This was a mediocre thriller with an exceptionally poor narrator.


Review copy provided by publisher.

Another amazing thriller from Megan Goldin. Couldn't put it down. Stayed up late to finish in one day. Best thriller I have read all year.

The best way I find to describe "Stay Awake" is 50 First Dates but with murder. If you wake up everyday forgetting over the last 2 years how do you know who you are? And if all the evidence of a recent murder you can't remember points to you can trust yourself?

Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for an advanced audiobook for review.

Let me start out by saying this is one of the best books I’ve read recently. Go, run and read this!!

Liv wakes up in a taxi in NYC with no recollection of how she got there. She has a bloody knife and words scribbled all over her hands and arms, the most important being, “STAY AWAKE” across her knuckles. Between the messages on her and the cryptic phone calls from someone telling her they will find her, Liv quickly realizes someone is after her, who or why though, she has no idea. All she knows is that she’s in grave dangers and has to figure out how to stay alive when she has no idea who or what is coming after her.

We follow Liv who we come to find out has a rare type of amnesia that resets her memory to two years prior every time she sleeps. We also follow Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle who were called to a gruesome murder where a man was stabbed with a knife then someone wrote “STAY AWAKE” on the wall in his blood. Coincidence??? Who knows!!

The story is told in Liv’s and Dec. Halliday’s perspectives. Liv’s narrative is split between present day, and two years ago leading up to her last memories. The author juggles both tremendously well. Having both POVs and the duel timeline just pulls you in even more and really helps embellish the plot. I was a little nervous that the whole Liv waking up and not remembering was going to get too repetitive but it did not. It was not over done at all. She woke up forgetting just the right number of times to drive the plot without overdoing it.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, I could not stop, I had to know more. You’re kept guessing until the very end of the book. The more you learn, the more you realize you don’t know. I had to stay awake to finish the book. ;) I highly highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a thriller that will take every single ounce of effort you have to put it down.

Honestly the only negative thing I can say about this book is that I have the absolute worst book hangover now and I know nothing will come close to this one.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen in advance of the August 9, 2022 publication in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved listening to the audiobook and thought the narrators did a great job! There were distinct voices for all the characters that made it very easy to follow along.

10/10 recommend. Do yourself a favor and read it as soon as you can.

Ugh, I really prefer leaving 5 star reviews when I am excited to share something I want others to read. I just finished listening to the audio arc of Stay Awake and it was ok. Was it the worst book I've ever read? No, not the worst, but solidly in the middle of the pack with not a lot to get excited about, unfortunately.

The premise was interesting - a woman with amnesia who loses everything that's happened repeatedly whenever she sleeps, but it was so familiar to the Sue Watson novel Before I Go To Sleep I kept thinking I know the story. Sadly, this time it was with characters who were not fully developed or likeable. That's the bottom line in a novel - when the main character doesn't interest me (either in an evil villainy way or a lovely person in distress manner) it's hard to stay attached to the story.

The audio book was brilliantly cast - veteran narrators Imogen Church and January LaVoy are always fantastic in voicing both male and female characters. They did their jobs. They understood the assignment.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen in advance of the August 9, 2022 publication in exchange for my honest opinion.

SNORE!

I had to force myself to "stay awake" while listening to "Stay Awake".

Yes, it was that kind of book.

The author's premise was intriguing:
Unreliable protagonist Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a New York City taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there.

Apparently, after Liv's roommate and boyfriend were murdered two years ago and Liv was nearly killed in the same attack, Liv began suffering from a rare form of insomnia that caused her to lose two years of memory each time she falls asleep.

Who murdered Liv's roommate and boyfriend? Is the murderer after Liv? Why are the two words "Stay Awake" written on Liv's hands? And how/why is Liv linked to a present-day murder?

The story unfolds from two POVs, Liv and the detective investigating a present-day crime scene. Liv's POV fluctuates between the past and the present.

Unfortunately, the book was extremely slow-paced; with waaaay too much repetitious text.

Each time Liv wakes up, the author rehashed Liv's level of recall and frustrations. (SNORE!)

I listened to the audiobook read by Imogen Church and January LaVoy. Imogen Church narrated Liv's POV with a whiny, irritating, and annoying voice. January LaVoy narrated the detective's POV and, as always, did an outstanding job with the narration.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed Megan Goldin's "The Escape Room" and "The Night Swim" and I was so excited when I was approved for Megan Goldin's newest release.

