The story was repetitive, even more so than one would expect with an amnesia premise. The dialogue was stilted and there were gaping plot holes.

The narrator, Imogene Church overacted and over-dramatized her role. It was an over-the-top performance that ruined the story.

Not for me! 1.5 stars

Book Review
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
This is my third novel by Megan Goldin and I really enjoy her writing. To date, I think my favorite of her books is still Escape Room, I really liked the twists. Stay Awake is based on a really interesting concept (which I won’t spoil because figuring that one out is half the fun) The first half off the book your trying to figure out what's going on with Liv and the second half you know what the story is with Liv BUT you still don't know what happened! The events unfold from two perspectives and also move from two years ago to the present day. If you're not paying attention you can get a little lost but the chapter date stamps help. Overall I really enjoyed the story as it went, but I had my suspicions on who the killer was at about 75% through, and while it's fun to guess right, I also like being shocked by an ending, so it felt a little anticlimactic. Nevertheless, I would 100% recommend this to fans of thrillers, especially if you're looking for a fresh twist.

Audiobook Review - Both narrators are excellent, two of the best. The only Issue I had with the audio was that both narrators were at totally different speeds. For example I would listen to Liv’s part at 1.5x speed but had to listen to Detective Halliday at 1.25x speed. That became very annoying as they are short chapters so I was frequently reaching for my phone to make the adjustment. Since I typically listen to audiobooks while doing other things like laundry or dishes, this was so annoying. Easily remedied if you increase/decrease speed a tiny bit so both narrators are closer in speed.

This is a story about a girl who really needs to get some sleep.

I loved the authors first, so I was delighted to receive an audio/eArc of this one- and I enjoyed it even more than anticipated! The premise was incredibly unnerving- imagine forgetting everything everytime you fell asleep? And it was *so* well executed that I never found myself unable to believe the narrative. I was suspicious of everyone, and convinced I knew what was going to happen- but I ended up totally surprised by the end. I really hope to see this made into a movie- it’s like something between Momento & Before I Go to Sleep, both of which I loved.

Thank you so much @netgalley @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the e & audio arcs!

Megan Goldin delivers again.

STAY AWAKE opens with Liv waking up in the back of a taxi, with no idea where she is or how she got there. She buzzes her apartment -- can't find her keys -- just to find an irate stranger who claims to live there now. And then when she slips her hand into her pocket, she finds a wad of cash and a t-shirt wrapped around a bloodstained knife.

Perspective switches between Liv in the present day, homicide Detective Halliday, and Liv two years ago.

The plot's more developed than I let on above, but I don't want to give too much away. Suffice it to say, I hit the halfway point and still wasn't quite sure where the story was going -- a true sign of a good mystery/thriller. Not to mention this book managed to hold my attention when that was a tall order.

The audio narration by Imogen Church and January LaVoy was fantastic. Their voices well-reflected the characters -- Liv sounded a little confused while Halliday sounded fairly confident.

Very excited for whatever Goldin writes next, and for friends to get to enjoy this one too.

Wow! A fast-paced thriller that had me hooked right from the start. Liv wakes up in a park. Not sure how she got there, she heads to her apartment only to find that it is now occupied by a couple she doesn’t know. As she traces the places and people that are in her life, she finds out that she can’t remember anything that has happened in the past two years. Liv finds messages written on her body that tell her that when she sleeps she forgets. Constantly struggling with the reset of her memory, Liv puts the pieces of her life together. But there’s another mystery, the same night that Liv slept in that park, a murder happened and the lead suspect was a woman that looked just like Liv. This book is good! I loved the suspenseful journey of Liv trying to figure out what has happened to her coupled with the slower burn of the flashbacks that show what led up to Liv waking up in the park. The twists kept me on pins and needles. The characters are written well and in a way that you can’t help but feel for each one of them. The narrator does an excellent job of changing her voice slightly for characters and adding suspense when needed. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy for an honest review.

Picture it, waking up and not remember the day before. To me Amnesia is so interesting because not having the ability to remember absolutely terrifies me. Now imagine, not only do you not remember the day before but you wake up with a message "stay awake". This murder mystery was a slow burn but once it picked up, you were in for a wild ride. I have many Megan Goldin books in my collection and this one is going to be front and center. Thank you for allowing me to listen to the audio.

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“Stay Awake” is dual timeline murder mystery that follows the story of the protagonist, Liv Reese, in both the present and two years in the past. The reader is introduced to Liv waking up in the back of a taxi in New York City without a purse or cell phone and with no memory of where she is or how she got there. She directs the taxi to her apartment, but when she arrives there, strangers answer the door, informing her that they are the tenants residing in the apartment before closing the door on her. Liv is left confused and vulnerable, and as she searches her pockets for her missing cell phone, she discovers a bloodstained knife. Looking at her hands, Liv finds writing covering her skin with messages like “STAY AWAKE” and “WAKE UP.” Lost and confused, Liv begins to fumble through the present, searching for answers in a race against time as the meaning of the bloody knife is revealed.

At the same time, the story switches between chapters of the present with two years into the past. In the past, Liv was living in New York City with her best friend, Amy. Liv is happily dating a man, Marco, and successfully works as a food reviewer/writer for a fashionable magazine. Liv’s life seems pretty perfect, that is until tragedy strikes.

