Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Stay Awake was a fast-paced, quick read that left me wanting more - in a good and bad way. I think the market is becoming saturated with thrillers that have memory or amnesia as the center of the story/crime. While I think Goldin did great job of building suspense, I am not sure if the resolution was enough to satisfy my interests. Aspects of the story felt forced or too "trope-y" for my personal tastes. Additionally, the chapters that followed the detectives were cartoonishly procedural and didn't enhance the overall storyline.

Liv wakes up in a cab, and doesn't know where she is. The last thing she remembers is being at work, answering her phone. She goes home, only to find out she hasn't lived there in two years. Somehow, the memories of the last two years of her life are missing. All she knows is that she is in possession of a bloody knife, and she has written all over her hands and body, a habit she had as a child. Chillingly, STAY AWAKE is one of the things she has written on herself.

The novel narration is told from different narrator's, and different chapters are told in the present and from Liz's life two years in the past. I thought the pacing of the novel was well done, and while I didn't immediately see the twist, I had an inkling about the outcome.

Really enjoyed this one, I read it in less than two days, I could not put it down. Thank you to Netgalley, and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Thank you so much @netgalley and @stmartinspress for allowing me the opportunity to read Stay Awake by Megan Goldin early. This book comes out August 9th. If you haven’t preordered it yet, run don’t walk!

I went into Stay Awake without knowing the synopsis and I was happy with that journey. We meet Liv as she wakes up having no idea where she is with STAY AWAKE written on her hands. She returns home only to find out it’s not her home anymore. Liv doesn’t remember the last two years of her life. If that wasn’t enough, she notices a murder on the news with STAY AWAKE written on the window. So not only does she need to figure out where the last two years of her life went, but she also needs to figure out if she’s murderer someone with cops hot on her trail.

❤️Review❤️

This was one impressive book. I loved the Night Swim, but this was so much better. It exceeded all of my expectations. I loved the short alternating perspectives and timelines. I was hooked and couldn’t let go. I was mad every time I had to put the book down. Liv is very paranoid in the book, rightfully so, and her paranoia soaked into me. I had no idea what or who to trust. Each page has me racing to read the next. The only downside to the book is that it ended and I now have to wait at least another year for another book to come out. Seriously fantastic and you don’t want to miss it!

5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Liv Reese has a rare type of amnesia where she forgets everything each time she wakes up. The conditions onset was the result of a traumatic experience 2 years prior. When she stumbles upon a murder scene where a message written on a window is the same as a message written on her hands we are all left wondering what exactly has Liv forgotten? I have seen stellar reviews for this title and while I found the premise interesting, it just didn't quite work for me. It started out very strong and I liked the pacing and short chapters. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, none of them were super likable, and it felt like Liv just kept making mistake after mistake. It got repetitive between the POV shifts in the middle and I was able to guess the outcome pretty early on. This was my first book by this author but I will give her others a try. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book.

This is a really unique, super creepy book that kept me furiously turning pages. Imagine having two years of memories wiped clean every time you fall asleep... Liv spends her days trying (with various degrees of success) to stay awake because falling asleep means forgetting everything--including that she's being hunted by a killer. A very enjoyable campfire read!

4.5 stars! (but rounding up to 5)

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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.

This book was such a wild ride! I read it all in one sitting because from the beginning I was absolutely hooked. This is the first book I have read by Megan Goldin, but I will definitely be going back and reading more. I LOVED finding out everything with Liv, and the whole time I was tense as I tried to figure out what exactly had happened. After reading so many predictable thrillers, this was a fantastic reprieve.

This book was unputdownable! This is Megan's best one yet. I was so invested in this story from page one. Liv was a perfect character, unreliable and believable at the same time. I felt bad for Liv one minute and then thought better of it the next. I have to admit that this had me guessing until the reveal.

Can you imagine not being able to remember the past two years of your life and not knowing who to trust or even if you can trust yourself? This was a fantastic read!

A fast paced thriller with an unreliable narrator.

Liv Reese wakes up in a taxi with no recollection of how she got there. She is dropped off at her apartment, where a stranger is now living. She cannot find her purse or her phone. She is holding a bloodied knife and has messages written all over her hands and arms: "stay awake". We soon learn that Liv was the victim of a crime two years prior, she has blocked out all memories since that date. Since then she was noted fleeing the scene of a murder, where the message stay awake was written on the window. Since Liv was at the scene of the crime, she has become the prime suspect, particularly since the writing on her hands matches the writing on the window at the scene of the crime. She must find out what happened or be charged with murder herself.

