Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Published: August 9, 2022
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 345
Genre: Psychological Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 4/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

Megan Goldin is the author of The Escape Room, a 2019 thriller that Lee Child called "one of my favorite books of the year" and Harlan Coben called "thrilling and unforgettable." Megan's new novel The Night Swim. Before becoming a novelist, Megan worked as a reporter covering the Middle East and Asia for the Reuters news agency, the Associate Press, the ABC, and other news outlets.

“It feels as if I’ve been catapulted into the future.”

Liv is working at her dream job, getting better and better topics to cover, and enjoying living with her roommate and best friend, Amy. Both women are happily dating, Marco for Liv and Brett for Amy. Life is almost perfect. Until Liv wakes up and doesn’t remember anything, she knows she needs to find Amy and Marco and get help. Until she notices the writing all over her hands and arms…

I loved how this novel was written! So cleverly played, and the story unfolded so beautifully. I love that as the pages turn, the story gets deeper and more complicated, and just when I thought things were falling into place- we hit a twist.

The character development was beautifully done, and Liv was so well curated. I loved her journey and how she was portrayed. Darcy was the best additional female lead. I loved her honesty, integrity, and bravery.

I would love to see a series develop from this novel with the detectives. There was so much chemistry and a genuine partnership. Lavelle was a great character, and I enjoyed the dynamic between him and Darcy.

This was a fast-paced thriller that I could not put down. The story was wild, the writing was fantastic, and I was bummed to finish.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book!
CAWPILE:

Characters: I enjoyed the characters but I do wish that the side characters had more depth. Like I wanted to know more about Harry the bartender, Ted, Amy, and Detective Halliday. We knew bare basics about them, but I guess that also plays into the fact that Liv is an amnesiac and doesn't really know them in the present. She knew Ted and Amy in the past, and Megan also added chapters that weren't in Liv's POV so not sure why there could have been more depth to them. Liv as a main character is fascinating, and I wanted more of the science behind what was happening to her because that concept is fascinating, and it's not the normal amnesiac story.

Atmosphere: We don't spend too much time in one place or time for that matter to build a lot of atmosphere. Liv is on the run for most of the book, and you feel like you're on the run with her.

Writing; The writing was fine. I really had no complaints about it.

Plot: The plot was fascinating to me. A woman is thought to have committed murders but was never convicted partly because she's an amnesiac who only forgets things when she goes to sleep (hence the name of the book). Her condition is really what sets this book apart. I want to do more research and see if this is an actual thing that happens to people now.

Intrigue: This book had me hooked with the twist on the amnesiac story. I wanted to know everything about the past murders to the present murder, and how it all linked back to Liv. Megan definitely knew how to write a book that had you hooked.

Logic: I'm not sure how logical Liv's condition is. It's wild to me that she was on the run for as long as she was with how much she had against her.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this. It's a solid thriller to kick off the spooky season. 3.5/5 stars.

Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no memory of how she got there or what she did the night before. She has bloodstained hands and a knife in place of her phone. Soon she’s on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing while trying to piece together what happened to her over the past two years.

If you’re looking for an edge-of-your-seat thriller, Stay Awake is a must-read read this year. With an unreliable narrator and fantastic twists and turns, Goldin does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing and the suspense high.

Stay awake was instantly addictive and extremely fast paced. In the opening of the book the main character, Liv wakes up not only with her arms covered with black ink warning words but also with a bloody knife in her pocket. While trying to make sense of everything she finds out that there was a man found stabbed to death and Liv has no memory of the recent past and no idea if she could possibly be the murderer. This book is great for all mystery fans but be prepared to stay awake and to not be able to put this book down until you finish it.

I gave Stay Awake 3 stars because although it was a gripping storyline, I found it quite repetitive and I had a tricky time keeping up with the time jumps and perspectives. It probably doesn’t help that it took me quite a while to finish the book and the time in between picking it up may have hindered my reading experience.

I enjoyed The Escape Room by Megan Goldin so I was looking forward to reading Stay Awake but simply didn’t get the same satisfaction from the story.

I will say, I was surprised by the outcome. It was one I hadn’t guessed throughout the reading.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

⚠️: murder, stalking, infidelity

Wow what a rollercoaster ride I've just been on. I feel like I may have some mental whiplash. Megan Goldin really hit the nail on the head with The Night Swim and for me this was no different. The premise of losing your memory when you fall asleep is so creepy and I really think Megan followed through on the suspense she built up. She is the queen of dual timelines and the way she weaves the story is so masterful. I definitely think this will be one of the hit thrillers of the summer/fall!

Liv Reese wakes up in total confusion not knowing where she is. She goes to her brownstone apartment that she shares with roommate Amy only to discover that strangers live there instead. She looks for her phone only to discover that it is gone and instead finds a large bloody knife and discovers strange messages written all over her arms such as “STAY AWAKE”. The last thing Live remembers is her life two years ago, she was content with her boyfriend Marco, living with her best friend Amy and enjoying her job writing for a prestigious magazine. As she stumbles through the city trying to re-trace her steps, she notices a murder plastered all over the news with an eerie messaged scribbled at the crime scene that is identical to what she has written on her arms. Could Liv be involved in the murder? Why doesn’t she remember anything? With no answers and the clock ticking, Liv embarks on a dangerous path to find out the truth.

