Megan Goldin does not miss! I was obsessed with The Night Swim and this was just as great. Memento is a movie I’ve loved for a long time so the ties between this book and the film were super fun.

This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat. I really love the premise too - a bit like the movie Memento and very well done. I liked the protagonist, Liv, a lot, but there were times that I wished she'd thought to do a little sleuthing on her own. She never once went to a library to try to look up herself, Amy, or Marco - if she had, she would've found out what had happened, at least to them. She realizes at one point that it's two years later than what she thinks it should be, plus she's unable to find Marco and Amy at their old numbers and addresses, so it stands to reason she might try to look them up at some point to find current contact info. That would've shown her part of the truth right away. That said, she's understandably exhausted and confused, so I can understand why this might not have occurred to a character in that state.

I will say that when the villain is revealed I immediately thought "oh that makes sense' but they had not occurred to me before that moment as being a potential culprit. I was more focused on Liv trying to figure out on her own what was going on and trying to stay awake, as well whether or not Amy and Marco could be trusted. It becomes relatively clear about 60% of the way through the book that there's something more going on, and honestly, I should've seen the villain reveal coming, but I just didn't. Goldin does a really great job of basically making the reader suspect everyone because Liv herself suspects everyone. She's living in perpetual confusion and going off of notes written on her arms that state not to trust anyone, including the police, so we don't trust anyone either. All-in-all this was a really excellent book and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a nail-biting mystery read.

The words written on the window and on the hands of Liv as a reminder to not go to sleep so she doesn’t forget.

This book was fast, quick/short chapters and a page turner as I was trying to find out what the heck happened to Liv two years ago that caused a lapse in her own memory.

Megan Golden is basically an auto read author for me at this point. Her storylines are all so different, and the way she writes has a way of being so captivating you cannot help but finish the book to figure out what was going on.

Ending up not finishing. Writing was choppy and hard to follow. Haven’t loved her other books either unfortunately

You can tell that it’s a good thriller when you jump at sound while reading. This book is suspenseful and keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The characters are complicated and you can’t tell who is good and who is bad. It’s such an intriguing story with so many intricacies that keep you interested .It’s such a intriguing story with so many intricacies that keep you interested from start to finish.

It pains me to say that this one was a big miss for me! The differing POV felt choppy and it was a little hard to figure out if it was present day, twenty four hours before, two years ago, etc. I kept getting confused! The major twist wasn't that shocking unfortunately! I have loved her other work and can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Holy smokes, talk about a story!

I don’t think I trusted a single person in this book.

I love Liv, such a strong character and she did not give up! I loved figuring out her memories with her, while reading you felt like you were right there with her.

I could not imagine waking up everyday day and not remembering anything especially when you are in the middle of a murder investigation.

Megan Goldin takes you in a ride with this one. Stay Awake will hook you from the very start and won’t let you go until it’s finished!

Definitely go in blind with this one, you won’t regret it!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to review.**

The premise set up a total Memento vibe that hooked me right away, but also set up an unfair expectation. I have liked Megan Goldin's previous books so I didn't hesitate to dive in, however, this one wasn't a hit for me. The main character Liv was annoying and illogical. The psychological thriller genre, which used to be my favorite, has become boring and frustrating with unlikeable, unreliable, female characters that make dumb decisions. That can work in horror sometimes as a trope wink and nod, but in this genre, I want smart characters who I can get behind.

I get that Liv has a memory problem, no matter how implausible, I'm there for amnesia 100%, but why wouldn't she seek medical help? Why wasn't anyone checking her into the psych ward for evaluation? Clearly, she needed a time-out. And why why why... does she run away every time she encounters someone who could give her information? She's trying to solve the mystery, right?

Unfortunately, the repetition that is meant to hammer home her brain disorder only got annoying and caused me to skip chunks. As a reader, once we know there's an issue, we only have to be reminded occasionally... maybe once a chapter if switching back and forth between POVs... but I definitely don't need to read the same thought in paragraph after paragraph to "get it". It felt like a mistake in the editing process or else it was filler to make the page count more. Not sure, but it came across as lazy and I know Megan Goldin is NOT lazy.

The best thing going for the book that kept my attention were the detective's storyline which flowed logically and the characters were believable. I did keep going because I had to know how the story resolved but it wasn't a zinger for me. The plot was a little too similar to others but I was there hoping there'd be a unique way to twist it. It's hard to come up with these things so I get it. I'll still pick up Goldin's next one. They can't all be made for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the copy of this book. I do look forward to her next one.

I'm a BIG 50 First Dates fan and the memory aspect of this thriller is... similarly based.
Less rom-com lol

I'm waiting for Megan Goldin to really hook me with characters and this one didn't quite get me. I do love her concepts and will continue to come back!

