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A review by angelicathebookworm
Before I Go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Christine is a complex, developed and easily relatable character with a mind that can be explored by any reader with ease. Watson creates and sustains a creepy atmosphere and good, fast pacing throughout and keeps the reader guessing before making any big reveals. What I also loved about this novel is that even if you do start to anticipate the ending, as I did once I started nearing the end, it really doesn’t affect your enjoyment of the novel or take away from the thrilling events that you will definitely experience at the very end. I think my favourite thing about this novel is the fact that Watson made me reflect on the way my own memory works, my own past experiences, and evoked a sense of gratefulness in me all while keeping me on the edge of my seat.
If I was to nitpick the book I’d say my only real criticism is that it’s not very realistic especially when you take into account that some of the diary entries are so long for certain days which wouldn’t be that possible due to time constraints. Not to mention the fact that Christine’s medical condition, a mixture of various different types of amnesia, is definitely more fictional than factual, and of course, questions of realism will flood your thoughts things start becoming revealed. Also, the novel builds suspense well but the ending then just gets revealed and devolves so fast you have to be careful not to miss it entirely. This type of narrative structure and style kind of irritates me as it tends to make me feel like I’ve missed the payoff I deserve after all the continuous building of anticipation.
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If I was to nitpick the book I’d say my only real criticism is that it’s not very realistic especially when you take into account that some of the diary entries are so long for certain days which wouldn’t be that possible due to time constraints. Not to mention the fact that Christine’s medical condition, a mixture of various different types of amnesia, is definitely more fictional than factual, and of course, questions of realism will flood your thoughts things start becoming revealed. Also, the novel builds suspense well but the ending then just gets revealed and devolves so fast you have to be careful not to miss it entirely. This type of narrative structure and style kind of irritates me as it tends to make me feel like I’ve missed the payoff I deserve after all the continuous building of anticipation.
For more reviews like this one, check out https://angelicacastilloking.wordpress.com/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Confinement, Medical trauma, Violence, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Physical abuse