The story sounded so intriguing but the delivery fell flat for me. It skipped around from first person to third person POV. Sometimes it was Liv and sometimes it was the detective and the chapters weren’t labeled whose perspective it was so I had to figure it out. The timeline was confusing. All the time stamps and flashbacks and present were introduced in a confusing way. The memory loss and repetition got very boring. I started skimming to get through it. I figured out who the murderer probably was and I was right. It felt too easy and predictable. It was a great storyline and I wanted to like it a lot more than I did.

Addicting, unputdowable, thrilling - the list goes on and on!! A must read for thriller readers and lovers of unreliable narrators. I loved uncovering Liv’s memories alongside her, and I felt just as obsessed as her with solving and unfolding what her memory keeps from her. The pacing of the book keeps you on your toes, leaving you on the edge of your seat for what will unfold in both the past and present.

I read Megan Goldin's new book Stay Awake in one sitting. If you are a fan of S.j, Watson's book Before I Go to Sleep, which I am, you will love this one too. Every time Liz Reese falls asleep, her memory resets to two years earlier when the phone rings on her desk at work. With a killer closing in, she doesn't know who to trust or where to go She tries to stay awake by staying wired on caffeine. She writes messages on her hands and wrists to remind her what to do and who to call when her memory resets again. Amnesia, insomnia, psychological tension, and a good murder mystery make Stay Awake a five star read for me.

Oh my!! Stay Awake is fast-paced and well-written thriller.I Megan Goldin had me right from the first page til the very last page. I was rooting for the main character the whole time. A must read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley.

All thoughts and opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone else

What a ride! Megan Goldin delivers in this edge of your seat thriller being published August 2022. If you loved Before I Go To Sleep you will love this book. Maybe more so. I loved the back and forth timelines and the multiple POV of Liv and the detectives. I honestly did not figure it out until the end when Ted and Liv figure it out. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Twisty and turny. Reminiscent of Memento and unpredictable enough that I didn't want to put it down.

A really good thriller that I wanted to 'stay awake' and finish!

Fifty First Dates comes to mind ... only this time it is a psychological thriller that is twisted, dark and yes, deadly. Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a NYC cab only to realize she has no idea how she got there or where she is. In fact, she can't remember the last two years. She has no cell phone or purse with her. Only a pocket full of cash and words on her hands and arms. She writes cryptic messages on her hands, arms, Post-Its, and walls of her apartment to help her remember.

The book jumps back and forth between present and past so we get to know Liv, her boyfriend Marco, beautiful roommate Amy, her ex fiance Ted, and a little bit about her job writing for a high-end magazine. Liv soon discovers that she is a suspect in a murder investigation that she can't remember she is now on the run. But running from who? Many people seem to know her and try to talk to her but she can't remember any of them and doesn't trust them. Now, the police are looking for her ... and also the real murderer.

Fast-paced and well-written. I loved Liv! I also loved Detective Halliday as she looks at all of the evidence with an open mind. Megan Goldin draws you in and make you feel the tension that Liv is feeling right from the start. Even with a few plot questions that I have it still is a fun and unique read!

Special shout out for the ARC of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley.
OUT August 9, 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this novel to read and review.

I had read Megan Goldin’s “The Escape Room,” which I found underwhelming. “Stay Awake” is a much stronger effort! I would have read it in a single sitting if I hadn’t had to work. The plot moves quickly and, while Liv does fall asleep and wake up with no memory a few times throughout the novel, the reader is never bogged down with her questioning where she is and what happened even though it happens repeatedly. These snippets of plot are brief enough and the story moving quickly enough that it never gets tedious or boring. I also liked that there several very believable culprits behind the mystery, so that the end reveal-while surprising-is not out of left field and aligns well with the existing story. I look forward to reading more of Megan Goldin’s work as she continues to write!

This was really great! I read it in less than 24 hours and truly did not guess the killer. The writing wasn’t the best, but the storyline more than made up for it.

First of all, I really enjoyed Goldin’s last book, NIGHT SWIM. I recommended it to all of my thriller-reading friends. That said, I absolutely loved STAY AWAKE!

The chapters are super short, flying by at breakneck speed, so I absolutely could not put this book down. Somehow, the author kept the suspense thick, even through time-jumps, which I usually hate.

I also want to mention that I’m a huge fan of the movie MEMENTO, which this book reminds me of so much. It’s probably my favorite movie. Like STAY AWAKE, MEMENTO features a protagonist with serious memory issues and a violent past.

If you’re a fan of Christopher Nolan-style twists and fast-paced plots, you’ll love this book.

(3.75 stars)

I LOVED Goldin’s previous books THE ESCAPE ROOM and THE NIGHT SWIM, so I had pretty high expectations for this one. With that being said, let’s dive into my review..

STAY AWAKE opens on Liv Reese waking up in the back of a taxi with no recollection of what she’s doing there and with no memory of the past two years, only to see that her arms are covered in writing, most of it saying things like “stay awake” and “trust no one.” She soon finds herself on the run from a crime she doesn’t remember committing.

I will say this one was fast-paced and the alternating POVs and timelines made for an extremely engaging read! HOWEVER, for me, the memory loss and Groundhog Day-ness of it all felt very tiring and lulled me at points.

The relationships that developed throughout this book were really sweet, and the last 30% of this book made up for my overall lack of interest in the beginning.

