Stay Awake is The Girl on the Train meets Before I Go to Sleep

This is a psychological thriller for the ages. It also reminded me both why I love thrillers and why I don’t read them very often. I was ✨sTrEsSeD✨ reading this one folks, like, can only read so much at a time stressed, would look up the ending so I could enjoy it without the anxiety stressed except this was an ARC so there are no spoilers online STRESSED.

I loved The Night Swim and was excited to get this one but it ended up being just a bit too much for my romance reading soul.

If you like thrillers, and enjoy being on the edge of your seat, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Thank you to @StMartinsPress & @Netgalley for a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date for Stay Awake is Aug 9th, 2022.

“Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you” — Catch 22, Joseph Heller

“What do I have against sleep?”
”You’re afraid of what you do in your sleep.”

“I can’t help but wonder what I’ve forgotten… I’m in danger. I feel it in my bones.”


You guys.

I read this book in two days.

It is quite a bit different than her book The Night Swim.

The formatting, the content, the flow is all different.

Instead of a controversial and heartbreaking mystery with some #MeToo triggers like The Night Swim, Stay Awake is an intense thriller with no political commentary.

And it’s so good!


Some have commented on the plausibility of the plot, but most books don’t seek to say ‘This is what happens when…’ they pose the question ‘What if?’

Stay Awake’s what if is this: What if someone experienced a traumatic event that created insomnia and paranoia and whenever she went to sleep she wakes up and forgets everything that happened since the traumatic event? And what if she’s either dangerous or in danger?

Based entirely on the preview of the CBS show Blindspot (because I never actually watched it) this book is like that.

Liv wakes up on a park bench and doesn’t know where she is going or why she is there. And she has written notes all over her hands that say things like:

STAY AWAKE
DON’T SLEEP
TRUST NO ONE
DON’T TALK TO THE POLICE, EVER!

Oh, and there’s a bloody knife in her pocket.

The last thing she remembers was a summer day two years ago when she answers a phone call from her office desk. It’s now two years later, she can’t find her best friend or her boyfriend, and someone else is living in her apartment.

Soon she becomes the suspect in a murder.

How can she clear her name if she can’t remember anything recent and she can’t trust anyone?

“I don’t know how I became an interloper in my own life.”


This book is fast-paced and intense. I loved it! It’s just the kind of thriller I was looking for.

We have alternating chapters.

The chapters in the present all take place in one day- the day the murdered man was discovered. Liv is scrambling to unravel what is going on and Detective Darcy Halliday and her partner are investigating the murder and tracking Liv down.

The chapters in the past are the days leading up to Liv’s traumatic experience and what caused all of this to begin with.


I did have part of it figured out, but not all of it.

If you like thrillers, I would definitely recommend this one! It’s fairly clean, not much language or gruesome details, and it reads fast.

My only qualm with the book is that after I finished it and sat with it awhile, I realized they didn’t really explain the entire ‘why’ behind the murders. Maybe I was turning pages so fast that I missed it, but I wish they would have fleshed out the motive a little bit more.

But my only thoughts while reading the book were—what is going on?! I need to keep reading!

So yeah. It comes out in August, and you should read it.


A few other random thoughts and surprises:

- The detectives kept calling the murdered guy ‘the stiff’ and I thought that was weird. I’ve watched/read a lot of cop-type books/shows and I don’t think I’ve ever heard that term.

- The killer wrote the words ‘Wake Up!’ on the window in blood, but backwards so that it could be read from outside and they made this big deal about it being a hard thing to do or they were trying to read it from inside and said it was nonsense. But let’s be real… It’s really not that hard to read or write Wake Up! backwards. I have no problem with her dissociative amnesia fugue, but let’s be realistic about the words!

- They talked about not being able to extract DNA from hairs left at the scene because they were rootless. I hadn’t realized the hair had to have roots. So I googled it, and it TURNS OUT we’ve had a breakthrough in technology and some guy actually figured out a way to get DNA from a rootless hair but it’s expensive so probably won’t happen much. But cool news.

- I LOVED how Liv’s character hated performance art! I was an art major and when we started learning modern art history and performance art it was the worst. She says, “I’ve never been to a performance art event that didn’t make me want to barf. Maybe I’m cynical, or maybe I’ve seen too much in my life, but I find these sorts of things fatuous and self-indulgent.” And I would like to give her a high five!

- This was also a fun fact Goldin included: Agatha Christie went missing in 1926 and had her own ‘memory loss’ event! People thought she disappeared for several days and couldn’t find her. Turns out she had checked into a spa under the name of her husband’s mistress and going about life. Someone at the spa recognized her. She didn’t remember any of it! Google it, it’s pretty interesting considering this book!


