Before I Wake by C.L Taylor 

Published: June 1st 2014 by Sourcebooks LandmarkA mother risks everything to uncover the truth behind her daughter’s botched suicide attempt

To the outside world, Susan Jackson has it all-a loving family, successful husband, and beautiful home-but when Charlotte, her teenage daughter, steps in front of a bus and ends up in a coma, she is forced to question all of it.

Desperate to find out what caused Charlotte’s suicide attempt, she discovers a horrifying entry in her diary: “keeping this secret is killing me.” As Sue spins in desperate circles, she finds herself immersed in a dark world she didn’t know existed-and the closer she comes to the truth, the more dangerous things become.

Can she wake up from the nightmares that haunt her and save her daughter, or will Charlotte’s secret destroy them both?

Ooooh, what a tricky story! You know those mystery novels where you can figure out the ending halfway through and be correct?

This is not one of them.

Charlotte was such a mysterious character. Initially I envisioned her as so innocent and so sweet, until her mother, Susan digs deeper into her life and some truths are revealed. There is simply no way to review this book without it being filled with spoilers. So, instead I will praise what I enjoyed about the story and what made it work so well.

I’ve read two other books with the same title, Before I Wake—and this one, put the other two to shame. The writing style of C.L Taylor was absolutely flawless. A true storyteller. The novel both engaged and compelled the reader to want to know more, MORE, MORE! That’s a great mystery. One that is thrilling and makes you emotionally connect to the story.

Susan is a mother that will seemingly stop at nothing to make sure Charlotte is okay…. Even when it is going a bit extreme, (reading her diary) * cringe *

I finished this in one night, and as soon as I finished the last page I found myself still pondering the story. How did I not suspect the ending sooner? It almost makes me want to do a re-read just to see if there are any hints that I missed.

Great mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed every page. 🙂

Thank you, NetGalley for the digital review copy.