Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson Book Summary

BOOK SCORE
4
TOTAL RATINGS
2,539
BOOK PRICE
$14.99

New York Times Bestseller

“An exceptional thriller. It left my nerves jangling for hours after I finished the last page.”  —Dennis Lehane, New York Times bestselling author of Shutter Island

“Imagine drifting off every night knowing that your memories will be wiped away by morning. That’s the fate of Christine Lucas, whose bewildering internal world is rendered with chilling intimacy in this debut literary thriller. . . . You’ll stay up late reading until you know.”  —People (4 stars)

Memories define us. So what if you lost yours every time you went to sleep? Your name, your identity, your past, even the people you love–all forgotten overnight. And the one person you trust may be telling you only half the story. Welcome to Christine's life. Every morning, she awakens beside a stranger in an unfamiliar bed. She sees a middle-aged face in the bathroom mirror that she does not recognize. And every morning, the man patiently explains that he is Ben, her husband, that she is forty-seven-years-old, and that an accident long ago damaged her ability to remember.

In place of memories Christine has a handful of pictures, a whiteboard in the kitchen, and a journal, hidden in a closet. She knows about the journal because Dr. Ed Nash, a neurologist who claims to be treating her without Ben’s knowledge, reminds her about it each day. Inside its pages, the damaged woman has begun meticulously recording her daily events—sessions with Dr. Nash, snippets of information that Ben shares, flashes of her former self that briefly, miraculously appear.

But as the pages accumulate, inconsistencies begin to emerge, raising disturbing questions that Christine is determined to find answers to. And the more she pieces together the shards of her broken life, the closer she gets to the truth . . . and the more terrifying and deadly it is.

Before I Go To Sleep Book Details

Book Name Before I Go To Sleep
Genre Mysteries & Thrillers
Author S. J. Watson
Published 14 June 2011, Tuesday
Price $14.99
E-Book Size 2.07 MB

Before I Go To Sleep by S. J. Watson Book Reviews

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AmandaVu

Great read!. Could not put it down.. Suspenseful and keeps you guessing til the end!!! Highly recommend!

Games2bplayed

Quick read. Great book. Easy read, but kept me interested throughout the book.

Dimitra713

Before I go to sleep. Takes a while for it to get going but it is written well with many details.

Rosezz

Before I Go To Sleep. Keeps you guessing about the ending. Hard to put down

#rudypup

Before I Sleep. This was original and uniquely compelling. One of the best books I’ve read.

GolferfGirl

Before I Go to Sleep. Slow moving and marginal story line. Not sure it was worth the time.

EMayr

Before I Go To Sleep. I could not put this book down as it was so wonderful. Like ground hog day but so much better.

Lizebeth042119

Suspenseful thriller. This book was nothing short of amazing. The reviews claiming this book to be a page turner are entirely true!

Running Ohma

Before I Go To Sleep. This is a very intriguing book. I enjoyed it very much and highly recommend it

SPBerko

Before I Go to Sleep. Unique story, very well told.

Eveyon

before i go to sleep. it was ight..

Texas boy👱

Before I go to sleep. Great book with fascinating turns. Couldn’t put it down.

Broken79

Not a bad read. It does start off slow and has a few little insights here and there but doesn't really get intense until part III. Does have some language I could have done without but it did keep me guessing. So all in all, not a bad read.

Emmet Aloysius

Engrossing. Reminds me of something Paul Auster would write and I found this a very good debut novel by Watson. A bit far-fetched for some readers but not your usual mundane, mass marketed, best selling novel...EAF

Mywaynichols76

Felt like it drug on forever. I had a difficult time finishing this book. It was just grit, determination, and the hope that it’d get better that kept me reading til the finish. It’s not necessarily horrible but I wouldn’t call it good either.

Vern037

Love love love!!!. I read this book years ago and COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN!!! Totally surprise ending, also. Perfect read for adults.