**Received an ARC via NetGalley**

I was given an advanced reader copy in exchange for my review. Overall, I really liked this book. It reminded me of the movie Memento. The author does a great job setting up the scene, great pacing and suspense as the story moves along. You can feel Liv's terror as she has no recollection each time she falls asleep and then awakes; however, there are some times where the plasibility is seriously tested in the storyline. I like the two police officers and their interplay as they discover clues about the case. I was invested in the story and the ending was good, but not great. I don't think the author really did a great job of bringing it all together, although she carried the pacing, story, and suspense throughout. It never answers the why for me.

I received a free electronic copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This was also my first Megan Goldin read.
The book uses a play on words, which seems to be popular in many writing styles right now. Wonderful structure and development throughout. Super easy to read and lose one's self into the book I will certainly be reading more by this author. It was fast paced but kept me guessing. Like so many other thrillers you can figure it out, but she certainly elongated the process. It follows a dual timeline which I sometimes find annoying because it give like this time warped feeling but it flowed well. I actually found it was easy to follow and probably made the book even more enthralling. As well as the fact that you can just feel that Liv is a very unreliable source. She seems bat **** crazy honestly (lol) It's all very exciting.
I hate to give away too much. It was a fast but oh so wonderful read. I definitely recommend.

Wow what a ride. This book kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. It wasn’t until right before the reveal that I was able to figure out what was going on. Definitely recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an ARC of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin!

I had previously read Escape Room by Meag Goldin, so when I saw this ARC available, I decided to request it! I really enjoy the writing style. This book was a bit slow in places, but it is still a very good read.

At first I was intrigued by the storyline. However the back and forth timeline was a slow burn. Also the author just glossed past the betrayal by the two people she trusted the most. Although that was the catalyst for the series of events that would occur later it was never truly addressed. Ending was rather underwhelming due to various subplots being introduced but never fleshed out nor resolved.

I was in a bit of a reading slump but Megan Goldin knows how to snap me out of it! This one starts with Liv waking up in the back of a taxi and no recollection of how she got there! She goes to the place she thinks she works and find out she doesn't work there anymore. But when she looks at her hand, she finds the words Stay Awake written in sharpie. Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn't remember committing.

I just could not flip the pages fast enough. I couldn't wait to get to the end and see how it ended! Highly recommend this one!

Thank you SO much to Megan Goldin, Netgalley, and St. Martin’s press for my copy of Stay Awake! The book opens with a bang, as Liv wakes up in a cab with no idea how she got there. When she gets home, she realizes that someone else lives there now and her world has changed around her. Come to find out, her last memory was from two years ago, and all she can remember are the words written on her hands…stay awake. Years ago she was a successful magazine writer, but now she is wanted for murder and isn’t sure if she had anything to do with it.

Thoughts: This premise was SO fun! I usually don’t enjoy amnesia as a plot point, but this was pretty well done and very fast paced. I like that the book did have chapters that were about the police and focused on Detective Halliday. I found the chapters from Liv’s perspective, both in the past and in the present much more enjoyable. The difference in perspectives did break up the repetitiveness and I think I would have been bored with just her perspective.

It really annoyed me how Liv kept running off, and how many problems could have been solved if she just stayed put. There were a few plot holes and things that happened conveniently, but it was such an engaging story that I didn’t mind. If those little things bother you, it will be a bit annoying. Goldin does a great job of building tension and making a fast-paced story have good character development. I did guess the ending, and wished there were more suspects to choose from. However, this story was heart-pounding and kept me engaged the whole time- 4 stars!

Wow-I have read all of Megan Goldin's books and now this is my favorite. It is about a woman that forgets everything from a point of time until the present every time she falls asleep. I like the characters and the plot-very unique and not something very new. I also like the way the author travels back n forth and then in the end everything wraps up. Well done Megan!

So I was excited to get an advance copy of this one from NetGalley, and I tore through it in just a couple days. I really loved Goldin’s previous books The Escape Room and The Night Swim.

Overall, Stay Awake is a fast paced read with great writing and an interesting story. The only negative is that i thought it was a fairly predictable, but that didn’t hurt my overall enjoyment of the story.

One thing I really like about Goldin is that I feel like her characters make decisions that normal people would make. That might sound silly, but so many times in these thrillers, people do things that no rational person would do, and it always gets a big eye roll from your buddy Nate here.
But I feel like Goldin’s characters do smart things and ask the questions you and I would ask if we were in these incredible, tense situations. That gets bonus points in my book.

This one comes out August 9th, so give it a try.
I’d give it 4 stars.

Another great book by Megan Goldin! One of my favorite authors. This book was full of twists that I didn’t see coming. Highly recommend!!

Stay Awake was a page turner from the first chapter through the last! It’s a well written, suspenseful thriller where we are introduced to Liv and her struggle to piece together why she isn’t able to remember a block of 2 years in her life. Along the way we’re introduced to characters that play a role in her life, whether big or small, that add to the story of who she can or can’t trust. There were times I felt it was a bit jumbled, or I started to get frustrated, but it only added to what Liv had to be feeling in not being able to remember such an important span if time in her life. Throughout the book I had my suspicions of who was behind the murders but not once did I suspect who actually did it. This is definitely a book I’ll recommend.

