master of suspense.

Oblivion
by Peter Abrahams

What determines your identity? Is it the clothes you wear? The way other people treat you? When private investigator Nick Petrov wakes up in a hospital room everyone treats him like a victim but he can't remember how he got there in the first place. Digging for answers when he doesn't even know the questions, he begins to fear he...


These are 2 of the 6 readalike suggestions for Before I Go To Sleep. Members have full access to all readalikes. If you are a member, please login. To find out more about membership, click here.


Become a Member
The Leftovers
Editor's Choice
  •  May 24 
  •  May 22 
  •  May 20 
Luminarium
Alex Shakar

Luminarium Jacket

Do you feel... Your life is without purpose? Your days are without meaning? There's something about existence you're just not getting?
Lehrter Station
David Downing

Lehrter Station Jacket

WWII has ended… But the danger has just begun for a spy caught between political superpowers.
All Woman and Springtime
Brandon W. Jones

All Woman and Springtime Jacket

This spellbinding debut, reminiscent of Memoirs of a Geisha, depicts, with chilling accuracy, life behind North Korea's iron curtain.
Birdseye
Mark Kurlansky

Birdseye Jacket

The first biography of Clarence Birdseye, the eccentric genius inventor whose fast-freezing process revolutionized the food industry and American agriculture.
A Land More Kind Than Home
Wiley Cash

A Land More Kind Than Home Jacket

A mesmerizing literary thriller about the bond between two brothers and the evil they face in a small western North Carolina town.
Click Here
   Most Recent Blog Entries
Why "Fifty Shades of Grey" Is So Successful
Summer 2012: Movies Based on Books
Following the Thread - Great Book Design
rss  RSS   rss  subscribe
The Butterfly Cabinet
  Latest BookBrowse News
BookExpo America will broadcast live author appearances for the first time (May 24 2012)
For the first time, BookExpo America is making author appearances at the show available for viewing online live or on demand, via Livestream. It is... Full Story
rss RSS feed More...
BookBrowse Poll
Q: Have you bought a book in any of these stores in the last 3 months?
Walmart
Costco
Sam's Club
Any other warehouse store
Any other bricks & mortar location that isn't a bookstore
None of these
Select Any That Apply
Search: Title or Author
Free Newsletters

Online Book Club
More about
Next to Love
Join the discussion!

BookBrowse Showcase
visit showcase now!
Advertise Here

First Impressions
Members Recommend:
A Lady Cyclist's Guide to Kashgar
by Suzanne Joinson
Four Stars
The Secrets of Mary Bowser
by Lois Leveen
Five Stars
The Voluntourist
by Ken Budd
3.5 Stars
A Simple Murder
by Eleanor Kuhns
Four Stars
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
by Anna Quindlen
4.5 Stars
Afterwards
by Rosamund Lupton
4.5 Stars
more...


Win This Book!
Beneath The Shadows

Beneath the Shadows jacket

A thrilling gothic debut - publishing June 5

Enter To Win Now!

wordplay
Solve this clue:
"S T Pass I T N"

and be entered
to win....
frame top
New Author
Interviews
Isabel Allende
Alice Hoffman
Richard Ford
Mark Seal
frame bottom
HOME Submissions | Advertising | Libraries | Media Inquiries | Reviewers | Contact Us