I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, and I found it to be a quick and fast-paced read. This kind of story is usually right up my alley, and I really wanted to like it, but in the end I have to say that I can only offer a mixed review. As I said, it's a fast-paced read and the story moves quickly. The pace really picks up at the end and makes it hard to put down.

Yet, the storyline is a bit disjointed (and I don't think it's because of the main character's memory problems). The present-day timeline, especially from the point of the view of the two detectives, is compelling and well written, but the plot itself doesn't stand up to introspection. Without giving away spoilers, I'll just say that for me the main character's thoughts and actions just required too much of a "suspension of disbelief" for me to just go with the premise that she could be in so many of the situations she was in, and the actions of many other characters just didn't make sense either. So while I didn't have a hard time reading this, and found it easy to finish, it was "just OK" for me.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was a fast-paced psychological thriller. It grasped my attention immediately and kept me turning pages late into the night. The story was masterfully told. Characters were completely engaging. I enjoyed the back and forth from past to present, as well as the telling of the tale from multiple perspectives. I look forward to additional books by Megan Goldin.

Liv wakes up in a cab and doesn't remember how so got there. So travels to her apartment to find out that someone else is living there now. Then she finds the strange messages on her hands and a bloody knife in her pocket. That's when Liv realized that something is wrong.
Stay Awake is a story about a women who loses her memory every time she falls asleep. When she wakes up, she thinks she is 2 years in the past. Liv also finds herself embroiled in a murder case as the prime suspect.
This is a good fast-paced thriller. Megan Goldin has written another great storyline with interesting twists and characters. I was quickly interested and was eager to solve the mystery of what was going on with Liv and if she was guilty of murder. If you are a fan of fast-paced murder mystery with a twist, this is a book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Imagine every time you wake up you have no recollection of where you are, how you got there, or any memory of the last two years. This is what is happening to our main character, Liv.
She was almost murdered two years ago, and since then wakes up with no memory.
Very thrilling novel that give me the chills thinking about that happening.
Must read for any thriller book fans.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for the arc of this creepy book. Loved it! It had me saying one two Freddy’s coming for you, as it reminded me of those spooky 80’s movies. #dontfallasleep # stay awake

An excellent, fast-paced amnesia thriller! There was action from page one and tons of suspense until the very end.

Premise: Every time Liv falls asleep, she wakes up with no recent memory, thinking it’s two years earlier than the current day. At the start of the book, we see her waking up in the back of a NYC taxi with the message “stay awake” on her hand. She reaches into her pocket to call for help but only finds a blood stained knife in her pocket. Meanwhile, two detectives are sent to a murder scene in Brooklyn and find a man stabbed to death with the message “Wake Up” written on the apartment window. Catching a glimpse of the local news, Liv has no idea if she is somehow connected to this murder case, where her best friend and boyfriend are, and who she can trust.

I love how the story flipped between the POVs of Liv and the two detectives solving the case along with Livs POV two years ago. These three perspectives left me wanting more as each chapter ended in suspense. The present day timeline also took place over the course of one day with each chapter noting the exact time. This made me feel part of the action. I also love how well Liv’s medical condition was discussed, making the plot seem more realistic.

I do think there were some questions left unanswered about possible suspects and the motive of the murderer. Still, I’m giving it 5 stars as it truly felt like a riveting, pit in my stomach, scary thriller.

This one does not release until August 2022, but I highly recommend you add it to your TBR list! It’s really the thriller I’ve been looking for !!

Loved her first book and was so excited to get a chance to read this. The first chapter drew me in and that was it, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going on! I felt so bad for Liv but damn what a great book! Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!

In the book Stay Awake, Liv Reese wakes up and does not remember anything that has happened in the last two years of her life. She finds a bloody knife and a message on her hand telling her to STAY AWAKE. Throughout the book, which is told from various perspectives, we find out that someone close to Liv has been murdered. We also start to uncover what happened during those two years, as well as what she did prior to those two years. Liv also starts to uncover memories and details, but every times she falls asleep, she forgets.