I don’t think I have ever been this excited to write a book review!! This book took the cake so far for being my favorite this year so far! What a crazy story!!! I am officially a huge Megan Goldin fan!

Ok, let’s talk about Liv! Liv is the main character who is both extremely weak and very strong. She suffers from amnesia whenever she falls asleep. I cannot imagine going to sleep and waking up with no memory of the past 2 years. How did she get where she was? Where does she live? How is she ever going to figure out where to go or what to do if she can’t remember where she came from?

Liv had been working a job she loved, she had a best friend for a roommate, and was dating a great guy. She had it all! Then one day she wakes up and she is 2 years into the future back in NYC without ever remembering living in London prior. What happened to make her lose her memory? I WANT TO TELL YOU, but you have to go order the book NOW!!

Megan Goldin does such an amazing job of capturing the emotions of Liv and all the other characters who she encounters that are trying to help her. However, Liv has writing all over her hands and arms that tell her not to trust anyone, never talk to the police, a mystery phone number, and most of all STAY AWAKE.

When she sees that she has the same writing on her hands as the windows on the apartment where someone was just murdered, she instantly thinks she was somehow involved. What did she do last night? What happened to her? And why is no one answering their phones? Liv continues to chase down her friends while also forcing herself to stay awake. Dodging cops, getting her hair cut, and ultimately running into people from her past, she learns who she can and cannot trust. The notes on her hands and arms are meant for her to look when she wakes up so she knows she hasn’t lost her mind.

I can go on and on with my review and scream at the top of my lungs how much I LOVED this book, but do yourself a favor and go to your local bookstore and grab a copy. You’re welcome!!

Thank you NetGalley and Megan Goldin for allowing me an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. Can’t wait to buy my copy once it is published!!

A crazy, intense ride. I had no idea what was going on for most of the story—which I loved.

I couldn’t trust a single person in this book. I love the unreliable narrator when it’s done well. And it so was. I couldn’t get a grasp on Liv or who she truly was.

Perfectly executed suspense, even if most of it is a little over the top.

I loved this read! It started out fast and kept me confused and invested the whole time. I loved the dual time line although I did get a little confused at times. I would highly recommend this book!

Since this is listed a psychological thriller, I anticipated a bit of a roller-coaster ride throughout the book. The very best ones, like this one, keep me reading late into the night, not knowing, but anticipating what kind of revelations will happen next. Often my best guesses are way off target as the plot unfolds. And it's often the case that many of the people in the story, aren't who I thought they were.

This story was crafted so carefully that I couldn't wait to find out what happened next. The book left me wishing for a few vacation days--because work was definitely keeping me away from reading. The author did an outstanding job of spinning a story that caught and held my attention from beginning to end.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, this is a good choice.

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book based on the description! However, I would be lying if I said it got more exciting than that. I feel like there were many things this book did well: the ability to keep me guessing in the beginning and the clever way the reader was unraveling the story with Liv and the detectives.

Yet, I also feel like there were many repetitive moments, distracting plot holes that weren’t resolved (the graphic art show scene, Marco’s investment dinner, the waiter, the intricate stalking plots), lack of character development (especially with detective Lavelle),and a lack luster reveal within a rushed ending that held this book back for me and have prevented it from leaving a lasting impression.

Expected publication: August 9th, 2022. Thank you to NetGalley & St Martins Press for the advanced copy.

Liv Reese doesn't remember anything. What did she do last night? Why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn't remember committing. There's someone who does know exactly what she did, and they'll do anything to make her forget permanently. This has a well-crafted set of characters and a plot that is cleverly written. The twists and turns kept me guessing until the very end. If you love complex thrillers, then you will love this one.I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy for an honest review.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a spectacular, mysterious thriller. In Stay Awake, a girl wakes to find herself covered with handwritten notes on her arms. The novel is a journey of discovery of what these messages mean, who to trust, and what is real. The book starts off quick and the pacing is consistent, there aren't moments where the plot is dull. Everything is active and the mystery is suspenseful. The plot twists were so unexpected that they came out of nowhere and throughout the book, there are moments where it feels like you cannot even trust the narrator. I love the concept Megan Goldin came up with regarding not remembering anything and not trusting anybody. There are moments when reading when I knew in my gut something was wrong and it was this effect that made the book such an amazing read. When reading this book I got engrossed in the book forgetting that I was just reading, not actually the main character trying to solve the mystery. I really appreciated the book being very plot-oriented because then there was only one focus and it didn't disappoint. Megan Goldin does an exceptional job at keeping you on the edge of your seat dying to see what happens next! I was very interested in finding out who the murderer was and the whole story!! If you haven't read a Megan Goldin book yet I would recommend reading this as soon as it comes out!!!!