Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

I wish to thank Net Galley for this compelling psychological thriller.
Stay Wake is an exciting psychological thriller involving a young woman, Liv, with amnesia. Liv has been living in London for the past two years, ever since she was almost murdered. Every time she falls asleep, she forgets everything from the past two years. Consequently, she tries to stay awake drinking highly caffeinated drinks and taking pills. However, since it is impossible to stay awake forever, Liv eventually falls asleep and then doesn’t remember anything that recently happened. To help her with remembering important things, she writes messages on her hand i.e., “Stay awake”, “don’t trust anyone”. Apparently one day when she fell asleep, she may have been involved in a killing. She is being hunted down by the police who have captured her on video, leaving the scene of a crime. She is also being hunted down by an unknown character who may have been involved also in this recent killing.
The chapters alternate between Liv’s account of her actions and the two detectives on the case of this most recent murder. The timeline is set by the hour of the day with flashbacks to two years ago before Liv moved to London.
The author keeps you guessing who is involved in this lastest murder as well as wondering about the when Liv was almost murdered two years prior. Are they related or completely separate incidents?
This is the second novel that I read by Megan Goldin (The Night Swim) and her book The Escape Room is definitely on my TBR list. If you like psychological thrillers that keep you reading past your bedtime, this may be the book for you.

I've never read Goldin's work before but I will be looking for more after this great thriller.

This story starts with an absolutely captivating mystery that had me on the edge of my seat. A fantastic way to start a book for sure. A woman in a taxi has no recollection of anything previous or how she ended up in the cab. She's got writing all over her hand: stay awake! What? What does that mean? She heads to her apartment and fins strangers living there . . . What in the world happened. And then she finds a bloody knife in her pocket . . . Oh God . . .

The story switches to Detective Halliday responding to a murder. I was immediately weary when she came into the story simply because I don't usually like detective books. I gave it a chance and continued reading and I am so glad I did. I quickly found myself really liking Halliday and her coworkers.

The message written in the victim's blood at the crime scene matches one of the messages written on Liv's hands . . . I was completely and utterly consumed by this novel. It was fast-paced with great twists and sudden turns. The two point of views significantly added to the story, moving it along and keeping things fresh and climactic

Liv wakes up in the backseat of a cab, on her doorstep without her keys. She figures Amy, her roommate, will let her in. But after ringing the doorbell, she finds that this is not her apartment like she thought. And that 2 years has passed since she last remembered anything... Amy isn't picking up her phone and her boyfriend Marco is nowhere to be found. Liv struggles to figure out what is happening around her, especially since every time she goes to sleep she forgets everything that has occurred. The only thing she can remember is the phone call she got 2 years ago...

I wanted to love this book, I really did. The beginning really drew me in, it gave me Blake Crouch vibes with the concept of the story. I wanted desperately for Liv to figure out what happened two years prior, and when she did I was like FINALLY!!!

I had no idea who the killer was going to be, I had my speculations that it was the male detective on the case, he was kinda fishy to me at times. When it was Brett, I had to struggle to remember who Brett even was...

I felt like each main character had a backstory, which usually is fine, but this felt like it had too many stories and too many important characters. Maybe it's just me! Clearly this book got a LOT of 4 and 5 star ratings!

One of the main things I disliked was that she desperately wanted to find out what was happening, and she found some people that were important to her before the incident (not that she would remember of course), but every time we got close to her getting information, she would just get extremely overwhelmed and leave. I would understand it happening one time, but I think it happened two or three times and that just got annoying to me really quickly.

I really was over it at the end when she just miraculously got her memory back because she had 1 good nights sleep... alright that could've happened 200 pages ago??

Overall, I was really disappointed in this one, I enjoyed The Night Swim, and while I didn't hate this book, I don't think it will be one I recommend unfortunately...

This book reminded me of Memento in all the best ways. It's a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages. I found the ending to be a bit unexpected, though I did guess the killer. There may not have been enough foreshadowing to figure it out directly (at least on the first readthrough). But Megan Goldin is the queen of leaving 1 clue 50 pages in that tells you immediately who did it, so maybe I just missed it! Liv felt tortured and manic throughout as she copes with her trauma and sleep-induced amnesia, all while trying to solve a murder. I loved the switches in time and perspective, as we also got to see how the police's investigation was proceeding. It's the perfect mix of police procedural, serial killer mystery, and intricately plotted thriller that will leave you gasping.

*Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Liv Reese wakes up on a NYC park bench with no memory. There is handwriting covering her hands and arms telling her not to sleep. As she visits her apartment, her boyfriend's apartment, her employer, she finds that two years have passed and she cannot remember a single moment. In addition, there is a murder that she is drawn to, she hides among the onlookers trying to figure out why she is drawn to it. As the police continue to investigate the murder, the evidence builds up against Liv. Could she have committed murder and not remember? You'll have to read the book to find out.

