Before I go to sleep: a novel

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Average Rating
Publisher
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date
2011
Language
English

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“Thebest debut novel I’ve ever read.”—Tess Gerritsen,bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series

“Anexceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished thelast page.” —Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Moonlight Mile

S. J. Watson makes his powerful debutwith this  compelling, fast-paced  psychological thriller,reminiscent of Shutter Island and Memento, in which an amnesiac who,following a mysterious accident, cannot remember her past or form newmemories, desperately tries to uncover the truth about who she is—and whoshe can trust.

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ISBN
9780062060556
9780062060563
9780062060570

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Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These chilling stories of domestic paranoia are complicated by disturbing twists -- a new mother hearing mysterious voices (Sweet Lamb of Heaven) and a 47-year-old wife waking every morning believing she's 22 (Before I Go to Sleep). -- Melissa Gray
Although gut instinct tells them that something terrible has happened, the narrators of these intricately plotted psychological suspense novels can't necessarily rely on their own memories, prompting confusion and escalating paranoia as they struggle to assess their (increasingly precarious) situations. -- NoveList Contributor
In these compelling, complex psychological suspense novels, women with unreliable memories struggle to reconcile a strong sense that something is wrong -- and that danger lurks -- with what others tell them to be true. -- Shauna Griffin
In these disquieting novels of psychological suspense, women in very different situations come to believe that what they have always accepted to be true may not be based in reality, and that those they've always trusted may not be worthy. -- Shauna Griffin
The lead female character in these nightmarish thrillers inhabits a reality separate from others, as a result of previous trauma. With an inexorable, intensifying pace, the twisted truth about what happened emerges, and readers see the objective, awful reality. -- Jen Baker
In these compelling psychological suspense novels, an amnesiac (Before I Go to Sleep) and a kidnapped woman (The Prisoner) suspect their husbands may be involved in their torment. -- Kaitlin Conner
Although these novels of psychological suspense differ in plot and theme, readers interested in stories about how memory and intuition function, even in people with severe memory dysfunction, may like both haunting, moving stories of family and trust. -- Jen Baker
Although the heroine of Into the Darkest Corner suffers from OCD, not amnesia, both women wrestle with their mounting suspicions that they cannot trust either their own minds or the people closest to them in these disturbing psychological thrillers. -- NoveList Contributor
Both are psychological thrillers starring sympathetic female protagonists who must unravel shadowy past events to overcome present dangers: a mother races to save her child in The October List, while Before I Go to Sleep traces an amnesiac's chilling realizations. -- Kim Burton
These disquieting psychological novels immerse readers in the thoughts of amnesiacs whose closest friend and helper may be manipulating them in disturbing ways. Both books explore issues of memory, obsession, and trust: are the characters genuine or evil-intentioned? -- Jen Baker
The Elizas - Shepard, Sara
Not able to trust their own memories, nor the people surrounding them, the narrators of these intense and compelling novels must piece together clues about their pasts or risk putting their lives in jeopardy. -- Halle Carlson
These relentlessly suspenseful novels feature fractured narratives, complicated plots, and uneasy discrepancies between what appears to be happening and what is really going on. -- Victoria Fredrick

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Emma Healey and S. J. Watson write compelling psychological fiction starring protagonists with extremely unreliable memories who find themselves thrust into incomprehensible situations. Healey's work has a more leisurely pace and a haunting, moving tone, while Watson is fast-paced, disturbing, and suspenseful. -- Mike Nilsson
British authors S.J. Watson and Alex Michaelides deliver pulse-pounding psychological suspense novels filled with dark secrets and unreliable narrators. Stories populated by flawed protagonists with mental health concerns are combined with devious and intricate plots and will keep readers glued to the pages as the stunning narratives culminate in memorable finales. -- Andrienne Cruz
These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing, menacing, and unreliable narrator, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; the subjects "women authors," "women," and "women artists"; and characters that are "introspective characters" and "unlikeable characters."
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These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing and unreliable narrator, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; the subjects "women authors," "life change events," and "identity"; and characters that are "introspective characters" and "complex characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing and unreliable narrator, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; and the subjects "women authors" and "women."
These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing and intricately plotted, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "thrillers and suspense"; the subjects "memory disorders," "secrets," and "memory"; and characters that are "introspective characters" and "complex characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing and unreliable narrator, and they have the genres "psychological suspense" and "page to screen"; and the subjects "identity," "secrets," and "women artists."
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These authors' works have the appeal factors disturbing and unreliable narrator, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; the subjects "women authors," "life change events," and "women"; and characters that are "introspective characters," "sympathetic characters," and "flawed characters."
These authors' works have the appeal factors suspenseful, fast-paced, and intricately plotted, and they have the genre "psychological suspense"; the subject "secrets"; and characters that are "introspective characters" and "complex characters."
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Published Reviews