Unreliable narrator tropes are not my favorite; however, this one was different than most. Oftentimes you see the unreliable narrator as a result of drugs or alcohol, but in this case its due to trauma.

a twisty fun thrillar. Wow this book was one crazy ride! i loved this book from the very first page. i love the cover and i loved the adventure of finding out who did the murder.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC free for an honest review. Liv Reese has a problem. The last thing she remembers is getting a phone call at work in the summer. When she wakes up on a park bench without her phone or her purse and it’s approaching winter, she doesn’t know what’s happened, but she has “Stay Awake” written on her hands. She thinks she’s lost a few months, but she’s actually lost a couple of years, none of which she can remember. She suffers from a kind of traumatic amnesia. Every time she falls asleep, she loses her memory. She tries to find her fiancé and her best friend but can find neither of them. Then she sees the news and finds that she’s the prime suspect in a murder case of someone she doesn’t know. Detectives Jack Lavelle and Darcy Halliday are searching for her. Jack thinks Liv is probably guilty, but Darcy thinks something strange is going on. Darcy’s right. I liked this story very much. Liv, Jack and Darcy were all great characters. The only thing wrong with this mystery-thriller was that it was too predictable. I knew who the killer was after the first two killings. It was too obvious to me. I was really hoping that the author would fool me and make a different character be the killer, but she didn’t. I’m always more impressed by a mystery when I don’t guess the killer. Except for that, I really had a hard time putting this book down. I thought it was well-written and not your usual story. Liv having amnesia was a great theme and I felt really bad for her. This book reminded me of the movie Memento (which I now want to watch again).

Liv Reese suffers from a rare type of amnesia that causes her to lose her memory of the last two years every time she falls asleep. One night, she wakes up in a taxi with no memory of how she got there and no idea why "stay awake" is written on her hands or why she is carrying a bloody knife. Liv soon becomes a murder suspect when video footage shows her entering the building before the murder and the words "Wake Up!" (the same words written on her body) are found written in blood at a crime scene. Liv must figure out what happened before she gets arrested for a murder she can't remember committing.

This story is told in dual timelines and with two POVs (Liv's POV and the POV of Detectives Halliday and Lavelle). This story was expertly crafted- it allowed us to gain insight into what happened leading up to Liv's memory loss while also helping us to put the pieces together in the present. I found it to be fast-paced and enjoyed the twists throughout the book. I actually think this would make an incredible movie.

The only reason why it isn't a 5-star read for me is because I had a hard time connecting with the book for about the first third of it. I'm not sure why because it was fast-paced from page one, but I found I had to force myself to pick the book up at first. I did find the book to be more enjoyable as it went on and the last third of it was SO action-packed that I couldn't put it down.

If you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed thriller, I recommend giving this one a try!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Ironically my experience reading this book matched the title itself. Even while I was absolutely exhausted, and should’ve gone to bed, I kept muttering to myself, “stay awake, stay awake,” so that I could finish reading it. I was that enthralled. I read Goldin’s newest book, “Stay Awake” within 24 hours and it’s the best thriller I’ve read this year. Until the very end, it had me on my toes.

If you’re looking for a good thriller that you can’t put down this summer, I recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Advanced Reading Copy. I will be looking out for every book Megan Goldin writes. I am a big fan.

*sigh*

I wanted to love this book because it’s a thriller and thrillers are my jam. However, it was a huge disappointment. It could have easily been cut down by 100 pages. It did have short chapters so that’s a plus.

I’m feeling so blah about even writing this so that’s all I’m gonna say.

What a crazy fast paced thriller! Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea how she ended up there! She has a note on her hand saying "stay awake"! When Liv falls asleep she loses her memory of the last 2 years. I loved the dual time line, present day and 2 years ago. This book kept me on the edge of my seat not knowing what was going on! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

I guess the reason the phrase "Stay Awake" is repeated ad naseum is so the reader will in fact not fall asleep.


Plot: Liv wakes up every day with no memory of the previous day for 2 years. All she knows is that she has a knife, the words Stay Awake written on her knuckles (or is it her wrist....Gouldin goes back and forth). She is obviously confused and her world has changed dramatically from her last memory 2 years ago, like her roommate and boyfriend are dead. She begins to piece together some "clues" about who is trying to keep her safe and who is out to get her. At the same time she knows she is in trouble, she also discovers she is wanted for the murder of a man who was found dead in an apartment with the words "STAY AWAKE" plastered on the windows. Golden gives the POV of Liv and the lead detective Halliday, which to be honest was kind of confusing at times....Anyway, thats whats going on, so the purpose of reading is for you to find out Is Liv a killer or is someone trying to kill her?