The story line is good, but I found the narrative to be repetitive and not overly engaging. I was able to easily put the book down and go to something else, for a thriller like this, I had hope to not want to put the book down. I enjoyed Night Swim more, but I enjoyed it enough to add her other books to my list.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book!

I don't know what to say except that I could do nothing EXCEPT stay awake while reading this book! The thrills were many, the twists and turns kept me captivated, and I was dying to find out what happened next while simultaneously cursing another night full of nightmares! Spooky and haunting, wonderfully written!

There are so many things that I love about this book. Meagan Goldin’s way with words entices you to stay engaged throughout the story. This story has an unreliable narrator which is a thriller trope that I love. This storyline jumps back and forth between multiple points in time. The author does this so that she can create an air of mystery between a characters past and present. She has a subtle way of telling you that you are wrong about the ending. I love that I did not guess then ending as quickly as I normally do. The development of the two main characters causes the reader to be come fully engaged with their stories.

One critique that I have is the time jumping. While I do not mind having multiple timelines that converge into one throughout the story, it can be hard to keep up with. This story jumped back and forth often and then another mini timeline was added into the mix. Initially, when I started reading the book, the time jumps confused me. It wasn’t until after I finished about 5 chapters that I was able to clearly see the pattern.

This is my second Meagan Goldin book and I am obsessed!

wakes up each day and doesn’t remember a thing. She thinks she is still living in a world from two years ago. She relies on her journal and clues written by herself to get her through the day. When she is assumed guilty of a murder she feels the needs to truly figure out who she truly is and why she is being called guilty. The story switches from two time periods, and I love it! It’s definitely a fast paced thriller.

I loved this book! It was fast paced and kept you guessing. I love a book that ends with justice for the wounded.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin has such a unique plot. Whenever Liv wakes up, her memories of the past two years are completely erased, and she must try to figure out her life each time this occurs. This is even more troublesome due to the fact that one day when she awakes, she is holding a knife covered in blood with no recollection of what happened.

I loved the pacing and plot of Stay Awake, and it was such a treat to pick it up each time I read it. Goldin is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine, and I look forward to her next novel!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

I have had the opportunity to read and review Megan Goldin’s previous books so I was thrilled when the publisher provided me an e-ARC of Stay Awake. I enjoyed the other two books but Stay Awake is by far my favorite! Megan Goldin is now an auto-buy author for me. This book had great characters and excellent suspense. It was written in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what will happen next. I don’t want to leave any spoilers but the ending did a feel a little rushed and there were a couple loose ends. That said it’s still a compulsive 5 star read!

My first 5 star fiction read of the year! This was a super creative, fun thriller. A page turner of a wild ride. Seriously, this is the first time this year that I wanted to stay up late, wake up early, and read every second I could til this book was finished! Although I guessed "the culprit" early on, that did not in any way take away from the excitement and frenetic energy that was this book.

The story begins with a woman (Liv) knocking on the door of an apartment late at night, thinking that it is her own. A strange couple opens the door, and it is clear that it is not Liv's apartment, it doesnt look anything like it and none of her things are there. From there, things get wild as it is clear that Liv has no idea where she is nor does she recognize her life.

The book goes back and forth between present day (amnesia Liv) and 2 years ago, before Liv had amnesia. The book follows side by side as we discover what happened to Liv 2 years ago, but suddenly realize that amnesia Liv could still be in danger today.

This book was amazing at creating life-like characters, and throwing in red herrings. At one point, the "culprit" could have been any one of about 5 different suspects. Liv has writing she finds on her hand to "trust no one" and that is honestly the best advice when reading this book!

I would highly recommend this twisty and fast-paced thriller. With each chapter ending in a cliff-hanger, you won't want to put this one down. I honestly have read so many thrillers at this point that it takes a lot to surprise me, but this one was totally unique and an exciting read.

Special thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Just a big wow at how intricately the plot is woven around the theme of a woman with amnesia who forgets everything once she falls asleep. Liv is the victim of a traumatic incident in her life, resulting in her amnesia and also putting her life in danger. When two friends are killed and she is the only witness as well as a suspect, Liv cannot remember what happened at all, but her life depends on her regaining her memory. When another friend is killed and Liv is the primary suspect, she wanders around the city trying to recall who she is and where she should be. I really enjoyed how tightly woven together the plot was and how it all came together in a spectacularly mesmerizing conclusion. I was impressed by the detective work of Halliday and her dogged determination to find out the truth about the murders. There were interesting details added, like Liv’s work at a magazine called Cultura and her hanging out at a bar called Nocturnal. I liked that all of the details ended up being important in the end and were actually clues. This is a book to read for pleasure the first time and to read for honing your detective skills the second time. It would also make a great book for a book club, with the discussion centered around the effects of amnesia and recovered memory. This was edge-of-your-seat suspense with a lot of psychological thriller mixed in, just the right combination to enthrall, entice and entertain.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

I was introduced to Megan Goldin when I was asked to review “Night Swim,” a novel that kept me up into early morning to reach its finale. When I was asked to review “Stay Awake,” I knew that I would need to stay awake to get to the end because of how Goldin can hook her reader from the novel’s opening scenes and then refuse to let her go.

