Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is an exciting tension filled thriller. Each chapter bounces between the past and the present and reveals a little more of the story which also adds to the suspense.
The storyline was good with our protagonist, Liv, having amnesia, which for Liz meant that every time she falls asleep, she forgets everything that happened the previous two years. This made it different from the usual murder mystery.
I liked the detective team of of Halliday and Lavelle - the author does a good job of creating these characters making them real and likeable. Lavelle is the veteran NYPD officer working with Halliday who is new to Homicide. I hope to see them again in future novels.
All in all a good exciting thriller. Recommended.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC

Liv Reese is caught in a terrifying web when she is tied to a murder scene, but she cannot remember why she was at the scene or who the murder victim is. Every time Liv falls asleep, she forgets everything. Is she a victim or a murderer?

Megan Goldin weaves an interesting plot line in such a masterful way that it doesn't seem hokey but suspenseful. It could have been easy to get lost in the story, but Golden did an excellent job creating the timeline of events and developing the characters, while at the same time keeping me on the edge of my seat. I truly enjoyed this mystery!

If you are looking for a suspenseful book to read, I would highly recommend Stay Awake. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this suspenseful book.

Megan Goldin knows how to write a thriller which keeps the reader awake. Awake for as long as it takes to finish this intriguing story. Unlike Liv, who try’s to always be awake, caffeinated to the gills, writing notes to herself, words on her hands and arms in a bizarre effort to remember. Remember what happened that day as the minute she wakes up, wherever she drops off to sleep, she can’t remember a day since being in her office on a summer day. It’s now the fall, waking up is terrifying and confusing with no memory of yesterday and random phrases on her walls, door and body. This is a fast paced, can’t-put it down type of story. It careens on, day after day, and we are as exhausted as Liv, trying to figure out a complicated murder plot as her walls and eyelids close in on her.

STAY AWAKE
BY: MEGAN GOLDIN

This was absolutely stunning in its ability to ratchet up the suspense in this most intriguing thriller by Megan Goldin, called "Stay Awake." It is utterly unique in its execution of the plot. Every sentence kept me enthralled and my enjoyment of this is off the charts. I don't read as many thrillers as I used to but this one was amazing in its uniqueness. I implore all fans of thrillers to definitely read this because it is a wild ride and it isn't like anything else that you have read. Sometimes this genre can be predictable and this is not at all. I was captivated from the beginning until the end. This thriller is probably going to be my favorite of 2022. I love it when I don't know how to solve the mystery aspect of what enfolds throughout the entire novel until the Author has decided to deliver the reveal and that is what happens in this fantastic chilling read.

The main character is so expertly crafted that I was as perplexed as she was while everything around her was unfolding. She has no memory of how when she goes to her apartment in New York City that she shared with her best friend Amy and is told by two disgruntled and angry new inhabitants of her apartment that live there now that she doesn't live there anymore. She can't remember moving out. She goes to her job and finds out that she no longer worked there. She doesn't have her cellphone or purse--all she has is a wad full of cash in her pocket and a bloody knife wrapped in a tee shirt. Liv woke up in the cab ride to her apartment and reluctantly the new people that live there let her use the phone to call her boyfriend Marco. Liv recognizes that it is decorated in a completely different way and none of her furniture or her cat is there. The couple that lives there now say that they get mail for Amy. Liv calls Marco and Amy and can't reach them. She notices that she has written in ink all over her hands that say things like Stay Awake.

This is like peeling the layers of an onion and we as readers are vicariously carried along as if we are with Liv as she tries to unravel why everything is so different. This was so cleverly written that I felt like I was just as perplexed as Liv was trying to figure out why every time she tried to keep from falling asleep she could only find remnants of her life but everything that she remembered was different now. She can't reach Marco, her boyfriend or her roommate and best friend Amy. She has a scary feeling of why she can't remember how that bloody knife got in her pocket. She sees broadcasts that a man was murdered and the same remark written on her hands was written in the dead man's bedroom window.

The only thing that I had thought was off is that I am assuming that the police would not have released that remark stay awake written in the murdered man's bedroom window wouldn't be released to the public. I could be wrong but I would think that the crime scene would be more protected by withholding the detail that only the killer would know struck me as something not authentic. Every thing else was pure perfection and I wouldn't change a thing. This was remarkable and I Loved it! I would put this on my to be read list as this is one that you thriller fans don't want to miss. I read it very quickly because it is one that once you start it you won't want to put it down. You will not guess the plot outcome of that I can guarantee. In my humble opinion Megan Goldin is an auto buy for me and this is one that I will be recommending to my friends and family who enjoy an excellent well written thriller. I am so sad that I finished this because not often do I come across a freshly plotted story in this genre that is so good that each sentence written is a cliffhanger. I am excited to learn that she has written three other novels that I am going to read next. Unforgettable! Brilliantly done Megan Goldin I would give you one hundred stars if I could.

Publication Date: August 9th, 2022

A Huge debt of gratitude and Thank you to Net Galley, Megan Goldin and St. Martin's Press for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#StayAwake #MeganGoldin #StMartin'sPress #NetGalley

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was a thriller I could not put down! I really enjoyed this read!

You are thrown in the middle of a horrific murder mystery from the very beginning of this book. The reader follows a woman named Liv who doesn’t remember anything from before she woke up. She returns to her apartment to find out that she no longer lives there and when she looks for her phone, she finds a knife in her pocket and strange writing on her arms warning her to stay awake.

