Stay Awake by Megan Goldin follow our protagonist, Liv Reese, as she tries to figure out what is going on with her life. The biggest obstacle? Liv forgets everything that has happened the last two years every time she falls asleep. Liv tries to solve the mystery of her memory by staying highly caffeinated and just when she is close to an answer, she falls asleep from exhaustion only to lose all the progress she has made. Someone else lives in her old apartment. When she calls her friends, strangers answer the phone. When she goes to a bar she has never entered before, the bartender knows her drink of choice. She has notes written all over her hands in her handwriting telling her to Stay Awake! Liv needs to find out what is happening, and fast. Because there has also been a murder and Liv is a suspect.

This book reminded me of why I absolutely love thrillers. This book blends the ideas behind the movies 50 First Dates and Memento with the memory loss and the idea of making notes about everything to help Liv know what she needs to do. I found myself unable to put this book down. Between the mystery the police were trying to solve and the thrilling elements of Liv trying to put together what is going on, this book was a ride from start to finish.

There is one thing in thrillers that I really despise most times and that is an unreliable narrator. Whether they are unreliable because they have been drinking and can’t be trusted as useful or if they are just withholding information from the reader that will come out at a very convenient point in the story, I usually cannot stand it. But I really loved this book because of it. The reader is unraveling the mystery with Liv. You don’t know who you can trust because Liv doesn’t know who to trust. It was so well done.

I will say that I did guess the reveal at the end but that doesn’t take away from the story at all. The author also doesn’t hand feed the reader every single way that the plot threads connect. I think that everything was wrapped up really well but I think some people may not take the time to think about why everything is wrapped up without having a character say “oh this was happening because of that which lead to this and that.” I am someone who appreciates when an author allows the reader to puzzle stuff together so I really enjoyed it.

I can see this book being one that a lot of people talk about and I cannot wait to see it.

This book, about a woman who loses her memory every time she falls asleep, reminded me a lot of the movie Memento. I loved the disorienting feeling of not knowing what has happened in her past and whether or not she can be trusted.

I really like how the POV switches between our unreliable narrator Liv, and the detective working a homicide case. Through the detective's investigation, the reader can piece together some of Liv's movements over the last few weeks.

The way the reader couldn't fully trust Liv because she couldn't trust herself, really added to the suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed this roller coaster thriller, and was surprised with how it ended!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of Stay Awake.

I'm always drawn towards books about memory loss as it's always fascinated me. I especially love when the author does it in a way where you know more than the character as opposed to the other way around. That being said, this was well written, intriguing and suspenseful. However, I just didn't feel completely satisfied at the end but couldn't put my finger on why. I just wanted a little more of the ending. I still rate this 3.5 stars rounded up and well worth the read.

I was so excited to be selected for an early review of this novel since I am such a huge fan of Night Swim. I thought this book would be good, but I did not expect it to live up to the said mentioned novel. Boy was I wrong! I actually think the novelist did one better with Stay Awake! I loved the concept of the daily memory loss, similar to "50 First Dates". But intertwining past and present murders into the twist was genius. It really kept me on my toes, as I had to keep track not only of the time periods, but also of the initial awakenings, which came with a flush of previous memories.

Loved all of the characters, especially Halliday who is strong and likable. I am looking forward to Megan's next novel, but I'm not sure she can top this!

I love a psychological thriller and Stay Awake did not disappoint! Typically, I don’t like when a book relies on an unreliable narrator but it really worked in this book. It worked so well because Liv (the narrator) is not in a 50 first dates situation. She’s not repeating the same situations.

Every time Liv falls asleep, she loses her memory. She is stuck in a time loop with only memories from two years’ prior. She wakes up in the back of cab with a bloody knife and is on the run… but she doesn’t know who she is running from or why she is even running.

It was a lot of fun to piece the mystery together along with Liv. The twists were great as well. Some you could see coming and some you probably won’t see ahead of time. Stay Awake is a must read when it comes out in August 2022.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This was my first read by this author and what a wild ride it was. I have had The Night Swim on my to be read pile for a long time and after a taste of Ms. Goldin's writing I will have to bump it up my list. It happens very rarely that a psychological thriller surprises me and really keeps me on edge. Normally, I know who is bad and who is good and have an inkling on how the story will unfold...But not with "Stay Awake" by Megan Goldin. Nothing was how it seemed and I was left in the dark up to the very end. The story kept me as confused as the heroine, Liv. I basically found out what's going on at the same time she did. And until then, I was biting my nails - completely captivated by Liv's story.