Can you imagine waking up one day with no idea of how you got where you’re at and the last two years of your life completely erased? That is what happens to Liv who wakes up in the back of a cab, unable to recollect the moments that led her there. Yet, when she returns to the apartment she shares with her roommate, she discovers she no longer lives there and hasn’t for quite awhile. She finds written notes on her hands that say things such as “stay awake.” Apparently, Liv has a type of amnesia that when she falls asleep, she forgets everything. And now she’s on the run for murder and she’s not completely sure if she’s innocent.

What I liked about this novel is I felt pulled into Liv’s thoughts and feelings. Moreover, the reader also gets into the POV (and an alternative timeline) of one of the investigating detectives, Halliday. Yet, can the reader trusts Halliday’s perceptions any more than Liv’s?

I don’t want to give too much more away but be prepared for a roller coaster ride with plenty of dips and turns. I appreciate an author that can keep you guessing. I kept thinking I had figured out what was going on, only to discover I was wrong again.There was a bit of plausibility, in the book but then who wants to read a book about things that can actually happen.

Special thanks to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an opportunity to review this novel.

Warning: read with the light on! This is a thrilling story that will keep you on the edge of your seat! My first book to read by this author but I cannot wait to read more. Highly recommend!

"Stay Awake" by Meg Goldin — get ready for a ride.
The novel follows Liv Reese as she awakens with a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. She has no memories of how she got there or the past two years due to a memory loss issue. Liv soon finds herself in the center of a murder investigation as she races to figure out who's the identity of the real killer before they get — all while doing everything she can to stay awake.
This thriller is full of suspense, unexpected twists and unpredictable characters. Goldin unfolds the plot expertly with multiple non-linear timelines for the big reveal. It's an enthralling read that thriller lovers shouldn't miss.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

Stay Awake is a suspenseful mystery about Liv, a woman who develops recurring amnesia after a traumatic event. Every time she goes to sleep, she wakes up unable to remember the last two years of her life. When Liv wakes up holding a knife, next a dead man, she becomes the prime suspect in his murder and she goes on a journey to put the pieces of her life together and exonerate herself.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged throughout, had me questioning Liv's Innocence, and got me to suspect everyone! It was a very solid murder mystery. At times, I found it a little repetitive. There were several times I found myself asking, "Haven't I read this scene already?" I also found the ending a bit dissatisfying because there was no explanation for the motive behind some of the big events in the story.

Overall, I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy mysteries, thrillers, and suspense.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Have you ever read a book that captured you from the very beginning, and refused to let you go until the very end? THIS is that book.

What I loved; the lead detective is a woman, the main character follows her instincts even though she has no memory to assist those instincts, the Memento/50 First Dates similarities. What I disliked; NOTHING.

This book has earned its spot as my favorite book of the month, if not the year. I loved everything about it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Stay Awake will be available for purchase on August 9th 2022.

Thank you to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the ARC.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. This was a really unique read! It did take me a couple chapters to get into it because the concept seemed quite unbelievable, but by about 30% I was hooked!

This book is definitely the unreliable narrator trope... but to good reason. The concept of losing ones memory was interesting and worked in this case. It was fun to learn what was happening as it unfolded for Liv (the main character) as well in real time. This was definitely a good thriller, and it kept me reading, wanting to know what happened. I will say by about 75%, I had it all figured out, but it was still fun to have it play out in the book. We did find the end a bit disappointing though, it was very obvious who the murderer was, and it seemed a little bit out of character that Liv spent most of the book not knowing what to do, and then in a time of great stress, was able to grab her phone, text the police officer and hide all in a few short moments.

We have read two of Megan Goldin's books now, and will continue to read more! I recommend if you are looking for a fun thriller!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

We follow Liv Reese who awakens with a bloody knife wrapped in a T-Shirt. She has no memory of the past two years and is unclear as to what is going on; however it appears that she is the prime suspect to a murder. She can’t recall anything that has happened because every time she goes to sleep, she loses her memory. It becomes a race against time to figure out who the real killer is before they find her.
*
I really enjoy Megan Goldin’s writing style! She knows how to hook you from the beginning and keep you wanting to turn the page. She also does a great job with telling the story from present day and flashbacks from 2 years ago so that the reader doesn’t get confused while reading. I did think the story was slow at times, but definitely picks up at the end! I’ve read one book by Goldin (The Escape Room) and enjoyed it! I’ve heard good things about The Night Swim and cannot wait to read more books by her!

If you like thrillers with dual timelines and unpredictable characters then you should read this book! Also, if you liked the movie 50 First Dates, but add a little bit of murder, you would enjoy this as well!

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!