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This whodunit was the textbook definition of a page turner. I couldn’t put this one down and with each page was falling in more into the rabbit hole to find a murderer. Liv’s memory condition plays an intricate part of the suspense building up to truth which keeps you on edge throughout and was well explained and just worked to help make the story flow. There were times where something could get confusing or a little repetitive so it’s key to read the chapter headings so you don’t get lost as the time frame changes from present, to two years ago and the timeframe leading up to the murder. The story also switches from Liv’s POV to Detective Halliday’s. The build up was great and so was Liv’s character development, there was so much depth to these characters. I will say near the end I was left with A LOT of unanswered questions so if anyone has read this one, send me a DM to discuss! Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This title is now available to purchase!

Oh my gosh this book kept me on my toes! At first I was completely clueless as to why she needed to stay awake. I couldn't even imagine not having a clue as to what was going on around me. Following Liv through this book had be rooting for her and terrified for her. I finished this book in 24 hours and highly recommend to other readers for a great thrilling read!

I received an advanced reader’s copy of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin from NetGalley and the publisher.

This latest novel by Megan Goldin has some good twists and held my attention throughout. Although the story jumps around between the past and present, I wasn’t confused by the jumps and they were used to reveal hints about the murders from Liv’s disjointed memories. I felt that Liv being an unreliable narrator due to her memory loss made the story more interesting and added to the suspense. There were multiple suspects to keep one guessing who the murderer was and how it all came together at the end was well done.

I have enjoyed Megan Goldin’s previous novels and Stay Awake didn’t disappoint. I’m looking forward to reading her next book.

Thank you NetGalley, author, and publisher for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review. One of my favorite authors do not disappoint! Great story!

Liv wakes up in a cab with no memory of the past two years. Her only clue is the writing on her hands.

Are you looking for a page turner? This one fit the bill for me. The book is a dual timeline-the present and two years ago-and dual point of view between Liv and Darcy. The present day timeline takes place over 24 hours and Liv's part is told in first person. The time and date stamped chapter headings add to the fast pace.

I really felt sorry for Liv as she struggled to figure out what was going on, what the writing on her hands meant and who she could trust. I liked Darcy's character and appreciated as a detective she was keeping it open mind on what might be happening. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to the publisher for my e-copy of this book.

Stay Awake was the second Megan Goldin book I have read; previously, I read The Night Swim. Both books were five stars, and @megangoldinauthor has become an automatic buy author. I am excited to read anything she comes out with next and go read all of her backlists. With that said, Stay Awake had a different premise than any book I have read. The main character, Liv Reese, wakes up with no memory of how she got where she is; nothing makes sense. She has words written all over her telling her to "Stay Awake." The play on the memory challenges of Liv and how that played into the story was flawless and is what made the book different from other mystery/thriller books.

Through NetGalley, I received the opportunity to listen to the audio version of the book. The narrator did a great job, kept my attention, and helped add to the story's atmosphere. Whether you read or listen to this book, I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Megan, and St. Martin’s for an advance copy of Stay Awake.

Liv has no idea what has happened. The last thing she remembers is answering her office phone on a nice warm day and now it is winter and she is in the back of a cab with no recollection as to how she got there. When she arrives at her apartment someone that she has never seen answers the door and informs her that this is not where she lives. Her hands are covered in strange writing and she finds a bloody knife in her coat pocket – a wildly unsettling change from the life she remembers where she was dating a great guy and rooming with her best friend.

When news breaks of a murder with the bloody words written at the scene that match the writing on her hand, she is horrified that she may have played a role in the death of someone with absolutely no recollection of it. Unsure of where to turn and how to contact anyone who might help her, Liv is on the run, alone and scared, racing to find answers before the police put the pieces together.

I always applaud author’s still tackling the amnesia trope because I feel like so many people absolutely despise it. I am not one of those people, so I was very happy to get my hands on this one. I have all of Megan Goldin’s other books on my list (and actually own at least one other) but this was my first from her. A solid start and made me want to bump the others up my list a little farther.

I think Megan did a great job at bringing the chaotic lost feeling to life. The setting being in the city adds to that chaos, cities can feel so big and also so small at the same time and it was prevalent throughout this book. This book moved quick, there was never a point when I was bored or wanting to switch to something else.

I liked the backstory that we got about Liv and her life prior to where we meet her, it made her easy to root for and invested me in what happens to her. The downside that I have is that I was hoping for a morally grey character and someone I really wanted to mistrust and I just never felt that way with Liv.

Thank you so much to St Martins Press and Netgalley for providing an e-arc and ALC of this! All thoughts and opinions are still my own.

