This is much better to listen to than to read. I love how the narrator did such a great job with Liv and the other characters. This is about Liv, who wakes up can thinks her present day is two years prior. Each time she wakes up, her mind puts her back to a time before a traumatic event she experienced. This is difficult for her so she relies on notes on her hands and arms. Unfortunately, Liv finds out she’s a murder suspect and it doesn’t look great when her notes to self are consistent with wording found at the crime scene. I was unsure what was going on until about 90% into the book. I found this to be engaging and suspenseful!

Stay Awake, by Megan Goldin, is a type of Groundhog Day re-imagining. Every time Liv Reese wakes up, she believes it’s two years in the past and she has no memory of her current life at all. Her last memories are of being at work during the summer and now it is Fall two years later, and all of her memories in between have vanished.

Liv awakes each and every time to find “Stay Awake” written all over her hands, and “Every time you fall asleep you forget” on her arms. She also has a strange scar on her abdomen. Her work and apartment are vastly different, her boyfriend and best friend have disappeared, some people seem shocked to see her, “given what she’s gone through”, while others are concerned over her strange caffeine addiction and tendency to forget everything. She struggles to make sense of things, and then the same scenario plays itself out over and over again, every time she falls asleep. Each time the danger escalates and more pieces of the puzzle begin to fit together.

Though the story held my attention, it was highly repetitive and my patience quickly wore thin with the protagonist. Liv was an infuriating character and her reactions to situations seemed unrealistic, idiotic and made little sense. Even the audio-narrators voice for the character felt gullible, cloying, overly dramatic and not all that sharp-witted.

On the other hand, I loved the detectives voice and perspective. The narrator was clear, articulate, strong and knowledgeable. Those portions were very interesting and insightful. There were some scenes included in the plot, such as the art exhibit, which felt unrealistic and absurd, and I’m not sure of their relevance. I also can’t fathom the notion of trying to stay awake indefinitely because it simply cannot be done. Going to a specialist of some sort seems like a much wiser, more sensible course of action.

Despite my frustrations with Liv, and the repetitiveness of some sections, I enjoyed the story. The unraveling of the mystery was satisfying and quite captivating. The conclusion was also compelling, despite some significant plot holes. Stay Awake definitely had some issues, but it was also engaging and entertaining enough to keep me turning the pages to see how it would all turn out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of Stay Awake in exchange for an honest review.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi cab feeling a bit woozy and dazed but relieved to be home. When she cant find her keys she rings the bell for her roommate, Amy, but when too strangers answer the door and its their apartment not hers she's even more confused. Later she wakes with a bloody knife tucked in her pocket, weird scribbled notes all over her hands telling her to "Stay Awake" but with no memory of what happened or how she got there. As she tries to unravel her foggy memory she realizes her last coherent memory was over two and half years ago and everything is different. Even in her disoriented state she knows something is very wrong and that she is in danger. Across town, police detective Halliday and her partner are working the murder case of an unknown man who was stabbed to death and the words "wake up" scrawled in blood on the window. Her only suspect an unknown woman leaving the building in the middle of the night.

Overall, I enjoyed Megan Goldin's novel Stay Awake which is a twisted heart pounding version of "50 First Dates". I liked Goldin's earlier book "The Escape Room" as was excited to see where her next work would go. This story is told from the perspectives of both Liv Reese and Halliday switching time periods between now and as far back as 2 years ago. The premise is intriguing about a woman who's memory is wiped clean every time she wakes up and is the prime suspect in a murder investigation. That being said, there are some major plot holes, assumptions, distractions, and unneeded subplots...i.e. the Q art exhibition, Halliday's backstory, Ted's fiancé. Since the storyline is told from two distinct people, the pace follows it's character; Halliday is fairly concise and direct where and Liv tends to ramble and repeat herself at nauseum. Liv's descriptions were wordy and meandering...EVERYTHING had an adjective and description attached. The story could really use some editing; I do not need a visual description of every teeny tiny unimportant detail the character sees. I figured out the ending about halfway through but it kept my interest enough to finish the story.

I had the audio version read by Imogen Church (Reese) and January LaVoy (Halliday). I really enjoyed LaVoy's narrations and have listened to other work she has done and would love to do so again. Church on the other hand became grating with a staccato style and annunciations that through the pace off and was not enjoyable.

Wow what a crazy book! This book is definitely psychologically messed up and it is very entertaining. I listened to the audio version and it was well done. I didn't want to stop listening to it.

I can't imagine being the MC Liv and not understanding what is happening every time she wakes up. Then to hear that you are a murder suspect is even crazier.

I know this isn't a new concept for a storyline, but it was written very well and it was fairly fast paced. The twists were a surprise and I didn't see them all coming.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Stay Awake was unputabledown!

I can already imagine the movie or a limited Netflix series.

Liv Reese was living a normal life. She had a good job as a writer for a magazine, a good roommate/best friend, Amy and she was falling in love with the man she was dating, Marco.

