The premise set up a total Memento vibe that hooked me right away, but also set up an unfair expectation. I have liked Megan Goldin's previous books so I didn't hesitate to dive in, however, this one wasn't a hit for me. The main character Liv was annoying and illogical. The psychological thriller genre, which used to be my favorite, has become boring and frustrating with unlikeable, unreliable, female characters that make dumb decisions. That can work in horror sometimes as a trope wink and nod, but in this genre, I want smart characters who I can get behind.

I get that Liv has a memory problem, no matter how implausible, I'm there for amnesia 100%, but why wouldn't she seek medical help? Why wasn't anyone checking her into the psych ward for evaluation? Clearly, she needed a time-out. And why why why... does she run away every time she encounters someone who could give her information? She's trying to solve the mystery, right?

Unfortunately, the repetition that is meant to hammer home her brain disorder only got annoying and caused me to skip chunks. As a reader, once we know there's an issue, we only have to be reminded occasionally... maybe once a chapter if switching back and forth between POVs... but I definitely don't need to read the same thought in paragraph after paragraph to "get it". It felt like a mistake in the editing process or else it was filler to make the page count more. Not sure, but it came across as lazy and I know Megan Goldin is NOT lazy.

The best thing going for the book that kept my attention were the detective's storyline which flowed logically and the characters were believable. I did keep going because I had to know how the story resolved but it wasn't a zinger for me. The plot was a little too similar to others but I was there hoping there'd be a unique way to twist it. It's hard to come up with these things so I get it. I'll still pick up Goldin's next one. They can't all be made for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this book. I do look forward to her next one.

I'm a BIG 50 First Dates fan and the memory aspect of this thriller is... similarly based.
Less rom-com lol

I'm waiting for Megan Goldin to really hook me with characters and this one didn't quite get me. I do love her concepts and will continue to come back!

In Stay Awake, the protagonist struggles with the fact that she must stay awake or else lose all of her memories from the past two years. The other lead character, a detective, is trying to track down the protagonist to solve a crime. I found this book to be creative and engaging. While the memory loss did not seem realistic, Goldin generally followed the rules she created for the memory loss well. I recommend this as a fun thriller to read.

I'm a big fan of Megan Goldin and I enjoyed this mystery. The multiple POVs and timelines definitely made for a lot of characters and a lot to keep track of, but I found the characters distinct enough to follow. I also liked how each timeline linked and we were "reminded" of some facts.

So the short version is we get very unreliable narrator, Liv, who wakes up in the back of a taxi with no memory of her night. When she gets back to her apartment in Brooklyn she learns there is a couple living there. Liv can't understand where her roommate Amy is or why these strangers are living in her home.

Literally kicked to the curb, Liv can't find her cell phone but instead finds strange writing on her hands and arms - namely the words "Stay Awake". Oh and then there's the bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt in her coat pocket...so.....

Police investigation. Lost memory. Liv trying to piece together what happened since her last memory, which was answering her desk phone at work.

I was a huge fan of Detective Halliday and am so curious if we'll get to see her again. She had an interesting back story and I liked her 'approach' to the case. I'm always a fan of some police investigation and I liked the balance between her story and Liv's.

I really enjoyed how Megan Goldin played with memory and the unreliable narrator trope. This is one of those books that peppered with some solid suspects. (I maybe fell for a red herring or two.). But also plants some clues that you can follow to some places - I figured out a 'what', but not the 'how' or 'why' of one thread.

I enjoyed trying to unravel it all and overall had a good time with this story. I'm down for anything that Megan Goldin writes and would recommend this one for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC. Loved it!

one of megan’s best. it kept me hooked the entire way through. I was all in when I read escape room and megan keeps getting better! I never saw the ending coming. i’m looking forward to more from her!

Wow! What a thrill ride of a book!

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab completely disoriented, with writing all up and down her arms and a bloody knife in her pocket. She arrives at her home only to find strangers live there now. Her phone is missing. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at work.

The story is told from different viewpoints, including that of the officer investigating a murder that Liv may or may not have committed.

Love the premise, but was disappointed in the delivery. Just didn't seem realistic for Liv to be wandering around aimlessly. But overall, it was a quick and entertaining read.

