This was SUCH a gripping psychological thriller - could not put it down. The first book I read from this author, and won't be the last. The main character Liv wakes up in a cab in the middle of the night with no recount of the last two years and major life events. She wakes with sharpie notes all over her and in possession of a bloody knife. It's a wild turn of events to follow Liv through her former life, piecing together life events, people, and places missing from memory for two years. I felt just as exhausted and desperate for the truth as the main character - so much so that I read this in record time.

What a page-turner!!!! This book had me on the edge of my seat from page 1. Liv Reese has no memory and finds herself on the run. This is edge-of-your-seat fun! If you love a good thriller, this book is for you.

Stay Awake was compulsively readable—the plot was interesting and kept me turning pages. The detectives, Halliday and Lavelle, were likable and easy to root for, as was the protagonist, and I found her rare amnesia to be convincingly conveyed by the author—a nifty feat of writing that could easily have turned convoluted, but didn’t.

My quibbles are that the end was a bit anticlimactic, and I felt there were some loose threads left hanging. For example, was the murderer also Liv’s stalker? If so, what purpose did replacing the milk, etc. serve? Still, overall, I enjoyed this one. My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh Megan Goldin is excellent. I adored The Night Swim and had so much fun with The Escape Room, she’s just too god, she can’t miss!

I enjoyed this book more than her previous book Night Swim. Really good concept and kept me interested until the end . Highly recommend

Stay Awake definitely kept me awake late into the night because I couldn’t put it down! I’m a fan of Megan Goldin so I thought I would enjoy it and I definitely did. It’s a clever idea and I loved following along with Liv as she tried to figure out what was going on and who she could trust.

The reader is given information in the most satisfying way - piece by piece, enough to gradually paint a picture but also withholding enough to keep us guessing and surprised. I would love to say I figured it all out but, to be honest, I was reading it way too quickly to even stop and guess for a moment.

Stay awake is available in August and is definitely one to add to your TBR.

Well, this is the best book I have read in a long time. Being a person who gravitates towards thrillers they can start to all seem to repeat one another.

While, this book may seem similar to others it has it’s own unique twists.

You are slammed right away with a huge mystery. Who is Liv and why is she holding knife and why does she have no memory of how she got it… and why it’s covered in blood. Just that alone made me want to read this book.

You learn that Liv has no memories at all. Whenever, she falls asleep her memory is erased. Now, there is a man found murder in his bed with a special message written on the window.. Stay Awake the same message Liv finds on wrist written in ink…

The book is fasted paced but, in the best way. Each chapter you learn more about Liv and what happened to her memories.

This book should definitely be added to your “to be read list.” It will be begging you.. STAY AWAKE…. Just one more chapter!

Thank you Netgallery for this ARC. It was a great read!

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.

I read Escape Room and Night Swim by Megan Goldin so I was excited to get a chance to read this one early.

I dove into this one and didn't let up until it was done. It was a quick and enjoyable read, but I will say the twist....was predictable. I still enjoyed reading it so I would rate somewhere between a 3.5 and 4. Not as good as Night Swim was.

I am rating this book a 4, but think it's probably within the 3.5 range. I'm rounding up, rather than down, because it did keep me on my toes. Where I struggled is its repetitiveness and less sophisticated writing than I've found in Megan Goldin's other books. I was a bit surprised by it, to be honest. The writing style just felt different, not bad, but not quite as good either. To be clear, I am generally a fan of Megan Goldin and like three of the other books I have read by this author. The nature of the book is repetitive, because its plot is about a women who is essentially having to relive experiences each time she falls asleep. With that, there was redundancy and I wish that some of the repeated things and descriptions of what she remembers when she wakes up could have been changed even slightly (not to change the memory, of course, but to describe it in a way that doesn't drag for the reader). That may be a hard task, given the context of the story, but otherwise I was drawn into the story and believe it was suspenseful. Thank you so much to Netgalley, Megan Goldin, and the publisher for the early copy for an honest review!

*leans back to scream at the ceiling* I am genuinely puzzled by all the rave reviews - did I read the same book as everyone else?! Because if this wasn't a buddy read with one of my friends (shout out to Kristy!), it would've been a DNF at the 20% mark.

