I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley. I alternated between both formats as I was reading this book. As always all opinions are my own.

This follows two perspectives, main character Liv Reese and the other of Detective Darcy Halliday. Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea how she got there. She has lost her purse and phone, and there are strangers living in her apartment. She is completely disoriented and there is writing all over her hands indicating that she should "stay awake". Detective Halliday is first on the scene of a murder that unbeknownst to her is somehow tied to Liv. In the audiobook each perspective is portrayed by a different narrator, which I enjoyed. You can tell when the chapters switch from Liv to Halliday. Both narrators did a great job with their characters/chapters.

It has been a long time since I've read a thriller that had me so engaged. This started out slow for me, but once it got going I had a hard time putting it down. I also did not see the twist coming. That is so rare. Who I thought was the bad guy, and who it really was were not even close. The author does a really good job leaving several red herrings to mislead the reader.

I will say at first I found it hard to empathize with Liv, when she finds out she has lost 2 years of her memory and she keeps insisting that people should be in a certain place or that things should be a certain way. It was a bit repetitive, then I realized as the book went on that if I were in her shoes and couldn't remember anything and nothing in my life was the same, I'd probably be in a bit of a panicked state myself. As we get to know Liv and what happened in the two years prior leading up to the present day, I slowly started to connect with her as she and the detectives slowly start to put the pieces together of what really happened. I really liked Halliday. She is no nonsense, willing to speak up when she has something to say, and willing to challenge the seasoned detectives to make sure they get the case correct. I also felt like the author did a good job with her research into the life of a female veteran and detective.

This does have a funky timeline that alternates between the present and the past. I'm not usually a fan of disjointed timelines, but this is an example of a book that does it right. This was done so well to put all the pieces together of Liv's missing memory and the events leading up to the murder. The author gives you just enough without giving away too much until the final reveal.

If you are looking for a good thriller, I highly recommend this one!

Every time you wake up you don’t remember anything from the recent past, including where you are and how you got there. This is the nightmare that makes up Liv’s life.

This story is told over a day but has flashbacks to 2 years ago, the last time Liv remembers anything. The author artfully uses the flashbacks to develop the story and gives the reader little tidbits about Liv’s past. I loved the premise of the book and the constant guessing. I like books that I don’t know the ending until the end and this is one of those books. I highly recommend it!

What a ride! Looking for a thriller that will make you want to "stay awake" to read it...pick this up and make sure you have some coffee near you!

Liv Reese is having some memory issues. Actually, that's an understatement. She has basically lost 2 years of her life. Liv wakes up in a taxi, having no recollection of how she got there. This begins a string of events that makes Liv realize she not only has no memory of the last 2 years of her life, but that she's on the run for a crime she doesn't know if she committed. But are the detectives the only ones she should be hiding from?

As far fetched as this book is, I could not put it down. The writing is so well paced and thought out that you start to feel just as exhausted and crazed as Liv does. I wanted to scrawl STAY AWAKE on my hand so I would keep reading.

I highly recommend if you are looking for a thriller that will keep you turning the pages to the end.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is a tense thriller that will have you racing through the pages because you will be so engrossed in the mystery that you will you have to finish it as quickly as possible!

Liv Reese has lost two years of her life. She wakes up in the back of a taxi that deposits her to her "home", or what she thought was her home, only someone else lives there now. She has strange things on her hand that are written in pen which state "stay awake". She then finds a bloody knife in her pocket with absolutely no recollection of how it got there. She then hears that a man's body has been found and he died from being stabbed. This book gives new meaning to the genre known as "psychological thriller" because this one will also mess with your mind as the reader. I have to confess that I never saw the exact ending coming. I had some suspicions, but the real culprit shocked me! Can you say paranoia times ten? Wow! I need a break now! I need to watch cartoons to flush my mind! Readers who love psychological thrillers will inhale this book!

