Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

This book is about amnesia, a women wakes up in a bedroom that is not hers, beside a man she does not know and she wonders how much she had to drink last night to end up in someone else's house. That is until she makes it to the bathroom and realises that not only is she 20 years older than she thought she was, but there are pictures all around the mirror telling her that that man, in the bed, is her husband, Ben. She is married? She is older. She doesn't know who she is. Christine's memory resets every night before she wakes up. So she has no memory of the last 24 hours let alone the rest of her life.

I won't spoil this thrilling, page-turner for you. It is a breathless immersion into the life of an amnesiac. What would you do if all your memories were gone? If the only person you could trust was a man you didn't know, didn't recognise? How do you know who you are when you don't have any memories of your life?

I found this a very convincing and incredibly honest book. Similar to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time this novel draws you into an unknown reality. While many of us would like to relive our past, right our wrongs, forget our most embarrassing moments - would you really want to lose it all? Without hindsight we are nothing, we never learn, we would always be making the same mistakes over and over again. You would never be able to move on, to experience life the way you should. I found this to be a rather life-affirming read, while also being a pacey thriller with incredible twists and turns that make your heart beat faster with every chapter.

I have to admit to being the glazed eyed commuter, head buried in my book, eyes widening with each turn of the page, an involuntary gasp emitting my lips whilst my head began to whirl. This is a book that is well worth the embarrassing glances I received this evening. Well worth nearly missing my stop and walking home in a daze.

A brilliantly executed novel that is worth reading no matter where you are. I can't imagine any reader will be able to put this book down.