I had difficulty getting into the book at first, but once I read further in and figured out the direction of the story, I found the plot to be fast paced and interesting. There were several twists in the story, although I did deduce who the killer was before reaching the ending. I didn't feel that a good reasoning for an earlier crime was really explained and I felt that the ending a bit abrupt. However, this book did have me on my toes until almost the end.

I am a fan of Megan Goldin! Having read her previous book The Night Swim and having loved it, I was thrilled when St. Martin's Press accepted my request to read this advanced copy of Stay Awake.

Imagine waking up and having no idea where you are or any memory of how you got there? Imagine seeing words written all over your hands with messages like STAY AWAKE. Imagine finding a blood stained knife in your coat pocket and then seeing yourself on the news in connection with a murder. Intriguing for sure. What follows is a fast paced read that had me and the main character Liv looking for answers and using clues from the writing on her hands to try to find out exactly what is going on and what she doesn't remember!

Something doesn't add up though and Detective Darcy Halliday isn't as quick as her partner, Detective Lavelle to rule Liv as the main suspect and killer. She wants to dig a littler further and get more answers. With the introduction of Darcy Halliday, and having thoroughly enjoyed her character, I would love to see her in more books to come!

While a bit repetitive and a little predictable, Stay Awake remains a solid page turner and twisty suspense thriller that I really enjoyed. I cannot wait to see what Megan Goldin comes up with next. Fingers crossed for Detective Halliday to make an appearance!

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, greatly appreciated.

50 first dates but as a thriller? Uhm yea, sounds so promising. The author of the night swim (loved it) has this new book coming out in August and I snatched it up to read w some gals on here.

This book was so confusing in the beginning: so many characters, multiple POV, time jumping, memories, current happenings. At 36% I thought everything was clicking. I liked how the middle of the book built the story.

But then the last 25% lost me. The ending had me saying “no way” but because I was disappointed. There were so many moments for this book to twist and give us some wtf and it really failed me in the end. Straight up, the ending was way too neat and predictable. 🤔

It was a good thriller…maybe, but only because of the middle. The beginning was 😵‍💫 and the end was 😑.

Night swim still is my fav by this author.

Tysm @stmartinspress @netgalley for this read now ARC. 💖

Stay Awake was my first read from Megan Goldwin. I wouldn’t describe myself as a seasoned thriller reader but I honestly enjoyed this quite a bit. It kept me guessing. The plot was fast paced and really held my attention all throughout the book. The memory loss aspect felt super realistic. I was creeped out during the creepy scenes. My only complaint is that the book was kinda underwhelming. I still give the book 4 stars though, it was overall really good.
This review will be shared on my social media closer to the publication date.

Excellent book!

This is my first book by Megan Goldwin even though I have had several of her books pop up in my "recommended reading" suggestions, So I was very happy to have been given the opportunity to read this one via netgalley.

The book begins with Liv Reese who awakes inside a taxi with no memory of how she got there. The last thing she remembers is looking out her office window. She has a cryptic message written on her fingers saying to, "STAY AWAKE" She has no phone and has a bloody knife on her person. Desperately she tries to remember what happens but as it turns out she loses her memory every time she falls asleep and has to reset. Boom!

This is a amazing plot point and readers will immediately draw comparison to the movie "Memento" It's a worthy comparison but Goldwin does enough to make this book her own. She tries to find clues via friends and boyfriend she can remember and through her apartment and employment. She has clues written all over body. Soon she is the number one suspect in a murder investigation headed by Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle and what follows is a amazing and twisty almost one night read to the end.

