From the minute I read the blurb of this book, I knew I had to read it and I'm so glad I did. It was even better than I could have hoped it would be. When I first started reading, I was a little concerned at how long it was in comparison to other books in the genre, but in the end, the length felt perfect. Often times when I am reading a book where it is very obvious that there are secrets being kept from the reader, it gets frustrating and also seems incredibly unrealistic, but in the case of this story it worked incredibly well. The obvious secrets that were just out of reach put the reader in the mindset of the main character and makes them sympathize with her even more than they would if they knew everything that had happened in her past from the beginning.

The only thing that keeps me from rating this 5 stars is I wish there had been more revealed about the culprit's m0tives, namely why he targeted Liv the way he did. I assume that the author was intending to imply that it was mainly just a means for him to try and cover up his crimes, but it just feels like there should have been more to it than that.

This book was wild! I enjoyed it better than The Night Swim because the pace was so much faster. I can’t imagine waking up everyday with no memory of what happened the day before. I have it 4 stars because there were a few inconsistencies in the storyline, but this is an unfinished copy so I’m aware that those are probably fixed now. Definitely a daytime read for me as it officially creeped me out 😂. This one is going to be a hit when it releases!

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with a bloody knife. She can’t remember the last 2 years, let alone the night before. With a memory that only lasts until she falls asleep, her only clues are notes written on her hands, including ‘Stay Awake’. When she hears about a murder with the words Stay Awake written on the window, she spirals. Did she or didn’t she?
This was a GREAT read! I couldn’t put it down… it kept me guessing until the end. Compelling and fast-paced, definitely one you should check out!

Stay Awake is a twisty take on the movie Groundhog Day-but instead of the clock rewinding to the same twenty four hours, every time Liv falls asleep she wakes up unable to remember the last two years of her life. Touchstones from that time-roommate Amy and boyfriend Marco- seem to never have existed, forcing Liv to wander aimlessly in search of clues to her past. The only thing for Liv to hold onto are notes scribbled on her hand reminding her to Stay Awake and Don't Trust Anyone. Liv fights the urge to sleep because when she wakes up her life is a nightmare, made terrifyingly worse when Liv sees news of a murder with the words Wake Up! written on the victim's window. But is Liv a victim herself, or a cold blooded murderer? Stay Awake is an engrossing and wildly entertaining thriller. There's no way to predict if Liv is lying to herself or the police. Even detectives investigating the murder can't piece together the puzzle that is Liv. Stay Awake is mercifully brief-you'll get to the end before you've noticed any time has passed-almost like waking up and forgetting where you are. But unlike Liv, you won't have to remind yourself to Stay Awake- the cat and mouse plot will keep you up long after bedtime.

WOW! This book had me thinking of how awful it would be to wake up everyday and not remember anything. The storyline def made you question how it was going to turn out! Kept my attention the entire time! Highly recommend!

Even though there are still plot holes and unanswerable questions about some suspects and murderer’s motives, I’m still rounding up 4.5 stars 5 blazing, exciting, riveting page turner stars!

I really liked this book ! From the first page the story takes off you and doesn’t let go. The mystery is twisted up with the main character, Liv , who has a terrible memory loss. She doesn’t remember two years of her memory after a vicious attack that left her for dead. On top of that she is also suffering from extreme short term memory loss. Every time she goes to sleep she remembers nothing that happened before falling asleep. Her condition is complicated by insomnia by her keeping herself awake as long as possible.
The story does jump between time lines so make sure you check the heading of each chapter.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book !

Wow!! What a fantastic thriller. It’s been a very long time since I couldn’t put a book down and this one was SO HARD to put down. I loved the multiple pov, unreliable characters, and how the main character couldn’t remember things. I’ve never read a book like this before. The only I wasn’t happy with was the ending. I was really hoping there would be more of an explanation as to why Brett was stalking Liv. I also felt like the ending was very rushed. After such a long and extensive plot I was hoping for more of an ending. Nonetheless this book was so so good!!

Oh my goodness! What a heart pounding story. I can't imagine forgetting everything every day. But it does add to the story in a big way. The twists and turns pulled me in and kept me engrossed. Did she really kill someone and forget? I didn't see the ending coming. Excellent book!

👁👁👁 out of 5

Book In Emojis
👁🩸🪟 🔪 👞 🌸 ⏳🚫😴☎️

Pub Date: August 9, 2022
Pages: 352
Genre: Thriller Mystery

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own 📙

This was my first Megan Goldin novel and won’t be my last. This book was indeed a “thrill” to read.

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with no idea where she or how she got there. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at her desk one summer day. It’s now fall and over two years later. Everything Liv remembers is from before that phone call. With no memory, no phone, and only a bloody knife in her possession, Liv notices she’s written “Stay Awake” all over her hands. What happens if she falls asleep? Why does she have a bloody knife? Is that really her on the local news wanted for a crime? What did she do last night? Liv can’t fill in the blanks but someone can. Is this person a friend or foe? You’ll have to read “Stay Awake” if you want to know…

Let me just tell you something. Don’t start this book at night because you’ll absolutely “Stay Awake” to finish it! Immediately gripping and action packed. This story is told from multiple POVs and two different time lines. I will say I had it figured out pretty early on so, where the mystery for me was dead the thrill was very much still alive. I love a good ending and this story had it. Left me wanting more. If you love mystery, suspense, and a good thrill this book is for you!