555Wilson555

Great story; but fix the ending!. This book is a terrific read. The author manages to make each day interesting despite the fact that the main character starts every morning having to learn the same facts about her life, which is a blank slate to her, and could be monotonous for the reader. But it isn't monotonous. However, the ending is a total cop-out. Completely unsatisfying. It should end well for Christine, or end badly for Christine.

LHunn79

Disappointing. I read Gone Girl, Notes on a Scandal and loved them & was looking for something similar. This book was unfortunately tedious and the final "reveal" wasn't that eventful b/c the characters seemed one dimensional. If you liked the movie "Memento" you might like this book

Ihabmarz

The most suspenseful thing I've ever read.. Before I go To Sleep kept my heart pumping from start to finish. It felt as if I was there within the characters. It's the best thing I have ever read, in a way my heart was broken when I reached the last page. Immensely satisfying.

QueenMedusa

Fantastic!. I took a chance on reading this book since it was on the "Best of 2012" list of books and I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint. It was definitely a great story and had me guessing and in suspense throughout the book.

Lizya18

Couldn't put it down. I read this book in two days. It was 2:30am on Sunday night when I put the book down since I start work at 8am. Incredibly fast paced book. Loved the plots and loved the characters. Makes you think about consequences that one can have with one mistake in life. Looking forward to more books from the author.

Mollusk20

Just ok. While well written, I found this book just too repetitive to really engage me . I was expecting it to be more of a page turner. Perhaps it will translate better to the big screen?

Ozcrome

Page Turner. This is one of those books that is hard to put down once you are past the introductions and preliminaries. Even though you might see a twist coming, the way it happens is truly satisfying even if you had a hunch before it was revealed. It reminded me of a recent bestseller which made me wonder if a reader of both books might also see the similarities.

Anev88

Boring. I wanted to like this book because the story line was good. I kept waiting for big things to happen but nothing really ever did until the end which was also disappointing. Too bad....

Unfortunately deceiving

Unnerving. I wanted to write a great review. The characters rich and the story intriguing. Until the end. The end left me unsettled. Intended by the writer? If so, brilliant.

Techno feet

Enuf. Drags on waaaaaay too long with the most implausible ending. I think a better ending is Ben taking her to the ocean to murder her cuz he couldn't take it any more!

19**

Good read. Enjoyed this book and the ending surprised the crap out of me.

Dsmithapsu

Eerie and Engaging. A true page-turner! Great read that'll have you questioning everything you think you know about the characters. Grab a beach chair and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for a worthwhile read.

Bamma342

Very Good. Love books with a big twist at the end!

BPF72

Page Turner. Couldn't put it down. Loved it!

HannahStar101

Before I Go To Sleep. Excellent read!

Kimberliannie

A great story!. I really enjoyed the story, but I wish that there were ratings that speak of language etc like the movies do. This book had way to many f-bombs which were not necessary the majority of the time. A great story is ruined by foul language. I will not read anymore by this author for that reason. Too bad.

Ksrbirdlady

What???. A lot of reading - i.e., a lot of repetition - only to have a VERY unsatisfying ending. No, I wasn't looking for a "And they lived happily ever after". But I did feel the time spent reading this book had been a waste.

Reader09735

Great job S.J. Watson. This has to be the best book I've ever read its so amazing. I could hardly set it down. Most of the time i can guess whats going to happen and im usually right , but this book was unpredictable and definitely worth it.

Riodeb

Before I Sleep. Tedious empty calories of words: I scanned and skipped pages and pages. However it does have a clever suspenseful plot that will should make a good film. I recommend waiting for the film!

Jessiep813

Good read. I enjoyed this. It was interesting and easy to get through.

Fat superman

Couldn't put it down!. Great read. Unexpected turns. Fresh story. Definite triller. Sad it's over. Well written. Stayed up two nights not able to put it down!