I've found the story to be really intriguing. We're all shaped by our memories. Every day waking without them sounds like a never-ending nightmare. How do you know who to trust? Or what to believe? How do you even know who to love or hate? Those are things Liv is confronted with everyday, while she fights to find her memories and therefore herself again. Megan Goldin managed to easily let me look into Liv's head. Her thoughts and feelings were tangible, despite her usual situation. I think she captured her voice perfectly. The voice of a woman who everyday needs to learn how and what to feel. The complexity of her character and the story were astounding. And I appreciated that she made Liv as real as possible - both good and bad. This book is suspenseful, riveting and flat-out thrilling...All. The. Stars.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this amazing book! From the first page of the book it had me hooked and I will be honest and say it hooked me right until the end! I was never bored. This is a fast paced story that follows along a story of a woman who experienced a traumatic event and cannot remember what happened to her because every time she falls asleep her memory is wiped. This was a great thriller that I would definitely recommend. I don’t have anything negative to say about this book and cannot wait for it to be released for all my friends to read it! I can’t wait to discuss!

The idea that someone loses their memory every time they fall asleep is a bit of a stretch. But well written, switching between the detective and the main character and between current and past. The story unfolds do you are trying to figure out who did it as well as what actually happened.

4.5 stars.

When Liv wakes up in a NYC taxi at 2am, she can’t remember what she is doing or how she got there. In fact, she cannot remember anything for the past two years. All she has to go on are the numerous notes she has written on her body telling her to “stay awake”, “do not trust anyone”, “call for help”, etc. As she tries to get a grip on what has happened to her, she realizes she is now the prime suspect in a murder, with two detectives hot on her trail.

I have been in a reading slump lately and have found most thrillers to be too off-putting, preferring instead to read romance. However, I could not pass up a chance to read Megan Goldin’s newest book. And I’m so glad I didn’t, because I am pretty sure it just revived my thriller heart.

First and foremost this book had such a unique, intricate storyline, but told in a very succinct way that made it easy to follow, even with multiple view points and rotating time frames. The short chapters and nail biting plot line made for a very quick read (in fact I could not put this book down, which is probably why it was so quick).

The character development was also very good for such a plot driven thriller. I quickly became emotionally invested in Liv and her future, even though I had no idea if she was the “good guy” or the bad. And I really enjoyed getting to know Detective Halliday, her backstory, and her mindset when investigating cases such as this. Goldin does a great job at illuminating “confirmation bias”, how rampant it runs, and the devastating effects it can have on a case.

With all the good, I do have one criticism and it is this - there are loose ends that I wish had been tied up. The ending is a bit predictable, but honestly, the story was so interesting, that didn’t bother me a bit. But I hate being left feeling like red herrings were dangled to throw the reader off course, and then just dropped from the story completely with no explanation.

That being said, I still loved it and would recommend it to anyone looking for an interesting and fast-paced thriller. Megan Goldin is, and will always be, an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve enjoyed all of Goldin’s previous novels and this was no exception. This was definitely one of the best psychological thrillers involving amnesia I’ve ever read- it avoided the many easy mistakes of that sun-genre. Highly recommend!!!

This has to be one of the most original plots I have every encountered. The biggest obstacle for every character in the book was the main character's memory loss issues- and I was impressed how it was so specific and clear throughout the entire book. Every character, and their relationships with one another, was fully developed. There were many players involved, but I never felt confused between the constantly switching POVs. Excellent pacing as well.

I knew this book would be amazing and it did not disappoint! I read it in a few hours it was a really quick read but there was so much packed into it. Liv wakes up every day with no memory of the last 2 years. Every time she falls asleep her memory resets. Its a very interesting premise. I wont say anymore because I dont want to spoil anything but just 😱. The only issues I had was the ending, it was very abrupt and also the fact the author never gave a reason for the murders. I’m still not clear on why the murderer did what he did.
Stay Awake comes out August 9th and I hope everyone picks up a copy!

Thank you #netgalley and St.Martins Press for the ARC of Stay Awake Expected Publication Date : 8/9/2022
@netgalley @stmartinspress

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with no recollection of how she got there. Soon enough she finds a bloody knife wrapped in a tshirt and is even more confused as to what happened. As the day goes on she realizes she is wanted for murder.

The book is written in a few POVs between Liv in the present time, 2 years earlier and right around the time of the murder she’s accused of. There is also a POV with a couple of detectives working on the murder case.
This story kept me on my toes. I had to know what happened to her and why she couldn’t remember anything from the past 2 years. There were some parts I figured out as the story went on but for most of the book you are just as confused as Liv. Definitely a fun read!

I received an advanced copy of Stay Awake by Net Galley. Stay Awake is a solid psychological suspense thriller. Something tragic happened to Liv two years ago, and because of the trauma, she has no memories of that tragic day. Additionally, every time she falls asleep, she forgets everything that has happened to her in the past two years. Her last memory is of her life before the tragedy. She soon realizes that she is the prime suspect in a murder that she can’t remember. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved reading about the increasing paranoia of Liv as she tries to work out what is happening to her, who is after her, and who can she trusts. There were twists that I didn’t see coming and the ending was solid.

"Memories lie, don't trust anyone, he's coming for me..."

