Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Aug 9, 2022
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi, with no recollection of how she got there. When she shows up at her house, strangers are living there and Liv quickly realizes that two years have passed. She is unable to reach her friends or her boyfriend, and she has no idea where she lives or how to get there. Then of course, there’s the bloody knife she found in her purse and the messages scrawled on her hands that tell her to “stay awake” and “trust no one”. When she sees a news report of a murder, where the victim was stabbed and “wake up!” written on the windows in his own blood, Liv is labeled as a murder suspect and the police are on the hunt. But Liv couldn’t possibly have killed a man—could she?
Megan Goldin delivers a suspenseful thrill ride in “Stay Awake”. “The Flight Attendant” mixed with “Memento” with a splash of “Fifty First Dates”, Goldin’s new thriller is desperately addicting.
Liv narrates the story from different time periods; one being present day, while the police are searching for her, and the other starts two years ago (when the memory lapse started) and works forward. Readers feel the utter terror Liv feels every time she wakes up in a completely unidentifiable place, and it’s enough to raise goosebumps. We also hear from the police officers investigating Liv, of course, as they close in on her, which fills in some of the gaps in the timeline for the reader that Liv can’t remember.
“Stay Awake” flows well, and Liv is a character anyone would root for. As a long-time reader of this genre, I was able to guess the real culprit pretty quickly, but I still enjoyed all the twists and turns that Goldin’s plot took me on. Although Goldin’s other novels (like “Escape Room” and “Night Swim”) have been on my radar for some time, I just haven’t found the time to read them. After reading this novel, though, I cannot wait to explore Goldin’s other works.

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Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. Complete strangers seem to know her, she has strange writing on her hands & a two year memory gap. On the news she sees that a murder has taken place and on the window where it happened is a message written in blood, "Stay Awake." The same message Liv has scrawled on her hands ...

Here's some of what you have to look forward to in this novel:
Dual perspectives & multiple timelines
Unreliable narrator
Part police procedural
Air of distrust
Action-packed climax
Learning in tandem with the MC

This was an enjoyable psychological thriller but for some reason it didn't grip me as tightly as I thought it would.

I will say that I didn't guess the culprit and I'm shocked I didn't because after finishing the novel it seemed a lot more obvious (Doesn't it always?) Goldin did a good job with those red herrings.

Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for this ARC!
Pub Date: August 9th 2022

I give Stay Awake by Megan Goldin 3.75 stars ⭐⭐⭐✨ (rounded up to 4 stars for NetGalley)

This was a wild ride! I have read all of Goldin's work and loved the Night Swim. I feel like Goldin has a way of getting her hooks deep within you early on that drives you to finish books quickly. I had a hunch who the bad guy was but the plot and misdirections kept me guessing! The pacing is amazing and story was so fresh and creepy.

Stay Awake is a suspenseful and intriguing psychological thriller with multiple timelines and POVs. The plot is unrealistic but it really drew me in. I loved the strong female characters. Overall, I though the book was an action packed page turner that hooked me in right from the start. I loved that I felt like I was part of the book trying to figure out everything alongside the characters. Even though it was filled with red herrings I did find the final reveal somewhat predictable. The only complaints I have is that there was some repetitiveness and a few minor plot holes. I enjoyed this book and it’s unique plot line and would recommend it to anyone who loves thrillers.

My Thoughts

What character Liv Reese experiences in this story is terrifying to me.

Cannot begin to imagine what I myself would do if lost 2 years of my memories to amnesia and then on top of that had to somehow keep one step ahead of a murderer while also staying out of reach of law enforcement as well.

As Liv reconstructs her past her future remains uncertain except for one very real thing, she must Stay Awake.

For me it was a very intense read that I enjoyed following along with as Liv solved the mystery one day at a time.

This is a one day read that built its story plot beautifully from beginning to end for me.

[EArc from Netgalley]

On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

3.5 stars - This is the third book I've read by Megan Goldin and unfortunately, it's my least favorite. I knew the main character, Liv Reese, had amnesia and couldn't remember what happened for the last two years, and that sounded intriguing. However, I didn't realize that every time she went to sleep and woke up, she would also forget everything that happened the prior day. To me this is an overdone plot and not one I enjoy. I felt sorry for Liv and there are some very suspenseful moments, but overall I didn't find the story to be engaging. Others may enjoy it more than I did, but for the most part, it just wasn't for me.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of St. Martin's Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

4.5 ⭐️, rounded down.

