I really enjoyed this author’s last book, Night Swim so I was very excited to see she had a new book releasing this year and this one did not disappoint! Megan Goldin knows how to write a thriller! This one especially had a very unique take with a protagonist who loses her memory every time she goes to sleep. It leaves keeps you on your toes and makes you question everything you’ve read. I really loved this book and devoured it in just a few days!

Megan Goldin uses the unreliable narrator with amnesia trope to make a wonderful rollercoaster ride of a read. This twisty thriller was captivating from start to finish and I really enjoyed it.

3.5 ⭐️

This book gave me so much anxiety I’m glad I finished it.

The concept for the book is great and I had a really good time reading it but as the story progressed it started getting repetitive and I couldn’t wait to get it over with.

I couldn’t even fathom being in Liv Reese’s shoes. Not having any recollection of the past two years of your life, not knowing that someone’s hunting you down and having no one to trust, not even yourself.

There is some characters in the book that I would’ve liked to know more about because they appeared for a little bit and then they just fell off the face of the earth.

The ending was nice but I was still missing something.

Overall, a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

I loved the amnesia trope and short chapters, but this one was a little too confusing with the timeline jumping around. I felt like I was left with some loose ends, the characters weren’t that likable, and I found it to be repetitive at times.

This was so good! I loved the novel start to finish. It was so hard to put down when I had to. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes creepy thrillers.

I’ve loved Megan Goldin since The Escape Room. Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi cab with no phone and scribbled notes all over her hands- STAY AWAKE they admonish. When she gets to her apartment, a stranger is living there and has no idea who she is.

With a blood covered knife in her possession and no memory of anything that has happened during the past two years, Liv is on the run to try and find the missing pieces. While the police suspect her of murder, Liv must try to prove her innocence and stay both alive and awake.

It’s a great, fast-paced book that you won’t want to put down.

What a wild ride! Liv wakes up and can't remember anything that has happened in the past two years. As far as she knows, her boyfriend Marco and her best friend Amy are alive and well. But they aren't. And the killer is coming after Liv. Told in dual timelines, the tension is kept on high with Liv's point of view in first person and the other view in omnipresent third person. It brings the reader into the confusion and emotion of the story. I expected that the concept of Liv losing her memory every time she fell asleep would get annoying quickly, but that never happened. When I wasn't actually reading the book, I was pondering how it was going to get resolved. The story kept a fast pace despite Liv needing a recap to figure out what was happening to her. That is good writing!

Stay Awake? More like stay on the edge of your seat!!

I loved this book!! I binged it all in one sitting!! It had my full attention and kept me guessing who the killer was. I didn’t see that reveal coming until the very last second, then I was like.. 🤯🤯🤯

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab with a bloody knife in her coat and no memory of the last 24 hours. Now her face is all over the news and the police are looking for her in connection of the murder of her ex. Come to find out, Liv can’t remember the past 2 years due to amnesia and could be connected to other murders as well!!

Unreliable narrator, unique storyline, multiple POV and full of twists!! Stay Awake is a wild ride I didn’t want to end!! (Highly suggest the audiobook, it’s fantastic!! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼)

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for gifting me an eARC and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This is one of the most intense and scary thrillers I’ve read this year. The weaving of past & present lives of Liv Reese was excellent. None of Liv’s memories are what she believed them to be, and even her present life is questionable. She’s caught in a murder mystery and doesn’t know who to trust. The writing was excellent and so was character development. This was an unputdownable book!

Thank you to Megan Goldin, the publisher and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

"A graphic at the bottom of the screen says: Murderer Writes Message In Victim's Blood... Painted on the window in red letters are the words, WAKE UP!"

"...I push up my sleeves and stare at the same words scribbled just below my wrist bone."

The intense panic in the lastest psychology thriller by tension driven writer Megan Goldin definitely added to the grey hairs on my head!

As I read and listened to this wild mystery thriller I realized my review cannot be too detailed because the unraveling of Liz's story is extremely detailed and precise. The author has created a set of clues that are like a treasure map and getting to the X marks the spot finish is rewarding but not easy on the nervous system.

Imagine waking up in a cab with no memory of how you got there or going to your apartment to find strangers living there with only some old mail as proof your roommate once lived there too. Better yet going to your office and everyone greeting you like a visitor who has been gone for two years!

Two of my favorite narrators January Lavoy and Imogen Church take acting to a whole new level as the confused scared and very frustrated Liz and the trying to prove herself NY Detective Darcy Halliday. The chapters switch off between these two leading ladies and I honestly was rooting for both of them which made my brain short circuit.