Then everything changes when she wakes up in a taxi and arrives at her apartment early morning. The people who answered her apartment door are strangers. Her best friend Amy is not there, her things are gone and her cat is missing. Nothing makes sense. Worse, she finds writings all over her hands and arms, and on her knuckles, the words STAY AWAKE are spelled.

Of course, she starts to freak out and while looking for her cellphone, she finds a knife with blood in her pocket.

What is going on? What did she do?

And this is all I'm going to say about the plot. I believe it's best to go in blind.

I will mention that besides Liv's POV, we also get the POV of the detectives following a crime. Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle. Their timeline is in the present while Liv's is both past and present.

I'm not sure why this book reminded me so much of Memento since they are not at all alike. Maybe it was because of the sense of urgency I felt while I was listening to it. I knew time was running out for Liv. The audiobook narrated by Imogen Church and January LaVoy did a great job at wanting me to keep on going and finding out the truth.

Did I guess the ending? Nope. Looking back it was so easy to know. One more reason to make me like this one a lot.

As for the characters, I liked Liv and felt horrible for her. I also like Darcy a lot. I do hope we can get to see her character in another book. She was smart, resilient, and resourceful.

This is the second book I read by Megan Goldin (Night Swim was my first) and I'm now a confirmed fan.

Sign me up for her next novel!

Cliffhanger: No

4.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by St. Martin's Press/Macmillan Audio via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to Mac.illan Audio and Netgalley for the advanced audio of this copy.

This book is only my second audio and I used to be a hater of audio but I'm enjoying them more and more.

Here we have 3 POVS and 2 timeliness Liv in the past, Liv in the present and the detective Darcy Halliday. I will just say the timeliness are very important and crucial to the story. The past Liv is 2 years ago and she was a successful writer for a trendy magazine living with her best friend Amy in New York. Now, the present she wakes up in the back of a bar and cannot remember.

I had such a hard time starting and restarting this audio. Especially when there are a lot of characters and I found it a bit disjointed but don't give up! It all turned easier as the book went on. I'm not sure who is a good audio reader, they all sound the same sometimes, but anyway I think sticking with the audio was a good choice.
I give it 4 stars and recommend audio especially.

I really enjoyed this! This is told over three POV and two timelines. We have Liv in the past, Liv in the present, and our detectives as one POV. Because Liv loses her memory, the two different timelines are crucial to understanding the full story. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the moment when the past and present would meet.

I went with four stars because the ending was a bit predictable but I enjoyed everything leading up to the big reveal. I think the author did a great job throwing in some clues that ended up being pointless but kept me on my toes throughout.

One of my complaints about the narrator is the pronunciation of several words incorrectly: misogynist, sofa, and a few others I can’t recall.


I received an advanced audio and digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

“Homicide cops served a much more important purpose in society than just putting killers behind bars. ‘Homicide detectives,’ he said, ‘are what keep us civilized. We are the last line of defense against the barbarians.’”

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. Two years ago she was dating a new guy, thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine, and living with her best friend Amy in NYC. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a city that looks nothing like what she remembers.

This book is told from three perspectives: Liv Reese now, Liv Reese two years ago, and homicide detective Darcy Halliday. While I do enjoy dual timelines, this one was a bit difficult to follow initially. It wasn’t until about 1/3 of the way into the book that I was able to truly get into the story. Prior to that I found it hard to follow who was killed when, who remembered what, and who all of these men were. It was just a tad disjointed, but it came together nicely as the story progressed. The mystery elements were good and kept me guessing.

As for the audio, I may have squealed out loud when I heard that @january was one of the narrators. She is one of my absolute favorites and just makes every book she narrates better. So obvi I loved this one!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, St Martin’s Press, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
This book comes out on Tuesday 8/11/22.

Liv Reese is a successful journalist for a life style magazine in NYC. When she is tragically stab and almost murdered. Every time she falls asleep she forgets over 2 years of her life. She has flash backs of her attempted murder but just can’t put all the pieces together. She begins to write notes on her hands and arms. She taped notes to her walls and doors trying to solve the crime that is cold. She knows she’s in danger but she can’t remember from who. Will she ever figure it out?
Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am so happy I went into this book blind. I don’t think I even read the synopsis before requesting it. This is my type of thriller for sure. It was suspenseful, full of mystery and kept me on my toes with guessing what was going to happen. I loved this concept and it kept me turning pages into the night. Highly recommend this book to you all!

I enjoyed this thriller and would definitely recommend. I think Goldin risked highly repetitive scenes and writing with the concept of this one, but she did an excellent job of making every scene fresh and not redundant while clearly depicting the anguish of the main character with amnesia. I thought the storyline was unique, and I was highly engaged in trying to figure out who we could trust and who we couldn't. This one kept me guessing, and I will definitely be checking out more of Goldin's writing in the future!

The Flight Attendant meets Momento.

This is a solid Mystery/Thriller. Once you start you won't want to stop until the mystery is revealed. I highly suggest listening to it as an audiobook. It's suspenseful and keeps you guessing about who might be the bad guy. You want Liv to wake up and remember what has happened to her.

While I was excited to start this and the way it reminds me of Groundhog day movie, I just feel the same things constantly being repeated was too much. Interesting psychological thriller and a very slow build.

