I loved this novel. The suspense and twists made it so hard to put down. You don’t know what to expect next or what’s to come. Megan Goldin definitely has a talent for suspense and thrillers.

I found the audio book just as good as the ebook novel. The narrator does a great job at bringing the story to life.

I was really excited to read Stay Awake because amnesia is one of my favorite thriller tropes. I enjoyed the story and mystery behind Liv’s amnesia and it made sense why she was having these bouts of amnesia as well. I felt just as stressed and panicked as Liv was each time she woke up with no memory and no clue where she was. It also gave me slight Memento vibes with how she was writing on her body things to remember.

What I didn’t like was the underwhelming reveal of the killer and the multi-POV’s. I don’t have an issue with the identity of the killer but I found the climax and aftermath to be lacking. Maybe if we had seen this character more and had more of an explanation for why they did what they did I wouldn’t have been as underwhelmed. I also strongly dislike multi-POV’s because often times I find one POV uninteresting. I felt the same way here. I didn’t care for the POV of the detectives and I rather have had it focused on Liv only. Between the flashbacks of the past and the multi-POV’s it felt like too much. Overall though, I enjoyed the story and thought it was a decent amnesia thriller.

I was not able to give a proper feedback to this since there was a technical issue with my copy.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to listen to this.

I thoroughly loved this book. It was clever and kept me so engaged, I couldn't wait to see what happened next. This was an excellent thriller.

STAY AWAKE is a solid thriller. Goldin never disappoints when it comes to building the tension and developing her characters. However, I feel like this is something I have read before. Normally, I love the way the author takes her unique spin on things, but this one just didn't shine as much as her previous books for me. It is still a bingeable read and I completely enjoyed it. I guess THE ESCAPE ROOM still is my favorite.

I receive the complimentary book via NetGalley in return for a honest review. Thank you to Megan Goldin & NetGalley. As always, the opinions expressed are my own.

This is my second book by Megan Goldin. The book is a quick, fast-paced thriller. It wasn’t my favorite book but it isn’t bad either. If your in the mode for a quick triller read, this would be a good option.

The book is in two timelines: 2 years previously and the present-told through the perspectives of Liv and a detective on the case, Darcy Halliday. The story was entertaining and had good twists, but not super surprising. I figured most of it out pretty quickly, but it was still a great read.

Holy cannoli!!! Told from dual pov’s this story had me gripped. This author had me looking every which way trying to figure out what was really happening.

There were a couple moments I was like hmm really. (How many public phones have you seen lately 🤣) but for the most part I was gripped and didn’t want to sleep until I was finished.

I did have an issue with one narrator. At times they pronounced words oddly. (Turquoise as Turq-WAZE, Houston as Who-ston) which took me out of the story not enough it made me stop listening.

This really keeps you on the edge of your seat right until the end. I loved how different this book was and felt it was a solid 3 thriller suspense.

This book had a lot of potential. I mean imagine waking up and not remembering anything that happened in the last 2 years?

It follows Liv who is suffering from amnesia every time she wakes up, therefore has to try to remember to STAY AWAKE.

I felt like parts were repetitive because you are reading it from Liv’s POV, so whenever she wakes up the same things go through her mind, which is mostly confusion.

The storyline takes you back and forth from 2 years ago, to present day, to 2 days ago.

The twist wasn’t that shocking and honestly I was left with some questions.

Liv Reese is a woman with a big problem. She wakes up in a cab, without her purse or phone. She doesn't remember where she has been., The last thing she remembers is answering her phone at work that afternoon. She worries how she is going to pay the driver without her wallet, but when she reaches in her wallet, she finds a large roll of money. The driver drops Liv off at her apartment, but she realizes she doesn't have her keys. It's 2:30 AM and she knows she'll be waking her roommate, Amy. She rings the buzzer, knowing that her roomie of many years will be angry at being awakened. But Amy doesn't answer. After persistent buzzing, a strange couple comes to the door, who inform her that it wasn't her apartment, that they had lived there for months, and there was no Amy living there either. Liv knows she is at the right apartment, but she leaves,. She notices that her arms have writing all over them, including the words "Stay Awake" and "Don't Sleep". Reaching in to her pocket, she finds a bloody knife wrapped in a cloth. Terrified, Liz doesn't know what to do next.
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin is a suspenseful and thrilling mystery. It kept me intrigued until the very end.
I was given an ARC of Stay Awake by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
#netgalley
#suspense
#mystery
#megangoldin
#stayawake