Stay Awake's title should serve as a warning for die-hard thriller lovers or anybody that appreciates good writing - you better pound some coffee and Adderall, otherwise this shit will put you to sleep. Goldin's writing style is lazy and amateurish and, for me, the downfall of this novel. It read like a first draft. It's flat, ironically unmemorable, and formulaic at best. It got in its own way and made for a frustrating experience.

The multiple timelines and POVs were poorly executed and agonizing to read. The intercutting chapters involving the detectives trying to solve the case feels like those CliffNotes-like summaries at the end of textbook chapters - they are literally breaking down everything that's happened so far in case you fell asleep while reading or struggle with deductive reasoning. In fact, all the dialogue, inner monologues, observations (I guess I could've short-formed this by just saying "writing") is like this. If you hate drawing your own conclusions and using your brain while reading, don't worry. You'll be spoon-fed everything paragraph by paragraph.

Given the context of the story - a woman struggling with amnesia finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation - repetition as a plot device makes sense. *makes face* Y'all know what I'm about to say though, right? If the writing style were more original and the author found new ways to describe what the reader has observed countless times but the heroine has seemingly discovered for the first time without making it seem tired, I wouldn't be complaining. But repetition was so plainly stated and prevalent that it bled into the other characters' dialogue - do they also have short-term memory problems?! Why the hell is everyone repeating themselves ad nauseam through the cringiest dialogue?!

Giving two stars to this book feels generous but I enjoyed the concept, even though it was far too ambitious for Goldin's capabilities. If you want a light thriller, beach read, or something to kill time if you're a casual reader, maybe you'll be into this. For everyone else, skip this and just watch the 2000 film Memento. It's definitely more worth your time.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: August 9, 2022

When I first started reading this, I was so confused. Much like Liv was, which I believe was the point. I enjoyed learning new information along the way and I was rooting for Liv throughout the novel. I couldn’t imagine not remembering another that had happened to me once I fell asleep and the disorientation that would go along with it. Golden unravels a story that is intriguing and addicting, keeping you on your toes throughout the story.

I had some suspicion, and some things still don’t add up in my head. Plus, being a story where the main character struggles to remember can be a tad repetitive, but I think the multi-timeline and multi-POV helped break up the slight repetitive details and made it so I didn’t feel like I was reading the same thing over and over again. I would definitely recommend this book, and just know it’s okay to feel VERY confused at the beginning, especially if you don’t read the synopsis :)

First of all, props to Megan Goldin for pulling off a tricky plot and multiple perspectives/timelines. The first few chapters sucked me in, but as the book went on, my attention started wandering. Multiple viewpoints can be hit or miss for me, and this was a miss. Overall, the book wasn't a fit for me, but I admire the skill it took to write it and remain a fan of Goldin's. I'm hoping I connect more with her next story.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book! It hooked me from the description and I’m so glad it did. This was my first novel by Megan Goldin and I’m an instant fan. I enjoyed the characters and the little bread crumbs left throughout the story line. A faulty memory in a character can be frustrating as a reader but it tied up nicely in the end. Can’t wait to read more from this author!

Ohh I found this pretty addicting because of the writing style & plot idea! I read it super quick bc I was turning pages quickly and eager to read it each night. I wasn't sure what direction it was going to go which is always a plus and kept me guessing. This was my first read by Goldin but won't be my last.

When Liv Reese awakes in the back of a taxi heading to her apartment late at night, she doesn't remember how she got there. She soon realizes she's missing her keys, purse, and phone and has messages written all over her body, such as "Don't Fall Asleep" and "Stay Awake". When she is greeted by strangers at her own apartment, Liv begins to realize something is very wrong. Outside her apartment, she discovers a bloody knife in her pocket. Having no memory of how it got there, Liv quickly disposes of the knife and sets out to learn how she ended up in this situation.