Booklist Review

*Starred Review* Forty-seven-year-old Christine Lucas awakens each morning believing she is still in her twenties and single. She suffered a terrible accident that has severely impaired her memory. She doesn't recognize Ben, the man who tells her he is her husband; she doesn't remember that she had a son; and, worst of all, she does not feel comfortable in her own skin, appalled by her wrinkled face and old-lady clothes. But it turns out she has been getting some help with her memory problem. Dr. Nash calls her every day after Ben leaves for work to tell her where to retrieve her journal, which contains key details about her previous life and work. The most upsetting thing she learns from her journal, however, is that certain facts don't match the story Ben has been telling her. But how can she be sure he is deceiving her when she can barely hold on to the threads of her own life? This mesmerizing, skillfully written debut novel from a British author works on multiple levels. It is both an affecting portrait of the profound impact of a debilitating illness and a pulse-pounding thriller whose outcome no one could predict. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Prepub buzz, including raves from Dennis Lehane and Tess Gerritsen, will combine with a no-holds-barred marketing campaign to ensure that this stellar debut receives the attention it deserves.--Wilkinson, Joanne Copyright 2010 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Memories-real, false, and a bit of both-are at the heart of British author Watson's haunting, twisted debut. Christine Lucas awakens each morning in London with no idea who she is or why she's in bed with a strange man, until he tells her that his name is Ben and they've been married for 22 years. Slowly, Christine learns that she has amnesia and is unable to remember her past or retain new memories: every night when she falls asleep, the slate is wiped clean. Dr. Nash, her therapist, has encouraged her to write in a journal that she keeps secret from Ben. Christine realizes how truly tangled-and dangerous-her life is after she sees the words "don't trust Ben" written in her journal, whose contents reveal that the only person she can trust is herself. Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

Christine is another woman trying to reclaim a life gone to pieces. After a mysterious accident, she wakes up each morning with no memory. Her husband Ben repeatedly explains the details of their life together, but the next morning all is lost once again. One day Christine discovers that she has been keeping a journal and the terrifying words she has written there, "Don't trust Ben," throw everything into question. VERDICT Relentless pacing in Watson's intriguing debut psychological thriller draws the reader into Christine's race to figure out who to trust and how to recover her life. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

Based upon a deceptively simple premise, Watson's debut novel unwinds as a story that is both complicated and compellingly hypnotic.Every single morning of Christine's life is exactly the same as every other morning: She awakens next to a total stranger in a room she does not recognize, surrounded by objects she has never before seen. Christine remembers nothing of the day before and not much of the life she lived prior to these mornings. She remembers being a lithe 20-something, but awakens day after day in the body of a woman who is nearly 50, with sagging breasts and wrinkles. Most disturbing, though, is the older man she does not recognize beside her in bed. The man, who patiently explains that he is her husband, Ben, tells her how she has come to this terrible place. Christine, he says, was struck by an automobile and injured. Now she suffers from a type of amnesia that once she sleeps for the night wipes the slate from the previous day clean. When she awakens, she cannot recall her life or the people in it. Ben anticipates her questions, though, and has placed photos of himself and Christine around the bathroom mirror so that when she awakens in a panic, with a body and face that she cannot recognize, she will find the photos and begin once again to adjust to a world where she remembers nothing. But Christine is seeing a doctor behind Ben's back. His name is Dr. Nash, and he encourages her to keep a journal. It is through this journal that she begins to pick up the pieces of her life and who she was before she was injured. Watson writes in the first person, from the perspective of a woman, and the voice is surprisingly spot-on. The angst is unimaginable but palpable in this suspenseful story of a woman who can take nothing for granted.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.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

*Starred Review* Forty-seven-year-old Christine Lucas awakens each morning believing she is still in her twenties and single. She suffered a terrible accident that has severely impaired her memory. She doesn't recognize Ben, the man who tells her he is her husband; she doesn't remember that she had a son; and, worst of all, she does not feel comfortable in her own skin, appalled by her wrinkled face and old-lady clothes. But it turns out she has been getting some help with her memory problem. Dr. Nash calls her every day after Ben leaves for work to tell her where to retrieve her journal, which contains key details about her previous life and work. The most upsetting thing she learns from her journal, however, is that certain facts don't match the story Ben has been telling her. But how can she be sure he is deceiving her when she can barely hold on to the threads of her own life? This mesmerizing, skillfully written debut novel from a British author works on multiple levels. It is both an affecting portrait of the profound impact of a debilitating illness and a pulse-pounding thriller whose outcome no one could predict. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Prepub buzz, including raves from Dennis Lehane and Tess Gerritsen, will combine with a no-holds-barred marketing campaign to ensure that this stellar debut receives the attention it deserves. Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2011 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

Nearly strangled to death in her twenties, Christine awakens each morning with absolutely no memory of what happened then—or since. The stranger in her bed must explain that he is her husband, Ben. With the help of a doctor who determines to circumvent Ben, Christine starts a journal—though she must reread it each day, and the doctor must call to tell her where it is. The truth she uncovers is nothing like you'd expect. I've seen this debut, and, yes, it'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.