Drat it

Before I go to sleep. Too bad she felt the need to use the unnecessary vulgarity..... The storyline was gripping, and well written, in every way a page turner that you don't want to put down. I won't be reading the second, because I usually eliminate any writers, and their creations, when they stoop so low. The vulgarity was not key to the story... Just to the writer's own immaturity.....too bad.... Otherwise, an intriguing, and well developed story.

MsCheriWest

Hard to put down. There are few authors whose work I have a hard time putting down; this is one of them. I'm guessing that the people who say it is long and drawn out must be slow readers. I look forward to the next work by this author.

Kimmiecup

Amazing!. Beautifully written! Bravo!

AliHar

Page Turner!. Good story that I could not put down. I was a little disappointed in the ending but, all in all, a great read.

Rozied

dissapointed. Based on the reviews, I purchased this book. 1/3 of the way through I had figured out the alledgedly surprising ending. I also felt it was poorly written. I find it hard to believe they have made a movie out of this. I only hope the acting and suspense is better in film than it was in the novel. What a waster of money!

Racheldulce

Absolutely Loved!. Lets just say, I read this book in a day! I couldn't put it down and couldn't go to sleep without finishing it. It was one of those books where I was hooked from page 1!

Cat lady 03

Great read, ending leaves to be desired. It's a quick read it Draws you in takes so many twists you don't see it coming It was a good story, I just hate books that don't have an ending that gives you a sense of any certainty about the major theme to the story

Loved the book!!

Before I go to sleep. Very Weird

KSTDW

Before I Go to Sleep. This story held me in its grasp from beginning to end. Loved it. Very well written. Thank you for writing.

146reader

Before I go to sleep. Great book. Slow read just before the middle, but don't stop reading because book will smoothly rise to a great crescendo. Editing was great, no typos, or sentence fragmentation. Smooth reading especially since it is from viewpoint of an amnesiac. Can't wait to see the movie. Great read!

Di Hard

Before I Go to Sleep. Really? This book went on and on about the same thing. I kept thinking it would get better. Ending was disappointing too. I wouldn't recommend this book...ever!

Dr.Mrs.Afi

Meh. Over 2/3rds of the book was completed before it got good. There was far too much unnecessary detail throughout the book. If the detail has been scrapped, we could’ve gotten to the good part sooner.

Gr@n+ $$$

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson. Fast read! So well written! I couldn't put it down! Highly recommend it! Cristi Gamble Lenexa, KS

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Helene l

Loved it!. It was hard to put the book down-so interesting and thrilling. I highly recommend it!

MizLilly

Before I go to sleep. Great book. Really couldn't put it down and read it in one evening. Twists and surprises throughout. Would recommend for a pleasant Evening of light entertainment.

Lauri from Cleveland

Was glad it was over. Not a favorite. The end was the best part but took forever to get there. Too repetitive and drawn out.bA friend said it was awesome but I didn't care too much for it. Not a page turner in my opinion.

Blueliner55

Great story line, poor finish. I was excited to read something in the lines of the movie Memento and 9/10 of the book was absolutely riveting. However the last 30 pages was so cliqueic and Hollywood ending, I was very disappointed. It was almost like the writer ran out of allowable pages or time to present a climatic finish. I don't normally finish a book in two days but the story was gripping and suspenseful. However, once we were given the hook there really wasn't much more reason to go on and a very non-original ending. Blah!

Annaama98

Five Stars. Awesome book!!!! It gets you hooked.

Derbear2

Before I Go To Sleep. Excellent book! Could not put it down. I really hopes she continues to write more novels... she has a gift that thankfully she is sharing with us.

DS-One

Before I sleep. Dragged on until last 100 out of 2600 pages. Terrible ending, waste of time

CatcherMBlock

Good book..... This has been a good boo and I enjoyed it from start to finish. Ignore any of the reviews that complain the the story is repetitive. It's a very clever plot - I only rate the book with three stars because I felt a more experienced writer could have taken it to another level. However, I still enjoyed the book and think you will too.