Synopsis: Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a cab with no idea where she is, or how she got there. When she's dropped off at the door of what she thinks is her brownstone NYC apartment, she is greeted at the door by strangers, who force her back out in the cold New York winter. She discovers, when trying to call for help that her phone is missing and has been replaced by a bloodstained knife wrapped in a t-shirt, on her hands in blank ink, the words STAY AWAKE. In a nonlinear timeline, this book goes back and forth between the current and two years ago, Reeses most current memories. Embedded in this breakneck complex thriller is none other than...an unsolved murder - which is left to be solved by two unlikely cops.

Personal Review: 4.5 Stars

This novel grabbed me from the start, I always like to keep an ARC book in my docket, and this one did not stay there long - I "stayed awake" deep into the night reading this. Like the main character, I was about twelve cups of coffee deep, wondering what the heck was going on - was I dealing with an unreliable narrator? Was Liv crazy? Which other characters should I be suspicious of?! Megan Goldin did an amazing job of creating a visual masterpiece via literacy - I put myself in Liv's character and shared in her utter confusion in the present, and her suspicions in her past narrative. I had so many questions about her rare form of amnesia that placed her in the crosshairs of a full blown murder investigation. I was so committed that I often times expected to look down at my hands and see notes of STAY AWAKE, phone numbers, and DON'T TRUST ANYONE, scrawled on my hands. This was my first read by this author, and it will certainly not be the last - if you are on the fence about purchasing this book - go for it!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martins Press, opinions expressed in this review are completely my own!

Evocative and scary memory loss thriller with a unique twist. The timeline switches between the present and two years before, gradually revealing more of the cause as it progresses. Both engaging and frustrating as the main character finds herself in a strange but familiar place. A few inconsistencies mar a highly absorbing read.

Having read "The Night Swim" in 2020, I was excited to get my hands on Stay Awake by Megan Goldin. Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a cab at 2AM one night but has no clue how she got there - the last thing she remembers was being at work, with the sun still shining. Her world turns upside down as she arrives at her apartment only to find that a couple now live there, there's a bloody knife in her pocket and the words "STAY AWAKE" are scribbled on her hands.

Wow, I had no idea what to expect with this thriller - it was a WILD, action-packed ride. Did Liv really commit the murder she's being accused of, what happened 2 years ago to trigger this memory loss? At times, I was confused with some of timeline / character perspectives but I devoured this in two sittings. While guessing the circumstances that affected Liv two years ago, I didn't guess the "big bad" correctly. Some of the plot points were a bit too out-there for me but I enjoyed it nonetheless!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I happened upon Megan Goldin's first book, The Escape Room, and though unfamiliar with the author, I thought the subject of the book sounded interesting. I quickly became a fan of this page-turning author. I was excited to receive an ARC of her latest work, Stay Awake, from NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishing Group. This fast-paced thriller tells the story of Liv Reese, Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with a bloody knife in her coat pocket and no memory of the last two years. What did she do last night? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to gain her lost memory back. The story is told from alternating points of view of Liv and Detective Halliday, a new homicide detective on the force. An electrifying new novel that is brilliantly structured! A must-read for thriller lovers.

#StayAwake @NetGalley @St.MartinsPress @MeganGoldin

4.5*
Liv Reese awakens in the back of a cab with no memory of how she got there. Glancing down at her arms, she’s more confused than ever. They are covered in writing… with several prominent words, including

Stay awake! And Wake Up!

Meanwhile, the police are mid-discovery of a man’s body in a rental, with the same simple words scrawled on the window… WAKE UP!

Now come on, We all know that can’t be a coincidence!😉

Wow! This was quite the thrill ride!

Poor Liv, every time she goes to sleep she loses her memories from the previous 2 years. (And who wouldn’t like to forget the last two years?!) Now it’s crucial she put the pieces together once again. Who to trust? Why does she feel her life is in danger?

I’ve read similar premises in past reads. But thanks to some serious creativity it still felt fresh and terrifying! I sped through this at breakneck speed, high on the thrill as was Liv on her caffeine.

Though there were a few things not quite adding up for me, in the end I still absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it! Thriller fans, don’t miss out on this little gem!

A fast and furious buddy read with Susanne that we both really enjoyed!

Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for a fair and honest review. I tore through this book to find out how it all would end up. Memento is one of my favorite movies so I loved that the author used the movie as inspiration for this book.
Liv loses her short term memory every time she wakes up and at the start of the book she wakes up with a bloody knife in her back pocket and she sees the news of a murder with “Stay Awake” written in the crime scene, the same words she has scribbled on her hands.
I love that the book goes from the perspective of Liv’s current state to flashbacks to her life two years ago and the POV of the detectives trying to figure out the case.
Liv is the prime suspect but also could be in danger. Someone might want to make sure she permanently forgets the tragedy she suffered through two years ago.
Great read! I flipped the pages fast and wanted to stay awake all night to finish it.