PROS: 1. Megan Goldwin nailed the memory loss portion of the book. This had to be difficult to write. I find it almost the same as a time travel thriller in the sense that the author has to keep multiple time and plot points to always be in sync even when they aren't. I have read many books involving time travel that could have been amazing but the author went too hokey with the timelines and just destroyed the book. Obviously this is not a time travel book but I think the plotlines you keep with resetting every time she wakes up to 0 when the world keeps continuing on somewhat similar. Nevertheless, Goldwin hit a grand slam.

2. The pacing was perfect. You had two timelines..... Present and two years in the past which met together. It wasn't overly complicated enhanced the book not took away like some thrillers.

3. The creepy situations were great. Liz had no idea what was going on and who to trust. The dialogue between potential friends/foes was great. Actually the dialogue overall was great and well written.

CONS: Not much but the reason I couldn't leave a total five star was the ending....... And this is just my personal opinion but I felt it was anti climatic. I have to say that I hope nobody reads that to mean I don't recommend the book. I whole heartily recommend this book but I don't think she sticks the landing. I also think the main character Liv Reese needed a tad more depth. But again this has to be hard to create when you reset every time you wake up. I thought the main detective: Darcy Halliday had more depth then the main character and would definitely read another book with her.

In conclusion, a very well written and recommended book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc of this book. I have read other books by Ms. Goldin and this has been my favorite so far! I loved the amnesia plot and thought it was very well done. The timeline didn't start to make sense to me until pretty far into the book, but so many books have multiple timelines I have learned to just go with it. Liv was a great character even though some of what happened two years ago was so obvious to me I was surprised that she had no clue.
If you're looking for a fun read with a lot going on you l will love it!

Liv Reese wakes up and finds herself with no memory of the last two years of her life. Every time she falls asleep her memory of the previous day is gone. She feels like she's in danger and doesn't know what to do next or who she can trust. She has words she wrote to herself all over her hands and arms so she can remember what happened the day before. Liv feels like she is being followed and realizes someone must have been in her apartment. Someone she is close to is murdered and she is the prime suspect. I found the plot riveting and was fully immersed in the story because I was constantly asking myself what would I do in Liv's shoes. There wasn't a slow moment in this thriller. I would highly recommend this book and wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being my favorite read of 2022.

Thank you to NetGalley for an early copy for review. I thought this thriller was paced perfectly, which is unusual. The beginning sucks you in right away and it was never slow. The ending was not abrupt. It was quite the enjoyable read—I couldn’t put it down. I really wanted to know what happened. I really appreciated the short chapters. I’m not a big fan of police perspective but this worked for me. The different perspectives and time hopping was easy to follow. While the ending wasn’t overly shocking, it was believable based on how the story progressed. The characters were all somewhat likable. Overall 4.5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel "The Escape Room" by author Megan Goldin, and I LOVED her last novel, "The Night Swim." I was on a Zoom webinar with her once for that book and she was a lovely person. That's why I was thrilled to see she has a new novel coming out in 2022.

"Stay Awake" is the story of Liv Reese, an amnesiac, who wakes up in a strange apartment next to a dead man. She has no idea who he is, where she is, or even how it's suddenly cold outside when the last thing she remembers is a hot summer day. Paranoid phrases like "STAY AWAKE" are written all over her hands. Before long, she's the prime suspect in a murder investigation. When a man she doesn't know - but who knows all about her - tries to find her and offers to help, she has no idea whether he can be trusted. She returns to her apartment to find strangers living there; when she goes to her office, she doesn't recognize anyone and they tell her she doesn't work there.

Who can she trust, why does she have no memory of the past 2 years, and why do the police think she murdered multiple people? Goldin reveals all in a fast-paced story with interesting secondary characters. A rookie detective sharing the lead on her first homicide case is a fascinating one - she's a veteran who had a difficult time adjusting back to civilian life after leaving the military. Liv's boyfriend, best friend, a bartender also add to the compelling story.

I do have one nitpicky issue with the plot: a dead body doesn't bleed. If you can ignore that aspect, I highly recommend this novel for any fan of thrillers.