Unfortunately, "Stay Awake" was a complete miss for me.

Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there... This mix between Before I go to sleep meets Memento meets 50 First Dates turned into a gripping psychological thriller that had me hooked from page one and read it in one sitting (I did have to Stay Awake to finish this!) I do however have to say that although it was better than her previous book The Night Swim I liked her first book The Escape Room better. Also, on the negative side, the two timelines and different points of views sometimes had me a little confused; I did kind of see the ending coming early on; and it was a bit repetitive at times. I read the ebook and listened to the audio. Listening to the audio was my second time through the book, which made it a bit less confusing. The narration was amazing, super dynamic with different voices for different characters. It still gets a 9/10 from me.

This was a Really Great Book. I enjoyed it so much. It is a page turner that keeps you going until you reach the end. Liv Reese is the main character, but you are never certain exactly what is happening which makes for a great thriller.

The story starts with Liv living with her roommate Amy in NYC. Everything seems to be ok, but then Liv starts to think someone is stalking her. It makes her seem crazy or paranoid. First she notices someone was in her room and her clothes and other items are out of place. She calls the police, and is treated as being over worried about nothing. She thinks someone is following her, but she can’t prove that either. One night she comes home and there is a new milk container in the fridge. She knows she did not buy it and neither did Amy. This type of gaslighting is driving her crazy, she starts to doubt her own sanity. Last, she comes home and in her closet, the dry cleaning was picked up, a casserole is being made that she did not make, and in her room there are flowers for her with a text that says ‘this is how a boyfriend should treat you’. How creepy, but also Amy thinks she is having psychological problems and is making something out of nothing. Liv calls the police and they take a report, but especially one officer makes jokes and does not take this seriously. Basically, until she can prove someone is following her, is in her apartment, or she gets hurt nothing can be done.

I did find it a bit strange that her best friend Amy constantly doubts what Liv says. She does not have a history of being terrified in the city. Her boyfriend, Marco also pays no attention to her worries. Are they involved I wondered? Eventually, we find out what was causing all this trouble and Liv decides to move to London to start over.

So, the story is quite intriguing, we do not know why Liv moved to London and now she is back in New York. She is so confused and is trying to go back to her old apartment, talk to Amy, goes to her Job, and everyone is telling her that was a long time ago. That is how the story begins, what is going on here. It ends up Liv is actually remembering her life from 2 years ago. You find out that Liv has lost her memory when she comes back to NYC. She writes notes on her hand that say Stay Awake. The reason is Liv will remember all that was told to her only for that day, but when she falls asleep, her brain resets and she starts right back at the same point 2 years ago and forgets everything that happened.

People are trying to help Liv, but she in unsure who she can trust. I man dies and she is terrified she had something to do with the murder. She may have. She does not trust the police since she doesn’t have her memory and can’t say what did happen. Luckily, two police officers Lavelle and Halliday decide to keep their minds open to all possibilities and just want to connect with Liv.

The ending was not that surprising to me, but it was not obvious. Liv is in severe danger and this time she may not be ok. I was definitely flipping the pages to see what would happen. So, I liked the ending, but thought it wrapped up a little fast. I would have liked a bit more background information. However, it was certainly quite terrifying and was afraid for Liv since she loses her memory. That was a great addition to the story.

I had both the Kindle e-book and the Audio 🎧 for this book. It made a great combination. I was that much more jumpy and terrified reading and listening at the same time. It definitely increased the tension and added to the thrill. The narration was done very well and I enjoyed the narrator, thought the voice was done very well.

Thank you NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for granting me the book and the audio. I am always happy to review books I read.

Liv loses her memory of the last 2 years every time she falls asleep. It started out strong, but it quickly became so repetitive. Think 50 First Dates x framed for murder. The characters were not particularly likeable. The twist... it felt slap dash.

Huge plot holes, unnecessary filler - Q? Whatever that was. Liv's chapters were hard to read. I understand she has amnesia and is keeping herself awake with copious amounts of caffeine, but ... she is the worst. Don't get me started on how she flew from London to New York and got an apartment.. girl can't not fall asleep on a park bench then subsequently forget everything.