NoNickname

Before I Go to Sleep. Long and drawn out. Boring. Hard to get through. Repetitive. I finally skipped ahead to read the last couple of chapters just to get it over with. The ending was very disappointing.

Weitogo

Wow...what a ride!. I couldn't put down this book...the emotional journey that the author takes me has a gravitation so strong that it pulls me back to this book at every free minute that I had! I would read it at home on iPad, and continue anytime on my iPhone whenever I'm not occupied. I enjoyed this book very much. Love the language, love the suspense, and most of all, the author was able to make me care for Christine when I read the book! I very much look forward to his other works.

Ajjeffrey

Before I Go To Sleep. Loved it! A great novel with a lot of twists sand turns. Highly recommended

Want to give 5 stars

Sitting on the edge of my seat the whole time. Great book!

Before I go to sleep

Before I go to Sleep. Great book, suspenseful and even tough you read a Ot of the same details over and over it never seems repetitive. I couldn't put it down and I loved the way it was written with the past intertwined to the present.

Pede3

Fantastic!!!. You seriously cannot put this book down. Leaves you wanting to know more and more. Very well done!!

Mwheelless

Hang in there. Didn't get good until the last chapter. Very repetitive. Got tired of hearing the same things over and over. The ending was worth the wait!

Cyrusdigsit

Good book. I finished this book in two days I could not put it down!!!

Pmsnrs

Yes!. I couldn't put this book down! My iPad died 4 times during the course of me reading this! I almost forgot I had a family and a life together back too! Thanks for leaving me wanting more!

Michal909

Definitely won't put you to sleep. Before I Go to Sleep is centered on an incredibly interesting idea that is convincingly explored and keeps you hooked until the end. Forget about whether the character's type of amnesia and her ability to write in her journal is entirely credible. Instead, think of what a life like hers would be like. The story is told in the first person from the standpoint of an unreliable witness but a very sympathetic character. You get a sense of her confusion and her struggle to understand who she is and who she can trust. One never thinks about how memory is the bedrock of trust. After you read this, you'll never forget that. And you won't be able to put it down.

Maddienv1

Before I go to sleep. Gripping from the first sentence.

Fortunate1269

Before I Go To Sleep. Pretty amazing book! However, I hated the ending...wanted her to wake with her memory back. Don't we all want a happy ending?!?

Halfacerk

Before I Go To Sleep. Very good!! Loved the ending except for the very end :/

Caemommy

Before I go to sleep. Great book! Once you start, you cannot put it down. I didn't want it to end. Highly recommend.

Nik Bornemeier

Great Read. Fantastic story, can't wait for her next book!

Jessi1724

Thrilling!. Can be slow at times but overall a good read.

Janeperf

Before I go to sleep. Sooo slow. Reading the same thing over and over did not keep my interest. Only in the last chapter did it all come together and become interesting

Bwtaylor

It's a page turner. I loved this book. I could not put it down.

Not tech friendly

Waste of time. Nice build up,that's why 2 stars. But build up to nothing, let you wanting more of an ending, more excitement,drama but nothing.

Gatestjg

Before I Go To Sleep. Couldn't put this book down. Read this in a day and a half. What a twist. Highly recommend.

Calderich

GOOD READ. This book was amazing! How there were so many twists and turns but yet kept you wanting more! Worth every cent I paid for the book.

KikkyBeth

Must Read. Best book Ive read in a long time.

JudyADavis

Disappointed. This book is well written for the most part, the pretext is intriguing, but the ending was disappointing. It seemed as if the author suddenly got tired of writing and decided to simply wrap it all up.

Elle Bell511

Not good. Painful in the sense that I am mad for paying money for this.

Fabiola89

Awesome!!!. I love this book! One of my favorites. Very interesting and keeps you wanting to read more and more. It's worth every penny!! I highly recommend it!

Suzy Layman

Before I Go To Sleep. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I found it hard to put down at times, it just pulled you right in.