Pros
Fast Paced
Action packed

Con
Predictable

https://www.instagram.com/p/CcnZKLWrpLW/

A huge thank you to Netgalley, St Martins Press and Megan Goldin for this e-ARC!

Wow my head is spinning. This book takes you on a wild 24 hours with some 2 years prior past scenes sprinkled in. The chapters are very short making it hard to ever want to put it down. I sort of had an idea who was the main culprit but that didn't take away from the story in any shape. I'm sad it's over because now I'm on a high.

This author is an auto buy author for me!

I’m a huge Megan Goldin fan. The premise of this book is very unique & draws you in from the jump. My only complaint is it was a little hard to follow at times - there’s some flashbacks that jump to current time as well as the perspective of different characters. There’s also a lot of characters the main character interacts with so I found myself confused at some points. However I could not put this down! It captures you & it’s a wild ride. Definitely recommend if you love a psychological thriller.

Wow!!!! This book was great! The pacing was fast but easy to follow.. I was racing through this book because I just had to find out what was going on. The author did a really good job of holding out until the end. Although one of the main characters suffered from a severe form of amnesia, it was not cumbersome. The author was able to still propel the story forward without being redundant and annoying. Most of the loose ends were tied up by end but I still have one lingering question.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and could not put it down. I guess you could say it is unputdownable.

I don't say it often, but this book was amazing. I loved reading this from beginning to end. The complexity of the story actually keeps you guessing. I'm very impressed with the authors ability to keep the storyline straight with the multiple timelines and the amnesia aspect of the main character. I saw someone call it "50 First Dates", but add murder. When the main character, Liv, would do something that wasn't a good idea given her condition I found myself yelling at her in my head. Almost like in a scary movie when you tell them "Don't go in there!" because you know the danger that awaits them. I was scared for her and felt her vulnerability through the authors writing. She made you care for Liz and want to protect her. I was so wrapped up in this book I didn't want to let it go when it was over.

I'm very thankful to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this ARC. This will be an instant best seller.

While I did enjoy this, I think there were several parts that could’ve been expanded upon. It ultimately left me wanting more, and the ending/big reveal felt rushed. Not great by any means but good enough to hold my interest. It’s a quick read

Liv Reese has to stay awake, because if she doesn't, if she falls asleep, she will forget everything that happened in the last two years.

Well, the story certainly succeeded in keeping me awake.

Told in multiple timelines and from two points of view (Liv in the present, Liv in the past, and the detective investigating the case), this book is a real page turner.

Liv Reese suffers from an unusual type of amnesia due to trauma suffered two years ago. In order to stay awake she has had STAY AWAKE printed all over her arms. But she soon becomes a suspect when the same words are found written, in blood, on a window where a brutal homicide has been committed.

While desperately trying to stay awake with tons of caffeine, Liv has to solve what happened in the past, while evading a killer who is after her. The story is impressively well researched with some interesting medical and forensic facts.

Police procedural and a psychological thriller intertwined.
The only downside was a paucity of suspects, which spoiled the ending a bit for me.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC of this riveting read.

Ok this is it! I can’t stop talking about this book! This kept me hooked from beginning to end. I can’t wait to get a physical copy once it comes out!!

It's been a while since I have read a thriller that genuinely had me guessing for so much of the story, and it was so refreshing! This twisty creepy book reminded me why this genre can be so fun.
Liv wakes up one day and everything feels a little bit off. She quickly realizes that something is wrong with her memory. And to make matters worse, there was a murder the day before and as far as she can tell, she's a suspect. All she has to help her at first are some notes she wrote on her hands that say things like "stay awake* and "wake up"
This story is a bit confusing at the beginning because Liv's memory issues make her a bit unreliable as a narrator. As the book progresses, you get some other perspectives (for example, the detective working on that same murder case that Liv is worried she's involved in) and these outside views help clarify what is real or not.
There are several different interconnected mysteries in this book, which is nice. Even though I was able to accurately guess one twist fairly early on, there was still a lot left to discover!
This book is going on my list of recommended thrillers and I'm excited for more people to read it!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC to read and review.

TW: memory loss/amnesia, murder, blood, drugging someone's drink

This book was probably my most anticipated read of 2022. I love Goldin's previous books and this one did not disappoint. This book was thrilling from the first page and the story line kept me interested. However, I am rating this 3 stars because I feel like I still had questions at the end of the book. I will continue to read Goldin's books as she is an amazing writer. I really just needed more of the details to be explained and brought to a conclusion.

Having loved Night Swim I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book. Stay Awake is about a women Liv who forgets everything every time she falls asleep. When she wakes up next to a dead body holding a knife she flees, desperate to figure out what’s going on. The book jumps from past to present taking the reader through what happened to Liv and ends with a shocking conclusion.

Yet another fabulous book by this author and I’m so thankful for Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.