Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

After taking a hiatus from reading novels, I have, finally, returned to the realm of imagination! However, I would not have made my grand return without the right book. After reading “Find Her” by Lisa Gardner followed by “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn, I realized that I love reading novels within the psychological, mystery, thriller genre. (I highly recommend those two books especially the Gillian Flynn novel, but it is not for the lighthearted).

So, anyways, I obviously enjoy reading books of that sort which means I needed a novel that would be up to par to my standards. I googled a few novels and read a few reviews and settled on this novel titled, “Then She Was Gone.” Fast forward, I went to Barnes & Noble and searched for this book. (I didn’t want to ask for help either like I GOT THIS). I, finally, found it and it’s only available in the hard copy and it’s $27. Instantly, I’m like not going to read this because I’m not about to drop almost $30 on a book. That’s like 3/4 tank of gas right now in Texas, so NO. Luckily, my friend sent a synopsis to a book titled, “Before I Go To Sleep” by S.J. Watson. I was instantly intrigued by it and I quickly purchased it on paperback for $17 (I was not expecting to spend that much either, but I prayed it would be worth the price).

This book was definitely worth the price, and I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. It was a page-turning read, and I finished it in less than 24 hours. The novel focuses on the character, Christina Lucas, who suffers from PTSD and amnesia, which causes her to lose her memories after falling asleep.  Every day, she wakes up and is tasked with learning the “who, what, when, why, and where” parts of her life. She is taken care of by her loving, but vaguely deceiving husband Ben. Watson takes the reader on a tumultuous and twisty journey of who Christina is before revealing the truth behind her condition and love life. In comparison to other novels I have read, I would not consider this novel super dark. I think the story and the lengths someone will go to deceive a vulnerable person is unsettling; however, the story as a whole isn’t extremely chilling. In conclusion, this was a great book to start myself back into my reading mode. I would give it an 8.5/10!

Lastly, this book was adapted into a film starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth. It was not good at all! The writer chose to leave out important parts of the story in the screenplay. I felt like the filmed was very rushed, and it did not do the book justice. The book was DEFINITELY better than the movie.