This is a fast paced psychological thriller with twists and turns at every chapter. Liv's memory loss is gripping, especially as details are revealed to the reader that Liv herself is unaware of. I loved the format of the past/present timeline as it definitely added to the suspense and intrigue. An excellent book - highly recommend! I don't give 5 stars often but this one definitely deserves it!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this in exchange for an honest review.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with STAY AWAKE scribbled on her arms in pen, a knife with blood on it, and no recollection of where she is or how she got there. All Liv remembers is two years ago, when she and her best friend lived together, and she worked at a culture magazine in New York City. Now, it's a new season, her apartment is owned by a new couple, and a man has been found dead with the message WAKE UP on the window in his blood...eerily similar to the print on Liv's own arms.

The book alternates between Liv's first-person POV and the detectives' third person POV, with 95% of the story taking place in a 24-hour period starting on a Wednesday at 3 a.m., as we follow Liv in her attempts to outrun the police while trying to regain her memory and, more importantly, to stay awake.

I listened to the audiobook ARC I received for this, and I was pleasantly surprised to hear Imogen Church's voice! She's personally one of my favorite audiobook narrators, after having heard her narrate Ruth Ware's Turn of the Key . I know some people don't like her style, as she tends to dramatize her readings, but I thought it worked really well here.

Once I passed the 50% mark, I couldn't put it down! Things started falling into place, and the time honestly flew by. I felt like the book really benefitted from alternating perspectives, adding to the unreliability of the Liv as a narrator. I loved that we were thrown right into Liv's perspective as she's waking up. It would be like watching 50 First Dates from Lucy's perspective instead of Henry's...if Lucy was a suspect for murder. We're finding things out as Liv does, supplemented by the detectives' findings in the POVs in almost every other chapter.

I could see this book being frustrating for some, especially because the beginning is a little repetitive and slow, since Liv has no memory and therefore we have a really steep learning curve. It isn't until the end that we realize the significance of starting at the exact moment we did.

Overall, this was a really solid thriller, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun mystery/suspense read that has the same vibes as the movie Memento .

Thrills, chills, interesting concept and a well-developed main character. These ingredients make for a fast and enjoyable read.

Liv wakes up in a taxi cab with no idea how she got there. Right away, I was intrigued. She directs the driver to her apartment, but she doesn’t have her purse or keys and doesn’t even live there. Even though, from reading the description, I know Liv has a type of amnesia, I’m now all in, scared for her and invested in keeping her safe. She’s got writing on her hands with weird messages she can’t explain STAY AWAKE and finds herself caught up in a murder. This all made it hard for me to choose sleep over just one more chapter.

The structure of the book worked for me and kept my attention. It’s told from dual POVs (Liv and Detective Halloway) and from multiple timeframes over the past 2 years.

Unfortunately, some of the book didn’t work for me. The writing was often repetitive and alternated between engaging and over simplistic. I had to skim the frequent retellings and repetition. Also, I’m not fond of detective-type stories. This was Liv’s story, and I didn’t care about the detectives’ back stories or the predictable resolution. Also unsatisfying was the overly simplistic ending which neglected to unravel the initial murders or to explain the initial stalking.

In spite of these flaws, I enjoyed this book for its fascinating plot and fast pacing.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

"A sickening dread creeps through me. Something terrible is going on and I don’t have the faintest idea what it is."

Stay Awake tells the story of Liv, who wakes up in a cab with no memory of where she is or how she got there. All she has is a bloody knife and a cryptic message scrawled on her skin: "STAY AWAKE." It doesn't take long for Liv to realize that she's connected to a murder investigation - and that every time she falls asleep, she loses all of her short-term memories. Which means that she could be a witness - or even the murderer - and have absolutely no idea...

"What else have I forgotten? I sense it’s something important. No matter how much I try, I can’t think of what it might be. The only thing I know for sure is that time has skipped ahead without me noticing."

While the premise is fascinating, the execution gets a little convoluted at times. With a timeline that flips back-and-forth between past and present day, narration that shifts from 1st person (Liv’s chapters) to 3rd person (the detectives’ chapters), and multiple story arcs dealing with crimes that Liv is connected to (one where she was a suspect, one where she was a victim, and now a murder where she’s a person of interest), the overall story got hard for me to follow in places.

"I don’t think any of this is what it appears."

However, the messiness and chaos of the story was well-placed, because it lent an authentic feel to what Liv's experiences would have felt like for her, as a character. Not only that, but Stay Awake is one of those rare thriller that doesn't feel like it's already been done before. Everything about this story felt new, fresh, and totally unexpected for me, which I absolutely loved.

"It’s the tiny details that make all the difference…"

Totally worth the read - a solid 4 star thriller!

——

A huge thank you to Megan Goldin, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve been on a thriller kick lately, & this is the best one I’ve read in months!!
Liv wakes up with no memory of the past 2 years….no phone, no identification, just a bloody knife on her pocket. Turns out she forgets everything every time she falls asleep. Each time she wakes up she thinks she’s in the past, with no clues other than what’s scribbled on her hands: Don’t go to sleep! Trust no one. Stay Awake.
The back & forth povs of the police detectives & Liv work perfectly to feed us clues little by little. This is a story that we’re just thrown into the middle of & have no idea what’s going on—in the best possible way.