Despite clever red herrings, a bit of an outlandish medical ailment, and a twisty plot I figured out the truth but not necessarily because of the clues but just a realization that hit me as a constant reader of thrillers.

Liz loses her memory when she sleeps. When she wakes up it's always two years ago. What happened two years ago? Read/listen to this thriller. I guarantee you will Stay Awake until the end.

I received a free copy of this book/audiobook from the publishers via #NetGalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I loved The Night Swim by Goldin but this one read more like a first draft. The premise is that Liv loses her memory every time she falls asleep. She's now wanted for murder but doesn't remember anything that's happened in the last two years.

The groundhog's day-esque plot became repetitive pretty quickly, mainly because the reader doesn't learn a lot before Liv falls asleep again. I thought the ending wrapped up a little too nicely, with everything being revealed in two conversations.

My favorite part of this book was Detective Halliday. She was a strong female lead and really helped move the novel along.

I’ve read Goldin’s previous books before and this one is probably my favorite. The plot reminded me so much of the movies Before I Go To Sleep and Memento, which i both love!

Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Megan Goldin for an e-ARC of this book which publishes 8/9/22!

Liv wakes up in a taxi on her way home with no recollection of anything. When she arrives in her apartment, strangers are living in it and she’s told she no longer lives there. As she finds her phone to call for help, she discovers a knife covered in blood and writing on her hand that says “Stay Awake”. As she comes across the news, she sees a crime investigation where the scene shows the same message written on the window. This tells her that she might be involved, but cannot piece her memories together.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. I was definitely invested in this mystery to find out what happened. It’s a whodunnit page turner and the short chapters were definitely something i loved about it. Although I feel like the revelations were a bit flawed with plot holes that became very convenient towards the end. A great mystery overall, that’s binge worthy and gripping!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘈𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘤 𝘔𝘊𝘴, 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘰, 𝘉𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐 𝘎𝘰 𝘛𝘰 𝘚𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱, 𝘞𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘵 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺

What would you do if you woke up in the back of a cab, with a bloodstained knife and no memory of the last two years of your life? You've scrawled notes all over yourself to "stay awake!" and, oh yeah, you later see on the news there's been gruesome murder and those same words were written on the wall in blood?

Y'all, this was one heckuva ride. Talk about fast-paced and action-packed, there was not one second of this book where I wasn't thinking "dude, what?" Seriously, if you like to fly through your thrillers, this is the book for you. I also really enjoyed the unraveling of Liv Reese, the main character - both of her life (see: where did two years go?) but also of her story and history. And I really enjoyed the female detective, Darcy Halliday, who was working her first murder and had a point to prove. Strong female characters with a side of murder are my jam.

It finally happened. After nearly 3 years of dodging the proverbial bullet, I finally tested positive for COVID-19 last week. It took me about a week to overcome the worst symptoms, and I thankfully only have a lingering nasty cough. However, one benefit to being forced to isolate is that I've had ample time to catch up on reading. Megan Goldin's novels The Escape Room and The Night Swim were some of the best thrillers that I read in their respective years of release. This put her newest book Stay Awake, out today, among my most anticipated reads this year. Lucky for me, Goldin's publisher generously provided me with a copy of Stay Awake to review. I found the work to be the perfect form of escapism as I suffered through the worst symptoms of this illness.

Liv Reese awakes in the back of a taxi having more questions than answers. Her amnesia is only further pronounced as she steps up to the door of her apartment and is greeted by strangers. Who are these people in her home? The tenants seem as confused as she is, and they quickly close the door. Liv goes into her pocket to retrieve her phone but instead pulls out a knife covered in blood. Her phone is nowhere to be found. Liv's hands are adorned with hastily scribbled messages like a random phone number, "Don't open the door", and most startling "STAY AWAKE".

Incoming homicide detective Darcy Halliday has been partnered with department veteran Jack Lavelle. Beyond the usual newcomer/veteran dynamic at play, the pairs' boss has tasked Lavelle with vetting Halliday for future promotions. Halliday has a history of working for the state department, a past that is understandably shrouded in mystery. Halliday and Lavelle don't have much time to get to know each other before they are called to the scene of a gruesome murder. The brutal stabbing would be bad enough, but it is the message scrawled on the window of the room in the victim's blood that chills everyone to their core. STAY AWAKE!

