This book has everything to keep you invested from start to finish, no energy drinks required! This is definitely my top favorite book by Megan Goldin to date. A great psychological mystery/suspense read that needs to be added to your summer book list.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I have been in a book slump after reading a few disappointing books. This was everything I want in a thriller. The pacing was fast paced. I couldn't stop reading the book because I wanted to learn more.

I enjoyed the split narrative between Liv, and Halliday. This helped me stay engaged, and wanting to read till the late hours.

What I loved:
-I felt like I was so in immersed in the plot. I was trying to figure out what was happening right along with Liv.
-this was not predictable at all! I couldn't figure out what was going to happen.


You will absolutely have a hard time putting this book down. This will take you on one wild trip. My brain is still recovering from trying to figure out everything! I highly recommend picking up this book for your next thriller read..

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I loved this book and was hooked from the first chapter. I couldn’t put it down! It was full of suspense and a few good twists. I definitely didn’t see the ending coming! I loved the short chapters and dual timeline.

It was a great thriller and I can’t wait to read more from the author!

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Stay Awake
by Megan Goldin
Pub Date: 09 Aug 2022
4.5/5 Stars

Another page turner from Megan Goldin!

Liv begins suffering from recurring amnesia due to a double murder two years ago. Each time she wakes unable to remember anything from the day of the murder to the present. She writes notes on her hands, on the walls, in a journal as she desperately tries to avoid falling asleep.

This book cements Megan Goldin as one of my favorite contemporary thriller authors. The shorter chapters and dual timeline aspects all add suspense to this tension filled book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down, but it did leave me with some lingering questions. I found it really suspenseful and flew through it, so it was definitely a page turner and very absorbing. I really liked the author’s book Escape Room and this had a similar vibe in terms of being an interesting twist on the thriller genre. As mentioned, there was a plot hole at the end that left me scratching my head wondering if I misunderstood something or if it really was a loose thread…and a rather big one, if so. But aside from that, it was a fast and entertaining read that kept me engaged!

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

WOW!! Such an absolutely well written book! From the very first chapter I was hooked! Liv Reese wakes up in a cab and can’t remember a thing. All she knows is instructions to stay awake which are written across her hands. Stay awake? But why? Every time she falls asleep she can’t remember anything besides answering her phone at work. This book is like a heart pounding gut wrenching Groundhog Day of 2022. Exceptionally well written and extremely addictive!!

Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with no recollection of where she’s been or where she’s going. She quickly finds out that all the things she thought were her reality, are no longer as she is missing a 2 year window of her life. All she has to remind her of where to go and who to trust are notes written all over her hands.

Think 50 First Dates but murder mystery. it was a very intriguing premise. as expected, it gets very very repetitive, because obviously Liz is living a repetition. The story is told from two POV, Liv herself and the detective working the newest homicide case where Liv is a suspect. The story also flip flops from past and present. I love how the story opens up with action from the very first page. I struggled a little with pacing halfway through just because of the repetitive nature, but the ending was solid also. It was a little too nicely wrapped for my taste though honestly.

All in all, pretty good thriller.

Liv wakes up in a cab with no recollection of her life over the last 2 years. Follow her as she tries to unravel what is going on, discovers someone has been murdered and she is a possible suspect on top of not knowing who it is she can trust. With no one to turn to, a crime that needs to be solved and a memory that needs to come back Liv has her work cut out for her.

After reading and loving Night Swim, Stay Awake was one of my most anticipated books for 2022. I did really enjoy this story, but there were some cons along with the pros.
Stay Awake took a little longer to pull me into the story, which I think had a lot to do with the short chapters and the frequent switches between 2 timelines. It got confusing at times, making this a harder story to follow and feel invested in.
The characters fell flat for me. I never reached a point where I liked or felt I understood any of the characters, and it made it difficult to care about the plot. Halliday and Lavelle's thoughts, motivations, and interactions often felt stilted and unbelievable. I would have liked to see these characters be better fleshed out.
Once I got used to the alternating timelines, I couldn't set this book down! The story really intrigued me and had me flipping pages quickly to find out more of Liv's story.
Overall, an entertaining thriller that after a somewhat rocky start kept me captivated until the last page. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Loved this book. Very suspenseful! I can’t imagine getting amnesia every time I go to sleep. Couldn’t stop reading till I found out what caused this condition. Crazy plot but really good reading. Highly recommend!

This book was fantastic! I love how the plot was so different from many of other books coming out in the thriller genre. I really enjoy Megan Goldin's books because they are such unique story lines and very fast paced. Some books take a few chapters to get into but not this one, I was hooked from chapter one. Great characters and the short chapters make for a quick read. I've been really looking forward to this book and it did not disappoint!

Thank you to NetGalley and the St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4579327043

Gah!!! Stay Awake is a totally appropriate title for this book! I stayed awake into the early hours to finish this book as I could not put it down!!!

First off THANK YOU to the publisher St. Martin's Press and to NetGalley for the advanced read copy of this amazing book! This is the third book I have read from author Megan Goldin and all three were absolute page turners!!

For me, a five star book is one I cannot put down and when I do have to put it down, I’m thinking about it. It’s a book which holds my attention, gets my heart racing and has a fantastic ending. This book has ALL of these attributes! At one point, I was confident I knew what was happening. HOWEVER, with a great book, it does not matter because it all comes together.

Liv Reese one day wakes up in the back of a cab heading to where she thinks is home. Only, it’s not her home. She is confused, disoriented and has no idea what is happening. She has lost the memory of the last two years of her life and is trying to piece things together. There are some key things she can’t explain. Why did she have a bloody knife wrapped up in her jacket? Why does she have words written all over her arms? Why can’t she contact her boyfriend and her best friend? Why does she not remember her job and all the changes! What is happening!?

