"Stay Awake" by Megan Goldin is a gripping psychological thriller that plunges readers into the disorienting and terrifying world of Liv Reese, who awakens with no memory and cryptic messages inked on her hands. As she unravels the mystery behind a crime she can't remember, Goldin masterfully blends suspense with an intricate plot, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.

My thoughts: I listened to this as an audiobook and found the narrator somewhat off-putting. The thriller itself was just okay for me; it felt a bit drawn out. While it was a quick and easy read, it ultimately left me wanting more.

Have you seen the movie Momento? Well, this was kind of the same thing, but with a woman protagonist. In a lot of ways, I found this book to be predictable but I was surprised with the reveal of the villain. I felt agitated most of the book because the MC was so unlikeable. Obviously she was in a tough situation that was nearly impossible to deal with but I was so annoyed the majority of the book. I wasn’t a huge fan of this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This was an entertaining and unique thriller, but by the end it was just a little too repetitive for me.

Liv wakes up in a cab not knowing how she got there or where she’s headed or even who she really is. All she knows is that the words “Stay Awake” and “Don’t Sleep” and several other disturbing notes are written all over her hands and arms. So when a news story appears that shows the killer laving the same message written in blood, she tries to figure out what it could mean to her. Then she finds a bloody knife in her pocket and she has to prove her innocence while trying not to fall asleep so she’s doesn’t forget whatever she’s able to uncover.
The story alternates between past when the events took place and the present where the detectives are working to solve the crime. If you don’t pay attention, you may have to do as I did and have to go back several times and make sure you don’t miss any details.
Now, im going to keep my negative stuff short, but…there are plot holes. There is a LOT of repetition. I get that it’s a Groundhog Day type situation, but there’s times that things are said twice in the same paragraph! Some of the dialogue is too dumbed down-especially the detectives. They come off as not super smart.
All that to say that while there are definitely some flaws, I still enjoyed this story and it kept me on my toes trying to see If she was going to figure it all out.
The thing is, I could get past most of that relatively easily, but the issue that I can’t gloss over was the narration! Over acted, overly cheesy, over dramatic to the point where I was saying to her in my head “you are so fired!” 😂
Thanks to NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was a book that I was looking forward to, but ultimately, it just disappointed me. It was a confusing plot line (maybe intentionally so, since our protagonist, Liv, has memory loss?) But for me, it was hard to follow, with confusing twists and turns. The characters were kept a arms length, and I had a hard time identifying with any of them.

These kind of "memory loss" books are really difficult to write. This might be better off as a movie, where things would be more easily visualized.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this book was so great and it had me hooked from the beginning. It was fast paced and i had to STAY AWAKE to finish it and figure out what was going on!

"Stay Awake" grips readers with its intense thriller narrative centered on Liv, who suffers from a rare form of amnesia, throwing her into the midst of a murder investigation. Waking up with no memory of recent events, Liv finds herself implicated in a crime she doesn't understand, sparking a desperate flight for answers.

The novel employs a multi-timeline narrative, alternating between Liv and Halliday, a detective on the case. While Halliday's perspective adds depth, it occasionally muddles the storytelling. Nevertheless, the tension and suspense remain palpable, driving the reader forward as the mystery of Liv's amnesia unravels.

Despite potential disbelief in Liv's condition, the novel's pacing and characterization keep readers engaged. Liv's likability amidst her chaotic circumstances, combined with a cast of intriguing characters and unexpected twists, makes "Stay Awake" a thrilling read that renews faith in the genre.

The story itself was entertaining and good but I did find at times it was a little bit confusing. But I pushed through and the ending made it all worth it. I would highly recommend this book for a good twist and turns.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin was one of the better psychological thrillers I have read/listened to this year. It was quite original in its plot and kept me guessing to the very end. Stay Awake was fast paced and had many twists and turns throughout. The characters were well developed and very believable. I enjoyed listening to both Imogen Church and January LaVoy narrate this suspenseful book. The chapters in Stay Awake alternated between the present and two years prior. I was hooked right from the start and had difficulty pulling myself away from this fast paced and addictive novel.

