Skip to main content

Member Reviews

This was a really solid thriller, perfect for a summer read.

The premise is every time Liv falls asleep she forgets everything. Including some major bloody events! This u reliable narrator piece made for a confusing but fun read. Her lack of sleep was scaring me haha.

I do think there are a handful of loose ends to tie up which makes me wonder if the ending is tying to a SEQUEL?!!

Was this review helpful?

Murder, Mystery, Suspense and Thrilling rolled into one novel. If you like any of these then you will love Stay Awake. I don't even know where to begin. I can say that this novel had me from the very beginning. Once I started I could not put it down.

Liv Reese is a young women on the verge of turning the big 30. She has a job at a magazine that she enjoys, A roommate whom she loves like a sister and a handsome boyfriend that she is head over in love with what could be wrong? All is fine until Liv wakes up in a cab and has no idea what is going on in her life. She does not remember her job or the apartment she shares with Amy her roommate. Strange people are living in her apartment, she has written on her hands and arms STAY AWAKE..Her office has people working there that mean nothing to her Plus she cannot locate Amy or her boyfriend Marco. Liv doesn't know what is happening and then a bloody knife shows up.

Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle are called in to the murder of a man that is stabbed and a message is written in blood. Is it the killer leaving a message, who was this women that was with the dead man? Was she the killer? The problem is the one person who could help them is roaming the city not knowing where to go or who she should turn to.She is so confused because if Liv falls asleep she forgets what has happened. She has some kind of amnesia that prevents to get any real answers. What is going on!!!!!!!

Every chapter had me glued to it because every chapter had you learning more and more about Liv her so called friends and what happened to them. I enjoyed the sort of cat and mouse level of suspense that Ms Goldin writes involving the detectives and Liv. Every lead leads to something or someone else , Each chapter was written with more suspense then the one before. The roller coaster thrills one after another.

I liked Darcy's character and how she came to be. Her military training that led her to the NYP Department. She is smart and quick minded which I liked in her character. I also liked that her partner listened to her and her suggestions and didn't fluff her off.The author gave her grit and determination .

I was scared for Liv, hoping she wouldn't end up a statistic and never know the truth. She was a survivor even though her memory left her. From start to finish I liked everything about this book and I do not say that often. Especially when I am reading a thriller like this one.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC. Happy I was approved and would love to read any future novels by Ms. Goldin.

Was this review helpful?

Great book, and a great thriller because I spent most of the time second-guessing what was going on. We follow Liv, who has lost her memory, and does so every time she falls asleep, but turns up at the scene of a murder. The story was so well written and engaging that I definitely had no idea who to suspect and all the loose ends were woven together very nicely in a little package at the culmination of the book. Not only was it interesting from a thriller standpoint but also from research, because it would seem that the author went to great lengths to research not only just medical issues but also art history and art critique as well. The story was fun, fast-paced, and great for a summer read due to it's release date and I would highly recommend this if you want something that will keep your attention the whole time without boring you!

This ebook was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Considering I was not a fan of Goldin’s popular The Night Swim, I had low expectations going in. Even with my low expectations, I was unimpressed.

Liv Reese wakes up unsure where she is or how she got there with writing on her hands and arms. Stay. Awake. Don’t trust anyone. Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a dual POV story that follows Liv Reese and the cops who track her down as Liv is the prime suspect for a murder she doesn’t remember happening.

I found this book to be choppy, with the timeline just all over the place. I sometimes found it difficult to keep track of where I was chronologically. The “big” reveal was underwhelming, and the motive was never really explained. It is inferred and I guess made sense, but I was left wanting something more from this book. About 20% in, I was just annoyed waiting for some sort of clarity or explanation.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced cop of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thought provoking plot start to finish, that really kept you in detective mode the entire journey. The idea of her day restarting every time she slept, was a vastly different direction that kept you wondering, what was the trigger. Although the twist was not what I was expecting, it tied together really well.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely blown away by this read. It’s fast paced, keeps you guessing, with twists galore! Totally a binge-able read. Perfect summer beach thriller. One of the best thrillers I’ve read this year!

Was this review helpful?

This is one of the best unreliable narrator books I've read. This novel had me hooked and I devoured the book in two sittings! Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

Unfortunately I found this story to be quite repetitious and oftentimes rambling towards nothing. Her ability to write messages on her hand or her arm made me wonder why she didn't write more pertinent things that were ever so relevant to her staying alive?

Added to all of this was the narrator who was over the top in her narration with dramatics worthy of a Disney cartoon. Seriously she ruined the book for me. The many plot holes in the story was another stumbling block for me.

So, this one was not for me. If anything, it put me to sleep and was in my humble opinion was poorly written.

Thank you to NetGalley and for both a physical and audio version of this story.

Was this review helpful?

From the moment I started reading Stay Awake I was hooked.

Liv wakes up and realizes she doesn’t remember anything from the last two years. So what has happened to her in the last two years? Why does she have the words stay awake written on her?

The story ends up being better than expected and takes a few twists and turns.

You do have to suspend disbelief a little on Liv’s amnesia.

