Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a gem of a book that will have lovers of suspense and thriller novels reeling with excitement. The reader follows protagonist Liv Reese as she tries to navigate life as someone who wakes up without a short-term memory every day. After experiencing a traumatizing event, Liv forgets everything that happened after that point. She forgets people she's met, the fact that she moved to London and then back to New York, and on top of it all, it seems as if there is someone out to get her, perhaps even kill her. She writes notes to herself on her arms, hoping to jog her memory every time she wakes up.

This book is absolutely fantastic. The book moves along quickly as the reader tries to figure out what happened to Liv and is only given snippets of her memory. Readers will not be disappointed at the twisted ending that is quite satisfying.

Thank you to Netgalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fun, quick read that kept me turning pages - perfect for a summer read. This wasn’t a huge hit for me - I caught on to the theme of the plot but found myself rolling my eyes at parts where I wasn’t supposed to be…bummer. Lots of twists that most will enjoy. Thanks to St Martin’s press for the advanced copy. I’m grateful.

Stay Awake is the nightmare version of Groundhog Day. Just imagine that every night when you fall asleep, you will wipe away every memory you have of the day. Liv Reese is living this nightmare.

When the story begins, readers aren’t privy to Liv’s background. A recent murder, the investigation and Liv’s attempt to regain her memories will converge at a pivotal point in the story.

Liv had a great job, a good friend and roommate and a boyfriend she was in love with. Then things happened to make her believe she was being stalked. She thought someone had been in her home. The police didn’t believe her.

Then one day a horrific event happens and Liv’s life turns into a nightmare. She experiences a deep betrayal, an act of unspeakable violence and a life-threatening injury, only to wake up and not remember any of it.

This story had me on edge the entire time and it was not easy to guess the pieces to the puzzle. I found this to be a very satisfying mystery/thriller and highly recommend to other readers.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to give my honest review.

Entertaining fast-paced thriller. Every time Liv Reese goes to sleep, she forgets everything about her life. Now she's wanted for murder, and she has no idea what's going on. I liked the character of Liv, and the amnesia/fugue states were very interesting. I really don't want to say too much, because I don't want to ruin this book for others. It's a fun read. I really enjoyed it.

"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.

Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Stay Awake is a mind twisting novel about a girl who can't remember what she does when she sleeps.
I am not a fan of the amnesia trope usually, but i think this was done really well. I enjoyed the book and It was very captivating. I found myself constantly flipping pages and trying to guess what was going to happen next. Megan Goldin has a way of writing dark and twisted books that make you cringe, but also you can't look away from it. I recommend.

Stay Awake is one of the best thrillers that I've read this year. The plot was fresh and executed well. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and never figured out who the culprit was. Waking up each day and having lost 2 years of time would be scary enough but waking up each day like that and also realizing that you're a suspect in a murder would be absolutely terrifying. Obviously, with this plot things have to be repeated as the MC is relearning things every day but it didn't feel boring but added to the anxiety I felt for Liz. This is my second Goldin book and I will definitely be a lifelong fan. Now, I need to read the 3rd book of hers that's been on my shelf for awhile.

Well, isn’t this ironic?

STAY AWAKE kept me company the first few nights I brought my newborn son home. Like the protagonist Liv Reese, he too has a propensity to stay awake.

In Goldin’s latest release, Liv suffers from sudden memory loss/possible psychotic episodes where she forgets the last two years of her life due to a lack of sleep. Yikes—this sleep deprived mama is paying attention. Liv is on the run for a crime she cannot remember if she committed and is determined to stay awake to avoid further amnesia.

I’m drawn to stories that play with memory and I appreciated the premise here. Although the book started off strong, it became redundant as Liv continues to wake up and rediscover her memory loss multiple times throughout the book.

Overall, this was a decently entertaining read albeit a bit repetitive. I much prefer the author’s previous book, THE NIGHT SWIM and would recommend adding that to your end of summer TBR.

RATING: 3/5
PUB DATE: August 9, 2022

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Review will be posted to www.instagram.com/kellyhook.readsbooks in advance of publication date

I will leave a review on Amazon and B&N on Aug. 9th

Wow what a wild ride this book will take you on. I loved all the twists and turns involved in the telling of this storyline. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres to read, and this one certainly didn't disappoint. I most certainly would recommend it to everyone.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, and this is my fair and honest review.

I spent most of this book trying to figure out what in THE world was going on. And I loved that. 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 claims to live in her apartment. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing. In its place is a bloodstained knife. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE. She can’t remember anything from the last two years. She can’t remember anything from yesterday.

For the most part, I was completely engaged in this thriller since it was so twisty and I legitimately had no clue what was going on. The longer Liv ran from the crime she didn’t remember committing, the more bored I got. It seemed to be a bit repetitive. The ending was good, but I didn’t feel like the reveal was anything special. Then again, I haven’t been overly impressed with thrillers lately 😂

Amazing, entertaining, and atmospheric thriller! This book is a fast paced, anxiety inducing, sinister nightmare and you won’t know who to trust until the very end! I did not even read the blurb before reading this, I trust Megan Goldin to bring a high quality, engrossing story every time.

