This one is out in August - save the date FOR SURE. Huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I am such a fan of Goldin’s books, and this is my new favorite.

Stay Awake felt like such a different thriller: a plot line I hadn’t experienced before with an unreliable narrator but NOT because she’s “crazy” - thank you, Megan Goldin. That trope is becoming a tad overdone, I think.

I also could not figure out the ending for sure, until it was finally unfolding. The nature of the story leaves you doubting yourself and every guess you have, not just about whodunnit, but also what the “it” even was.

I read this one obsessively, squeezing pages in every chance I got. Seriously, if you love thrillers, make a note to get your hands on this one when it’s out in August!

The last thing you remember is working at your office desk on a summer day and answering a phone call but now it is night-time, the temperature is frigid, your phone and purse are missing, the letters S T A Y A W A K E are written above your knuckles and other words and messages written elsewhere on your hands and arms. When you go to your apartment, instead of finding your roommate Amy and your cat Shawna you find a strange couple living there. You go to your workplace, Cultura, but you do not recognize anyone, the office has had a radical makeover, you recognize the framed covers of issues of the magazine you worked on but don't recognize the most recent covers, and when you identify yourself, a woman you don't know says she is happy to finally meet you and people ask you about life in London; you are currently in New York City and have no recollection of living in London. When you call your boyfriend Marco, the person who answers the phone tells you that you have the wrong number and to stop calling. When you finally learn the date, you realize that more than two years have passed for which you have no memory. That is the situation facing Liv Reese in "Stay Awake."

Making matters more confusing, an unidentified man has been stabbed to death in an apartment and the words "Wake Up" written in blood on a window, with the words written backwards so they can be read by people outside the building looking at the window. Those words are eerily similar to the writing on Liv's hands, and she becomes concerned that she is somehow connected to the crime. Over the course of the next few days, Liv will interact with people who appear to be strangers to her but know her and treat her like a friend or acquaintance and tell her that she has told them about her severe insomnia and memory problems. When she falls asleep, she forgets everything that has happened to her recently, so she drinks excessive amounts of coffee and caffeine drinks and takes caffeine pills in an effort to stay awake. The story alternates between the events of two years ago and current events -- both Liv's efforts to figure out what is happening to her and the efforts by detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavalle to solve the strange murder in the apartment, which eventually leads to a search for Liv Reese.

"Stay Awake" is one of the creepiest and most twisted stories I have read. The confusion that Liv experiences every time she awakens from sleep is palpable. The author does a great job of keeping the reader on edge and guessing, especially as there are multiple characters and events from two years ago that may or may not be related to the traumatic event that will upend Liv's world, and which has ongoing ramifications for her, including a connection to the mysterious murder the police are currently investigating. The story has multiple sub-plots and there are multiple characters whom it is unclear whether they are friend or foe and/or are plausible suspects for the over-arching villain in the story. The character who turns out to pose the greatest threat to Liv is not the person I would have suspected. "Stay Awake" is well worth reading -- and once you start, you will not want to sleep until the book is finished.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

This book was a fast paced thriller that you won't want to put down. I'm sure I could have devoured this book in a day, but life has been busy. I did have my suspicions early on, but as usual, I would keep second guessing myself. I enjoyed the past and present timelines where slowly but surly it all comes together in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. I have enjoyed Goldin's previous works so I was delighted to get my hands on this one. Unfortunately, I was bored to tears. Although it was enough mystery that kept you wondering why must she stay awake and why can't she remember anything, the rest of the story was so boring.

This is my first great book of the year! It was SO GOOD! Fast paced, heart pounding and confounding- just the way I like a good thriller mystery! Liv wakes up and has no idea where she is but when she goes home she finds she no longer lives there and the people she knows are no longer there! She realizes that every time she falls asleep she forgets her whole life and so she has to STAY AWAKE! Liv is way more resourceful and competent than I ever would have been in her situation but as she races around manhattan trying to piece together her story the reader is coming up with theory after theory (none of mine were right) about what is going on. I am a fan of this author already but I LOVED this book!

