If you're in the mood for a hauntingly captivating read, look no further than 'Stay Awake' by Megan Golding. This 4-star book will pull you in with its eerie atmosphere, unforgettable characters, and spine-chilling plot. Once you start, you won't be able to put it down!

Oh my goodness! I can’t believe I’ve been sleeping on this book. Stay Awake is the perfect psychological thriller that I needed to jolt me out of my reading slump.
If you haven’t read this book and psychological thrillers/ suspense books are your jam, pick this book up asap.
Liv Reese wakes up everyday to a new world. She has no memory of the past two years. If that’s no enough of a problem, Liv starts each new day having no recollection that she might have a murderous stalker too 😱🔪
But there is one thing she feels sure of…. She must Stay Awake and not fall asleep 💤

Everytime Liv wakes up she finds herself in a place she doesn't recognize and doesn't know how she got there. The only thing she remembers is sitting in her office on a summer afternoon. Liv keeps waking on on a cold November morning and each time is different. She woke up on a park bench, a train, in a rundown apartment just to name a few. Very frightening places. . When she wakes up she tries to resume her life but when she does there is other people living there in her apartment or sitting at her desk at work. Even at her boyfriends apartment. Liv tries to stay awake and put clues together and find out what triggered this memory loss.
She discovers that a traumatic event in her life two years ago caused the memory loss and she cannot seem to get past it. She writes all over her hands and wherever she can telling herself to stay awake and not trust anybody but she can't remember why. One day Liv sees herself on TV and is being accused of killing someone that she doesn't know. She could not imagine killing anybody. She has no idea if she's guilty so she tries to avoid police but there are more than just the cops looking for her. Can she stay up long enough to figure out this massive puzzle? Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the advance ecopy.

I don't usually feel the urge to read a book immediately after receiving it. I am such a mood reader that I will buy a book because I just 'have to have it' and then let it sit on my shelf until I feel super compelled to read it. However, my mood reading tendencies FLEW out the window when I recieved an email that said that I was approved for an advanced reader's copy of today's book. I started it immediately! Mood reading----be gone!

Stay Awake is a Thriller written by Megan Goldin. It was released in August of 2022.
If you would like to purchase Stay Awake you can find it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. You can follow the author, Megan Goldin, on Instagram and Goodreads! You can also check out her website!

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Goldin, and St. Martin's Press for giving me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As always, all views expressed throughout this review are my own.

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who now lives in her apartment and forces her out in the cold. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing, and in its place is a bloodstained knife. That’s when she sees that her hands are covered in black pen, scribbled messages like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE.
Two years ago, Liv was living with her best friend, dating a new man, and thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, the same message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing as she tries to piece together the fragments of her life. But there’s someone who does know exactly what she did, and they’ll do anything to make her forget—permanently.

I gave this book 5 stars on Goodreads. Before I go any further into this review, I want to commend the author. Last year, I read and reviewed Megan Goldin's book, The Escape Room----I loved it! I was a bit nervous that this book would not live up to that one but it was so good! The author has certainly impressed me with these two stellar novels. I cannot wait to check out her other books!

Similarly to The Escape Room, this story is told through dual timelines. If you know me you know I love a good dual timeline----as long as it is executed well...and this one was really great!
This was fast paced, it kept me on my toes, and it had me 'Stay-ing Awake' to finish it (pun absolutely intended even though I cringed a bit when I typed that).

Sometimes I find female lead characters in thrillers to be a bit insufferable. Maybe it's just me, but I find that authors sometimes make them reliant on others or even ditsy. Kind of like in a scary movie when the girl should be running out the door but she instead runs up the stairs...so frustrating! What I loved about this book was that Liv was capable, smart, and likable! She was like a breath of fresh air!

Also, I find that some authors who include law enforcement in their books have only gathered all of their character dynamics from Law & Order or CSI. Fiction is not real life and I can always get past things but I often find some pretty egregious errors in the framework of those characters. I LOVED the way that Megan Goldin developed and utilized the detectives in this book! Their inclusion advanced the story and I could tell the author took the time to create them. It was so appreciated!

Overall, I could not recommend this book more! It is one of the best reads of the year, so far, for me. Due to the nature of the plot, and some adult dialogue/situations referenced throughout I would recommend for readers 17+. If you are looking for a book that will maintain your interest and maybe even impress you---I think you should pick this one up!

4 stars

Stay Awake had me in a chokehold from the very start. This book starts with a bang and I knew I was not going to rest until I finished this book. Megan Goldin has been on my authors to watch list because I absolutely loved The Night Swim. So with two knock out reads, I will now read anything she writes.

While I did guess who was the big bad, I didn't mind that it was predictable. Most thrillers are. That's why I love them. But there was definitely some things I did not see coming. I loved how the pods switched from past to present. It fully rounded out the story and seeing both mysteries get solved at once was just PERFECTION.
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I seriously don't know how Megan Goldin does it, but she writes so fantastic. She knows how to tell a great story and hook me immediately. Now I feel like I need to read her debut which I may just go do right now. Because I am still reeling at how much I loved this book.

READ IT READ IT READ IT

This book had great characterization, excellent story telling, and made me want to keep reading. I will continue to read from this author and look out for their new releases.

This book had so much potential but it was just flat. What I found out about myself with this book is I don’t enjoy reading from the POV of unreliable main characters especially ones as stupid as Liv. It would've been helpful if she wrote more helpful things on her body other than “stay awake” and not wondering around the city.
The conclusion left me with more questions than answers. For example, who was stalking Liv and why before the murders? Did I some missed it?

