Before I Go To Sleep

Set aside a whole day to listen to this one because once you start you won't be able to drag yourself away.Christine suffers from a devastating form of amnesia which has resulted in her being unable to access old memories or make new ones. Every day is a new beginning for her until she begins to keep a daily journal to help her to fill in the blanks. Her husband feeds her information but can she trust him....? The narrator perfectly conveys Christine's confusion. fear and paranoia. There are holes in the back story but no let up in the tension which, at times is unbearable.

The first two-thirds of this debut novel are the most compelling, page-turning, nail-biting pieces of fiction I've ever encountered. To wake up every morning with no memory of the recent past is at once tragic and haunting, yet this account is also tinged with foreboding. Chrissie is a sympathetic character, and it's easy to identify with her. Who can she trust? Who IS she? Are we the sum of our memories?

This is a psychological thriller that deals with themes of identity, personal loss, betrayal and memory. I simply couldn't stop listening (a 5-hour marathon listen over the ironing!)... until I got about two-thirds of the way through. Then it started to feel laboured and overdone. Things didn't add up. Other things were too convenient to the plot to be truly plausible. One of the female characters was less-than-convincing. And the ending was ultimately under-whelming and disappointing.

I will definitely read SJ Watson's work in the future, and I think he's probably 'one to watch', but hopefully an editor will keep a slightly firmer hand on the steering next time.

This book was great; I literally couldn't put down my iPod until I finished it. The suspense is superbly built to the point where you find yourself sitting on the edge of your chair without realising it. I spent the whole time trying to figure out what was going on and the author excellently plants several scenarios in the background that keep you guessing. Also five stars for the narrator who does a fantastic job of capturing the panic of someone who wakes up every day without a clue of what's happened or how she got there. Fantastic, definitely worth a listen.

wow hard to imagine life without remembering yesterday A great book, didn't want the story to end. It had so many twists and turns.
Extremely hard to put down

I first heard about this book on Simon Mayo's Radio 2 Show when the author was on , I've not been disappointed. An excellent storyline, very different, I had so much empathy with the lead character Christine and her confusion, well written & read, a gripping story, and great twist at the end.

This is a very enticing book from the very first
paragraph. The story unfolds and you will be
listening to the narrator a woman who is telling you
her story. This is the story of a woman who has lost
her life after losing her memory and the path she
follows to find out who she actually is and what
happened to her. The plot twists and turns to weave
a story that is as intricate as it is deceptive.
This is a very well-crafted story which is well
narrated and exceptionally well executed a riveting
listen to the very unpredictable end. An absolute
must for audible listeners!

The reviews for this book were very good, not just audible listeners,  but also national newspapers.  This meant I had high expectations.  It starts well but over time  the lack of pace started to grate.  The writing wasn't good enough to make the main character interesting in her own right, and the plot revelations came too slowly.  I found myself speeding first to x1.5 and finally x2, which isn't a good sign.  The book finally builds some schlocky drama at the end, and I can see why Hollywood thinks it might make a good thriller.

the pacing was far too slow, and i know the main character forgets things, but my god it was so repetitive. everything was explained over n over again... we get it, shes got amnesia

Form the very start I was gripped by this unnerving and unusual book. All the more impressive as it is the author's first novel. All the time one is not sure what is really the truth about the main character's plight. The reader is excellent and the ending surprising. Highly recommended.

A very clever concept. Could not put this book down and was sorry when I came to the end