1. The concept of sacrifice is explored in different ways in
Before I Wake. Which character do you think made
the biggest sacrifice?
2. Discuss when Karen, Simon, Ruth, Henry and Mary each
experienced guilt and how did they deal with it?
3. When reading Before I Wake, did you come up
with any theories about the identities of Tim and the mysterious
stranger? At what point in the story did you correctly guess their
true identities?
4. Tim tells Henry "Miracles don't come easy. They're not a
gift. There's always a price in return." What were some of the less
obvious costs of Sherry's miraculous abilities?
5. Simon and Karen describe themselves as agnostic. What is the
significance of this throughout the book and how does it affect the
way they interact with those who are religious? Did you expect
their beliefs would change over the course of the book?
6. Consider the role the media played in reporting the
developments of Sherry and her ability to heal. When were the
newspaper articles and television reports accurate and when were
they inaccurate? Who did the inaccuracies affect?
7. Why do you think Henry only encounters other men while in
limbo?
8. Henry and Tim chose the library as their home base. If you
found yourself "outside of the world you knew, but still connected
to it," where would you likely spend most of your time?
9. How did the fractured narrative style of Before I
Wake benefit the telling of this story? Do you think it
could have also been told with a more traditional narrative?
10. How did your impression of Simon change over the course of
the book?
11. There are many plot twists in this story. What part
surprised you the most?
12. What did you make of the book's ending? Were you satisfied
with the coda?