While a bit difficult to follow at times, Stay Awake is a pretty solid read and inventive thriller. If you enjoyed Memento, this one is for you. I'd be interested to reread this now that I know where all the pieces fell for our main character.

Wow, this was SO GOOD. Liv wakes up in the backseat of a car with the words 'Stay Awake' on her hands, she can't remember anything from the past two years. That's all you need to know. This book is fast paced, smart, and so very thrilling. My absolute favorite from Megan Goldin so far.

I had no problem “staying awake” while I read this fast-paced thriller!

After having read The Night Swim by Megan Goldin (which is one of my favorite books- a complete five star read), I could not wait to get my hands on her latest book, Stay Awake. I knew before I even read it that I was going to love it! The character of Liv Reese was developed and described so perfectly, it was hard not to become totally absorbed in these pages.

I recommend going into this book totally blind, but make sure to pay very close attention to all the characters and details (make sure to stay very awake for that). I’m usually pretty good at guessing how a story will unfold (after you read as many thrillers as I have, they seem easy to figure out), but this one threw me for a loop! I didn’t guess how this story would unfold at all!

I’m not sure what it is, but there is something that is bothering me with the ending. Maybe a bit unbelievable, so that is why I’m knocking off one star. Otherwise, I highly recommend reading this book!

I would also like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. Publication date is August 9, 2022.

WOW! Megan Goldin really brought it with her newest novel, Stay Awake. A woman wakes up with no recent memories with STAY AWAKE written all over her. She soon realizes she is in imminent danger, and tries to figure out what is going on before it is too late. After loving The Night Swim and think The Escape Room was just okay, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about her newest; but I am here to tell you this may be Goldin's best work yet. With an unreliable amnesiac narrator, the reader is just as confused as the poor main character is. The first half does a great job putting together the pieces of her background, but once the book gets to the last 48 hours my anticipation really started to build. I could not wait for all the pieces to come together! This book was twisty, stressful, and full of mystery. I felt like it wrapped up pretty well, although I do feel like one piece of the puzzle was not fully addressed. Either way, Stay Awake is a must read!!

Honestly one of the better thrillers I’ve read in awhile. I normally figure out whodunnit early on in most thrillers, however, this one had me guessing to the very end!

This is also my very first Megan Golden book but definitely not my last!

This book is split between two timelines between Liv Reese and Detective Halliday. The timelines with Liv alternate between the present time and her last memory of 2 years ago. This does make her story a little hard to follow.

Every time Liv Reese asleep, her memory resets and she wakes up with no recollection of the past 2 years. One morning she wakes up in the back of a cab with a bloody knife with no memory of how she got it or where it came from. She then finds herself trying to find familiarity and what is happening. With each chapter, we learn a little more about Liv, and I couldn’t help but feel for her.

Overall, I was very happy with this action packed, page turner!

Thank you to Net Galley, St. Martin’s Press, and Megan Goldin for this ARC copy.

Enjoyable quick read if you’re able to suspend disbelief surrounding medical knowledge of sleep and insomnia.

This book caught my attention from the very first that page and was hard to put down. I read the book in 2 days snd then couldn't start another book for a few more days since I had to process what I read.

Let me say Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to read this novel true pleasure!

I loved the The Night Swim by the same author and I was glad to see a totally different concept!

Liv Reese wakes up and doesn't know who she is and starts to do and go to places she remembers. She fibds early on she suffers from a rare memory condition. She cant remember anything within a two year span. Come to find out she doesn't live in her house anymore, she can't get a hold of her best friend or boyfriend, and her job isn't what she remembers it to be. As things unravel she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation and trying to understand how this all fits together with her.

I truly enjoyed this book and the concept. The characters were great and I did sympathize with Liv because who would want to go to sleep knowing you wouldn't remember? Overall wonderful book. Another one I truly enjoyed from this author! It did get a little confusing keeping up with The alternating storylines from two years ago and current but it wasn't too concerning.

I gave 4 stars out of 5!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The book sucked me in right from page 1 and held my attention all the way to the end. I read a lot of thrillers and this was another good one

You know that feeling you get when you read a mystery and you feel on edge from the book? I really got that from this one. Stay Awake follows Liv Reece whose last memory is from two years ago as she wakes up in an unfamiliar place with words scribbled on her arms and hands reminding her to "stay awake" and to "wake up." At the same time, detective Darcy Holliday is finding that message written at the scene of a murder making Liv their number one suspect.
This one really kept me on my toes since literally everyone in the book is figuring out what happened as the book went on making it really suspenseful. this was such a well-done psychological thriller. I've been a big fan of Megan Goldin since The Night Swim and this solidified her as a must-buy author for me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book and couldn't read it fast enough. I was up late a few nights after work reading it. I liked how the storyline was structured so that we learned a little at a time until it all came together in the end. I would definitely recommend this book.