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a psychological thriller as Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no clue how she got there or where she was. When she is dropped off at her New York City brownstone, a stranger answers and informs her she no longer lives there. As she leaves, she realizes she doesn’t have her phone and her hands are covered in black ink. Messages scribbled like graffiti telling her to STAY AWAKE. Her last memory is from two years ago when she was living with her best friend, Dr. Amy Decker, dating a new man, Marco, and has a thriving career as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now she’s lost, disoriented and unsure where to turn and who to trust. At the same time, police detectives are investigating the brutal murder of an unknown man and their lone clue is the fuzzy security camera image of a woman leaving the building. Is Liv connected to the murder? Is there someone who is trying to make sure she doesn't remember anything?
After reading Ms. Goldin’s The Night Swim (2020), I was excited at the chance to read Stay Awake. Right away, Stay Awake reminded me of Christopher Nolan’s cult classic movie, Memento (2000) and the memory loss of 50 First Dates (2004). Told between the present and the events from two years ago, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of twists and turns. It was a fast paced story as Liv is an unreliable narrator as she can’t remember anything from the last two years and she is afraid to fall asleep. I enjoyed Detective Darcy Halliday who wasn't ready to make snap judgments. She knows there’s something about the evidence that doesn’t make sense. Stay Awake wasn’t as thought provoking as The Night Swim but it was as attention gripping. About two-thirds into the story, I had a feeling about who the killer was and even though I had a clue, the reveal was thrilling. Overall, I enjoyed Stay Awake and look forward to future books by Megan Goldin. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, I recommend Stay Awake.

Stay Awake is available August 9, 2022 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Stay Awake is said to be one of the most complex thrillers hitting shelves in 2022 that will keep you up all night reading. The storyline was very interesting, as Liv wakes up in a cab at 2 AM with no recollection of how she got there. Liv is dropped off at what she believes is her apartment complex, only to not have access and be greeted by a couple who is not thrilled for her visit. With no phone, but a bloodstained knife, Liv is questioning what happened…not only that night, but for the last 2 years that she has somehow lost.

The book has alternating timelines, jumping from a span of 24ish hours to 2 years prior. I did get a little confused sometimes on who’s POV we were hearing from when new chapters started, but realized quickly once it got going whether it was Liv or the detectives. As a Mystery/Thriller, I will say some of the twists I was able to call early on, but there were definitely others I would not have guessed.

The book ending was pretty dang good, although I do wish we got a little more background on WHY. With giving no spoilers away, I think the wrap up could have been better if that question was answered…I was also fairly surprised that for a thriller, which I normally cannot put down, it took me a little longer to get through.

4 ⭐️’s

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Goldin and St. Martins Press for allowing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This is one of the rare books that I was desperate to plow through but also never wanted to end! I loved every single page! It’s unique and fascinating! I loved the first person perspective and the nonlinear timeline as it jumped back and forth sometimes present day, sometimes a day or week ago, and sometimes years ago. It all came together at the ending in the most perfect way! This is a book I’ll be recommending forEVER!

Megan Goldin hits it out of the park once again with this thrilling book! I have been a fan of Ms. Goldin since the beginning........and this is an example of what keeps me coming back!! From the very first page the reader knows something just isn't right....and by the end of the first chapter the mystery will draw you in. Liv Reese is a very likeable character with a major problem....she doesn't remember things. Such as.....is she a killer? The dual-timeline of present time (by day/hour/minute) and her story from two years ago keeps the reader guessing at what's to come. Its the in-between that fills up the story and keeps the pages turning until the timelines crash together! What happened two years ago? What is happening now? Liv is in danger and her boyfriend Mario and best friend Amy can't be reached to fill her in...and what is all this writing all over her arms and hands?? Detectives Halliday and Lavelle are searching for a murderer - a woman who fits her description. But young Detective Halliday has her concerns over whether or not Liv is really a killer. This is a book that is worth reading and you'll be glad you did! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #StayAwake #NetGalley.

This was my first novel by Megan Goldin and I really enjoyed it! If you’re looking for a fact paced thriller, this is it! The book was hard to put down because I just wanted to know how the story would unfold.