Thoughts:
Ya see that previous sentence? Well, in my opinion Goldin did not build a very strong case for Liv being the "bad" guy as it were. She was actually a pretty pitiful character, lots of dumb decisions, yet mysteriously was able to get from London to NYC unnoticed and make last second escapes-down fire escapes, back doors--almost to the point I was rolling my eyes, I mean even James Bond couldn't get out of those situations....unless I guess Dr. Evil was the idiot bad guy.
The writing was VERY repetitive. Sorry that is a total pet peeve of mine. I felt like I relived the same day over and over again. FYI the word Sleep is used 136 times, the phrase Stay Awake 36 times. Thats a lot of y'all. BUT thankfully she included that phrase because like I said I found myself dozing off out of total boredom at times.
The amnesia trope doesn't usually bother me, but this one was just not handled well. I can't put my finger on it, but it just felt like this book was thrown together and not creative or unique. Nothing made this book stand out, I have a feeling if you ask me in 6 months anything about it I won't be able to tell you anything.....
I really enjoyed Goldin's other books so I Am not writing her off by any means.

Thank you Netgally for this advanced Copy Read , I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Average. The overall storyline and conclusion were average. The amnesia aspect brought a new twist but the conveniently wrapped up ending knocked off some of the uniqueness.

I thought the story dragged with her waking up and not remembering day after day and having to figure out essentially the same thing day after day. How many times did she read what was written on her hands and arms? I know it was knew to her every time she woke up but I was tired of the redundancy. There was also so much unbelievability to how Liv was able to do everything she did while having no memory and no access to basic essentials.

The main characters were basically well written, my favorite being the bartender who didn’t get near enough page time.

I loved Night Swim so much that I have such high expectations for this author.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this title for review.

Megan Goldin’s thriller is a page turner for sure. She really pulls us into the mystery by allowing us to experience Liv’s confusion with her circumstances through her traumas-induced amnesia. This is especially so because her confusion is contrasted by the way the story is revealed through the pre-incident timeline.

The one thing I wanted to get a little bit more was to be drawn in by the main detective on the case. I feel like Goldin set us up to be interested in the detective’s storyline, but ultimately, her character fell flat.

I was invested in the mystery, but ultimately I was able to guess the truth halfway through the book.

I think many people will enjoy this, and I think it will do well once it hits shelves on 8/9/22.

Thank you to @netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Liv has memory issues where she forgets everything after she wakes up after falling asleep so she tries her absolute hardest to stay awake. On this particular night, when she wakes up she's lost, trying to find her way home, and writing all over her arms, What unfolds after is a non-stop mystery. The story alternates between Liv and an NYPD detective, Halliday, that is investigating a brutal murder. The story also alternates between past and present. What results is a fast paced thrill ride across New York City.

I enjoyed this and read it so fast. I honestly had no idea what happened until it unfolded in the story! Just a heads up, the time periods are labeled on the top of the chapters but not the points of view. You'll still be able to figure it out though!

Stay Awake is a propulsive thriller that I couldn’t put down. Our main character, Liv, wakes in a taxi with no memory of the past two years. She does, however, have a bloody knife. She tries to piece together what happened to her, but every time she falls asleep she loses those memories again.

We also follow a homicide detective, Halliday. Halliday is working a murder case where an unidentified man was stabbed in his bed with the words “stay awake” scrawled on the window in the victim’s blood.

This book switched between Halliday, Liv in present, and Liv two years ago. I equally enjoyed all three perspectives. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading. Liv’s dissociative fugue made this a unique and interesting thriller. This is my third book by Megan Goldin, and I can honestly say she is a favorite thriller author. I will read anything she writes.

While on our vacation, I read STAY AWAKE by Megan Goldin {thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley}. Every time Liz goes to sleep…she can’t remember the last two years of her life; so, everyday is a chaotic, puzzle as Liz tries to figure out who can she trust, what happened, and why she is suddenly the prime suspect in a recent murder.

I really enjoyed this book! Even though her memory “resets” every time she sleeps, I never felt like this book was too much of a Groundhog Day scenario. It was fresh, fast paced, exciting, and had a rollercoaster of an ending.

What’s the last thriller you really enjoyed? STAY AWAKE releases on Aug. 9th! 😴