I enjoyed <I>Stay Awake</I> a lot, though it was tough for me to get through. I think this was more due to my mental state than the book itself as it was action packed and kept the adrenaline pumping for the most part.

We find out Liv’s memories/story through the present, through a series of flashbacks to two years prior, and also in part through a perspective from a female detective. The story is riveting, though the paranoid and unreliable narrator storyline is a bit played out at this point.

I love thrillers and I love when there are multiple directions that they could go in. This was no exception to that. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

If you loved <I>The Night Swim</I> as much as I did then definitely pick this one up!

What would you do if every time you fell asleep you woke up not remembering any of the recent past? This is the conundrum facing Liv Reese. She's navigating a New York City that she no longer knows, and dealing with strange people she doesn't remember, even though they remember her. This book is part murder investigation and part trying to figure out what happened in Liv's past to make her lose her memory. I was hooked from the beginning and found myself turning page after page to try to figure out what happened. I loved that this book was told from both Liv's perspective and the detectives, Halliday and Lavelle, because it made it more intriguing seeing the investigation play out while Liv was also working to figure things out. I had no idea who would end up being responsible for the murder up until the end, and seeing how it played out it made so much sense. I had a lot of theories and none of them were right 🤷‍♀️🤣. Overall, a great book that I'd definitely recommend!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. It publishes August 9, 2022!

I could not put this book down! I was hooked from the first chapter! This was a fast-paced thriller that kept me wanting more. I do like a POV change, and the ones that happened in this book were great. The writing was unique and I really enjoyed the story unravelling backwards. I have not read any other books by Megan Goldin, but will definitely be reading some in the near future! Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a digital arc of this title.

This fast-paced thriller had me going until the very end. While the unreliable narrator wasn't my favorite character I really enjoyed the pace of this book and that it kept me guessing.

*Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You see you have written things like, stay awake, don’t trust anyone and don’t talk to the police, on your hands and arms and have no idea why. That's Liz's reality, She wakes up to confusion and has to start all over again, trying to figure out where the people she knew have gone, Her apartment belongs to a couple she doesn't know, her former co-workers think she's been in London. Her best friend, and boy friend will not answer her calls. We get to find out what happen along side Liv. Stay Awake is packed with tension, suspense, and drama. The way the novel unfolds makes it unputdownable. If you figure out the ending, you’re a super hero, cause I sure didn’t. This is the second book I’ve read by this author, and will wait with not so patiently for her next book.

#netgalley

This is one of those thrillers that I have been looking for, FOR SO LONG! One where I couldn't stop turning the pages, had to read more and know more, edge of my seat dying for answers and constantly theorizing as to whodunnit and what was going on.

So now why 4 stars? Well, the reveal. It was honestly a bit of a let down for me - but the first 90% was so awesome that I still highly recommend this book!

Thank you to St. Martins for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Stay Awake is one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time (and I read a lot of them)!

Stay Awake is a riveting thriller about a woman who suffers from a rare form of amnesia. Every time she goes to sleep she wakes up with no memory of what happened before she went to sleep with her mind reset to two years prior. When we first meet her, she’s just woken up in a cab with a bloody knife. She finds herself on the run, unsure of who she is and who to trust.

The story is split between 3 timelines: Liv in the present, Liv 2 years ago, and Detective Halliday, a detective investigating a murder. Lately I’ve gotten tired of the dual timeline trope but Goldin makes it work here because it helps the reader understand what it must be like to be Liv only having fragments of information and memories and trying to piece them altogether. You really feel her disorientation and confusion.

Stay Awake is packed with suspension, tension, and plenty of drama with two strong female characters you’ll be rooting for and is a must read for thriller fans.

Megan Goldin’s writing is just masterful. She really seems to know just the right ways to pull you in, keeping you hooked for chapter upon chapter.

This was a really fast paced, suspense-filled read about a girl who wakes up and has no memory of the last two years. Nothing is the same and she is alone and scared. She has writing all over her hands and arms, telling her to STAY AWAKE and a bloody knife in her purse. Meanwhile, police are investigating a murder of a man who was stabbed to death. Strange writing in blood on the window says STAY AWAKE.