I LOVED Night Swim by Megan Goldin, but this one was a big miss for me.

Really interesting premise, drawsyou in immediately. Really enjoyed this for the most part. The main character was super stupid toward the end of the book... I feel like that could have been handled better.
Overall, very entertaining and I liked the ending.

I went back and forth between the egalley I got for this book and the audio egalley.

Whoa!! Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was a wild ride. It certainly kept me awake reading it well into the night. The funny thing about the book is that I actually figured out the "whodunnit" puzzle very early on in the book. While I, of course, wanted to keep reading to verify I was right, I also wanted to keep reading because I felt personally invested in Liv's wellbeing. I have no idea whether a condition like hers actually exists, but it SEEMED plausible, and given that, I can't imagine how vulnerable a person would be who had such a condition: Live had a type of amnesia that at a certain traumatic point in her life, her memories just stopped and every time she sleeps she forgets everything that happened up until shortly before that traumatic event. In this case, the book opened two years after the event so everyone Liv had met, every place she had lived, every action she, herself had taken prior to the last time she slept was totally forgotten. It you have seen the movie Fifty First Dates, that is what Liv's condition reminded me of, only terrifying because she was seemingly all alone with no one looking out for her and someone wanting to kill her and/or frame her for murder.....or did she actually kill someone? It was a mind-trip to say the least. Even trying to write a review, it is difficult to describe the breathlessness the reader feels while navigating the story with Liv. I appreciated the alternating points of view: A female detective investigating a murder Liv is somehow tied to, Liv in the past leading up to her traumatic event, and Liv in the current day trying to navigate her circumstances with no memory, and no help other than the writing she does on her own body with notes of instructions for herself such as "Stay Awake" or "Don't Talk to the Cops". I did think it helped make it more believable that there were actually a few "strangers" who seemed to know a bit about her condition and attempted to help her even though she didn't remember them.

Basically, this thriller was a unique premise, and a true page turner. Stay Awake was my third book I have read by Megan Goldin, and while I didn't quite love it as much as Night Swim, it was awesome. Megan Goldin is a must read author for me.

Thank you MacMillan audio for the chance to listen to this excellent suspense book. Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is my kind of suspense book as it blends in themes on memory, unreliable narrators (in an interesting and refreshing way!), and trust with effective pacing and strong use of dual timelines and for me strong suspense and an engaging plot. The story, briefly: Liv wakes up with no memory of where she is/what happened (but with a bloody knife), realizes she really has significant loss of memory but is connected to a recent murder; a police investigation of the murder and Liv and her history; backstory that leads up to Liv's current situation. My summary here doesn't do justice to the story of course but it's really a suspense book best gone into with little information; enjoy the plot, the effective suspense that was enhanced on audiobook for me (and listening in the early dark hours of the morning certainly made the book feel creepier!), and think about the elusiveness and limitations of memory and trust.

The narration of Liv's chapters really grew on me as her story unravelled, I thought this emotional tone, stress, and anxiety that Liv was feeling was really well conveyed. This really added to the tension for me in some key scenes, such as when Liv receives a creepy phone call or events that happen in the past in her apartment. Well done! I also though the narration of the chapters with the police investigation were great, the style and pacing was well done and sounded, in a good way, like police procedurals on TV, I found the narration believable and matched how I expect detectives to talk.

Great audiobook production that really made a good suspense plot stronger!

This is my first book by Megan Goldin and I’m excited to go back and read her others I’ve heard such great things about. You know you have a good thriller when you want to continue doing chores to listen to the very end. Thrillers are always exciting for me because I don’t read them to often but when I do I always wonder why I don’t. This book makes me ask that question. I loved the split narrative as well as multiple timelines… I felt like I was right alongside of Liv learning what she has forgotten. Full of suspense and drama I needed to find out what the heck was going on. Easily listened to in one day and went in blindly and let the shenanigans unfold which then left me wide eyed.

Listened to the audiobook.
I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.
Ummmm, this was kind of dumb. The plot twist and the big reveal at the end weren't anything special.

Pros: I went into this book with high expectations because it has gotten great reviews on Goodreads. Although I didn’t enjoy it as much as other reviewers, I’d recommend this book to readers who love thrillers with unreliable narrators and characters with memory loss. I read this book both on ebook and audiobook and think it works well in both formats.