Very unpopular opinion, but this book just annoyed me. I found the main character to be annoying and whiny. I found the story to be aggravatingly repetitive. I tried so hard to find something about this book to love, but I just couldn't. Literally, I kept reading in hopes that it became great with some plot twist, but it never happened for me. The story switches back and forth between present day and 2 years earlier. But at times, the storyline did not connect smoothly, in my opinion.

Present day: Liv wakes up in a cab, with no idea where she is or why. After a stranger opens the door to her home, she notices a bloodstained knife in place of her phone and notes on her hands, with messages like STAY AWAKE. Two years earlier, Liv lived with her best friend, was a successful writer and had a wonderful man in her life. Now, she is lost in NYC and remembers nothing. When she sees the news about a murder with a message written on a window, the same message she finds on her hands, she struggles to remember what happened over the past two years and finds herself on the run from a crime she doesn’t remember committing.

The premise of Stay Awake is that Liv, a couture magazine executive wakens to no idea where she is with the words "Stay Awake" written all over her arms. Her apartment is occupied by someone else. She's been replaced at her job and news headlines are reporting that someone she knew is dead.

I would've preferred if this book had been written as a novelette. Somewhere between 150-200 pages. It initially kept me intrigued with the fear of the unknown. Eventually I simply became frustrated, annoyed and impatient with not understanding anything. I found that the author would write really captivating chapters with a mini cliff hanger at the end. When we returned to that specific character though the cliffhanger was never address. It was simply a different time period for the character or they had moved on to another location. The continued "unknowing" or who Live was in her prior life and how she related to other characters for upwards of 200 pages got redundant and boring.

At 70% into the book it was so blatantly obvious who the killer was. When I read a thriller I want to be surprised. Instead I kept turning the pages out of obligation to make sure I was correct. (I was).

The writing pacing, format and dialogue were excellent but this just wasn't for me.

A cracking good thriller! Liv's life went totally off the rails two years ago when she was attacked. She lost her memory and all she knows for sure is that she must stay awake- or so the writing on her hands tells her. Then a man is murdered and she becomes the prime suspect but did she do it? This moves back and forth in time to tell Liv's story. She worked for a magazine, lived with Amy, and dated Marco (and a cat) but things started to go wonky- someone was stalking her. Maybe. Now, in the present, she's in NY and she can't figure out why everyone is different at the magazine and she can't find Amy or Marco. The detectives on the murder case unravel Liv's life, including the time she spent in London add she was attacked. This one has twists at every turn, right up until the end. She's a great character and Golden does a good job of building sympathy for a clearly unreliable narrator. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. No spoilers from me for this page turner.

Megan Goldin has hit this psychological thriller out of the ballpark!! Stay Awake is her her latest and it’s a good one!! This is a heart throbbing engrossing thriller that will have you reading way into the night without putting it down! Fast paced and well written this is such a fascinating story. Told in both dual point of views and timelines, you will be totally enthralled in this one! The characters are real and well developed and very relatable. It is filled with action, right up to the very surprising ending! Do your self a favor and “stay awake” and read this one…..you will not be disappointed!!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin Press and Megan Goldin for an advanced copy of this riveting thriller in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #stayawake #stmartinspress
#megingoldin. #stmartinspressinfluencer

this book is perfect for fans of the unreliable narrator trope in thrillers/mysteries.

i mean … cmon our protagonist wakes up not remembering anything, and plot twist, she maybe killed someone??? just some crazy stuff in here.

i personally loved how fast paced this book was. i was afraid since i started reading this during a slump, that i may get bored, but the short chapters & fast pacing really kept me engaged. we start off with liv waking up and not remembering anything, and we go on from there.

some may complain this book is a little repetitive, but if you think about the fact 1/3 povs is from the character who forgets everything when she sleeps, it makes total sense.

for the most part, i enjoyed this book. the characters were well fleshed out and the mystery was addicting, though for me a little predictable. my 4 rating star is mostly because of the ending. to me it landed a tad bit on the anti-climatic side and ended very quickly. i was hoping for more closure for liv. her story is probably the saddest thing out of this book & you’ll go into this being very wary of everyone, but especially liv’s character, but you’ll also end up feeling for her a lot towards the end.