With all of that being said, I can see a lot of readers really enjoying this book and the intricacies of it!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: August 9, 2022

Overall, I really enjoyed Stay Awake. From the first few pages, this thriller piqued by interest in the quest to fill in the blanks in Liv's memory. Goldin does a great job introducing such suspect characters that it's hard to know who to trust - especially given the main character's unique form of amnesia. However, as the story began to wrap up and the big who-dunnit was answered - I was left with questions that remained unanswered. A few which were pretty big plot lines that kind of just fizzled out.
Nonetheless, I would recommend Stay Awake to anyone who likes twisty thrillers.

Rating: 4/5 Stars! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I will be the first to say that I didn’t love The Night Swim, the author’s super hyped book last year. It disappointed me ultimately after I felt like it had SO much promise with the plot idea (love the podcaster vibes!!) 😢

Now, Stay Awake? Completely different tune. I really enjoyed myself reading this fast-paced thriller. Personally, I find myself avoiding the psychological thriller as of recently, the “I can’t trust the narrator” trope has me a bit bored nowadays.. but this book IS the exception. I won’t go into too much detail as it will give the plot away, but the main character Liv is a super exciting character to follow and root for - I wouldn’t say she’s relatable (you’ll find out, lol) but I would probably act the same way if I were in her shoes. 🤔 🕵️‍♀️ The ending was juicy and exciting and overall I enjoyed myself reading this. There were times when I really didn’t want to put it down! 👎 😴

Make sure to run out and order a copy on August 9th when this book publishes. 📚 Thank you NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a honest review. 🤍

This book was sent to me electronically for review by Netgalley. I have seen movies about this subject...it is painful to watch and to read...no memories once one goes to sleep. Stay awake. Whew...this author has woven a tale that is life like...when reading this book, I had to stop and try to discern what it would be like to suffer from this ...it was frightening...what happened? Memories? Who could be trusted? This book is unusual about an unusual topic...not written about often. The characters appear to know what is going on...more than I did when I was reading it. I became frustrated, at times, trying to determine who knew what...Try this one...aren't many books published like it...Enjoy...Don't read this late at night.

This book had potential to be phenomenal. However, there were a few loose ends that keep me from loving it. First and most importantly, the protagonist’s stalker turns out to be a hired hand, but who hired him? If the killer hired him, why? Also, did the killer plan the first murders, or was it a crime of passion? Finally, what became of the waiter who kept calling Liv? Why was he calling her to begin with?

It feels like the writer spent too much time creating subplots and not enough time wrapping them up.

Insomnia robs like a thief in the night. It leaves zombie-like days bouncing madly in the pinball game of life. Eyelids begging to close up shop. Days and days past your bedtime.

When a Megan Goldin novel arrives on the scene, you just grab it and clutch it to your chest. Stay Awake is in that category. Goldin comes up with a brilliant storyline encompassing the "what if's" that happen in life. She's hooked a winner here with the clutches of sleep deprivation.......the mind in the death throws of the inability to shut down and find peace. Constant swirling and whirling thoughts that never seem to hush.

We'll come upon Liv Reese who stumbles into a cab in New York City in the wee hours. The driver follows her instructions to take her home to her apartment. Liv is confused and disoriented, but she knows that her best friend and roommate, Amy, will sort things out.

Liv, with no key, no phone or handbag, pounds on the door of their building. There's no sign of life until a couple stomps down the stairs and begins flicking on lights. They inform Liv that they are the residents of the apartment. No Amy or Liv live there. They threaten to call the police. Liv makes a dash to a familiar bar called the Nocturnal. The bartender recognizes Liv, but she is clueless. Liv notices a barrage of graffiti written all over both of her hands. Snarls of pen marks bearing words like Stay Awake and Don't Open the Door and a phone number she doesn't recognize.

Upon leaving the bar, she reaches into the huge pockets of her long cardigan and finds a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. Why, what, and how come to mind. She immediately gets rid of it in an alley garbage can. Liv will stumble around the city trying to make sense of the last hours.......hours, days, and shockingly, two years of time unaccounted for.

Megan Goldin creates a scene of shocking proportions with her main character of Liv. You'll find your own brain in vertigo from the descriptors and this panic-infused journey into a Black Hole. Liv will become part of a murder scene splashed out constantly by the media. She recognizes herself in a video revealing her movement out of an elevator where the crime took place. Liv has no memory and no clue as to why she was there.......and we don't either......until certain individuals start showing up in search of the elusive Liv. Oh, Momma.

I highly recommend Stay Awake if you're looking for a stunner of a read. There's nothing like falling into the chambers of a mind that is out to sea with no recollect of current happenings or the footprints as to how you got there. Goldin is up to the challenge in this one. Just grab it and run.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Megan Goldin for the opportunity.

Really good suspenseful thriller! The moment it all comes together was perfect. Someone compared it to Momento and 50 First Dates and I’d have to agree! The main character is unreliable because with her memory loss, she can’t even rely on herself. With short chapters that keep you guessing throughout, you just can’t stop turning pages. Quick thrilling mystery that I recommend!

Excellent, couldn't put down this well-written thriller suspense novel.

Liv Reese wakes up not remembering anything about he life of the past two years. She doesn't remember that her BFF Amy Decker is dead. Liv doesn't remember yesterday!

I'm not saying anything more about this novel that is told during a 24 hour day with flashbacks to the past - it might spoil the plot. Characters are human and their relationships to Liv are important.

I'll be adding a print copy of Stay Awake to my lending library.

I’m very bummed to report that I did not like this book. I kept expecting more but the story just jumped around and seemed to drag on with way too much of a slow, repetitive pace. Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Full review closer to publication date!

I'd like to thank the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.