Every time Liv falls asleep, she wakes up with no memory and strange messages she’s written to herself on her body. Due to a traumatic incident from her past, she can’t recall anything from the past two years of her life. When a man is found murdered Liv finds herself implicated in the crime, although she has no memory of the crime or the victim. I’ll stop right there as you probably get the drift.

As others have mentioned before, this is a bit like 50 First Dates and Memento. I honestly didn’t mind that at all and it’s been a while since I’ve read a book with the “amnesia” trope and I do enjoy them. I also enjoyed the memory flashbacks and piecing everything together. Overall this ended up being a quick and entertaining read for me that I liked for the most part. Was it a tad repetitive? Yes. Could the pace have been better? Yes. Did I figure out the plot twist? Yes. So I’m obviously kind of on the fence with this one but would I still recommend this? Yes, because at the end of the day I did enjoy reading it. There was enough tension and suspense to keep me going and I did feel for Liv and I was entertained. 3.75⭐️

Megan Goldin returns with her third psychological thriller following The Night Swim (2020) and The Escape Room (2019)—STAY AWAKE.

An intense, propulsive tale of a woman who has lost her memory. A killer she doesn't remember meeting. A murder she doesn't remember committing.

Liv Reese finds herself in a cab in Manhattan. There are handwritten messages above her knuckles: STAY AWAKE. Above this she finds and name and address, Nocturnal. A bar.

With no keys, phone, or wallet, and then upon arrival at her apartment there are strangers. A bloody knife in her pocket. Then she wakes up on a park bench. Nothing is as it appears.

She also has the words WAKE UP. The bartender tells her she is afraid of what she does in her sleep.

DON'T SLEEP. I FORGET EVERYTHING WHEN I FALL ASLEEP. DON'T OPEN THE DOOR. DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE,

A news report airs a murder where the killer wrote WAKE UP on a window in blood. Could she have done this?

She attempts to leave notes for herself. She tries staying awake but her ongoing lack of sleep only amplifies the amnesia.

In addition to her apparent issues, Liv ends up a suspect in a murder of a man that she has no recollection of knowing. There's a knife in her pocket, surveillance of her coming out of the building, and a note she wrote to herself that tells her not to trust the police.

Frantic, she begins her search for the truth. The author alternates between the present with NYPD Detective Darcy Halliday and the investigation with flashbacks of two years earlier.

Liv Reese was a journalist for Cultura Magazine in New York City and shares an apartment with her best friend Amy Decker, who is a doctor. They are dating two guys Marco, an ex-lawyer, and Amy's boyfriend Brett another doctor.

What happened to her life? Two years had passed, and she remembers none of it. Someone wants her to forget, not just after she sleeps, but to forget permanently.

In the vein of Before I Go to Sleep, Memento, and 50 First Dates, the author cleverly unwinds the events both complicated and compellingly hypnotic.

Fast-paced, twisty, and multi-layered with cliffhanger chapter endings, I alternated between the digital e-book and the audiobook. The audiobook was INTENSE and often over-the-top dramatic by Imogen Church (Liv). A lot of writing was repetitive due to the nature of the story. I enjoyed January LaVoy (also a favorite) and her narration of Halliday.

A special thank you to #NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio for an advanced reading copy and audiobook.

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@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Pub Date: Aug 9, 2022
Aug 2022 Must-Read Books

A little redundant and my least favorite of Goldins books but still a fun fast thriller/mystery perfect for a summer weekend read!

This was my first MG book. And it won’t be my last.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
I finished this book in 2 sittings - definitely a page turner and twists to keep you going!
I did figure things out about 3/4’s of the way, but 8 was not disappointed!
I liked the style of writing and her characters!
Thanks again to NetGalley!

This is the first novel I have read by Megan Goldin. I was super excited to read this because it has actually been a while since I have read a detective style crime novel and what set this apart for me was there was also a main character, Liv Reese, who was trying to figure out her own mystery of why she has no memory of the last 2 years and why she has the words “Stay Awake” written on her hands and what it means, and the panic that ensues as she races to discover what’s going on, considering she has a bloodied weapon in her possession. At the same time, you have detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavalle, who have been put together on a case trying to uncover who is behind an overnight homicide and various incidents occurring there after that may all be tied together, so I was excited to see how this all connected.

While I don’t necessarily feel like the plot itself was new, I do enjoy mysteries where amnesia/memory loss is at the center. I did find that this novel being written from multiple perspectives in this style to be unique so bonus points there.

This book reminded me of an action movie and oddly enough, one reason I am not a huge fan of action movies is because I find the action scenes so repetitive. This was a bit similar in that I felt I was reading similar scenarios over and over again coupled with traveling back and forth between past and present as Liv tried to solve her mystery. I also felt like at times she was running from the answers she was trying to solve. I understand you have to build up suspense, and build up a story but I think because of all this, it took me a little longer to read this than I anticipated.