Chris220671

Very enjoyable!. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. A fairly light read, which was a good escape from the cold I'm sufferring from this week!!

Tudor2567

Before I Go to Sleep. Exciting, easy read. I couldn't put it down. However I was very disappointed with the ending.

Soubi618

Awesome!. Never would have guessed the ending! Great book. Couldn't put it down!!

Jeremy Spires

Good but......... Shortly after reading I had already figured out what was going to happen.

Dr.V.

You Won't Sleep. Warning: do NOT start this book unless you have every intention of finishing it before you go to sleep. Like it or not, the plot twists and turns will grab you and hurl you threw a sleepless night.

Surely03

Before I sleep. The beginning is slow, and I found sometimes it felt choppy reading the words. I put it down and didn't go back for several days. I started reading again and it go so much better as I read. I soon found that I spent the whole day reading and finished it. I hope there is another where this one left off. I would love to know what happen to Chris when she woke up. This is a book you won't be sorry reading.

Shumekia C

Before I go to sleep. Great read! Keeps you anxious if you love suspenseful events!

Malina13

Before I Go To Sleep. A great read -- from the first page to the last.

MHHson

Before I go to Sleep. I agree with a previous reviewer--the reader does not have amnesia, just the main character. I found the idea for the book clever but the execution tedious.

Guategringa

Before I Go To Sleep. I really enjoyed this book from the very beginning. At first I thought it was going to become too repetitive with the main character rediscovering herself every day but the author moved past that pretty quickly. The character was well developed and the plot had some twists that really kept me turning pages. All the loose ends finally got tied up by the end. I only wish there had been one more chapter at the end. I'd like to see more from this author. A great first novel!

Stephalepsy

Loved. I loved this book! Was hard to put down, so I didn't! Kept me on the edge of my seat.

Jann Jerkins

Before I go to sleep. Did not put this book down until I finished it at 1:17 am. Thought I figured out the ending, but I was wrong! Great read. Loved it.

MandaLew2010

Highly recommend. I couldn't tell you the last time I read a book from cover to cover, maybe High School and only because I absolutely had to. But after reading the reviews of this book and making a New Years resolution to be more of a 'reader' I decided to buy the book and boy am I glad I did, seriously! After reading the first 10 pages it sucked me in and I immensely enjoyed all 325 more of them! I honestly could not put the book down and looked forward to finding out what hapened next, even if I had only had a few minutes during the day. The further I got into the book I became convinced the ending was gonna be totally cheesy and cliche but it most certainly wasn't and as I turned to the last page, I wished there was a sequel because I wasn't ready to be done with the book.

Crowandrea

Repetitive. Good but too repetitive--not in a good way like Momento.

BethCharlotte

Boring. Crawled along with great potential...that never happened. Felt like the ending was hurry up I want to be done writing this book. Disappointing.

Rachel Shannon

Excellent. This book is so well written. I couldn't put it down.

S. J. Watson - Before I Go To Sleep Comments

5 Books like Before I Go To Sleep (S. J. Watson)

About Author "S. J. Watson"

Steve "S. J." Watson (born 1971) is an English writer. He debuted in 2011 with the thriller novel Before I Go to Sleep. Rights to publish the book have been sold in 42 countries and it has continued to be an international bestseller. Personal life Watson was born in Stourbridge, Worcestershire (now West Midlands). He studied physics at the University of Birmingham and then moved to London, where he worked in various hospitals and specialized as an audiologist in the diagnosis and treatment of hearing-impaired children. In the evenings and weekends he wrote fiction. Writing career In 2009 Watson was accepted for the first course Writing a Novel at the Faber Academy. The result was his debut, Before I Go to Sleep. He was introduced to literary agent Clare Conville on the last night of the course and she agreed to represent him. The book was published in 2011. In the same year, the rights to adapt the film for the big screen by was purchased. The film was released in 2014. Watson's se....

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