In Stay Awake, the protagonist struggles with the fact that she must stay awake or else lose all of her memories from the past two years. The other lead character, a detective, is trying to track down the protagonist to solve a crime. I found this book to be creative and engaging. While the memory loss did not seem realistic, Goldin generally followed the rules she created for the memory loss well. I recommend this as a fun thriller to read.

I'm a big fan of Megan Goldin and I enjoyed this mystery. The multiple POVs and timelines definitely made for a lot of characters and a lot to keep track of, but I found the characters distinct enough to follow. I also liked how each timeline linked and we were "reminded" of some facts.

So the short version is we get very unreliable narrator, Liv, who wakes up in the back of a taxi with no memory of her night. When she gets back to her apartment in Brooklyn she learns there is a couple living there. Liv can't understand where her roommate Amy is or why these strangers are living in her home.

Literally kicked to the curb, Liv can't find her cell phone but instead finds strange writing on her hands and arms - namely the words "Stay Awake". Oh and then there's the bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt in her coat pocket...so.....

Police investigation. Lost memory. Liv trying to piece together what happened since her last memory, which was answering her desk phone at work.

I was a huge fan of Detective Halliday and am so curious if we'll get to see her again. She had an interesting back story and I liked her 'approach' to the case. I'm always a fan of some police investigation and I liked the balance between her story and Liv's.

I really enjoyed how Megan Goldin played with memory and the unreliable narrator trope. This is one of those books that peppered with some solid suspects. (I maybe fell for a red herring or two.). But also plants some clues that you can follow to some places - I figured out a 'what', but not the 'how' or 'why' of one thread.

I enjoyed trying to unravel it all and overall had a good time with this story. I'm down for anything that Megan Goldin writes and would recommend this one for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the ARC. Loved it!

one of megan’s best. it kept me hooked the entire way through. I was all in when I read escape room and megan keeps getting better! I never saw the ending coming. i’m looking forward to more from her!

Wow! What a thrill ride of a book!

Liv wakes up in the back of a cab completely disoriented, with writing all up and down her arms and a bloody knife in her pocket. She arrives at her home only to find strangers live there now. Her phone is missing. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at work.

The story is told from different viewpoints, including that of the officer investigating a murder that Liv may or may not have committed.

Love the premise, but was disappointed in the delivery. Just didn't seem realistic for Liv to be wandering around aimlessly. But overall, it was a quick and entertaining read.

Ahh, New Thrillers! 😱
Friends! I recently finished these two and I thought they were both so good! Come along with me as I tell you a little about each…

‘Things We Do In The Dark’ by Jennifer Hillier is out TODAY! This was my first Hillier book and it won’t be my last- you must pick it up. It was a twisty ride of false identifies, murder and revenge. The only thing that upset me was that I don’t have the glow-in-the-dark hardback. Woe is me. 😔

This one almost felt like two stories in one, but in a good way! Paris is arrested for killing her famous husband, and she knows she didn’t do it. She doesn’t want the publicity because of a troubled past that still haunts her… she doesn’t want to be found.

——

‘Stay Awake’ by Megan Goldin is out August 9th. I really loved ‘Night Swim’ so I was excited about this one! While I liked the story, it really stressed me out. It was like 50 First Dates + Russian Doll + murder. Eek!

When Liz wakes up on a park bench with no recollection of the last two years, she starts to freak out. Rightfully so. She also has the words Stay Awake written on her hands… same as what’s written on the window of the guy that was just murdered… 🤔

Thank you @netgalley & @stmartinspress for both of these digital copies! I also listened to a lot of SW on @librofm and the narrator is laughably terrible. I suggest NOT listening to audio on this one! Unless you like bad accents, bad pacing, and fake laughing. 🫣

🖤🖤🖤

Thank you, NetGalley, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Stay Awake. Megan Goldin does not disappoint with this psychological thriller. This is a faced paced book with many twists and turns. It’s difficult to put down! There are some implausibilities, but overall it was a fun ride.

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin kept me on the edge of my seat. The twists were unexpected but perfect. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did a great job as well.

Fun & original! Stay Awake was an amazing psychological thriller. I was truly confused and left on the edge of my seat for most of the book. What was going on? Is our FMC a killer? Is she being hunted? Framed? So many questions! All answered through a wild ride.

How did I ever miss reviewing this book?!?! I absolutely loved it and I am such of fan of Goldin's writing. Loved the pace of this book, the twists, and loved hownshe wrapped the story up!

I gave this book a chance. It was not for me. I will not be reviewing it on my bookstagram account or goodread page. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.