Even with all that, I enjoyed the multiple perspectives (Liv and Detective Darcy Halliday) and transitions throughout the book. The other piece that kept me interested was the person who was going after Liv to make sure she never remembered the past. I thought that build up was pretty cool and I did enjoy the ending although admittedly, I was not shocked or blown away.

I think this was a good solid read that I would give a 3 but more like a 3.5. I enjoyed Megan’s writing style and I felt she put a lot of effort into this book and it had a nice build up to the ending.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I am excited to check out more by Megan.

Stay Awake is another thriller I just did not expect. The premise is enough to suck you in, but once you're there...you have to finish before going to bed! Top notch!

Megan Goldin's newest novel "Stay Awake" is a thrilling mystery, literally, Liv Reese has no idea what is going on. Liv cannot remember anything from the last two years every single time she falls asleep. Any memories Liv has created in the time before falling asleep are wiped away, leaving her waking up with no recent memories, and wondering why there is writing all over her hands telling her to stay awake. As the police hunt her down as a suspect in a murder, Liv scrambles to figure out what happened over the last two years, and if she did indeed kill someone.

I really enjoyed this new take on the thriller/mystery genre and found myself speeding through the pages. You get the story from several different perspectives, Liv in present day, Liv in the past, and from detective Halliday. Goldin does a great job of building suspense, and slowly giving away information and clues. My major complaint with this book was having several untied storylines. The murderer is revealed, and the story just ends. I wish there had been more explanation behind their motive, and why Liv specifically was being stalked. There were a few other minor characters who were suspects in my mind, but later never had any resolution to their actions. Overall I enjoyed this thriller and found it reminiscent of the movie "Memento". It was fun learning along with Liv and the police as they each pieced together Liv's past and how it brought her to her predicament today.

Wow, I really enjoyed this book. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the escape room, so was unsure how I would like this book but I honestly loved it. It was a fast paced quick read that held my attention from the first page. I’ve always loved the movie ‘50 first dates’ and really enjoyed seeing that same theme in a thriller. I also wasn’t able to guess the ending which is always a plus. I would have liked to have a little more backstory on the motive in the end though.

Great initial story, but the ending is a bit predictable and also at the same time farfetched. I will definitely continue reading more from the author, but this was my least favorite installment of her work.

Stay Awake is what is written all over Liv’s hands when she wakes up with no memories of the past two years. In fact, every time she falls asleep, her memories of that day are erased. Following this unreliable narrator, we attempt to figure out many crimes such as stalking, breaking and entering, and murder. With the help of a police detective’s POV, we try to solve various crimes spanning several years surrounding Liv. I enjoyed the twists and turns and this book had me on the edge of my seat!

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a great thriller that NetGalley afforded by the opportunity to read. Imagine waking up and never remembering what happened the day before? Nightmare right? That’s exactly what Liv Reese’s life has become. Nothing you know is the same. Everything you do remember is from two years past. Show up at your apartment and it’s not yours. Call someone and the number is wrong. What do you do?

Well this is Liv’s life. Only worse because she wakes up in a taxi with blood on her and stay awake written on her hand. Did she commit a crime? The crime scene seems to indicate so. Stay awake is written on the window of the crime scene as well. So starts the thriller. Is Liv a criminal or a victim?

This great thriller will keep you guessing until the very end. I loved it and highly recommend it. Be sure to buy and read it when it comes out on August 9th, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher St. Martins Press.

I love this type of thriller where I'm not entirely sure what's going on, but I have an inkling of an idea and I have to keep reading to find out how all these clues come together. This was my first Megan Goldin thriller and won't be my last! I really enjoyed he writing style and the clever way she wrapped up the mystery. This novel was so much fun and the audiobook narrator did an excellent job bringing this story to life.

While I appreciated the mystery aspect of the story, it was hard for me to get into this book. I felt frustrated with the redundancy at times but did like the detective work aspect. I overall didn’t have much patience for the storyline and there were some redundancy issues with the writing which was ironic considering how redundant the character’s life was...anyway, not the book for me.

What a thriller, I tell you! The summary of this book really intrigued me from the start, as she has no memory and has to stay awake, or else she’ll forget everything again! She only remembers up to two years ago with a huge gap of lost memories in between. We follow our MC as she gets hints from the scribbles on her body on where to go and who to call to possibly help her, even though she tends to deviate towards what she knows - her life from two years ago. I personally didn’t get super into it until the halfway point, but after that I was hooked and needing to finish it immediately to see how it concluded! I would get confused at times only because Liv was confused, but it wasn’t frustrating as it felt normal! As the reader, we slowly figure out everything with Liv and it wraps together nicely from flashbacks from the past to the present. I really enjoyed this and I definitely recommend!