I believe this is the second book I’ve read by Goldin and of course I will read future books. I loved The Night Swim.

Picture 50 first dates but much darker and no ukuleles and Lucy is in danger. I love this concept. The bouncing around between two years ago and two weeks ago and the present may give some readers a headache but this read just took a few a digits and kept on reading.

I love books by Megan Goldin, and this was no different. Thank you so much for sending my way to read and review!

OK, so I have mixed feelings about this one.

I loved the idea of the amnesia premises. I adored Detectives Halliday and Lavelle. Halliday made the book and is the reason why I continued to turn the pages. The detectives are why I gave this book 3 stars. Well them, the who done it, and the fact I actually finished this one, since I seem to be DNFing a hell of a lot of books lately.

On the flip side, Liv's character drove me freaking nuts. Some days her character felt too stupid to live. And yes, I'm fully away she suffers from amnesia due to a traumatic event. But lord, this chick didn't make very smart moves or decisions 90% of the time. Never asked for help. Ran when she should have stayed. Wrote dumb shit on her body instead of pertinent info. Etc.

On top of that, the book was repetitive. And not just in the fact we live a good chunk of Liv's days over. The writing needed an editor and proofing. If all the repetitive sentences were taken out this book would have been much shorter. Due to this, the pacing sometimes felt off.

The two twist: I figured out one of them rather quickly. However, I did not figure out the who done it. Which looking back, the signs were there.

If I'm being honest, while this was just an okay read, Stay Awake probably isn't a book I would recommend to a friend. There just wasn't enough parts to it that wowed me or made me fall in love. With that said, no two people read the same book, so if you choose to settle in with this one, I hope you have a much more enjoyable ride than I did.

Stay Awake plays so many mind games and I literally couldn’t get enough! I loved this book so much!

Liv stole my heart from the very first page. The tangled web of her past had me in a choke hold. I found myself racing through to find out the truth. I really don’t want to say much because I feel like you need to go into this one completely blind to fully appreciate what the author was trying to accomplish. And boy do I think she accomplished it.

I feel like this is a book I’m going to think about for many years to come.
5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me an arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

another knockout from Goldin! she has quickly become a new favorite thriller author and this one did not disappoint! it reminded me a lot of one of my favorite thriller movies, Memento, and i could not put this book down!

I really enjoyed the Night Swim by this author! This title Stay Awake was not as strong as...it fell short for me. Hard to follow at times and just didn't pack a punch.

So this was a quick and easy read. Interesting enough to keep your attention and see where’s it’s going.
The main character Liv was a bit insufferable. The decisions she made and the actions she took made no sense at times. I understand her entire world is throw off every time she wakes up, but come on, you have to at least still have some common sense. This one was a bit of a let down after loving “The Night Swim”, however if you’re like me and enjoyed Goldin’s previous books then reading this one for yourself could be worth it.

This was a very suspenseful book! Luv has a memory problem. Something bad has happened. And nothing is what she remembers. As more things start to happen, she tries to put the pieces together to figure out what has happened to her.

I'm torn on how I feel about this book because it was an entertaining mystery and most of the ending surprised me, so that's good. On the other hand, Liv's chapters became so painfully repetitive and she kept doing the most frustrating things. Every time she came across a person who could give her answers or helpful information she would decide to just leave without asking questions instead. I have trouble believing someone in her situation would act this way or make these choices. I also have trouble believing someone could write so much info on their hands and arms without it getting smudged. Notes, phone numbers, addresses... How big are her arms?? Is she not sweating at all while she runs all over town freaking out? I know that we were supposed to experience her having the same thoughts each time she woke up, but after a while I just wanted it to end. I found her pre-memory loss backstory chapters annoying as well. Had it not been for the chapters with the detectives solving the case, I might have given up.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for this egalley.

I love Megan Goldin. She does such a wonderful job hooking me in her stories. I loved this book as it has a really likeable narrator that you can't help but root for.

For fans of the movie Momento, you'll find yourself jumping timelines in the story and working to piece it all together. I love being a deceptive in books trying to solve the puzzle before the end of the book. This book led me on a great adventure.

Really enjoyed this novel. Story was very interesting and engaging. Looking forward to reading more by this author. Highly recommend!

This is a heart-pounding novel that will captivate readers from start to finish. The author skillfully crafts a suspenseful narrative filled with unexpected twists and turns, ensuring an enthralling reading experience.

The story introduces readers to a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and secrets. As the plot unfolds, their lives become intertwined in a high-stakes game of danger and deceit. The author expertly maintains a sense of suspense throughout the book, keeping readers guessing and eagerly turning the pages to uncover the truth.

One of the book's greatest strengths lies in its ability to create a palpable atmosphere of tension and unease. The author's vivid descriptions and attention to detail transport readers into the world of the story, making them feel as if they are right alongside the characters, experiencing the thrilling events firsthand.

"Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers—a stranger who claims to live in her apartment. She reaches for her phone to call for help, only to discover it’s missing. In its place is a bloodstained knife. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE." What does this mean, why is this written on her hands? Did she do this to herself , did she do something she does not even know about, will she get her memory back? Have to read this book to find out. Such great engaging story from beginning to end , also a quick read, fantastic book. Give it 4 stars. Thanks to St. Martin's Press, Netgalley, and the author in exchange for a review.
Published 8/9/22