Review Time

Robert Wiersema’s Before I Wake is a good read — not too heavy and definitely not light. It kept me engrossed to the very end. Yes, it was a page turner…

Do click on the link for the plot summary and to read other wonderful reviews. (Not that mine is wonderful…you know what I mean…)

And while you’re there, also click on the “Excerpt” link. You’ll be able to read the first few pages of the book — always a determining factor for me when deciding on a book.

This is a tale of tragedy amidst everyday life interspersed with the supernatural — not Stephen King scary supernatural but definitely the forces of good and evil. Wiersema captures the minutiae of daily life so well that when this otherworldly element is introduced, there is no jarring moment for the reader. It fits seamlessly.

A couple’s only child is in a coma. This little girl possesses miraculous healing powers. Moral dilemma. Do you flee the hordes that seek cures through your daughter’s powers or do you allow her to do “her” work? And whose work is it?

Wiersema uses multiple POV which serves to enhance the story and gives greater depth to each character. In his talented hands, the use of this technique is not at all confusing.

Themes of family, love, loss, redemption, self-knowledge, good and evil and coming to terms with the unfathomable (or unbelievable) are explored. Wiersema captures the essence of each character so well that you even end up with a degree of sympathy for the “bad guys.” (Well, I did.)

The ending brings it all together but is just a tad too neat, tidy and quick for my liking — a sort of “bing, bing, bing…there you go” kind of thing. But still, a satisfying ending.

And one of the big pluses of Before I Wake? It leaves you thinking, stays with you. Always the sign of a good read.