Read/Listen if you Like:
🔪 Thrillers
🔪 Unreliable Narrators
🔪 Fast Pace Books
🔪 Who did it plots

Audiobook Review:
Liv is a young woman with amnesia where she can’t remember the last two years of her life as every time she goes to sleep her memory is reset back to the day before a tragic event she can’t remember where she nearly died.

When the story opens, Liv just woke up and may or may not have been involved in a murder. As she tries to piece together her life all she has is the notes on her arms to rely on.

This book has you wondering… Who can she trust? Is someone out to get her? What happened two years ago? What happened the other night? Is she a murd3r3r? What will happen the next time she falls asleep and forgets again?

If you are looking for a creepy, suspenseful and fast paced thriller where you are just as in the dark most of the book right along side the main character, Liv, the I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this audiobook! I am so thankful to obtain a copy to listen to it in advance of its release!

The hype is real! I’ve heard so many good things about this book so I had to read it for myself and it did not disappoint! It was twisty and creepy and the thriller aspect actually had me at the edge of my seat

I loved this book! The twists and turns trying to figure out what’s happening next. I really enjoyed the main character and I felt bad for her and everything she went through. The twist at the end caught me off guard I did not see it coming.

Liv is a young women living with her friend both enjoying their young adult life careers, boyfriends, social life. It all changes fast for Liv and she is left to put the pieces together. Years of her life are gone she can’t remember anything after she falls asleep. This is among my top 5 so far this year

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

I read one other book by this author so I was pretty excited for this one. I thought this book was rather interesting. Not in a bad way. It had me hooked from the beginning for sure. I thought the writing was very good as well.

The narrator of this story was amazing! Honestly told the story so well I could not put this book down and had to know what was happening.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! That is all I can say after finishing this book! This thriller was incredible and kept me guessing throughout. Liv’s rare amnesia made this all the more thrilling since it was so difficult to determine if she was a reliable narrator or not. I throughly enjoyed this book and hope to find more like it.

Between loving The Night Swim and the super positive early reviews for Stay Awake, I had HIGH expectations for this one. But wow did they fall short.

Some of my meh attitude toward this book may be related to my deep dislike of the narrator for the lead character Liv. I honestly cringed every time Liv's parts came on. The part was overacted and totally obnoxious. Liv of two years ago was condescending and every sentence contained attitude and felt over the top. Liv of present (understandably) sounded confused, exhausted, weak, and totally powerless, which I guess she was so it sort of worked but it was just way overacted and I am so over the helpless female protagonist role.

Furthermore, I often struggle with "groundhogs day-esque" novels and this one definitely fell into the trap of repetitiveness. So much of the novel felt circular, with Liv never really finding out any new information before falling asleep again and the pattern repeating - YES, please go back to Nocturnal and remind me about how you have no idea who the bartender is and YES, please re-read every scribble written on your hands and arms -- insert eye roll emoji here. The details of the mystery were revealed maddeningly slow and I felt like there weren't enough breadcrumbs given for us to figure out much of it on our own.

Thank goodness the novel also featured a strong female lead, Detective Halliday. Her character was great and her narrator - while slightly robotic (exact opposite of Liv) - was much more palatable. She also gave us way more information and kept the novel moving along.

Finally, it took A WHILE to learn that her memory issues had only been going on for a couple weeks. I had been under the impression for much of the book that they had been going on for two years (back to when they kept flashing back) but that wasn't the case. The fact that it had only been going on for a couple weeks felt less dramatic to me and made the whole situation seem less Memento and more Hangover.

All in all this was entertaining but I probably should have skipped the audio as I likely would have enjoyed it more. If you're a fan of a good mystery and the Groundhogs Day trope, then I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for a copy of this novel.

Whoa! Stay Awake was quite the ride to go on! It kept reminding me of the movie Memento, with some similarities and a murder mystery. I love that movie, though it has been many years since I have seen it. It might be time to watch that one again!

Stay Awake has dual timelines: present day and two plus years ago. It also has two narrators: Liv Reese, our main character with memory issues (every time she falls asleep she forgets everything from the past two+ years. We also have a female detective Halliday as our other narrator, who is trying to figure out a murder case and putting things together.

Once I realized we have an unreliable narrator with Liz I got nervous as those novels can be hit or miss for me. But it reminded me so much of Memento, I really enjoyed it! It was fast paced, intense and everything I love about thrillers! This is one you won’t want to put down because you just have to know what’s going to happen next!

I liked both Liz and Halliday. You can’t help but feel for Liz with her memory issues and not knowing what is going on, who to trust (basically no one!) and you just want Halliday to solve the case! The two narrations and dual timelines all come together to wind everything up in an intense conclusion.

The narrators are Imogene Church and January LaVoy, both whom I have listened to previously and also enjoyed. Imogene Church portrayed Liz perfectly with her confusion and LaVoy was just as good with portraying Halliday.

If you choose to read the physical book/kindle I can see a reader doing their best to stay awake and finish this in one sitting! I really enjoyed Stay Awake many thanks to Macmillian Audio for granting me an audio arc to listen to and review!