Holy moly, what a page turner! Five stars because I could not put this book down! Stay Awake by Megan Goldin starts by telling us the story of Liv Reese who loses her memory every time she goes to sleep. The story follows Liv as she tries to figure out what happened to her two years ago and who she can and cannot trust. The story switches between Liv's point of view and the detective's point of view, who is trying to solve a recent murder. Apart from the change in narration, the story adds another element of time, going back and forth between past and present. Usually, when there's two time periods and multiple narrators, the story gets confusing but I think the author did a fantastic job in making sure the narrator and time period was clear from the beginning of each chapter.

My only critique is that once we found out who the murderer was, there was no closing as to why the murder was committed. It felt like the author wanted us to assume the reason why but personally, I like it to be directly told to me so that I can close out the loop in my head. There were also a few other dead ends that were left unanswered, and I wish they were answered. With all this, I still rate this read five stars because it was THAT good. Definitely pick this one up, add it to your shelf, your TBR, make sure you read it.

Sending a huge thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Great thriller from Megan Goldin, I have enjoyed her thrillers in the past (Escape Room, Night Swim) and this was my favorite so far. I am so appreciative to St Martin's Press, and NetGalley, for the chance to read a strong unreliable narrator story. I want to note that I have found each of the books I have read from this author to have a common theme of thriller/women's lives (mistreatment, sexism) but to have also a unique way of letting a plot unfold. I appreciate a writer who can change up narrative style and storytelling while still honoring strong pacing, good character and plot development, and keeping a reader engaged.

3 things I liked:
1. I loved the focus on uncovering what messages written on the protagonists body mean (what a thought provoking way to also return to themes on women's lives and bodies... I think that is worth thinking about!). I like a protagonist who is empowered to take charge of wrong's in their lives, Ms. Goldin does this well.
2. Pacing, I was never bored while reading this and I felt that the story unfolded clearly and in a way that kept the plot moving along.
3. Memory, I love thrillers about memory and can we trust what/who we know and what we don't know. I think this was particularly well executed in this mystery and appreciated how this theme was woven into the plot.

I can't wait to recommend this one to my mystery bookclub and thriller friends; this is also a great option for a later summer or fall book vacation read.

I love Megan Goldin and I honestly didn't think I would enjoy one as I did "The Night Swim" but boy oh boy was this a great read!

Another solid read from Megan Goldin! Goldin has the ability to create thrilling stories but with such a unique way of getting to the end point. In Stay Awake we follow Liv as she tries to figure out her own mystery of why she can’t remember the last 2 years of her life, as well as two detectives trying to solve a murder they believe involves Liv. Every time Liv falls asleep her memory resets to 2 years prior. I will Admit getting into the hang of Liv losing her memory every few chapters was confusing to follow at first but once the pieces started coming together I couldn’t put this one down.

Spoilers!

Stay Awake is a taut psychological thriller that is well written and is pleasant to read.

I really liked all the different POV's. The cops investigating the murder were not just cops or idiots. Ms. Goldin gives full backgrounds on them, especially the female detective. We learn that she's former military, and how she's transitioned to civilian life. We even find out that she has contacts in other branches, which come in handy. It's all interesting and readable.

All the characters, except the minor ones, are fully filled out and feel real.

The heroine is running on instinct, (and caffeine) which serves her well. I found her to be a little annoying, though, and deliberately disconnected from everyone and everything. I'm not sure why I was annoyed by it. I guess because I wanted to figure out the mystery before the end. I actually did figure out that the roommate was sleeping with her boyfriend, and that the heroine had been set up for the murder by the murderer. I don't want to give away all the secrets. It was an exciting book, fun to read and I was able to read it quickly. Overall, I liked it.

That said, the relationship between the protagonist/heroine and her "roommate/friend/closer than a sister" bothered me. The heroine specifically stated that that's how close they were. Yet, she still got betrayed by her. Would a sister do that? I have no idea, I don't have a sister, but I would think not.

Overall, even with my annoyance about the roommate and figuring out "who done it" half way through the book, it was an enjoyable read, and I recommend it.

I thank #Netgalley the author, #MeganGoldin and the publisher for giving me an advanced copy of #StayAwake to read without any strings attached except a review. I appreciate it!