Two years ago, Liv Reese had been a victim of a very traumatic incident. She had almost died. It had left her in a coma for weeks. She had witnessed something that was so painful and traumatic that her mind blocked it out. This had occurred a little over two years ago. When she woke from the coma, Liv could not remember anything about the night in question. Liv developed a form of amnesia. She moved to London to start over. Now two years later Liv had returned to New York and expected everything to be as it was two years ago. Nothing was the same though. Liv was confused about these changes. She noticed that she had things written all over her hands. The messages on her hands read STAY AWAKE and DO NOT TRUST ANYONE! If Liv fell asleep, she forgot everything and everyone that she had come into contact with prior to falling asleep. Liv came to rely on caffeinated drinks to help her stay awake. One night she woke up in a strange bed with a man she did not recognize. In her hand was a bloody knife. She quickly got dressed and stuck the bloody knife in her coat pocket. The next day, a murder was reported. Liv was the prime suspect. All evidence pointed to Liv. At the crime scene, a man was found stabbed to death. Written across the window at the crime scene someone had written STAY AWAKE with the victim’s blood. Could Liv had committed the murder? Detective Halliday and her partner were busy collecting evidence. It did not look good for Liv.

Stay Awake was the first book I have read by Megan Goldin but she will definitely be on my radar from now on. Megan Goldin proved to be a masterful storyteller in my opinion. Stay Awake was brilliantly plotted. The ending was fantastic. I never saw it coming until it was right upon me. It was most definitely unexpected. I enjoyed how the chapters alternated between past and present day. It allowed for Liv’s prior history to be explored. I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Stay Awake and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to Stay Awake through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Per usual, Megan Goldin's thriller did it for me. I was a big fan of the story composition, the writing style and character development. She is an auto-read author for me!

"Stay Awake" by Megan Golden is a gripping psychological thriller that hooks readers from the start. Liv Reese's journey, waking up in a taxi with no memory and facing accusations of a crime she can't recall, is a compelling ride through paranoia and suspense. Golden's narrative keeps the pace brisk, with each revelation adding depth to the mystery. While the protagonist's decisions may strain believability, the overall plot maintains intrigue, leading to a satisfying conclusion. The novel expertly blurs the lines between reality and illusion, keeping readers guessing until the end. Despite its flaws, "Stay Awake" delivers an immersive and thrilling experience, making it a worthy addition to the genre. Fans of psychological thrillers will find themselves eagerly turning pages, eager to unravel the enigma alongside Liv Reese.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! I love Megan Goldin so I was so excited to read this book. The plot really intrigued me but I still feel like this is my least favorite books of Megan’s. I still really enjoyed this!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! Unfortunately, as this book has already been published, I will not share my review on Netgalley at this time.

I loved this book! It's well-written, enjoyable, and a great read. Megan Goldin did a great job of writing in a way that captures the readers attention, and makes you not want to put it down until you're finished! I would highly recommend it!

Stay Awake is a riveting thriller about a woman with a rare form of amnesia that puts her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

When Liv falls asleep, she wakes up not remembering. She is stuck in a time loop from two years ago. When she wakes up one night in the back of a cab in NYC with a bloody knife, she finds herself on the run, but she doesn't know who or what she is running from.

The narrative is split between multiple timelines. Liv and Halliday, one of the detectives investigating the murder, are the main narrators.

I won't say too much more about this book to not give it away but it definitely starts off on a bang. I think going through and following the narrator as she tries to unravel everything is pretty interesting. There's a definitely a lot of questioning her and her reliableness as a narrator. Ultimately this one just went a bit too far to be believable. I really enjoyed this author's other work but this one fell a little short for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange my review.

Another great read from Megan Goldin. Stay Awake is thrilling and entertaining. I enjoyed the characters and the twists and turns throughout the entire book.

Overall, I thought this story was bland and did not keep my attention. I was really looking forward to reading this one seeing how much I enjoyed Night Swim, but this didn't feel like it was written by the same person. The ending felt really rushed and it didn't have much of a payoff.

Stay awake by Megan Goldin was such thrilling book. Can you imagine loosing your memory every time you wake up? Liv has that type of amnesia, she can’t remember anything from the past two years. She wakes up in a cab with a bloody knife and no memory and is left to put together the clues from there to find out what is going on. It was hard to put this book down, I didn’t guess what was happening either. Another great Megan Goldin book!

This book had me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns that had me gasping out loud. I can definitely see this becoming a limited series. All the stars!

I had such high hopes for this and I've heard such amazing things about Megan Goldin, but this one was just not for me. I really have a hard time following characters who, for too much of the book, are just wandering around wondering, "What's going on? That's weird." This one was especially hindered by the main character having to make the same realization over and over... although I understand how that played into the plot.
Perhaps if we more regularly rotated to the detective's perspective, I would've found it a little more bearable.