But overall this thriller was a perfect beach read. (And I can’t wait for the movie.)

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this fast-paced thriller—perfect summer vacation book. Liv wakes up with no memories of the past two years, or the awful thing that happened to her. She has to figure it out, and who to trust, before something bad happens again. Suspenseful and satisfying, though I would have liked a bit more closure at the end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this arc!

Was this review helpful?

Liv Reese wakes up and cannot remember anything that has happened to her in the past two years. Imogen Church does an excellent job giving us a sense of what it is like to be desperate and alone. The messages she has written on her hands and arms beg her not to sleep. Meanwhile the NYPD is investigating a murder. January LaVoy is the voice of Detective Darcy Halliday. Is Liv a suspect or a potential victim? What happened to Liv two years ago? What happened last night? As we are given information about the past, at times we know more than the police. We definitely know more than Liv. This was an entertaining read and required me to focus and connect some dots. I love making connections and if the book hadn't left me with some unanswered questions, I might have given it five stars. This is my third book by Megan Goldin. I would say that The Night Swim is my favorite, the latest from Goldin come in second. The Escape Room comes in at third place.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC and St. Martins Press for a DRC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

This was really good, but yet again I Figured out that it was Brett pretty quick. Only a doc would know how to kill someone that way. I didn't like that they never told why he did it. I guess he found out Amy and Marco were a thing and was jealous.

Was this review helpful?

WOW! What a whirlwind adventure. Great writing propelled this thriller through multiple perspectives and kept me on my toes.
I instantly took the the MC. Her situation was unique, but not unbelievable. Piecing together her past to solve the unknown was more than entertaining.
I found myself thinking of this book when I wasn’t reading as well as telling others about it.
I have loved everything I’ve read from Megan Goldin and look forward to more from her.

Was this review helpful?

Liv comes to in the back of a cab with no recollection of where she was or what was happening. The cab drops her off at her place where someone else is living and who slams the door in her face. Liv has no idea where to go, she reaches for her cell and finds a bloody knife in her pocket instead. When she looks at her hands she sees STAY AWAKE written in pen.

This one was a unique and gripping read. The pace was steady throughout and the atmosphere was paranoid. A tad repetitive and unrealistic at times but I’m sure it was intention given the premise. This book gave me 50 First Dates vibes but make it a psychological thriller.

I LOVED The Night Swim by this author and this one was another solid effort.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book! I did figure out who the killer was pretty early on but it was still a total page turner and I couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be recommending this book!

Was this review helpful?

This was exactly what I was craving. I devoured this psychological thriller in one day. I couldn't stop until I knew what the heck was going on! I loved Megan Goldin's other novel, The Night Swim, and was skeptical this one would live up to it. However, Stay Awake was entirely different but just as good. A very pleasant surprise! High recommend adding this to your summer reading list!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

Holy Smokes! THIS was a fantastic thriller. In a sea of mystery/thrillers that all kind of blend together, "Stay Awake" is a big, amazing outlier. I don't want to reveal too much of the story, but "Stay Awake" managed to be disarming and original from the start.
I loved how the novel kept moving, taking place in a relatively short period of time while staying completely enthralling throughout. It's been a bit since I had the chance to read a book that I couldn't put down, but this one was a true winner.

Was this review helpful?

What a great read, reminiscent of Memento and 50 First Dates, yet not derivative.

We meet Liv when she wakes up in a taxi, unaware of how she got there. When she tries to get into her apartment, she finds a couple she doesn't know has been living there for quite a while. She finds words and phrases written on her hands and arms warning her not to fall asleep. With nowhere to go, she finds a park bench to rest, falls asleep, and wakes up not remembering how she got there... Soon, she finds out she's missing two years of her life and gets caught up in a murder investigation.

I loved this. There are dual timelines of Liv before and after her memory loss. There are also dual points of view, from Liv and from the detective investigating the murder. Liv is a great unreliable narrator and it was fun seeing everything unfold and her discovering more and more about her missing time.

Was this review helpful?

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with no memory of how she got there, and really no memory of the last two years. Her only clues are cryptic messages scribbled on her hands and arms. All of her familiar places are filled with unfamiliar people, some who seem to know who she is. What happened over those two years? Where is Amy, her best friend, and Marco, her boyfriend? And why are the police hunting her, accusing her of murdering a man she doesn’t even know?

This book felt like I was reading it sitting in the back of the bus while Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reaves try to keep it from exploding. I felt like I was inhaling caffeine drinks right along with Liv. Every twist and turn kept jerking me left and right, and Golden teases you with just enough information to keep you on the cusp of figuring it all out…and then jerks you around again. I loved it, and really couldn’t put it down.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Really enjoyed this one! Haven’t read a lot of books like it. Every day Liv wakes up, it is two years ago in her mind, and everything that surrounds her now is unfamiliar. Her arms are covered with messages that read “Stay awake! Don’t sleep!” What is going on, and why has she found herself in the midst of a murder investigation? Really intriguing and fast-paced, ending the tiniest bit abrupt but still loved it!

Was this review helpful?