& with our two favorite detectives, i could definitely see them working together on other cases if the author decided to do a connected series or explore the aftermath of this plot line more.

like i stated above, this book is perfect for those who enjoyed the girl on the train by paula hawkins or before i go to sleep by s.j. watson, as they both are thrillers dealing with unreliable narrators &/or amnesia plots.

4/5 stars.
☆☆☆☆/☆☆☆☆☆

thank you netgalley & st martins press for granting me access to this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a good one. I have never read any of Megan Goldin novels but I will pick it up. I don't usually like to read books with a detective POV but I still enjoyed it. It sometimes puzzling but it had a good plot twist. 3 Stars. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Well, I must say I’m not entirely sure what happened here but I’ll do my best to put it into words.

‘Stay Awake‘ was one of my most anticipated books of the year. Let’s face it, with a blurb like that who wouldn’t be excited? On top of that, I absolutely loved Goldin’s previous book and so I expected a lot of insanely good things. Unfortunately for me, ‘Stay Awake‘ failed to convince me.

The story is told via two characters. One is Liv Reese. Whenever Liv falls asleep, she wakes up with no memory whatsoever of the last two years. This time, she wakes up in the back of a taxi with a bloody knife in her pocket and the words “Stay Awake!” written on her hands. The other point-of-view is offered by Detective Halliday. She and her partner are investigating the murder of an unknown man, who was found stabbed in an apartment. Unsurprisingly, these two events are connected but how?

What was definitely surprising, however, was how hard I struggled to get into this story. For the first half of the book, I contemplated giving up multiple times. It often felt rather repetitive and as if nothing much was happening, particularly in Liv’s chapters, set both in the past and the present. Liv’s storyline required a ton of suspension of belief I really wasn’t prepared for. She made mistakes that made me roll my eyes and if it had been mentioned one more time that she was sleep deprived, I would have screamed.

I couldn’t find anything to sink my teeth into. The pace was too slow, the tension too low, nothing about it was compelling or gripping, and I honestly started to wonder if this was the same author as the one from ‘The Night Swim’. Sheer determination, and because it’s Megan Goldin, made me stick it out and halfway through the story things started to pick up a little bit. But I think for me, it was already too late and I had lost most, if not all, interest. Sure, a part of me still wanted to know what happened but even the reveal left me rather cold and I found it all rather unconvincing. It’s a shame because the plot had some serious potential.

Looking at other reviews, I’m very much in the minority. Maybe my expectations were just too high. But nothing I said here will stop me from reading one of Goldin’s books again in the future and I’m excited to find out what she comes up with next. This one just wasn’t for me, I’m sorry to say.

BAM! Be prepared to carve out a couple hours when you start this book, you won't want to put it down. The story is extremely fast paced & it kept me turning page after page. I couldn't put it down. The characters are intriguing. There are a lot of pieces to the puzzle & it takes a while to get the whole picture. The mystery kept me guessing about what would happen next. I absolutely loved every moment. I received an advance copy from NetGalley & am voluntarily leaving a review.

Intriguing thriller which also had me double checking the locks, 😂. This was not the standard plot for a thriller, but you knew this is a book you just had to finish to find out how it all worked out and together. 4 stars for this fun ride of a book.

This was my first Megan Goldin book but after hearing the reception for The Night Swim, I went in with high hopes. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me a bit.

I was thrown off from the beginning when Liv started making choices that seemed so unreasonable, even given her confused state. Her emotions didn't seem to line up with the situation. Upon finding out that there are people living in her apartment (and have been for some time), her next step is to get a haircut and go to work? I was questioning her decisions from the beginning and unfortunately it wasn't clear if the author intended for us to feel this way or if Goldin thought it was reasonable. Part of the issue for me here also was that, although the portion of the story was in first person, I don't feel like we got enough of her inner dialogue. I felt very disconnected from Liv throughout the course of the book.