4.25 ✨
thanks so much for giving me a chance to read an early copy of this book
highly enjoyed
full review on goodreads in link.

This was my first thriller from Megan Goldin and have heard nothing but great things so I had super high expectations going into this book. The writing in this book is a little repetitive but it makes sense because the book deals with the protagonist's loss of memory and the twists and turns that follow. I'm not a huge fan of thrillers but Megan Goldin has me thinking that perhaps I only am with her writing. There is so much suspense that I found myself at the edge of my seat on every page, unable to put the book down and kept saying "one more page" then "one more chapter won't hurt" until you're trying not to finish the book but absolutely have to. The end left me kind of confused, though, but this definitely sparked my interest in psychological thrillers and I will be seeking out more. Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book really cemented Megan Goldin as my favorite female thriller author! She has a way of writing that hooks you immediately, gets you invested in the MC, has perfect pacing, and keeps you guessing through the entire book. It took me a while to read this one simply because I loved it so much and didn't want it to end! The memory loss troupe is also my absolute favorite in this genre! It was everything I ever want in my thrillers and so much more at the same time. DO NOT MISS THIS BOOK!

This is a first time read for me by this author and I was not disappointed. This is a breathtaking, suspenseful novel that is quite the page-turner and had me on the edge of my seat. The story was well-written and interesting and held my attention from beginning to end. The plot was intriguing and there were some twists and turns which kept me thoroughly engaged. Liv suffers from a rare form of amnesia and has not been able to remember her life for the past two years. Each day she wakes up not remembering anything from the previous day. She tries her best to stay awake so she can keep the memories in her head, but of course eventually exhaustion wins out and she falls asleep. When she sees local reports of a murder and the victim's blood used to write a message across a window - the same message written all over her hands, she is shocked and horrified. On top of this, she finds a bloody knife in her pocket. She is terrified of what this might mean. Could she be linked to the crime? Plenty of suspense and intrigue kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. A gripping story you won't be able to put down! I really enjoyed this book and will be looking for more by this author. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, then you definitely don't want to miss this one!

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Ms. Goldin, and Netgalley for providing a complimentary copy. This is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Megan Goldin is very quickly becoming my most favorite author. Everything she writes is perfection. It has just the perfect balance of thrills and suspense. The writing is incredible and sucks you in from the get go!

I don’t want to go over the synopsis again because I can’t find a way to talk about the book without giving things away. But I promise you it’s worth it. It twists and turns so nicely and everything just falls together in the end. Incredible.

10/10 would absolutely recommend.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
This is how you do the unreliable narrator! This felt like a mash up of Groundhog's Day and Agatha Christie.Most amnesia type story lines don't work for me but I really liked this one! All of the notes written on Liv's hand - 'Stay Awake', 'Don't Trust Anyone', really made it feel like the movie Memento.

This story is told in alternating timelines and POVs and you have a great understanding of the characters and where you're at in the story. This has short chapters and truly feels like one of those 'just one more chapter!' kind of books before you can put it down.
I did predict who the killer was but there were so many strong cases for the options out there I kept changing my theory and this had me so invested! I didn't give this one five stars because the reveal was a bit anticlimactic for me and a couple unanswered questions - but, I still highly recommend this for how suspenseful it was, invested I was to keep going, and how fast I read this.

Psychological thriller fans - you will want a copy of this one! Get your preorder in now, this book publishes August 9. Thank you to @stmartinspress for my advanced copy!v

Megan Goldin power rankings:
3. The Escape Room
2. The Night Swim
1. Stay Awake

This was one of my most anticipated books this year and I was beyond thrilled to have an ARC thank you so much for this amazing read

This was a solid thriller that didn’t blow my mind but definitely kept me entertained. It’s a page turner for sure.

A fun thriller I read on vacation. The premise is not necessarily new, but I enjoyed the characters. I'd give it 3.5 stars.

I jumped on a chance at reading an ARC of Stay Awake, a no-brainer given how much I loved The Escape Room. Unfortunately, the author followed the downward trajectory of The Night Swim and just kept descending. Stay Awake plummeted past mediocre and dipped well into “Oof, what a ridiculous hot mess!” territory.