Megan Goldin is fast becoming known for her ability to produce compelling standalone thrillers, and Stay Awake further cements that status. She's crafted the perfect unreliable narrator in a character who loses her short-term memory each time that she sleeps. The novel alternates perspectives between this woman who is attempting to compile the events that lead her to this point with that of the detectives investigating a murder in which she is the prime suspect. Goldin sprinkles in flashbacks to her protagonist's past, giving the reader insight into the person she used to be. This provides some much-needed depth to a character who is otherwise stuck in a repetitive loop of insomnia and paranoia. The short chapters and fast pace make this the kind of can't-put-it-down read that I've come to expect from Goldin. I did see the ending coming well before the big reveal, but it did little to deter my enjoyment of getting to that point. Stay Awake is another solid thriller from an author who is already one of my go-to writers in the genre.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a cross between Memento and Before I Go to Sleep by SJ Watson.

What I liked:
-The story switches between two years ago and the present. I love a good dual timeline and this did not disappoint. There’s plenty of background info leading into what causes Liv’s memory loss
-Detective Halliday. She was smart, empathetic, and a good devil’s advocate to her partner, who wanted to pin everything on Liv. She would be the perfect character to build a series around
-Liv. I definitely felt for her. I could not imagine what it would be like to have amnesia and Goldin did an excellent job portraying her confusion and anxiety
-The secondary characters. While not super central to the story, there were a few who moved the story along by helping Liv when she couldn’t remember things

What I didn’t like:
-Liv. She could also be so frustrating sometimes. Whenever she was about to find out something that could help her, she ran away.
-The time frame. The majority of the book takes place over a day - the investigation, lab results, autopsy, arrest. This doesn’t happen in real life

Other than these two minor quibbles, I really enjoyed the book. It was fast paced and kept me intrigued the entire time. The reveals surprised me and the red herrings did throw me off a little. If you're looking for a popcorn thriller that will keep you turning the pages, this is it.

Wow what a read! This was such a unique story. I have read Megan Goldin’s previous books and absolutely loved them and this wasn’t any different. I loved the cliffhangers she left us with at the end of each chapter. The story was fast-paced and the characters well developed. I kind of figured out in the middle of the story where this was headed and I was spot on. Bravo for another amazing book!!!

This thriller is about a woman named Liv Reese. Liv wakes up in a taxi with a bloody knife wrapped up in a t-shirt. She doesn't remember what happened or how she got there. We stumble along with Liv as she tries to figure out what happened to her and we stay confused for the entire first half of the story.
The story started to get a bit repetitive and I had a lot of unanswered questions by the time we reached the weak ending. However it was a unique storyline and a fast read.

Imagine waking up in a taxi with no memory of how you got there, where you are going, or why you are now two years in the future....with a bloody knife in your pocket.

Megan Goldin does it again! For those who love suspense, read any Megan Goldin books. I could NOT put this one down. It was a gripping read and the suspense was full on right up until the end. I loved how everything came together.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before waking up in a cab, Liv Reese’s last memory was of working at her desk on a warm summer afternoon. But now it’s the middle of the night, summer long gone, someone else is living in her apartment, she has odd messages scribbled on her hands/arms, and she finds a bloody knife in her pocket. One of those messages she finds scribbled on herself is Stay Awake, while another is Wake up! which just so happens to be the exact message Detective Darcy Halliday finds written in blood at the scene of a murder.

I hate to sound cliché, but Stay Awake is an out of control roller coaster ride of a thriller. I have to say when I first started reading I was kind of reminded of the movie Memento and the TV show Blindspot. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It features engaging characters with an absolutely gripping storyline that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. This is one book that thriller fans are not going to want to miss.

I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an eARC of Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R28QAWK1SGP6WP/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

A cold wind woke her as she sat up stiffly after falling asleep on a park bench. She looked around, but nothing looked familiar. The sun hadn’t risen yet, so the sky was still dim. Her heart started to race and she rubbed her temples as she tried to piece together what had happened. She grabbed the bag at her feet and found a bloodied knife… what in the world had happened?

Stay Awake follows a main character, Liv, who suffers from amnesia every time she falls asleep. Everything around her is different and everything she thinks she knows is apparently very wrong. She doesn’t know where she lives and she doesn’t know where her best friend is, or where he boyfriend is. All she has are weird messages scribbled all over her hands.

The premise of this book sounded intriguing, but it’s execution was not done well in my opinion. So many details were repeated over and over again to a point I was getting bored. I understand the MC has amnesia, but as a reader I didn’t need everything told multiple times. There are also some parts that were never explained and I was not satisfied with how the book ended either. It honestly didn’t make sense to me.

I’ve enjoyed Megan Goldin’s previous books, but this one wasn’t for me.