I was really looking forward to this book because the overview was very enticing. Unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to my expectations. It just took far too long to get to the meat and potatoes. If I have read about a quarter of the book and still don’t see where it’s headed, I don’t have much patience and move on to something else. That was the case for me. Maybe not for another reader. Thank you Net Galley for the ARC and the chance to offer my opinion.

Oh my word! This book disrupted my sleep. I stayed up all night reading and then finished Stay Awake before getting ready for work.
In Stay Awake, Liv has an unusual case of amnesia; each time she goes to sleep, her memory disappears. When she wakes again, she is confused and doesn't understand that two years have passed. She also doesn't remember the terrible trauma that preceded her memory issues. But that isn't her only issue. Someone is out to make sure that Liv never has a chance to recover her memory. Another murder occurs. All the clues point to Liv as the perpetrator. She also wonders if she could have done something so horrible and not be able to remember it. But all is not what it seems.
Stay Awake will keep you guessing up until the very end. Wonderful read!

This book took me a minute to get into, but oh my goodness, once I did I could not stop reading it!!! Excellent story, totally not what I thought it would be about. There was a personal story to this book not just your regular mystery story. Excellent book for anyone getting bored or not enjoying their usual genre. Great book for a book club as well.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters grabbed me right from the start- which is always a good sign. The writing was tight with very little superfluous baggage.

I really liked the interplay between the two detectives, particularly how their style of solving crimes was distinct. It rang true for me.

I found it also interesting how tangible evidence of a crime often blocks a detective's viewpoint to other factors that may show innocence= particularly if certain evidence is planted to frame someone: this seems quite common from the books I have recently read.

As far as the memory condition, I'm not knowledgeable enough to know if this is a real thing, but I know that trauma can cause all kinds of weird reactions in the body.

Overall I would definitely recommend this book. Great job!.

I love all Ms. Goldin's book and now I'll add this one to the list!! The characters have depth and as you're reading it's like a movie playing in your mind, the best kind of book. I highly recommend reading this book and if you haven't read her others start NOW!

Stay Awake
A Novel
by Megan Goldin
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

The book was just okay for me. It was pretty confusing, too much jumping back and forth. there are .so many characters, multiple POVs I just felt I was reading six books at once.

4.5 stars! Stay Awake was such a fun book. I enjoyed the alternating chapters between the detective, Darcy Halliday and Liv Reese who keeps waking up with no memory of what happened and thinking it’s two years prior. I really enjoyed the development of the character Detective Halliday; I hope she is in future books. She was well crafted and multidimensional and there just so many unanswered questions related to her past. Please me a series!!!! 🙏🏻

This is my second book by Megan Goldin and will not be my last. Well done!

Big thank you to St. Martin’s Press for inviting me to read, Stay Awake and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I appreciate the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book, and I found it to be a quick and fast-paced read. This kind of story is usually right up my alley, and I really wanted to like it, but in the end I have to say that I can only offer a mixed review. As I said, it's a fast-paced read and the story moves quickly. The pace really picks up at the end and makes it hard to put down.

Yet, the storyline is a bit disjointed (and I don't think it's because of the main character's memory problems). The present-day timeline, especially from the point of the view of the two detectives, is compelling and well written, but the plot itself doesn't stand up to introspection. Without giving away spoilers, I'll just say that for me the main character's thoughts and actions just required too much of a "suspension of disbelief" for me to just go with the premise that she could be in so many of the situations she was in, and the actions of many other characters just didn't make sense either. So while I didn't have a hard time reading this, and found it easy to finish, it was "just OK" for me.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was a fast-paced psychological thriller. It grasped my attention immediately and kept me turning pages late into the night. The story was masterfully told. Characters were completely engaging. I enjoyed the back and forth from past to present, as well as the telling of the tale from multiple perspectives. I look forward to additional books by Megan Goldin.

Liv wakes up in a cab and doesn't remember how so got there. So travels to her apartment to find out that someone else is living there now. Then she finds the strange messages on her hands and a bloody knife in her pocket. That's when Liv realized that something is wrong.
Stay Awake is a story about a women who loses her memory every time she falls asleep. When she wakes up, she thinks she is 2 years in the past. Liv also finds herself embroiled in a murder case as the prime suspect.
This is a good fast-paced thriller. Megan Goldin has written another great storyline with interesting twists and characters. I was quickly interested and was eager to solve the mystery of what was going on with Liv and if she was guilty of murder. If you are a fan of fast-paced murder mystery with a twist, this is a book for you.
Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy of the book. The opinions are my own.