Stay Awake is a mishmash of short chapters jumping from before a traumatic event witnessed by our unreliable, too-dumb-to-live protagonist, to events in the “present,” where our unreliable protag wakes up in stupid places with stupid writing scrawled all over her stupid, stupid hands. Her hands helpfully tell her to “stay awake!” “trust no one!” (So helpful.) She is also the main suspect for a murder, being investigated by what has to be one of the worst-written fictional cop teams I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter.

Despite how the whole book attempts to be one heart-pounding cliffhanger after another, it took me a long time to get through it. It’s ludicrous and grim, and ultimately very unsatisfying. It felt like perhaps this one was a bit rushed to get to press. Not sure what could be done to save it. I would probably give this author another shot, however, as The Escape Room was truly a standout.

Thank you to the author, #StMartinsPress and #Netgalley for the chance to read a free digital ARC of #StayAwake in exchange for this (perhaps scathingly) honest review. It’s not very fun to write a bad review of an author I like, and I wish this book had worked for me.

"Wednesday, 2:42am. Starbursts blink from streetlights like they're sharing a secret as I wake to find myself slumped in the back of a cab, without any recollection of how I got here, or where I'm going."

Whoooooo, I knew I was in for a wild ride from the very first line! This book truly grabs hold of you and does not let go.

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab in NYC with no memory of how she got there or where she's going. When she's dropped off at her apartment, a stranger answers the door. She doesn't have her phone or her wallet... but, in her pocket, she finds a bloody knife. She has strange messages written on her hands and arms like, "STAY AWAKE" and "Don't Trust Anyone". ...and that's just chapter one!

Stay Awake weaves in both multiple POVs as well as alternating timelines and it does it in an absolutely seamless way, where you feel like you quickly have a handle on the characters and where you are in the timeline. I was never confused, I never had to flip back to earlier chapters to see something I missed. This book walks you through it beautifully so you can just keep flipping those pages!

This is a smart take on the unreliable narrator trope - how can you be reliable when you have no memory? As Liv tries to solve what happened, why she has this bloody knife, if she hurt someone, you're trying to solve the mystery right along with her.

I will say it again - this book fascinated me from the first page and I never (not once and I truly mean that) felt bored. The phrase, "this will have you hooked from the very first sentence" is used quite liberally but for Stay Awake, it's absolutely true. I read this as a buddy read with a friend and we both loooved it! We had our chapters all laid out and ready to go and ended up finishing like 3 weeks ahead of schedule because we just could. not. stop!

Trust me, thriller friends, you will want to set a reminder for August 9th and pick this up the moment it comes out!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this Advanced Readers Copy.

Have you ever picked up a book intending to read a couple pages to see how you feel and find yourself reading several chapters instead? That was this book for me. From the first page, I was HOOKED! I needed to find out who the murderer was and why Liv couldn’t remember the last 2 years of her life. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because the ending felt a bit rushed but I still highly recommend picking this one up if you’re in the mood for a fun, fast paced thriller!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read an eARC of this book!

Thank you NetGalley!! Stay Awake was one of the best books I have read in a long time. So many twists and turns! I will be recommending this book to all my friends that like to read.

This story is 🤯🤯🤯. I have said a thousand times how sick I am of the unreliable narrator trope. But let me just tell you, THIS IS HOW YOU DO AN UNRELIABLE NARRATOR TROPE. Megan Goldin killed it with this story!! I am so impressed by her writing and story telling skills. Stay Awake is about a woman who woke up in the back of a cab with no clue who she is or how she ended up there. That’s all I’m going to say because I recommend going into this one as blind as possible. You will be blown away! 4.5 stars from me! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. You can grab this one in stores on August 9th, but trust me, you’re going to want to preorder!

A women wakes up with no memory of the past two years then finds a bloody knife in her pocket. This book had me hooked from the beginning. The author weaves multiple time frames into a thrilling story. Even though this book had multiples time frames and multiple points of view, it was never confusing and built an excellent story that all came together at the end. The ending was a little anticlimactic but I think it was because you already had all the information needed to process what had happened by the time you got to the end of the book. If you are looking for an interesting physiological thriller, this is the book for you! I did receive and advance copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.