Another aspect that irked me was just how much I had to suspend my disbelief. First, the "current day" portion of this story literally takes place over one day. The sheer amount of evidence gathering, questioning, and discovery that happens for the police and their investigation is wholly unrealistic. Also, the fact that Liv has this incredibly rare medical issue but was somehow able to make her way back to the US with no problem is bizarre. For some, suspension of disbelief is not a problem, and it usually isn't a problem for me either. However, compounded with my other issues with this story, it was just too much.

Lastly, and likely a minor annoyance rather than real critique, was that it was obvious whoever wrote this book was likely not from the US/NYC and hadn't spent a significant amount of time there.. There was language used ("hessian bag" rather than "burlap sack", for instance) and situations described that just made it clear. I was wondering while reading this why they decided to write about an American woman living in NYC. It can draw you out of the story when you have to stop and say... that's not what that character would say or do, reasonably.

Even though I had a lot to say about the things that didn't work for me in this book, I will say that I enjoyed my reading experience overall. I was interested to read the explanations about what was going on, I was invested in the detectives stories, I felt real sadness when I learned about Ted and his connection to Liv. If there is another story by this author in the future with an interesting synopsis, I would consider reading from them again. I just wish this one would have worked for me a little more.

Bookstagram review to come 8/8.

After waking disoriented in a city cab, with disturbing messages inked on her hands and arms, Liv Reese asks the driver to drop her at her brownstone. Once there, Liv realizes she doesn't have her keys. What a night. She's going to have to wake her roommate, Amy, to let her in. It's not ideal, but can't be helped. Liv is exhausted. She just wants to sleep off the rest of whatever this is.

Making matters even more confusing, she doesn't recognize the couple who come to the door of her apartment. Could they possibly be guests of Amy's?

The woman, in particular, is especially curt and hostile towards Liv. She claims they live there, have for quite some time and have no idea who Liv is, or where Amy could be. Ejected from the place she considers home, Liv doesn't know where to turn. Then she finds the bloody knife. Every move Liv makes only seems to lead to more questions.

The next day, she heads to work. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at her desk. Maybe she can find some answers there. In the office, things are just as confusing. It looks different and she doesn't recognize anyone, but somehow they seem to know her.

Stumbling around the city, trying to piece together how she ended up in this state, Liv catches a news report that shows a murder scene with the same message written on a window as is written on her hands. She pieces together that the last memories she has are from two years ago. What has she been doing all this time, and more importantly, what did she do last night? Is Liv capable of murder?

Through past and present perspectives, the Reader is clued in to the truths surrounding Liv's memory issues and murky past. The question is, will Liv be able to piece it all together before it's too late?

She's on the run, but she doesn't even realize from what. I'll admit, her story had me panicking at times. It's uncomfortable, but in the best ways.

Stay Awake was one of my absolute most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint for a second. I enjoy Goldin's work so much and this is certainly no exception. This was an insanely-intense, jaw-dropping, mortifyingly-wild ride. Goldin took me on a freaking journey with this main character. Oh my goodness.

In my opinion, this is a perfect Summer Thriller. Megan Goldin delivers again!!!

I was so confused towards the beginning on this story. It really played on my own anxieties, but in a way that was enjoyable. I couldn't help but try to put myself in the shoes of Liv and wonder how I would handle these circumstances. It's hard to even imagine!

This definitely had me at the edge of my seat and I loved how it all played out. We also get the perspective of the police investigation to the initial murder. The way the two eventually blended together was so well done. Goldin nailed it.

An extra-special thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I did listen to the audiobook and it was fantastic, including narration from one of my all-time favorite narrators, Imogen Church. I highly recommend that format for soaking in this highly engaging Thriller.