Over the course of several painful (to read) interactions, we learn that Liv experienced some sort of trauma two years previously that she couldn't fully remember. While her memory had mostly be in tact since then, she began experiencing a "memory blackout" a few weeks previously. Now, every time she falls asleep, her memory essentially resets. When she wakes up, the last thing she remembers is the day that the mysterious terrible thing happened. Liv speaks to a local grocer, a bartender, a hairdresser, and some figures from her old life. She seems to continually disbelieve when people tell her she has memory problems and when someone she knew in the past begins to tell her what has happened, she literally runs away.

Stay Awake was a very frustrating reading experience for me. First of all, the selective amnesia/dissociative fugue trope has been done repeatedly and done better in both books and movies (Memento, Before I Go To Sleep, etc.). I also found Goldin's writing to be somewhat weak. Her dialog was unrealistic, which is a huge pet peeve of mine when reading. Liv was also very difficult to root for, as every decision she made seemed completely ridiculous. Sure, she's confused and frustrated by her situation! But she NEVER, not once asks someone for help, even the people that are kind and understanding to her. And again, when she gets close to learning the reason for her condition, she runs away from the conversation.

We finally learn the full story of what happened in the last quarter of the book - Liv's roommate Amy and her boyfriend Marco were having an affair and were both murdered by Amy's boyfriend Brett. There is absolutely no explanation given as to how this affair started, how Brett found out, or why he decided to kill them. I'd like to at least know why the culminating event of this story happened. As soon as I realized that Brett was the killer and was going to attempt to kill Liv (again), I completely lost interest. I did end up finishing, but was left disappointed by the whole book.

3.5 stars

Stay Awake was HEAVILY reminiscent of Memento. If I didn’t watch Memento this would have been a more mind blowing story.

There are 3 timelines: present - post murder, 2 years ago, and present - pre murder. And it is written from 2 perspectives: Homicide detectives (3rd person), Liv (1st person).

The chapters covering the detective’s perspective were repetitive, overly explanatory, and dry. For example…. “Halliday pushed open the fire exit doors and stepped into an alley behind the building. Ten yards away was a street. On that street, directly facing the end of the lane was a liquor store. Halliday crossed the side street and went inside.” 🥱 I skimmed a LOT of those chapters.

It had the usual red herrings that misdirected me, and I didn’t predict the ending. I guessed bits and pieces, but it was satisfying and I ended up enjoying it.

✨𝐑 𝐄 𝐕 𝐈 𝐄 𝐖✨

𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐆𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧

Oh my goshhhhhhh!!! My first read by @megangoldinauthor did not disappoint. It’s been a while since I’ve been this addicted to a mystery/thriller book. I devoured this book over a few days which is very impressive for me & my schedule lately 😍 IT WAS SO GOOD.

👍🏼: I loved the unique storyline with the main character, Liv, waking up and having no memory of where she was or why her entire life seems to be different in the blink of an eye. 🤯 I enjoyed the dual perspectives and timelines gaining little pieces here and there as the detectives try to solve a crime that Liv is on the run from with no memory of the events that happened. The story was so well paced with short chapters that kept me going. I truly did not want to put this one down! 🙌🏼

👎🏼: I did want more at the end of the story after so much had unraveled, like a mini epilogue or something- I always appreciate those 😂 but I respect how the author ended the story & honestly loved everything else about this thriller/mystery.

Again, it’s been a while since I was so excited about a book & definitely recommend this one for my thriller lovers out there! Thanks to @stmartinspress for the gifted e-ARC ❤️ this one is out 8/9!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This book was okay, I thought it was going to be more thriller then detective story. I’d give this author another chance!

I really, really enjoyed Stay Awake! Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a cab with no memory. Upon arriving at her apartment she learns she no longer lives there. Her phone is missing and she is covered in strange messages saying, "stay awake" and "don't trust the police". This was a fun spin on the unreliable narrator and a fast-paced thriller. Definitely one of my favorites so far this year!

I've enjoyed most of Megan Goldin's books. Nothing that I would rave on and on about, but not bad either. This was a decent 3 star for me.

Liv wakes in the back of a taxi with no idea how she got there. She tries to head home but discovers someone else now lives in her apartment. In her hand she finds a bloody knife. And all over here body she finds writing - on her arm STAY AWAKE. What is going on?!

A solid mysetry, I enjoyed the unraveling. Wouldn't quite call it a thriller.