Read it straight through without putting it down. Fantastic keep you on the edge wanting to know more book. Hence I couldn't put it down.

I loved this so much!! Memento is one of my favorite movies and I loved the inspiration that was taken from it for this story. I did get a little confused with the different jumps in time and keeping track of what was happening when, but it didn’t bother me that much. I couldn’t get enough of it and loved the twists along the way. I didn’t guess the “whodunnit” part of the story, which I always appreciate. Would love to see this one become a movie!

Liz wakes up in the back of a cab with the words Stay Awake written on her skin and no memory of how she got there. What makes matters worse, every time she falls asleep, she wakes up with no knowledge of the last two years of her life. What unfolds is a fast-paced thriller that is a real page turner. The author did a great job showing how chaotic and paranoid it is in Liz’s world. There is more than one timeline to follow but they do their job of giving pieces of information to help show the whole story.

Overall, I really did enjoy this thriller. I found myself engaged in reading the story and while I normally don’t like unreliable narrators, I did enjoy following Liz around and watching as she tried to piece together what was happening to her.

I want to thank NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’ve always loved the mystery of the amnesia angle and thankfully this book does not disappoint. Liv finds herself in a desperate situation that she does not understand which of course immediately pulls the reader in. The story shifts between present day Liv and Liv from two years ago where the flashbacks move forward in time slowly revealing the story of how we first find Liv in the present. The narrative also shifts to the detectives working on the case that will involve Liv. I normally complain about flashbacks and multiple narratives but this time they work to weave the story expertly together. I love twisty mysteries and usually see them coming but this one left me unsure almost until the reveal. The tension is incredibly well done as the reader is left in the dark like Liv is. The pacing is quick and the book so well written I couldn’t put it down so clear your schedule before you get started!

The concept of this book is brilliant — a woman with a rare form of amnesia that causes her forget everything when she falls asleep — and the execution was incredible. Every chapter was better and better, with twists that kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat.

The author is so skilled at taking a fairly simple concept and fleshing it out in a way that’s compelling, thrilling, engaging, shocking, and original without being too outlandish or unbelievable. The skill that it takes to put the pieces together and slowly lure the reader in any direction that you want them to go is so impressive.

Initially, I wanted a little bit more out of the ending — maybe more insight into the killer’s mind — but the entire book takes place over the course of a day or two, so the ending works!

Overall, this was a fun, fantastic read! It was my first book by Megan Goldin so I’m excited to read more from her.

Liv Reese wakes up disoriented in a cab unaware of where she’s been or what’s going on. She has the messages “STAY AWAKE”, “DON’T TRUST ANYONE”, & “WAKE UP” scribbled on her hands. She doesn’t know what any of it means. She is also covered in blood and is in possession of a knife. The reader soon understands that Liv has lost a large part of her memory and appears to be suffering from amnesia that occurs every time she falls asleep. This causes confusion and paranoia as Liv tries to piece together her life.
Over the course of the next chapters we flashback to 2 years prior and detectives working to solve a murder. Could Liv be responsible for this murder? I found the flashbacks to be my favorite parts. This was a fast paced enjoyable thriller that keeps the reader engaged and frantically turning the page to see what happens next. I love that this wasn’t a typical mystery to solve and your everyday whodunit.
This was a 4 * read. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the EArc and the chance to review it!

This book was extremely fast paced and I loved the plot! As soon as I picked this book up I knew it would be good! I feel like the downfalls were that some of the details were rushed through and the twist could’ve been better. I also found that there were so many characters that I could hardly keep track of everyone and found myself getting confused. Overall, such a good fast paced thriller with a plot that was different than the typical who done it.

R E V I E W
Stay Awake
Megan Goldin
August 9 2022

★★★★☆

Thank you Netgalley and St Martins Press for the eArc in return for an honest review.

The story starts with our main character Liv Reese waking up in the back of a cab and has no idea how she got there. Scribbled in ink are the words STAY AWAKE on her hands. She sees a news report of a murder and written on the window are the same words written on her hands!!!
Liv suffers from amnesia. When she awakens she thinks it's 2 years in the past. Having no recollection of the last two years. Told in dual timelines we journey with Liv as she tries to piece together the last two years of her life all while trying to stay awake. If Liv falls asleep we're back to 2 years prior with no recollection of previous events.

This is a face paced book. It's told in dual timelines. Following Liv in the past 2 years prior and the present. I really enjoyed it.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of the taxi and has no clue how she got there. She has writing all over her hands and arms saying things like “stay awake” “don’t trust anyone” and “wake up”. She goes to her apartment only to find out that she hasn’t lived there in two years. In her pocket, she finds a knife covered in blood and has no memory of how it got there. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the murder of a man found in an apartment with the words “wake up” written in blood on the window. Could Liv be responsible? Why can’t she remember anything since she fell asleep?