Writing: 1/5
Plot: 2/5

1.5 stars overall*

Poor writing combined with the repetitive plot made this an excruciating read. There were a plethora of times where I was pleading for someone - anyone to just put Liv out of her misery and finally end her. I understand that she suffers from a rare form of amnesia, but the fact of that matter is, even without it, Liv is realistically too stupid to survive. She continuously makes asinine decisions and behaves in a way that is beyond illogical. I suspect this is Goldin's way of dragging the story out so that certain mysteries aren't revealed early on. Regardless, I figured out the killer quickly. It was a cheap move to keep Liv blind for so long. Overall, I had high expectations for Stay Awake and was deeply disappointed.

Given the poor experience, I will not be publishing a formal review on my socials. Originally I planned to announce Stay Awake as my August book club pick, however that has obviously since changed. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the arc.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press , I was provided an ARC of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

*****Publishing August 9, 2022****

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fun and suspenseful book that will keep you entertained from start to finish! Even having you laughing at times!

Imagine waking up in a cab groggy in the middle of the night to only find out the cab had brought you back to an old apartment, but new people live in it, so you get turned away. Next realizing the last thing you remember was being at your desk at work and you are left without your purse and cell phone. Then you get back in a cab to go back to the bar where you started. You don’t remember what happened, but are told you left with a guy and you hate sleeping at night because you are afraid of what you will do in your sleep? This triggers your memory of the bloody knife you just had? This is exactly what happened to Liv Reese. Liv has a lot to sort out because when she tries to go back to her work and personal life, it’s all changed and unrecognizable. Will she discover why she can’t remember the last two years? How will Liv navigate life? Can she find her best friend and boyfriend? This page turning book will unfold all of the dark secrets and more!

You won’t be able to turn the pages fast enough! The twists and turns will keep you entertained! Perfect for book clubs!

Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Liv Reese wakes up in a taxi that’s taking her to her apartment. She doesn’t know how he got there but when she tries to get in, a stranger opens the door and tells her she doesn’t live there. Her hands and arms are covered in written messages that say things like “Stay Awake” and “trust no one.” She finds a bloody knife in her pocket and then she realizes that the last thing she remembers was 2 years ago.

Strangers talk to her like they know her and her friends are nowhere to be found. While trying to understand what’s happening, she sees on the news that someone was killed and that the murderer left a message written in blood that also says “Stay Awake.” Could this be a coincidence?

The story alternates between two timelines (2 years ago and the present) and two POVs (Liv and Detective Darcy Halliday’s perspectives). The three storylines are action-packed and intriguing. The story's pace is fast, with many plot turns and twists and the suspense is very well maintained from beginning to end. I love unreliable narrators and Liv’s memory issues and the uncertainty of what’s happening make this book even more exhilarating and unputdownable!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the review copy of this exciting book! This was my second book by Megan Goldin and I can't wait can't wait to read whatever she writes next!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

"Don't tell me you fell asleep and forgot everything again."

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi in NYC, unsure of how she got there, who she is, or why she has a bloodstained knife. The only clue she has as to what's going on is the message written on her hands: STAY AWAKE.

Wheeeeew!! Stay Awake was super creepy and I LOVED IT. I'm a huge fan of the movie Memento, and this book was very reminiscent of that movie. I loved Liv as an unreliable narrator, constantly falling asleep and then waking up without memories. This was really well-written, as we start in the present and work our way back to the event that triggered it all two years ago, while also revealing the killer in present time. If you're looking for a really atmospheric, suspenseful, and fast-paced thriller, this is the one to pick up!

I want to be very careful with my review for “stay awake. “ let me just say I have never read a book by Megan golden before, but I will definitely be reading more in the future. This is a skillfully detailed mystery and I promise you will not guess who the killer is until you know. Live Reese is a journalist in New York City and shares an apartment with her best friend Amy Decker who is a doctor. They are dating two guys Marco an ex lawyer and Amy’s boyfriend Brett another doctor. When Liv wakes up in a taxi in the middle of the night she is confused the last thing she remembers is answering her phone while at work and oh yes it was summer and now it’s fall. When she knocks on the door so Amy can let her in a couple answer the door and tell her she can’t possibly live there, because they do. She is confused and doesn’t know what to do but the sods to leave when the woman insists she will call the police. Sitting on the steps outside her old apartment she sees writing on her hands and a knife balled up in a T-shirt that’s full of blood. That is all I am going to say but the summary this book was so good and the surprises and twist is what makes it that much better. I promise if you love the real and mysteries you’re going to be googoooo over stay awake by Megan Golden. If there is a such thing as a perfect mystery this is it I stayed up until four in the morning reading this book because I didn’t want to put it down in a soon as I woke up I finished it. Let me just say before I in my review I absolutely loved the detective Darcy Halliday, she was not only amazing but the author made it come up so authentically Megan Golden crossed every tea and Dotted every I to make an amazing mystery. I cannot say enough about this book except it was so so awesomely amazing. I received this book from netGally and the author but I am leaving this review totally voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

This book was amazing! It kept me intrigued right until the very end. I did not guess the ending ahead of time. I will definitely be recommending this book to family, friends, colleagues and students.