I absolutely loved Megan Goldin's previous novel, The Night Swim. So when I saw this next release, I knew I needed to get my hands on it immediately.

The premise of this was fascinating and lead to a very eerie and unsettling atmosphere for the story. I loved how we knew from the get go that we were in an unreliable narrators head, trying to solve the mystery along side her.

I also loved that this was told in dual narration so that we got to see the mystery plots slowly merge together.

In general, I think Megan Goldin's books have amazing premises and fantastic writing. There is a general feeling of unease you get while reading/listening to this story that I loved.

But while I loved this premise and really enjoyed the first portion of this story, it lost steam for me around the middle. While I loved the concept of a woman forgetting her memories every time she fell asleep, in practice it got somewhat repetitive. We would revisit scenes and people and discussions multiple times because the heroine didn't remember doing it 50 pages ago.

But what really brought this book down for me in the end was the ending itself. This has a quintessential villain monologue which isn't my favorite ever. On top of that, while I didn't see the twist coming, I also didn't remember who they were. I actually had to pause the book to try and remember who this person was.

Overall this thriller was a bit of a mixed bag. I thought it was unique in it's premise and style but wasn't perfect in execution. This is definitely an author I plan to pick up more from in the future though! I think her ideas and writing are fantastic and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley providing me with an ARC of this novel!

This is Megan Goldin's second book that I have read. I previously read "Night Swim" and enjoyed the book but did find it memorable. I thought "Stay Awake" was a significantly better book and kept me engaged from the first page.

The book begins by introducing Liv, who suffers from memory loss that occurs every time she falls asleep. She resorts to drastic measures to stay awake due to her inability to retain memories. She tries to connect with Amy, who she believes is her best friend, and Marco, her boyfriend. She finds the present is not as she remembers and she realizes she has a blank time period during which her condition occurred. Liv soon realized that she is a suspect in a murder case and finds the murder weapon in her pocket. She tries to avoid the two primary investigative officers in order to find the truth before it is too late.

I really enjoyed the book and was intrigued to find out what happened to Liv, Amy, and Marco. The book contains flashbacks that allow the reader to gain knowledge about Liv's life prior to her memory loss. There are also chapters that contain one of the investigative reporter's perspectives and I did not find these as interesting. I was more invested in Liv's journey to figuring out the truth behind her condition.

Overall, this was an interesting concept and parts reminded me of the movie "Memento" (one of my favorite movies). I liked this book would fully recommend this book.

A refreshing new take on the insomnia thriller. I loved how our protanganist is struggling and on the run for most of the novel searching for this murderer.

I did not finish this book. I struggled getting into it and found myself not wanting to pick it up which isn’t normal for me. Thank you for the opportunity!

Another 5 star read form this author. I have enjoyed every single book published by Megan Goldin and I will be very impatiently waiting for the next one. Highly entertaining and thrilled, this is a must read for fall!

When Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi without a phone or her keys, she heads to her apartment to wake her roommate to let her in. The woman who finally comes to the door is not Amy, but an angry woman who tells her she and her husband live there, do not know her or Amy and want her to go away. She has writing all over her hands and body saying STAY AWAKE and DON'T SLEEP. She also has a bloody knife wrapped in a shirt! What is going on? She remembers working, but she looked very different then. Meanwhile, an unidentified businessman is found dead in an apartment with a single knife wound to his heart. The woman they see leaving the apartment on the CTV has long hair and is in a hurry. Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavell are on the case, although Jack is sure they know who killed him and are looking for the evidence to prove it, but Darcy wants to follow the evidence first, before deciding who the killer is. How will Liv figure out what is going on or who to trust when she loses her memory every time she falls asleep?

Wow, this is a story that will have you guessing throughout and flipping the pages to get to the satisfying conclusion. The story is told in dual timelines (one present day and the other two years before), and they were both done very well. There was no confusion of the timelines, and both gave clues to what was happening. I found the premise very different from anything I had read before and was a bit leery at the beginning, but with each chapter, I was pulled into the book more. We don't know much about Liv at first, but as the story progressed, and I began to get to know her and what she was dealing with, I felt so bad for her. Was she going to end up being caught and thrown into jail for something she doesn't remember doing? Did she kill the man? Once I got into this book, I didn't want to stop reading or listening. This was a thriller that pulled me in completely. I did figure out what Liv was trying to remember before it was revealed, but it did not diminish my enjoyment of the story at all. If you are looking for something a bit different, something with twists, great characters and a well-developed plot, then I recommend you pick up Stay Awake by Megan Goldin.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this novel for my honest opinion. Stay Awake is now available!

This book started off with a good premise. Memory loss, murder, no one knowing what the heck is going on!

Because of memory loss angle of this book it gets very repetitive in my opinion. The timeline jumping left me confused some of the time.

Ms . Goldin is an excellent thriller writer and I enjoyed many aspects of this book. But I found myself starting to skim towards the end if I'm honest.