This one was crazy! It messes with your mind by using your memory against you. I was guessing throughout the whole story. I did not see the twists coming. I love that! The story goes back and forth between the current day and flashbacks. If these things appeal to you, check it out! I cannot wait to read more by this author. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I thought this was a really unique thriller, and I loved the concept - we have Liv, an unreliable narrator who has no idea why she wakes up with bloody knife in her pocket and the words "stay awake" on her hands. I got sucked into the story right away and was really kept guessing throughout the book. Megan Goldin is a great writer and spins a great mystery! I really enjoyed both of the narrators here, and it was great to hear both Liv and the detective's perspective throughout the novel.

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 💤

The book had some exciting parts, but I didn’t care so much about the premise of memory loss. It became tedious.

Thank you NetGalley and Publishers for this audiobook.

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.

I loved the narration on this audiobook. It kept me listening and I didn't want to stop! I highly recommend this book on audio!

This was a propelling read. So many twists and a super plot. I was so engaged in this twisty read. Buckle up your I store for a bumpy ride with this one.

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for an early audio copy. This is the third book by Megan Goldin that I’ve had the privilege of an early read/listen and just like the previous two, Stay Awake delivered. It’s part psychological thriller, part police procedural, split between multiple timelines through unreliable (but lovable) narrator Liv and strong-female narrator Detective Halliday (can we get a spin-off with her as the lead?!). Liv wakes up in the middle of the night in an NYC taxi with no recollection of how she got there… or why she has STAY AWAKE! DON’T SLEEP! written all over her hands… or why there is a bloody knife in her cardigan. Suffering from rare amnesia and stuck in a two year time loop, Liv quickly finds herself in the crosshairs of a murder investigation… a murder that she swears she didn’t commit… or at least one she doesn’t remember doing. Stay Awake will cause YOU to stay awake rapidly flipping (or hurriedly listening…?) through these twisty, heart-racing pages until the very end. A brilliantly entertaining listen with two of my favorite narrators - January Lavoy and Imogen Church.

This novel was full of suspense, had me on the edge of my seat and couldn't stop once I began listening. It is creepy which I loved and I had no idea what was going on, which made me keep guessing and second guessing what was happening. I loved that the main character was unreliable and it leaves you not knowing what to believe. Highly recommend.

Thank you, St. Martin Press, for the gifted copy of Stay Awake 👀 {partner}

Genre: Thriller
Trope: Memory Loss
Format: 📖
Pub Date: 8.9.2022
Star Rating: ☆☆☆☆

“There is no such thing as being an observer. Doing nothing is doing something. Being passive has consequences.”

Stay Awake was one of my most anticipated thrillers of the summer, but did it live up to my expectations? Yes, and no.

Here are a few things that didn’t work for me - I felt as if Liv were way too relaxed about her memory being gone. If I woke up with writing all over my body telling me to stay awake and not trust anyone, I don’t think I’d find myself wandering into my place of work pretending to attend meetings. The writing style sometimes felt choppy or difficult to follow, and the ending seemed rushed after all the lead-up.

I think that Megan Goldin did an outstanding job highlighting why stalking cases are so hard to investigate and prosecute; many perceived threats are easy to explain, thus making the threat seem less imminent to outsiders. It often leaves the stalking victim looking paranoid.

The cleverly placed red herrings throughout Stay Awake kept me guessing, and just when I thought I’d had it all figured out, the author led me in another direction. So, this, paired with the short chapters, kept me hooked and reading until the very end.

✌🏼Dual Perspective, Dual Timeline
👀 Red Herrings
💨 Rushed ending that felt too easy
📖 Short chapters that keep you reading

❌ stalking

Read Stay Awake if you enjoyed reading The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian or Watching You by Lisa Jewell.