Thank you Netgalley, St Martins Press and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase August 9, 2022

This book took me on a ride I will never forget. Plot twists and changes from left to right. I didn't know what was going to happen from one moment to the next.

That was a ride! In all honesty, it was a 5 star book for me until the end. It was so much build up and unlike anything I've ever read before. I was questioning everything and trying to piece together any scraps on my own. I was so incredibly into it that when the big reveal happened.... I was underwhelmed.

It might be easy to say it's my own fault and that I expected too much, but I think I (and Liv) deserved more than that. Argh! I'm so frustrated because it was so freaking good and it just didn't stick the landing. I mean, I'm still giving it 4 stars because I was THAT into it and I think that's a great rating.

I feel like anything I could write about this book could be a spoiler so I just won't. Just read the blurb and settle in for a psychological thriller where the girl who's a suspect loses her memory every time she wakes up. It's a good time.

I FIRMLY believe nothing is more scary than lack of sleep...or maybe nothing is more scary than ME when lack of sleep is involved.

EITHER WAY....Stay Awake by Megan Goldin totally kicked my thriller slump. I definitely can say that Stay Awake is one of the more gripping thrillers i've read this year.

The premise is a fantastic twist on the unreliable narrator trope. Our main character Liv...wakes up in a taxi and has no idea...where she is...where she is going and where her memories of the last two years have gone. She's exhausted, has a murder weapon covered in blood and A LOT of questions.

What was great about this book is that I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I literally had to "stay awake" because I had to figure out what was going to happen next. It was a bit creepy, completely unpredictable and had those fun moments in thrillers that creep you out, and keeping you reading....the stakes were high and with a killer on the loose, you never knew what what would happen next.

I will say that the ending had a few little plot holes or things that I wish would have gotten some more closure and explanation but overall the experience I had was so fun that that outweighed the things that I found I missed.

Thank you to Minotaur and St. Martins Press for my arc. I can't wait to visit Megan's backlist.

I picked up this book purely based on the author, I didn't know anything about it when I went in. It begins with a woman waking up in a taxi, completely confused as to how she got there. The last thing Liv remembers was sitting in her office, answering a phone call. As you read, it becomes obvious that she is missing a very significant amount of time (turns out to be over two years that she can't remember). In addition, it appears she was potentially involved in a murder the night before. And to top it all off, it turns out every time Liv wakes up, her last memory is answering the phone at the office.

The mystery/thriller is told in a dual narrative from Liv's perspective, as well as the investigators trying to solve the murder the night before.

Definitely a page turner as the mystery unfolds. I would have given this five stars, but towards the end of the book it did feel very repetitive every time Liv woke up. It was essential to the story when she would "reset" but you can only write a person waking up in confusion so many ways.

Overall, this is a great thriller and I do recommend picking it up to read or listen to.

Stay Awake is exactly what I thought it would be - a classic who done it that would keep me guessing - and it didn’t disappoint.

Liv had it all, a great apartment in New York, a promising career as a writer for a trendy culture magazine and a boyfriend she loved. But after a trauma, she wakes up to find she doesn’t remember anything from the past two years and if she falls asleep she doesn’t remember anything from the day. That’s right, all memories erase every time she goes to sleep. This leaves Liv in a very vulnerable position. Who can she trust and what if she trusts the wrong person?
I really enjoyed this book. It did seem a bit redundant in places but I think this was a decision the author made to show the repetition in Liv’s mind and decisions. I also wish the ending had a bit more explanation especially about the motivation behind the crimes. I want to thank NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy and give my honest review.

A FANTASTIC thriller you can’t miss!!! 🖤 It’s based on NYC gal Liv Reese who woke up with no memory after a severe injury. Two detectives are searching for her as a suspect in their murder investigation.. that of her roommate and boyfriend, now dead from foul-play. Told in alternating perspectives and timelines.. this is one endless, terror-filled nightmare that kept me on the edge of seat!!! I read it from beginning to end in one shot. Yes, it’s that good!!! Recommend!
5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub. 8/9/22

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was really good, I was hooked from the start. The premise sounded very interesting and it did not disappoint. Even though the story jumped from first person POV to third person, I found it perfect for the context of the story. However, I do think some things could've been explained better.

SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

For example, we never found out why Brett was stalking Liv before the murders, was he just doing it to rattle her and be able to pin the whole thing on her or what? This left me a little unsatisfied after I finished but not too much that it ruined the book. Anyways, this was a great book! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC

This one sucked me in almost from the jump. I HAD to finish it as soon as possible (& with small children, that is no small task these days)! The storyline was very intriguing and the different perspectives was a great way to tell it.

I was unable to finish Megan Goldin's "Night Swim", so I was almost tempted to not even give this book a chance, but I am so so glad that I did!! Thank you Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC e-book. I absolutely recommend this book!

I received an ARC of this book. Wow! Another fantastic book from this author. This story grabs you from the start. It's has so many twists and incredible suspense. I loved it!

4.5 stars

I love a well-crafted thriller with an amnesia plot, and this hit the mark! It's a twisty, multiple timeline read that will keep the reader guessing along with Liv, trying to decipher the messages she's written on her hands, sticky notes, etc. Trust no one and suspect everyone! I hated to put this one down! This is the first book I've read from Goldin, but I doubt it'll be my last!