Book Review - Before I go to Sleep

I have just finished reading an absolutely brilliant book;

Before I go to Sleep, by S.J.Watson

'As I sleep, my mind will erase everything I did today. I will wake up tomorrow as I did this morning. Thinking I'm still a child. Thinking I have a whole lifetime of choice ahead of me ...' 

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 only be telling you half the story. 

Welcome to Christine's life 

The main character, Christine is really well written and believable I really felt her emotions and frustrations throughout. You really get involved in the nightmare she is living, going to sleep each night and forgetting everything that has ever happened, to be reminded the same things every day. I like how the author brings in the emotions of her family too, and you understand how difficult this situation is for everyone around her.

I felt that the opening chapter was really powerful, and really hooks you in from the start, to avoid spoilers I won't say too much but I think it would be difficult for anyone to read the first chapter, and not want to continue. I really could not stop reading!

The story is told through the perspective of Christine, through her journal, which was really unique and worked really well with her unraveling bits of her life as the story continues.

There are lots of twists and turns and I found myself gasping out loud quite a few times, I did not expect the ending. It does not come to an end too suddenly either which I liked, it builds up to the ending brilliantly.

I found this quite similar to Rosamund Luptons, Sister - not the subject, but the suspense and the feeling you get from the book. I would recommend this book to anyone, and I will be! It was an excellent read. 

Gemma xx

Book Review: Agent 6

I have just finished reading this book by Tom Rob Smith. It is the third and final installment of the Leo Demidov series.

I have read both of the other books in the series, Child 44 & Secret Speech. Child 44 was excellent, but Secret Speech I didn't enjoy so much, as it seemed to turn the character into a super human type figure, but this made up for that!


In this book, it starts off in 1950 when Leo was sill a secret agent in the KGB, it describes one of his missions and also how he met his wife, Raisa. I really liked this, because in the books before it touches on their relationship, but not in detail so I enjoyed this part of the story. 

Fifteen years later, Leo's family all travel to New York on a 'Peace Tour' but because he is no longer in the secret service and refused any dealings with them, he cannot go with them. During the tour, a 'tragic murder destroys everything he loves' Leo is distraught and then goes about finding out exactly what happened, and embarks on a mission to find out who is Agent 6?


One thing I loved about this book, was that you really get to understand Leo, and what he lives for. Which I didn't get from the other books, especially Secret Speech. The book keeps you gripped from the beginning and  I liked the ending too.


I do like Tom Rob Smith's writing style, the way he formats chapters and also doesn't use speech marks, the speech is in itallics and inverted, I have not seen this style before. 


I would recommend this book, and if you haven't read the other two, you definately should...although, you could get away with reading this one on it's own.

The others in the series 

Gemma xx