Customer Reviews

Before I Wake

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The truck slammed the car containing Karen Barrett and her three years old daughter Sherry Barrett; the driver failed to stay at the scene of the accident. Karen's injuries are minor, but Sherry suffers a head injury that leaves her comatose and surviving on life support. To the amazement of the medical community, a despondent Karen legalizes pulling the plug but the brain dead child lives on her own. Karen's spouse Simon deserts his wife and child moving in with another woman.

Nightmares even when awake haunt the hit and run truck driver Henry. He is so depressed over what he caused and compounded by fleeing he considers suicide. Unable to cope he leaps off a cliff, but instead of dying in the abyss, some force holds him safely back on the ledge. He joins the legion of ghostly immortals led by Tim.

Karen and the arthritic wracked nurse Ruth cares for the child. A miracle occurs when the nurse's arthritis is cured; soon her sister dying from lung cancer visits Sherry and her disease goes into remission. News spread of the miracle worker leading to those seeking a cure from the holy child and those led by Father Peter wanting to kill the blasphemous devil's offspring.

There are three prime subplots driven by key characters that merge into a great supernatural thriller. Readers will feel the despair that debilitates Karen and the suicidal despondency that haunts Henry even as the tense family drama spins into a miracle worker plot. Robert J. Wiersema provides a deep thriller that will keep his audience wondering until the revelatory final confrontation what is happening with Sherry and Henry and who is Tim and Father Peter?

Harriet Klausner

I was haunted by this book from the first 2 pages. The gripping way the author writes about the accident brought me to tears.
It was a very interesting book and I loved the way Wiersema told the story from everyone's perspective.
I would recommend this to anyone. My hubby (NOT a reader) is reading it now after the way I talked about it!

I was hesitant to buy this book after reading the review by Liza, so I borrowed it from the library. I am in the process of buying this book! This is the best story I have read since Whistling in the Dark. It really is fantastic. It has an ending that will leave you in awe! I wish Liza would go back and read this story because by skimming through it, she really missed a heart felt, beautiful and exciting story. I hope Mr. Wiersema writes more books just like this. It has so many things happening that it gives everyone something to like. It is supernatural, thriller, romance, spiritual, action and drama. I can't imagine anyone not loving this book. I rate it 5 stars easily. It is well worth the money.

It's been a long time since a book touched me so deeply--I literally ached at the end of this book. The story centers on a small, troubled family whose child was critically injured by a hit and run driver. But slowly, private pain becomes an otherworldly miracle as it is accidently discovered that the little girl in the coma somehow has the ability to heal people. It deals with religious issues but is not "preachy", it deals with tragedy but gives hope, and it deals with endings that are really beginnings. This is an absolute treasure of a book, though I recommend having a box of tissues nearby when you read it.

I think this would make a great movie. The different vantage points was hard to figure out for the first few pages, but after that I rather enjoyed seeing each person's take on the situation. This book made me think and look things up on the Internet like, "Who the heck is Ahaseurus?" I checked out several stories in the Bible and quite frankly, I just couldn't put it down. I think the one bad review is because that reader just couldn't get used to the different vantage points. It's a different way of writing and I think unique enough that it kept my interest. I'm a little ADHD when it comes to reading-- if it doesn't catch my attention, my mind will wander on to other things. My mind was on this book the whole time. Way to go Robert Wiersema. I hope they make it into a movie.

This story is one the reader does not want to leave--while reading or after finishing. Part mystery, part thriller, part literary novel--Before I Wake has ordinary, flawed characters in an extraordinary situation, plus extraordinary characters one just doesn't usually find. Loved it enough to put the author on auto-buy. Recommended.

Robert J. Wiersema spins a memorable tale about family, relationships, and good vs. evil in this superb debut.

Simon and Karen Barrett's world is changed forever when their three-year-old daughter, Sherry, is struck by a car. As Sherry's life hangs in the balance, Simon and Karen struggle to keep their marriage alive. Meanwhile, the man who hit Sherry, Henry Denton, is on the run as the reality of his predicament sets in. All the while a solemn figure gleefully watches from the shadows as grief and despair overtake the lives of all those affected by Sherry's accident. When evil threatens the Barrett Family, Henry Denton suddenly realizes that he might be the only one who can save them.

Robert J. Wiersema's first novel has taken quite a journey on the road to getting published. Before I Wake was originally published by Random House in Canada in 2006, where it was a national bestseller. The U.S. version was launched by St. Martin's Press on May 1, 2007. Wiersema currently lives in Victoria, British Columbia, and is a bookseller and reviewer for several publications.

Wiersema's first novel is a fascinating read that grabs the reader tightly and demands attention. The unique narrative is written in the first person from each of the main characters' point of view, thus the reader is able experience the story from multiple angles. Wiersema effectively explores the depths of human relationships, and looks intently at both the good side and the bad. Ultimately this is a story of redemption, and each characters journey to find it is heartbreaking, yet inspiring.

Armchair Interviews says: Before I Wake is a must-read novel that will tug at your heart strings long after the last line.

I judged this book by its cover. What a mistake.

The cover (here in Canada) had "National Bestseller" printed on it, and seemingly good review excerpts from major newspapers. What Canadians bought enough copies of this book to make it a bestseller? Maybe a mass market bestseller in the tiny paperback form. I was duped by it being printed in the literature larger-scale format.

It was god awful.

I 100% agree that I couldn't put it down - I wanted to know how the story turned out. Took about 3 hours to read from cover to cover. You can definitely skim the story because, outside of the dialog, nothing happens. Who published this book????!!@# For example:

Jimmy walks into a room, picking up his toothbrush and brushing his teeth.
"Good morning," said Jimmy, "I am brushing my teeth."

The storytelling is very basic. We learn of characters' mundane daily actions and they do nothing to reinforce the tone of the story. The entire book is very play-by-play with very little for an intellectual to chew on in terms of character development or beautiful writing. Beyond dialog and Wiersema's boring descriptions of characters' physical actions ("he was chopping lettuce for a salad" or "she walked across the room"), this book is little more than a bedtime story. The story, set in my town (Victoria, BC) goes to the trouble of detailing driving routes: "I took a left on Johnson Street and then a right onto Douglas Street"

I keep checking the spine to see if this was published by a Christian press. The religious message seems to be the reason for writing the book. It can't be that the author loves his craft. There simply isn't any craft here.

This book is bad. Bland story, bland writing... bland bland bland. It's gripping because you're turning the pages thinking, "ok.. ok... yeah.. ok.. but when do we get to something gripping?"

Bestseller in Canada? I don't think so. I finally got a copy of this book to see what it's about and was quite dissapointed. Biggest problem is the writing style - simple and not in a good way, boring in every sense of the word....just a total wreck. Anyway, judging by the lack of substantial reviews on this page, it's obvious to me that most readers have done themselves a favour and steered clear of this one.
I don't usually take the time to write reviews on public forums, but I have to for this one. Ugh. I really hated it. Perhaps the author could benefit from some creative writing programs, because....ugh. Just, ugh.