While this book is told in dual POV, it almost feels like its actually told in three different point of view, considering we have the detective on the case, Darcy Halliday and we have Liv Reese, both current day and Liv two years ago. They feel like such different people and I found that aspect of the storytelling really fun.

There were a couple of things that I could see coming but I can surprisingly say that I didn’t figure out the ending ahead of time, creating this great amount of cresting suspense. This is one of those books that, when reviewing, you really don’t need to say much. You want other readers to go in knowing as little as possible. Just know that I absolutely enjoyed every minute of this book!

What I liked: an interesting premise that kept me reading until the answer presented itself.

What I didn't like: the writing felt a bit like a middle grade/YA thriller and the pacing could have been tightened a bit. The characters were a little thin, the dialogue was pretty trite, and the constant POV and tense shifts were a little disruptive to the flow of the story.

Overall, I was excited by the idea of this story more than the actual book itself.

In the beginning, I found myself trying to guess where this story might be going. As more details were revealed and I started getting a clearer picture of what was happening, I couldn’t help but empathize with Liv. I can’t imagine what it would be like to wake up every morning freaking out because I don’t know where I am or how I got there. Megan Goldin does a great job of telling Liv’s story in a way that makes you like her and want to step into the story and help. The story is written in a suspenseful manner that kept me turning page after page. I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good murder mystery, alternating timelines, or unreliable narrators.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and of course Megan Goldin for making this book available to me to read and review. (Publish date: August 9, 2022)

Since the publication of the Escape Room Megan Goldin has become a must read thriller writer for me. The plot of Stay Awake is hard to describe without giving the twists away, but I will try to describe it without giving anything away. The plot opens up with a murder and written in the victims blood on the window is wake up. We then follow a woman who has amnesia every time she falls asleep and can’t remember what happened prior to falling asleep. She finds writing on her arms that mirror the writing at the murder scene and begins to question if she is in fact the murderer. The plot twists and turns over dual timelines as information about the present day murder is slowly revealed as the story progresses.

I loved the atmosphere of the book as it reminded me of the movie memento somewhat and the twists that occur as the book progresses are surprising. It is refreshing to find a novel in the thriller/mystery category that uses some unique plot devices that haven’t been retread in every other novel!

The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is some of the dialogue does feel wooden or juvenile, but for a quick and unique mystery definitely check this one out!

I had high hopes for this one since I’ve loved Megan Goldin’s previous titles, but sadly this one just didn’t work for me.

I know I’m not feeling a book when I don’t even want to pick it up. The story felt so repetitive, the memory loss was exhausting and the jumping around timeline didn’t flow. The chapters are short so it should have been a quick read, but it took me way too long to get through it.

If you want to check out this author- I would recommend The Night Swim or The Escape Room. Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

After a run of not so good thrillers and mysteries I have been on a winning streak. Stay Awake has been one of my recent thriller wins and a book that I could not put down.

Liv wakes in the back of a taxi with a bloody knife she is thoroughly confused. She gets herself together and tries to return to life but something strange is going on. Her apartment is no longer hers, her job is no longer hers, everyone thinks she went to London. She just remembers the phone ringing at her desk on a normal workday as her last memory.

The mysteries keep piling up for Liv. She also has covered her body in messages, most notably "Stay Awake". She also has notes on her person about not trusting others, or the police, and reminding her that she forgets everything when she falls asleep. Add to the mix that a body has been found with a message in blood painted on the window, Wake Up.

Why does she lose two years of her life every time she falls asleep? What has happened to her life? Could she really have killed someone before falling asleep and forgetting the whole thing? So many questions to answer and the revelation of everything was well executed.

Thank you to NetGalley, MacMillan Audio, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this one in exchange for an honest review.

😴Book Review😴
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Summary: 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.

Two years ago, Liv was 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, similar to the 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. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently.

A complex thriller that unfolds at a breakneck speed, Stay Awake will keep you up all night.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
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My thoughts: Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress and @megangoldinauthor for the advanced copy our August 9th! Wow what a book this was my favorite of hers yet 😍 this book kept me on the edge of my seat with the most unreliable narrator ever. Many of the twists I didn’t see coming. I really enjoyed the plot I thought it was totally unique with different perspectives of Liv and the detective. A really funny mystery and a totally unique idea. This is the perfect summer thriller in my opinion.
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