[Page 63]. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Reviews

Christine Lucas suffers from a rare form of amnesia as the result of a vaguely defined accident. Each night as she sleeps, her near-term memory is wiped clean, and she awakens knowing little about who she is, where she is, or with whom she lives. Every day her husband, Ben, shares with her the same carefully rehearsed story of their long marriage and gently encourages her struggle to remember. She keeps a journal at the recommendation of her doctor and reads it each morning. As the journal grows, Christine begins to suspect that Ben is not telling her the complete truth about her accident, their son Adam, her successful career as a novelist, or the fire that destroyed the collection of family photos that might help her remember. It is only when she reconnects with an old friend that she learns the truth and escapes her increasingly frightening and violent captivity. VERDICT This debut novel takes an intriguingly fresh look at the amnesia-focused psychological thriller. Though the climax seems a bit hurried, this is nonetheless a captivating and highly suspenseful read, populated with believable characters who lead the reader through a taut, well-constructed plot. Movie rights have been sold to Ridley Scott. Gaslight fans take note. [For another thriller about memory problems, see Alice LaPlante's Turn of Mind; see also Barbara Hoffert's interview with Harper editor Claire Wachtel, who acquired Watson's novel (bit.ly/f2kP2T).—Ed.]—Susan Clifford Braun, Bainbridge Island, WA

[Page 78]. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Reviews

Christine is another woman trying to reclaim a life gone to pieces. After a mysterious accident, she wakes up each morning with no memory. Her husband Ben repeatedly explains the details of their life together, but the next morning all is lost once again. One day Christine discovers that she has been keeping a journal and the terrifying words she has written there, "Don't trust Ben," throw everything into question. VERDICT Relentless pacing in Watson's intriguing debut psychological thriller draws the reader into Christine's race to figure out who to trust and how to recover her life.

[Page 97]. (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Reviews

Wanna getcher mind blowed up? Try this. Our British heroine wakes up every day without being able to recall the past 20 years or so. Thinking she's about 25, Christine tiptoes into the bathroom after skeeving out because she's sleeping next to some OLD guy. She freaks out seeing a 45-year-old version of herself in the mirror. The aforementioned old guy (her husband) calms her down and informs her that she's an amnesiac who forgets everything right after she goes to sleep at night. He goes to work, she chills out. Repeat. Repeat again. With the help of a detailed journal and a doctor, Christine remembers a little further back every day, from little things like, "Gee, how do I take my coffee?" to big issues like, "How the hell did this happen to me?" Was it a car crash, like her husband says, or a violent attack, as she distantly remembers? Ditto on the fire that supposedly destroyed family pictures; ditto on whether she has a son. Could she really forget having a son? Is her husband lying? Protecting her? This is a positively addictive thriller, and Christine's unreliability as a protagonist only heightens the mystery and the reader's enjoyment. Watson skillfully keeps all the details straight and accelerates the pace as Christine learns-and relearns-who she really is. - Douglas Lord, "Books For Dudes", Booksmack! 8/4/11 (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Powered by Content Cafe

Library Journal Reviews

Christine is another woman trying to reclaim a life gone to pieces. After a mysterious accident, she wakes up each morning with no memory. Her husband Ben repeatedly explains the details of their life together, but the next morning all is lost once again. One day Christine discovers that she has been keeping a journal and the terrifying words she has written there, "Don't trust Ben," throw everything into question. VERDICT Relentless pacing in Watson's intriguing debut psychological thriller draws the reader into Christine's race to figure out who to trust and how to recover her life. — "Summertime, and the Reading Is Easy" LJ Reviews 6/7/12 (c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Powered by Content Cafe

Publishers Weekly Reviews

Memories—real, false, and a bit of both—are at the heart of British author Watson's haunting, twisted debut. Christine Lucas awakens each morning in London with no idea who she is or why she's in bed with a strange man, until he tells her that his name is Ben and they've been married for 22 years. Slowly, Christine learns that she has amnesia and is unable to remember her past or retain new memories: every night when she falls asleep, the slate is wiped clean. Dr. Nash, her therapist, has encouraged her to write in a journal that she keeps secret from Ben. Christine realizes how truly tangled—and dangerous—her life is after she sees the words "don't trust Ben" written in her journal, whose contents reveal that the only person she can trust is herself. Watson handles what could have turned into a cheap narrative gimmick brilliantly, building to a chillingly unexpected climax. (June)

[Page ]. Copyright 2010 PWxyz LLC

Copyright 2010 PWxyz LLC
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