Things take an even worse turn when she’s a suspect in a crime. But…did she do it? She can’t remember anything. And why does she need to always stay awake?

I loved the fast paced writing. The short chapters had me flying through the book. There wasn’t a lot of downtime which makes the best type of psychological thriller.

5 stars!!! ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am a Megan Goldin fan. I loved Night Swim and The Escape Room. So, I was excited to receive this ARC. overall I really enjoyed reading this book. This was a fast read for me and I found myself unable to put it down. The story jumps back and forth between present-day l, as Liv, who suffers from memory loss, starts her life fresh every time she wakes. When her image is captured on CCTV while leaving the scene of a murder it is up to Detective Darcy Halliday to piece it together and find Liv before it’s too late.

Perfect for fans of thrillers, mysteries, suspense.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion.

Stay awake by @megangoldinauthor
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Ok! Ok... breathe.. So I recieved this book thanks to @netgalley and @stmartinspress yesterday... so I opened it up this morning . And you guys. I absolutely blew through it !!!
Oh man .. can you imagine , every single time you fall asleep your memory of the last two years is wiped . Your slate absolutely clean. Except there's one time you wake up in the back of a cab . Heading , home ? But when you get there, you find you no longer live there . And the couple who lives there sends you off into the cold ... worse yet. You have a bloodied knife in your pocket. What the hell did you do ?

This story is told from the perspective of Liv , 2 years ago , the trauma leading up to her unfortunate coma and subsequent amnesia. And Liv now . Navigating through a life she assumes is 2 years ago . Recognizing no one. And telling them so, even when they recognize her . And know shes going to ask the same questions time and time again .
The time line breaks off and give you an inside perspective of detectives doing there job to catch a murderer. .
Liv is shocked to see a fuzzy CTV surveillance image of herself on TV as the main suspect . But thats definitely her . Liv has to find a way to remember whether or not she murdered someone .. in a life where she suffers from severe insomnia, shes always tired , but if she sleeps, the words shes written on her own hands say "stay awake"
If she falls sleep , the game starts at square 1.

This novel was absolutely gripping. Its a must read for any thriller fans out there !

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for sending me an eARC of this book! I loved Stay Awake. I thought the premise was super inventive and incorporated superrealism without feeling fake and just completely fictitious. No one was ever totally innocent throughout the novel, and that keeps you on your toes for the entire read. When the murderer and entire story were revealed, I wasn't really shocked, but I didn't mind. I think Goldin wanted the reader to be slightly aware of the resolution, and that seemed to work in this book's favor.

̗̀➛ 3.5 stars !

I was super excited to receive an arc of this book from NetGalley and I wasn't disappointed, thank God.

What I particularly liked about this novel was the use of creativity when it came to the unreliable narrator trope. Usually, in the thriller genre, it's a cut and dry alcoholic or mentally ill protagonist who drives you insane halfway through the novel. I actually empathized and liked Liv and I wanted her to get better. The use of something different to present our main character as unreliable was fantastic to me.

There was also the unique experience of being just as discombobulated and disoriented as the main character herself. You're quite literally thrown into the novel without knowing what's going on, why it's going on, who made it happen, etc. It makes for an entirely interactive read and also stresses the living hell out of you.

The pacing was slightly off for me. At times I felt like the novel was dragging on and on, and other times I was hanging on for dear life because I could've sworn we were doing thirty in a seventy-five two minutes ago. There were also bits and pieces of scenarios and characters that were introduced that were never quite followed up with ??? Like one of the detectives' past and another character that was introduced as a faux-antagonist. It left me confused and grasping for straws.

In all, it was a good read and I finished it in a day so clearly, you become extremely invested. I'm glad I was disappointed by one of my top thrillers of the year that I'd been looking forward to. Well done.

Imagine every time you fall asleep you wake up not knowing what happened to you? That’s what happened to Liv. She’s lost the last two years and can’t remember what happened. She has pen marks with words written all over her hands and arms such as STAY AWAKE. Who can she trust as she’s running from a crime she doesn’t remember committing. This was a good fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing right to the end. It is told in dual timelines, now and two years ago which I can see could be confusing at times. I enjoyed this one and didn’t guess the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for my free advance reader copy in exchange for my review.

Publish date: August 9, 2022

I read and reviewed Megan Goldin’s previous thrillers Night Swim and The Escape Room and liked them both (4 Stars) but Stay Awake is by far her best book yet and I LOVED it! 5 Stars! The story is not only well-written it’s expertly plotted and executed. Brilliant! I couldn’t stop reading.

Throughout the tale I rooted for Liv Reese, the protagonist, and her counterpart, Detective Halliday, who both have a lot to prove. They solve a murder mystery in alternating chapters in their unique POV as the story unfolds. Goldin weaves clues throughout the book and ties up the big reveal with a very satisfying conclusion. I hope we see more of Detective Halliday in future books. Stay Awake has joined the short list of my favorite books of 2022. Highly recommended! Don’t miss this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press, who consistently publish many of my favorite books, for providing an ARC to read and review. *NetGalley Top Reviewer*. This review will be posted to https://BaysideBookReviews.com on release day.

Another amazing hit by Goldin!!

Liv wakes up in a cab, having no recollection of anything that’s happened in the past 2 years of her life. All she knows is that she has STAY AWAKE written in black sharpie on her hand. And every time she falls asleep, she wakes up again, in different places around New York City, in dangerous situations.

Liv only knows two things for certain each time she wakes up. She needs to stay awake and that her life is in danger - though she doesn’t know why or how to stop it.

In one of Goldin’s most gripping psychological thrillers to date, <i>Stay Awake</i> was a novel I read in one sitting. It was intriguing, terrifying to think about (could you imagine yourself in that situation?!), and most importantly, it kept me captivated until the very end.