THIS. MIGHT. BE. MY. FAVORITE. SUMMER. VACATION. READ!🙌

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book has held me in the palm of its hand all day. Today was a day where my boyfriend needed me to run a bunch of errands and I successfully completed them but I also woke up at 5:45 am so that I could shower and read for a good 90 minutes before he woke up and our family chaos began. Unfortunately, he is not a reader so I will just gush here in my review rather than drive him insane.


Publisher description:
A murder she doesn’t remember committing. A killer she doesn’t remember meeting. Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that proves memory can be deadly.

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.

My Thoughts
I fell for the plot, I really enjoyed Liv and the police detectives that were on the hunt for her. I believed in the whole amnesia plot. This book is the definition of a page turner because that's all I wanted to do to it. Chapter by chapter, I devoured every word and I don't say this very often when it comes to domestic thrillers BUT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END. I think it is safe to say that this book is certainly going to be climbing the bestseller and book club circuits when it is released in August.

Expected Publication Date 09/08/22
Goodreads review published 09/07/22

This was another excellent thriller from Megan Goldin. Liv Reese has to stay awake - otherwise she forgets everything and wakes up thinking it's two years earlier. The book jumps back in forth between 2 years ago and what lead to her memory issues and present day where a murder investigation is underway and she has become the prime suspect. This book was so fast paced - I couldn't put it down. There were a couple of plot points that were never resolved but it didn't take away from the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Stay Awake started strong and interesting concept. I enjoyed this thriller but ultimately found myself hoping it would wrap up!
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC of this book.

This was a very wild ride! At first, I wasn't too sure if it was for me, but that changed 1/4 of the way through as things started coming together. There are two storylines, one past (two years ago) and one present. That, at first, was confusing to me. Every time Liv goes to sleep, she loses her memories from the last 2 years. Writing is appearing all around her- Wake Up! - and on her body as well. What ensues is a thrill ride with a satisfying ending. Thankful for this ARC - coming out live to the masses soon!

Liv Reese must stay awake or she forgets everything that happened.

She is really in a dilemma when she wakes up this time.

She has messages all over her hands and arms with warnings about being safe.

The worst thing about these messages is that someone wrote one of messages in blood on the window of a room where a man was murdered.

Liv tries to remember where she has been, and when she returns to work why her office looks totally different and why they welcomed her back.

We follow Liv two years before and present day.

Present day is when the detectives find her fingerprints on a wine bottle left at the murder scene.

Liv has no clue how or why she was there, why she has a stash of money in her pocket, or where her purse or phone are.

She also doesn't know why anything isn't the same - especially her boyfriend....where is he and why is someone else in her apartment she lived in for years?

We follow the investigation, the search for Liv, and Liv's nightmare of a her life.

She also has a stalker adding to her terror and memory loss.

STAY AWAKE will keep you glued to the pages.

It is a thriller you will not want to miss.

It keeps getting better and better as you turn the pages with a great ending.

Don't miss this one. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Liv is working in NYC at a magazine. Lives with her best friend. They both have serious boyfriends when her friend and boyfriend end up murdered. Liv is injured. It is very traumatic so she goes to London for two years but when she comes back it is a cat and mouse game with the killer. It is a page turner. Packed with twists and turns.
#stayawake #megangoldin #netgalley

I recently read Megan Goldin's The Night Swim and really enjoyed it and her writing style so I was very excited to get this ARC. I read this book in one day. It was fast-paced with a very intriguing story. I was quickly drawn into Liv's world and needed to know the truth of everything. That being said, I thought this was a great book, however, the ending fell a little flat for me. It came together a little too quickly and cleanly wrapped up in a little bow. I needed a little bit more. Also, I will preface this with the fact that I read a lot of thrillers, but I figured it out about halfway through. I still very much enjoyed the ride and would definitely recommend it. Giving four stars simply because of my thoughts on the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me the opportunity to read the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Synopsis:
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.

Review: Told from the POV of Liv and the Detective investigating the case, I thought this was a fun and suspenseful read.

Fifty First Dates in the form of a thriller, this unique novel kept me guessing the entire way through. Goldin even had me questioning parts of the plot I assumed to be facts.

The premise of the novel, is a young women with trauma based amnesia finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. While a suspect, Liv, even finds herself second guessing her own innocence but how does one prove their innocence while also suffering recurring amnesia?

This was my first Megan Goldin novel, and certainly will not be my last!