Cons: I read a good number of thrillers, and this one didn’t stand out as anything special, hence the three stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan for the opportunity to read this book.

It was good. Reminded me a bit of 50 first dates with the dark overtone. I was excited to get this book but it just didn't do it. The ending was very anti-climatic. Big plot holes.. Main character can't remember her own address but somehow booked flights and moved from London to New York on her own. Come on....

Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. This is an thriller about Liv Reese, who has amnesia every time she sleeps. This was fast paced and I loved it!

Stay Awake By :Megan Goldin
4 Stars

The Narration of the Audio book is one of my favorites. All of Megan Goldin's audiobooks are in some of my favorites.

Imagine every time you fell asleep you forgot everything about what you did the day before.
That is what happens for Liv Reese after she lives thru a horrific event and every time she falls asleep she forgets everything from that morning to present day 2.5 years later.

She has 'notes written' All over her arms to help her remember but even that is just clues on what her life is now.
She left NY and moved to London for 2 years and has no memory of it. But now she is back in NY and someone is after her. But without a memory lasting more than a few hours/day how will she get out of this. She must STAY AWAKE to figure it out at all costs.

Definate Thrill from beginning to end.

Rating: 3
Author: Megan Goldin
Publication Date: 8/9/2022

This book was okay, it was a bit too slow paced and long for me. I listened to the audiobook and while I liked the narrator I constantly found my mind wondering because the book itself was not holding my attention.

I found the story to be a little repetitive. I understand with the premise of the story some repetition is necessary but the way it was written could have been better. The author kept telling the reader instead of showing the reader. Also, every chapter almost felt like the same scene over and over. While listening to some of the flashback chapters I was wondering how they fit into the overall story. Honestly, I found that most of them didn’t. They didn’t add anything new and didn’t help explain anything that wasn’t obvious in my opinion. They were mostly added in as filler which wasn’t needed since the book was already being dragged out.

I cannot imagine waking up and not remembering anything from the day before. But I feel as though there is so much more Liz could have done to help better her situation. I found her character to be a little frustrating and most of her actions/decisions annoyed me. This could have just been a me thing.

Something that irked me was there is no numbering on chapters and instead they are all labeled ‘Stay awake’. Again, I understand why but when listening to this on audiobook it made it a nightmare to move around. I’m not sure if it’s going to change when the book is published but that's how my advance copy was.

Overall, this book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t an enjoyable thriller in my opinion. I feel as though there are other thrillers that have a similar premise that are done better. With that being said I do think this one will be popular. So if the synopsis sounds interesting I recommend you check it out.

Thank you so much @macmillan.audio for the #gifted copy on #netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

tay Awake by Megan Goldin follows Liv Reese after she 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 now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE. Two years prior, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and 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, the same 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 as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget―permanently.

Stay Awake made me stay awake all night in order to finish this book. Stay Awake has the ultimate unreliable narrator in Liv Reese who struggles with a rare kind of amnesia. This book is highly reminiscent of the Christopher Nolan movie memento and a super fast-paced read. Like most Megan Goldin's books, I couldn't put it down. Megan Goldin is quickly becoming one of my favorite thriller/mystery authors and I would highly recommend her books.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a thriller that can be binged in single day, or let's say a single sitting, mark your calendars and get a copy of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. The story starts innocuously, and you might think you've read this before, let me tell you - you haven't. It's fresh, thrilling and completely unputdownable. Now, I did guess a major twist and also the killer, BUT that didn't in any way hinder my reading experience. That says something about how good the book was, right?

Also, in my opinion the best way to read any suspense/thriller book is to go in blind, or if you must, just know the bare minimum. So, here's all you need to know - It is dual POV, one follows homicide detective Darcy Halliday investigating a gruesome murder, the second follows Liv Reese, a twenty something woman suffering from a rare case of amnesia where every time she goes to sleep, her memory resets to the same day two years before, and she forgets everything that happened between this timeframe. One timeline is full of confusion, distrust and paranoia, the other is a brisk police procedural. Like I said, simply unputdownable!

Now, you ask - is this whole situation realistic? Probably not. But, what it is, is an immensely interesting and fast paced story that will surely keep the readers engaged up until the very end.

The audio was excellently done. Imogen Church is an exceptional thriller narrator and January LaVoy was the perfect voice for Detective Darcy.