Ahh, New Thrillers! 😱
Friends! I recently finished these two and I thought they were both so good! Come along with me as I tell you a little about each…

‘Things We Do In The Dark’ by Jennifer Hillier is out TODAY! This was my first Hillier book and it won’t be my last- you must pick it up. It was a twisty ride of false identifies, murder and revenge. The only thing that upset me was that I don’t have the glow-in-the-dark hardback. Woe is me. 😔

This one almost felt like two stories in one, but in a good way! Paris is arrested for killing her famous husband, and she knows she didn’t do it. She doesn’t want the publicity because of a troubled past that still haunts her… she doesn’t want to be found.

——

‘Stay Awake’ by Megan Goldin is out August 9th. I really loved ‘Night Swim’ so I was excited about this one! While I liked the story, it really stressed me out. It was like 50 First Dates + Russian Doll + murder. Eek!

When Liz wakes up on a park bench with no recollection of the last two years, she starts to freak out. Rightfully so. She also has the words Stay Awake written on her hands… same as what’s written on the window of the guy that was just murdered… 🤔

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for both of these digital copies! I also listened to a lot of SW on @librofm and the narrator is laughably terrible. I suggest NOT listening to audio on this one! Unless you like bad accents, bad pacing, and fake laughing. 🫣

🖤🖤🖤

Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Stay Awake. Megan Goldin does not disappoint with this psychological thriller. This is a faced paced book with many twists and turns. It’s difficult to put down! There are some implausibilities, but overall it was a fun ride.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin kept me on the edge of my seat. The twists were unexpected but perfect. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job as well.

Fun & original! Stay Awake was an amazing psychological thriller. I was truly confused and left on the edge of my seat for most of the book. What was going on? Is our FMC a killer? Is she being hunted? Framed? So many questions! All answered through a wild ride.

How did I ever miss reviewing this book?!?! I absolutely loved it and I am such of fan of Goldin's writing. Loved the pace of this book, the twists, and loved hownshe wrapped the story up!

I gave this book a chance. It was not for me. I will not be reviewing it on my bookstagram account or goodread page. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

At first this one was a DNF. But then I decided to pick it back up and give it a try. And then... I was hooked. I'm so glad I started reading this one again!

It seems Megan Goldin does not disappoint.

The suspense every time Liv, the main character, was piecing things together and had to pause to sleep... it was maddening and exciting all at the same time.

My only challenge with this book was I had a hard time keeping up with timelines. There were moments I had to re-read certain sections to make sure I was understanding correctly.

Overall LOVE.

Plot and characters were well developed but I had a hard time following the timeline. I really liked the short chapters; it always helps me read faster.

I thought this was a really unique thriller, and I loved the concept - we have Liv, an unreliable narrator who has no idea why she wakes up with bloody knife in her pocket and the words "stay awake" on her hands. I got sucked into the story right away and was really kept guessing throughout the book. Megan Goldin is a great writer and spins a great mystery!

I really enjoyed this book in the beginning, it had my hooked straight away. However; it didn’t quite live up to my expectations in the end, I found it a little far fetched at times and I still don’t really understand why what happened, happened.
A well written, interesting story with some really good characters.

iv has a medical condition that causes her to lose all her memories for the past two years every time she falls asleep. She finds messages writing all over her arms urging her to STAY AWAKE -but obviously she can't remember why. She wakes up at the scene of a crime and determines that a murder has occurred. When she finds a knife in her possession and a familiar message at the scene - STAY AWAKE - she assumes that she must be involved but she can't remember how… Unfortunately, I've ready too many books over the past few years using amnesia as the main plot device. I'm totally over it. This book did keep me guessing as to the overall plot and identity/motivation of the villain. However, it was very repetitive and there were some large plot holes that I struggled to get past. I'm going to try very hard to avoid any further books using the amnesia trope because I just can't do a single one more. Between the good and the bad, I thought it averaged out the 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really liked this one and the pacing of it made it hard to put down. Having a main character with amnesia really made the whole story unravel in an interesting way.

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

Stay Awake is the third book I have read by Megan Goldin- her other 2 being The Escape Room and The Night Swim (which I enjoyed quite a bit!)

So when I was sent the e-ARC of Stay Awake, I eagerly started reading!

What I liked:

Well the cover. I love that bold red.

The plot of the book. A woman who loses her memory every time she falls asleep? Oh that sounded intriguing.

How Megan tied all of this book together!

However, I will say that as much as I enjoyed it- there were times it was hard to read. Sometimes Liv frustrated me. Sometimes I felt frustrated by the fact that I was only able to read a few pages each night- this book needs to be read in longer time frames to really get sucked into the book.



Bottom line: Not as good as her first 2 (to me anyway) but still worth checking out!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*