Review: Before I Go To Sleep

(Contains Spoilers)
Author - SJ Watson
Genre - Thriller
No. of Pages - 368
Year of Publication - 2011
Rating - ❤️❤️❤️(3.5)
I admit, this book had me guessing till the end. And the ending wasn't something that I saw coming. I found this book far more thrilling than 'The Girl On The Train' which was somehow predictable for me. In the beginning, I didn't have even a speck of hint or clue about the climax. That's the thing that kept me glued to this book and I read it by spending my one whole day.

I won't say it was a "proper page turner". I had some difficulty in reading the starting one-third part of it because it wasn't much appealing and things were repetitive. But it took a pace after around half of it was read. And the climax was excellent.

The book revolves around a woman named Christine Lucas who is suffering from amnesia. She is living from moment to moment without having any idea about her past or future. Her case of amnesia is quite different and unusual. She retains the memories of about 24 hours but whenever she goes to sleep, she forgets it all.

Sometimes she wakes knowing that she is in her early twenties (actually she is forty nine) and sometimes, she is just a child in her mind. She doesn't recognize her husband and everyday he explains her mental condition to her.

Dr. Nash is helping Christine to get better without the knowledge of her husband, Ben (because he doesn't want any doctor or psychiatrist to help her). This was my first hint that something is wrong with Ben. Which husband would disapprove his wife getting better? And above all, he doesn't have the right to stop her treatment and rob her of all the hopes and possibilities that might be keeping her going.

Ben and Dr. Nash are the only people in whom Christine has faith and trust. But when Dr. Nash gives Christine a journal which is supposedly written by her, and she reads the bitter truth in it, she has to rethink about the placement of her faith in Ben. 

On the first page of the Journal is written 'Christine Lucas' and below it is written the truth that renders Christine confused, the truth that she must have discovered over the past few weeks which she doesn't remember, "Don't trust Ben".

Overall, the story was great but I found some loopholes and confusions:

1. It was too irresponsible of the Waring House staff to send an amnesiac patient like Christine who can't even remember her name, with a stranger without any proper verification.
2. Dr. Nash is shown like an idol of humanity by the way he is trying to help Christine by going out of his way without even charging her. (A slight but not too relevant explanation can be that he is trying to learn more of her to use in his research paper)
3. Mike, given all that he did to Christine, certainly has a worse mental condition than her. I didn't find any explanation to that even though I expected one.
4. At the end of the book, there is a fire in the room where Mike and Christine are having an argument. And despite the fact that Christine is gagged and tied, Mike dies in the fire and Christine survives.
5. The most confusing confusion: How in the world did Dr. Nash know where could Christine be found? OK, I know he was doubtful about Ben and he also knew about the incident that Christine described, which was apparently responsible for her condition. But still, how did he know about the hotel?
6. It was too irresponsible of Ben(actual), Claire and Christine's son Adam to not even check up on her for so long time. Christine's condition was too pathetic.

I would recommend this book to everyone who likes reading thrillers and mystery. And if you didn't like The Girl On The Train (that much) like me, read this book. It won't disappoint you. The book is pulled off so well, I didn't realize at all that the author is male (it is written from the perspective of Christine).

Review by Bhumika Singh (Blog Author)