Imagine every time you wake up you have no recollection of where you are, how you got there, or any memory of the last two years. This is what is happening to our main character, Liv.
She was almost murdered two years ago, and since then wakes up with no memory.
Very thrilling novel that give me the chills thinking about that happening.
Must read for any thriller book fans.
Thanks to net galley and the publishers for the arc of this creepy book. Loved it! It had me saying one two Freddy’s coming for you, as it reminded me of those spooky 80’s movies. #dontfallasleep # stay awake

An excellent, fast-paced amnesia thriller! There was action from page one and tons of suspense until the very end.

Premise: Every time Liv falls asleep, she wakes up with no recent memory, thinking it’s two years earlier than the current day. At the start of the book, we see her waking up in the back of a NYC taxi with the message “stay awake” on her hand. She reaches into her pocket to call for help but only finds a blood stained knife in her pocket. Meanwhile, two detectives are sent to a murder scene in Brooklyn and find a man stabbed to death with the message “Wake Up” written on the apartment window. Catching a glimpse of the local news, Liv has no idea if she is somehow connected to this murder case, where her best friend and boyfriend are, and who she can trust.

I love how the story flipped between the POVs of Liv and the two detectives solving the case along with Livs POV two years ago. These three perspectives left me wanting more as each chapter ended in suspense. The present day timeline also took place over the course of one day with each chapter noting the exact time. This made me feel part of the action. I also love how well Liv’s medical condition was discussed, making the plot seem more realistic.

I do think there were some questions left unanswered about possible suspects and the motive of the murderer. Still, I’m giving it 5 stars as it truly felt like a riveting, pit in my stomach, scary thriller.

This one does not release until August 2022, but I highly recommend you add it to your TBR list! It’s really the thriller I’ve been looking for !!

Loved her first book and was so excited to get a chance to read this. The first chapter drew me in and that was it, I couldn't put it down. I had to know what was going on! I felt so bad for Liv but damn what a great book! Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!!!

In the book Stay Awake, Liv Reese wakes up and does not remember anything that has happened in the last two years of her life. She finds a bloody knife and a message on her hand telling her to STAY AWAKE. Throughout the book, which is told from various perspectives, we find out that someone close to Liv has been murdered. We also start to uncover what happened during those two years, as well as what she did prior to those two years. Liv also starts to uncover memories and details, but every times she falls asleep, she forgets.

I had difficulty getting into the book at first, but once I read further in and figured out the direction of the story, I found the plot to be fast paced and interesting. There were several twists in the story, although I did deduce who the killer was before reaching the ending. I didn't feel that a good reasoning for an earlier crime was really explained and I felt that the ending a bit abrupt. However, this book did have me on my toes until almost the end.

I am a fan of Megan Goldin! Having read her previous book The Night Swim and having loved it, I was thrilled when St. Martin's Press accepted my request to read this advanced copy of Stay Awake.

Imagine waking up and having no idea where you are or any memory of how you got there? Imagine seeing words written all over your hands with messages like STAY AWAKE. Imagine finding a blood stained knife in your coat pocket and then seeing yourself on the news in connection with a murder. Intriguing for sure. What follows is a fast paced read that had me and the main character Liv looking for answers and using clues from the writing on her hands to try to find out exactly what is going on and what she doesn't remember!

Something doesn't add up though and Detective Darcy Halliday isn't as quick as her partner, Detective Lavelle to rule Liv as the main suspect and killer. She wants to dig a littler further and get more answers. With the introduction of Darcy Halliday, and having thoroughly enjoyed her character, I would love to see her in more books to come!

While a bit repetitive and a little predictable, Stay Awake remains a solid page turner and twisty suspense thriller that I really enjoyed. I cannot wait to see what Megan Goldin comes up with next. Fingers crossed for Detective Halliday to make an appearance!

A big thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, greatly appreciated.