I was intrigued the entire time and really ate up this fast pace thrilling mystery. Although everything folds together nicely and the ending is satisfying for the reader, I personally was unclear on the motives of the outcome.

This was a lot of fun and I am grateful for the advanced reader copy from the publisher, author, and NetGalley!

Review will also be available on GoodReads, with mention on Twitter and Instagram.

BOOK REVIEW- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️!!

My Thoughts: Thank you to @netgalley, @megangoldinauthor, and @stmartinspress for an E-arc of this fantastic book in exchange for an honest review. Holy smokes you guys, this was such a great book! The author had me captivated and hooked the first chapter and I had to figure out what was going on. The concept explored in the book is one that isn't common in any books I have read and I loved having a new concept like this in a thriller. I don't want to say much more as I don't want to give anything away. Megan Goldin has easily become an auto-buy author for me! You can pick this one up on 8/9/22 and it's a must for any thriller lover!

I have read and loved each of Megan Holding’s nooks and this new one does disappoint! Multi layered, rich characters drive this fast paced who dunnit, where nothing is quite what it seems. Perfect for fans of Before I go to Sleep, Stay Awake would make a great HBO Mx movie or limited series!

Megan Goldin is an interesting author. You feel like you're in her brain reading this. Interesting story line. Characters are well fleshed out. Hope to see more from this author.

excellent book, page-turner. well thought out characters. hope to read more from this author. great plot.

Adult Thriller. Each time Liv falls asleep, she wakes with no memory. Even though Liv feels she's being watched and tricked, the police don't believe she has a stalker. She is also considered the prime suspect in a police investigation, but the evidence has always been weak. This is a thrilling and suspenseful murder mystery that keeps one guessing. Liv's memory gaps serve as a catalyst -- keeping the reader and police in the dark until the end.

Clear your calendar... because once you pick up Stay Awake you will not be able to put it down... Megan Goldin will hook you from the very first page! This exciting psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat. Full of twists and turns, the story will stay with you long after you reach the end. Then, if you're like me, you'll want to read it again. Yes, it was that good!

‘Stay Awake' has been the first of Megan Goldin's books that I have read, and I will be seeking out her other works after enjoying this one. As promised, the opening chapter had me quickly lured into Liv's vulnerability and confusion stemming from her repetitive memory loss. The following collection of chapters moved at a slower pace, although I had to follow closely until I fell into the rhythm of the alternating points of view. I had anticipated being most attracted to the obscurity of Liv's amnesia and whatever possible trauma shook her to that result. It surprised me that the detective's role was what captivated me more throughout the book - the descriptions and images portrayed around the investigative process were very well written and I loved following along. The amount of seemingly important details and number of inconspicuous personalities had me wishing I started a link chart to organize it all. While there were parts that seemed predictable, Goldin expertly kept the roller-coaster going with more unexpected loops and turns that moved at a faster, page-flipping pace up to the very end. I'll be re-reading this again and would recommend it to anyone who loves the challenge a thriller like this can offer.

I appreciate the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the opportunity to read an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Holy crap. This book messed. me. up.

This is one of the most exciting psychological thrillers I have ever read. I'm not a fan of the unreliable narrator trope, but there are certain instances when it can be used super effectively, And this is one of those times. It reminded me so much of ‘The Flight Attendant’ and the beginning of 'The Night Of’ in that regard.

And I LOVED discovering Liv's memories along with her. I became just as obsessed as she did. I know the whole situation is pretty unrealistic, but it creates such a paranoid and distrustful atmosphere that works so well for mystery/thrillers. It's exactly the right kind of suspense I want from this kind of story.

This is such a fascinating and engrossing book and definitely my favourite from MG so far! I already can't wait to reread it and notice all the little things that I missed the first time around.

I really wanted to love this one. Especially because I absolutely enjoyed The Night Swim when I listened to it last year. But I got around the 20% mark and was so confused! All the time stamps and the flashbacks and the present were introduced in such a confusing way. I just was not a fan of the format or the storyline really - it was convoluted. I can only imagine how confusing it would be as an audiobook without being able to physically keep track of the dates and times.

Every time Liv wakes up, she doesn't remember anything from the past two years, including an attempted murder. She wakes up and discovers strangers live in her apartment and she's a suspect in a murder case. I really like how the reader shared in Liv's confusion as well as her and the detectives desire to find out what happened.

I enjoyed this book. I especially liked the fact that we were able to see the crime from the point-of-view of the investigators. The short chapters kept the story moving and me turning the page. I would definitely recommend Stay Awake to my friends and family.

This was another 5 star from Megan Goldin. Loved it all the way through and couldn’t put it down. Lots of twists and turns! Thank you so much for this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

I enjoyed this book. It was a twisty little devil about a woman named Liv who wakes up in a cab and finds that nothing in her world is what she remembers. On her arms and hands are inked messages demanding her to stay awake. Strangers are living in her apartment and she has a bloody knife in her pocket instead of her phone. As the hours unfold, she finds herself the suspect in the brutal murder of a man she doesn't know she knows.

This book was fast-paced and engaging. I didn't want to put it down and quite enjoyed reading it.

Liv wakes up in a cab with no memory of how she got there and later realizes her last memory occurred over over two years earlier and she is a murder suspect. Every time she falls asleep, she loses her recent memories. The whole thing was pretty implausible and I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but it ended up being pretty good if you can get over how unlikely it is. 4 stars.

Ok this book was amazing … excellent plot . It kept me reading until the end well developed the characters were amazing . Very easy to read is not a predictable book!!! I loved it