What an incredible idea for a thriller. I truly have never read anything like this and I was hooked from the very first page. A woman who forgets everything when she falls asleep?? What a perfect set up for a thriller! I felt terrible for Liv. I knew even if she was responsible for the murder, there was no way she knew what she was doing. I can’t imagine being that helpless and confused. I also loved all the detective work that Halliday was doing. She trusted her instincts and didn’t just go for the most obvious answer. This was such a well written and addictive book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves a fast paced thriller!

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. This book had me guessing from the first page. Who is Liv? Why can't she remember? Did she commit a crime? The story moves back and forth between the past and present. In the past are the events and relationships leading up to the trauma that causes Liv to lose her memory. In the present, is Liv trying to piece together the details of her life only to lose them all once again each time she falls asleep. I truly never saw the twists and turns coming and enjoyed this book so much. This is only the second book by Megan Goldin that I've read but I'll be sure to read the others.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
I really enjoyed this novel, well written, loved the characters, they we relatable and I felt empathy for the main character.
Liv shows up at her apartment to find other people living there, she is confused, she asks to use a phone, she can see this apartment does not belong to her but knows she used to live there, back out on the street she realizes she is carrying a knife with blood on it. She disposes of the knife. Liv becomes aware of writing on her hands and arms, she reads the words stay awake!
This novel takes us through Liv's days as she has to remember who people are and where she lives on a daily basis. This was a gripping novel, a must read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers. Very well written, the author engages her audience right from the beginning, the characters are well introduced and described. The story takes us between Liv's past and present. I highly recommend this book, I will be looking for more novels by this author.

Ok, this is a bit inspired by 50 First Dates with the main character losing her memory every time she falls asleep. Combine that with your typical psychological thriller/unexplained murder and that is the overall plot. Nothing too original here but I was able to finish it. What I did not like was that the "solve" was so predictable I was sure there had to be something unexpected coming--would it really be so obvious? Yes, it was that obvious so the last half of the book kind of dragged because you could basically chart out the rest.

This was really good and had me guessing the whole time. I really enjoyed the flashbacks, and thought it was well done going back and forth on POVs and present/past. Solid 4 stars.

This was such a great story! I cannot imagine how frightening it would be to have amnesia. Liv cannot remember the last two years of her life and every time she falls asleep she forgets whatever it is she’s figured out that particular day. An endless loop of a nightmare! Throw in a murder (or three) and you’ve got a heckuva mystery!

Every time Liz Reese wakes up she doesn't remember anything from the last two years. Liz tries everyday not to fall asleep. The mystery throughout is discovering everything about Liz as she discovers it herself. The downside to the story is you're only following Liz and the police so there's not a lot of input. The mood is creepy and Liz's life makes you feel like you're running out of time.

This thriller follows Liv who loses her memories every time she falls asleep. Liv wakes up to a bloody knife in her possession and at the same time there is a detective who is investigating the crime of a murdered man.

This thriller already had one of my biggest fears, which is the need to stay awake. Throughout this novel, I was rooting so hard for Liv to fight against her tiredness and regain her memories.

This novel takes place in the span of twenty four hours and has some flashbacks. Once the novel ended I realized everything Liv just went through only happened in a day, which is crazy.

The reveal wasn't a shocking one for me and I think some people are gonna easily guess the truth. However, I did enjoy the writing and the rollercoaster we were taken on.

What a WILD ride! Short chapters and a whole lot of suspense. I was on the edge of my seat right up until the very end! Highly recommend!

Liv Reese wakes up in a strange apartment next to a dead stranger. She doesn't know where she is, who the man is, or why the words "WAKE UP!" are written on the window in blood. In fact, Liv Reese doesn't know anything about the past two years of her life. She forgets everything each time she falls asleep. A dark story unfolds as Liv tries to remember who she is, and the police investigate who killed this stranger. Stay Awake is a nail-biting adventure that leaves the reader on edge as they consider "what if this happened to me?" Megan Goldin has quickly become one of my new favorite authors. Her previous two novels, The Escape Room and The Night Swim are also fantastic reads for fans of tightly-wound thrillers.
.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

The premise for this story sounds enthralling. I don't pick thrillers up too often, and I was excited to read a story about a woman who can't remember anything more recent than two years ago, and is covered in inked reminders to herself, such as: "WAKE UP!".

This story did not work for me. When you have an unreliable narrator with amnesia, you question everything, including who you should care about. Even in her flashbacks to two years ago, Liv was not a character that resonated in any deep way. There weren't any characters that connected me to the story; merely a plot of redundant information that caused me to skim. I reached some good bits around seventy percent of the way into the story, then the conclusion took a nose dive and felt like a disappointment. I didn't feel the tension of a thriller, or any interest in the outcome for any of the characters, which is unfortunate.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this eARC thanks to St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

DO NOT START THIS BOOK BEFORE BED! You will definitely want to Stay Awake to finish it in one sitting!

Reading this made me feel like I was chugging caffeine along with the main character. I was jitttery, anxious, and having a hard time sleeping. It takes a great writer to immerse you completely in the tale and actually impact your mood and thoughts.

Fast paced and fun. Perfect summer thriller