Meh. I really wanted to like this book. It had a great concept. I was disappointed with how the “Groundhog Day” played out. Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my review.

I love this authors other books so I was super excited to get the ARC of her latest. Many thanks again to netgalley and St Martins press. Wow what a book. This was a fast paced thrill ride to the very end and would make a great movie. Well done.

I enjoyed this book a ton I have to say except for the final reveal which was a little disappointing in my opinion. I have read The Night Swim by Megan Goldin and absolutely loved it so I am looking forward to picking up her other books! Overall very good! I would also be interested in “The escape room” as well.

Wow! Loved this psychological thriller. Well executed with an unsettling yet gripping plotline that made me want to keep reading. The ending had a great twist and tied up nicely. Absolutely recommend if you are looking for a suspenseful thriller. Best going in blind.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Signs of a good thriller - cancelling all plans/responsibilities to read, done in under 24 hours, mild heart palpitations, and severe mistrust in all characters. Happy to announce that Stay Awake delivered!

This book really had 3 POVs - Liv, present time, suffering from severe memory loss issues due to a traumatic event she cannot remember; Liv, two years earlier, in the days leading up to the traumatic event; and a 3rd person POV of the detectives investigating a murder - possibly connected to Liv. I loved this structure and felt like Goldin left readers with just enough to keep reading at the end of each chapter.

There were only a few random loose ends that I didn’t feel were resolved appropriately, however it wasn’t anything that affected the plot. Can’t wait for this one to hit shelves in August - I NEED to debrief!

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is 50 First Dates meets Memento but in book form. This was a really good thriller that I stayed up late to read. With dual timelines, the pace never slows down in this book.

This is my second Megan Goldin ever and of the year. The Night Swim put this book on my radar and Stay Awake is going to make any Megan Goldin book an automatic must-read.

THANK YOU, Megan Goldin and NetGalley for this ARC.

WOW! What an incredible psychological mind trip of a story. This is my first novel by Megan Goldin but I can say I will read whatever she puts out. The book captured me in a breathless, nail biting wave of anxiety from page 1 to done; all read in one sitting because I could not put it down. Goldin could teach a master-class in the art of alternate timelines while not losing plot or reader engagement.
For all fans of psychological suspense/thriller, this is your next read!

The beginning was intriguing - it felt like it opened up in the middle of the book. Like we had been immersed in it already. For atleast 30% of the book I had no idea what was going on but I was increasingly getting curious about Liv's condition and how it came to be.

Over time it was slowly revealed what had been going on all along and it felt very satisfying. I also liked Detective Halliday and would love to see more of her in upcoming novels. She seems like an arresting character and her relationship with her work partner was rather interesting.

The only thing I would have liked more is to have the motive spelled out. I understood the motive but I'd have liked to understand better why a character had behaved in a certain way.

Megan wrote well - at one point I suspected the detectives, this is how clueless I was and was racing to finish the book.

Summary:
Our main character, Liv Reese, wakes up in a taxi cab with no memory of how she got there. When the cab finally reaches its destination she is relieved to see she is back to her New York City apartment. From here Liv Reese starts to see everything she holds true start to fall apart.

Liv finds a new couple has moved into her home seemingly overnight and her roommate Amy is nowhere to be found, after being ushered out she finds herself trying to piece together what happened to her life. Why isn't her boyfriend's number in service anymore, why is it so cold when she fell asleep it was mid-July? Most importantly why does she have a bloodstained knife wrapped in a white shirt in her hands? The only clue Liv Reese has to go on is the STAY AWAKE scribbled on her hands and "don't trust anyone" all over her arms.

Spoiler-Free Book Review
Easily 4.5 stars out of 5! (I very rarely pick up psychological thrillers because I get scared easily but if you're like me READ THIS you'll love it)

What do you say about a book that has a plotline driven by the absence of information... A LOT! This book is one I'm looking forward to purchasing when it comes out to have a hard copy on my shelf. It is a master class in suspense and psychological thriller.

As you can tell from the summary, Live Reese is an unreliable narrator, she doesn't have a good grasp on what has happened and what is currently happening. This leads to a fascinating feeling of thrill for the reader as they can try various methods of anticipating where the plot is going. Is Liv Reese's stream of consciousness the best to follow? Is she crazy? Is she too trusting or is she too apprehensive? I personally did not know where this book was going to end until the last 18 pages which is a rare treat.

The timeline bounces from 2 years prior (Liv's last memory before she fell asleep in the taxi) to the present day as well as the perspective of two police detectives. The chapters each left off exactly at the spot you think you're about to learn something new. This worked beautifully because each chapter was so short.

Quick-paced, witty, suspenseful, but overall a very satisfying read with great characters and a unique plotline!