Note: I received this ARC from Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press in return for an honest review.
Review date: 7/8/2022

Thank you so much to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my honest review. Wow! This was such a great book full of twists and turns and surprises. I never saw anything coming and was kept guessing throughout the book. This book is highly entertaining. I love the multiple perspectives and how the reader is kept guessing on who the bad guy truly is. The main character can’t remember anything and what she does is confusing and different from what others around her is saying. She has no idea what is going on and the reader doesn’t until it all comes together in the end. I recommend going in to this book without reading too much of what it’s about. I did and it was so enjoyable to discover everything as I read it. This was highly entertaining and such an interesting premise. If you love unreliable main characters and a bit of a slow burn sort of a thriller then this one is for you! I can’t wait for this book to be released on August 9. I will be buying this for sure. Thank you again to Net Galley, the publisher, and author for providing this book for my review.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was one of the best thrillers I have read in a really long time. I was super into this story and count not put it down!

Publication Date: August 9, 2022

Synopsis:
Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with a bloody knife in her pocket. Her apartment is no longer hers and her friends and boyfriend refuse to answer her. Left with scribbled messages all over her hands and arms, the only thing that Liv understands is that she must STAY AWAKE

Liv does not know what is happening. The last thing she remembers is working for a successful magazine as a top writer. But Liv soon realizes that this memory was over two years ago and she cannot remember anything that has happened since.

When a man is found murdered and the words similar to those on her arm are smeared on the window of his apartment (in his own blood) Liv realizes she is the only murder suspect. What can she do with no memory and nobody to help her?

Thoughts:
- I was left guessing what was happening. I had no clue how this one was going to end.
-A slow burn but the story is so interesting, I was so engrossed in Liv's story from her past and present
-Loved the ending

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

Five Bright Stars for Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. A must read of the summer!

I loved this one. Full of suspense and multiple potential bad guys that were written in a way to where I truly wasn't sure who was The One behind it until the very end. I wasn't even 100% if the MC was even innocent. Worth the read, highly unputdownable.

Liv Reese’s last memory is over two years ago. She last remembers answering her phone at Cultura magazine on a hot summer day. Now, her hands are covered in writing saying Stay Awake, Don’t trust anyone, and more. Why is there writing all over her hands and why does she forget everything every time she falls asleep? Why does she have a bloody knife?

Liv sees the news and the cops are looking for her because a man was murdered. On the window near where the man was murdered, it says “Stay Awake” in blood. Did she write this? Did she murder this man? Liv truly doesn’t know. What’s worse is that she forgets the cops are looking for her every time she falls asleep.

Liv is an unreliable narrator but is immediately likable. Megan Goldin had me drawn in from the beginning. My jaw dropped several times as the details unfolded. I enjoyed the dual timeline with flashbacks to two years ago right around the time Liv lost her memory. The present timeline hops back and forth between Liv and detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle trying to solve the murder of the man in the apartment. Sometimes in books, I have a hard time following multiple storylines, but Goldin did such an excellent job writing each point of view I was not confused a bit. This was not my first book by Goldin and it certainly won’t be my last. She truly has a talent for writing fast-paced thrillers. You will stay awake to finish it!

As the result of a major trauma a couple of years earlier, Liv Reese suffers from a severe type of amnesia, which causes her to forget everything that has happened in the past two years. The action begins when Liv wakens suddenly in the back of a taxi — without knowing where she is or how she got there — with a bloody knife in her pocket, a roll of cash, but no cell phone or purse. Then, she discovers that she is wanted by the police as the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Alternate narratives make up the novel: one which details events from the last two years, which are the last that Liv can remember, and the other which details events in the present (which, in turn, alternates from Liz’s perspective to that of the detectives assigned to the murder case). Megan Goldin is able to juggle these multiple perspectives and timelines very aptly and in so doing creates a super suspenseful read.

There are plenty of twists and turns (only one of which I really saw coming) and a multitude of red herrings that keeps the reader turning pages. Having a sort of mini cliffhanger at the end of many chapters definitely adds to the fast pace of this novel. The writing is great, the characters are interesting, and the plot — albeit an intricate one — is well-developed. All in all, this was a highly engrossing thriller and a great read.

Stay Awake follows Liv as she wakes up with no memory and strange messages written on her hands. Liv is thrust into a world she doesn’t remember and a significant portion of her memory missing as she tries to navigate a vastly different world than she remembers all while on the run attempting to prove she’s not responsible for a crime she doesn’t remember committing.

Stay Awake is told from two perspectives, Liv and a detective Halliday. These two perspectives are easily the best aspect of the novel. Liv’s chapters are told from the first person, while Halliday’s chapters are told from the third person. Liv’s chapters are almost chaotic with a hint of stream of consciousness as Liv tries to navigate her present with out of date information. Halliday’s chapters mimic a police procedural as her and her partner investigate a murder. These vastly different perspectives offer readers different views of the same story while ratcheting up the tension.

Despite Goldin’s switching narrator perspective, the resolution of the mystery quickly became obvious. The climax lacked tension and its resolution was eye roll worthy.

Stay Awake’s root idea is a good one, however the nature of the story and its resolution is obvious meaning the tension gained from the unreliable narrator fizzles out quickly.

Overall, Stay Awake has an interesting enough premise with well written and alternating perspectives but falls flat with its obvious resolution.