Imagine not being able to remember the past. It's not the first time an author sent us into this terrifying existence that may keep you awake -- if you're reading late at night.

It's about Liv Reese. Most will like her. She has a great job as a senior staff writer for a style magazine, a boyfriend she loves, a roommate she admires and a cat she adores in her NYC apartment. She's considerate and fun. Everything is fine until she starts to notice strange, creepy things happening in her surroundings. She calls the police and instead of helping, they are questioning her memory. Then it's no surprise when she gets attacked.

The book starts out with the detectives searching for clues of a murder two years later. At the same time, Liv is at Washington Square Park when she wakes up on a park bench without any recent past memory. It's 8:35 a.m. and she last remembers it to be spring. Subsequently, the book takes the reader back two years which leads up to the attack and Liv's move to London. She starts to forget things while in London. She returns to NYC and wakes up not knowing where she is. Then she notices a knife with blood wrapped around a white t-shirt and later sees lots of cash in her pockets. Something bad has happened.

The detectives are using every bit of information to track down possible suspects. She is on top of the list. Meanwhile, she has writing on her hands that help her along. She knows from her handwritten notes not to trust anyone including the police. She eventually ends up unannounced with Dr. Brenner, a neurologist who she's seen before. He explains to her that she has a rare form of amnesia which is connected trauma and the lack of sleep. Every time she wakes up, she can't remember her recent past. Her psychiatrist in London said, "Killing her monster, as it were, may be her way to assert control, to breathe the cycle and get her memory back."

Besides gaining knowledge of her memory issues, I learned more than I probably wanted to know about stalkers. I also didn't know much about performance art where the artist is part of the existence - which is tucked away in the story. The story keeps the reader guessing until the end where "tiny details make the difference." As a writer of successful thrillers, the author had to make this one on the mark: believable and interesting. Maybe some pieces were a little out there on the timeline but it's another page turner.

My thanks to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of August 9, 2022.

OMG! What a great read. Written so well, with no confusion when going back & forth in time. Not your average suspense/thriller novel. A must read for 2022.

I have read all of this author's books except for her debut, which I can't find a print copy of, and she's been a favorite since THE ESCAPE ROOM. I had no idea what I was in for with STAY AWAKE other than I was hooked immediately by the first paragraph of the blurb: 𝐋𝐢𝐯 𝐑𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐮𝐩 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐱𝐢 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐨 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐚 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬―𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩, 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐧, 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐢 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧: 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐊𝐄.

Memory is such a fragile, precious thing. Your mind can play tricks on you, it can hold buried memories, it can fall victim to false memories, but I have never seen a writer tackle this subject with such finesse. This thriller was so complex, so deftly plotted, that I was absolutely obsessed with finishing it. I had no idea what was going on...no theories, no guesses, nothing. It was a tense, wild ride all the way to the very last page.

This one doesn't release until the fall, and I am forever grateful to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me early access. Put August 9, 2022, on your calendar because you don't want to miss this one.

Liv wakes up in a cab with no recollection of how she got there so she heads to her apartment to find out she doesn’t live there and has no phone or credit cards and doesn’t remember anything. She sees writing on her arm that reads “stay awake”. She heads to all the places she remembers but nothing is familiar

We are then introduced to detective Halliday who found a body with a single knife wound and the words “stay awake” written in the victim’s blood on the window. The main suspect is Liv but something about it doesn’t add up. Halliday must piece together to find what really happened

Chapters go between Liv in the present and what happened 2 years ago (which starts to paint a good picture of why things in the present are happening). It also from detective Halliday's view and what's going on with the investigation.

The last part was so thrilling I had to stop to go to bed, but in the end just couldn’t put it I needed to finish it! It was a fantastic read and I cannot wait to share it with others!

Okay but whhhhyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?

(Too many spoilers to review here. It's on Goodreads.) But seriously, the only way I would have been more annoyed is if Detective Halliday were the killer (that is not a spoiler).