BOOK REVIEW: The Last Thing I Remember by Deborah Bee

Sarah is in a coma, unable to see, speak, or move.
She doesn't remember how she got there.
But then she finds out she was attacked.
And that they haven't caught her attacker...

Publisher: Bonnier Publishing

Pages: 294

This book was so well done and I was so impressed that it is Deborah Bee's debut.
I'll be honest, when I read the first chapter, my heart sank a little as I thought it was just another book about a coma victim with the classic idea that she can't move or respond but that she is aware of everything going on around her. Sarah is in a coma, and yes she can hear everything but this book has so many plot twists and clever devices that it totally lifts it above other books with a similar idea.
Deborah Bee swaps between two narrators, Sarah who is in the coma and her 14 year-old neighbour Kelly who she had clearly taken under her wing. Through these two we learn of Sarah's past and the relationship she had with her husband and most importantly, how she came to be in hospital. There are several points where you have to question what you are reading, one narrator is injured and in a coma and the other is a bolshy adolescent; are either of them truly reliable?
I enjoyed the thriller aspect of this book; Sarah is terrified, she knows that she was attacked but not by who; they are still out there and what is to stop them from coming to the hospital and finishing her off?
Deborah Bee has delivered an excellent debut; the plot had such a good pace with plenty of surprises along the way. The rights have already been sold to a television company and it will be interesting to see how they adapt it. The Last Thing I Remember is a gripping read, you won't be disappointed.

Many thanks to Midas PR for sending me a copy of this book to review.