Back in the present, Liv doesn’t recall anything that occurred from the last two years. She’s left alone, confused, and on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember. Fighting sleep and the memory loss that inevitably comes with it, Liv struggles to find out what, exactly, has happened over the last two years, including the night before. At the same time, it appears that someone knows the truth about Liv, but as the past and present slowly collide, the reader is left to wonder if the person actually exists or if it is all in Liv’s head.

I believe another reviewer hit the nail on the head when they stated that this book was a bit of a mix of “50 First Dates,” “Before I Go To Sleep,” and “Memento.” Liv suffers from amnesia that resets itself every time she falls asleep, leaving her without any memory of the proceeding two years up to the point when she wakes up. I understand that repetition was a necessary element of such a plot, but I felt that the repetition was a bit overly done in this book. Every time Liv wakes up, the reader is dragged along for a while as she repeats the same discoveries, often going to the same places and meeting the same characters over and over again. The repetition was just drawn out too much, and the elements that repeated themselves were often monotonous, uninspired, and frankly derivative. I felt like I heard this story before.

I must, however, admit that there were some high points in the novel that I found interesting. It was enough to keep me hanging on until the very end. As for that end, I honestly didn’t see the big reveal coming, but I also chalk that up a bit to the fact that I admittedly tuned out somewhat during the endless repetition.

My ARC copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must touch on the narration. I do believe the narrator did an excellent job. She not only did well with the narrator and female voices, but also with the male voices (often a pet peeve of mine, but not in this case). I would gladly listen to other books narrated by her.

Overall, this book had some great ideas and an interesting storyline, but I don’t think the author lived up to hype. This book may be interesting to a young adult reader who is new to murder mysteries and may not have experienced the memory loss thriller plot line before, but as an adult reader familiar with same, it just fell flat. The author’s writing style was easy (despite the drawn out repetition), and I might be willing to try another book written by the author, with the right plot.

Definitely 5 stars for this one. This book was creative and well written. It was truly one of the most exciting thrillers I’ve ever read! I wish you the best of luck guessing how this one will end, it definitely keeps you in suspense. The story follows Liv, who has a type of amnesia. Every time she falls asleep, she forgets everything from the previous day. She wakes up in a cab and doesn’t know how she got there. She tries to go home but her apartment is no longer hers. Then she learns that there has been a murder and the killer wrote on the window at the crime seen to “stay awake”. Liv also has that message written on her hand. She fears that she may be the killer or have something to do with it, but she just can’t remember. I won’t give away any spoilers, you will have to read this one for yourself. Be prepared for a wild ride! If you listen to the audiobook, the narrator is awesome. She reads at a great pace and acts out each character perfectly!

I’m in the minority here. Most folks have loved Stay Awake. Me, not so much. The story involves a woman with amnesia. Every time Liv Reese falls asleep, she forgets her life over the past two years. The story begins with her waking in a cab. She doesn’t have her purse or her phone; what she does have is a bloody knife and writing all over her hands.
Meanwhile, a pair of detectives are investigating the murder of an unknown man where the words Wake Up have been written on the window. The same words that are on Liv’s hands.
I was engaged by the police procedural portion of this story. I enjoyed seeing the way the two detectives learned to work together and suss out what had happened. But Liv’s portions continually relied on over the top stretches of belief. She makes one stupid decision after another. Silly example, if she thinks a stalker is getting into her apartment, why doesn’t she change the locks? And I got so tired about hearing how sleep deprived she was. Her story veers back and forth between the time before and the present giving the reader clues as to what has led to her amnesia.
The book maintains a fast pace, with frequent changes in perspective and time period which definitely helped keep me going. I will admit that I was totally invested in seeing who was behind the murder. Golden threw up lots of possibilities and I, for one, didn’t get it right. The ending is strong, but it was too little, too late.
It didn’t help that I found the narrator’s voice for Liv’s portion irritating and whiny.
I’ve been a fan of Goldin’s other books so I will definitely give her another chance.
My thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy of the audio version of this book. Ms Goldin consistently writes page turning novels that keep you guessing. In this instance, a young woman finds herself being accused of a murder. Only problem? If she falls asleep, she forgets everything from the past two years. Two detectives assigned to the case have opposing ideas on whether or not our protagonist is guilty. Quick read, enjoyable.

With this being my first Megan Goldin book I was unsure what to expect. The beginning started a little slow for me but quickly picked up. I could not imagine going to sleep and waking up to bo memories. It kinda gave me the 50 First Date vibes.

Stay Awake is a thriller about a woman with a form of amnesia that puts her in the crosshairs of a murder investigation.

When Liv falls asleep, she wakes up not remembering. She is stuck in a time loop from two years ago.
The narrative is split between multiple timelines. Liv and Halliday, one of the detectives investigating the murder, are the main narrators.

Stay Awake is packed with tension, suspense, and drama.

I highly recommend Stay Awake. Thank you to Megan Golding for this great book.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Stay awake... every time Liv wakes, she doesn't know where she is or what has happened over the last two years. Living on caffeine and No-Doz, Liv is trying to figure out what has happened to her and her friends. You won't regret reading this book - trying to figure out who murdered her friends, how Liv is going to find her way out of amnesia, and what she needs to do to keep herself safe. The characters are great, the action is packed.

I so enjoyed this psychological thriller from Megan Goldin. I loved this Night Swim and was so stoked for this one! I was incredibly engrossed in this story and our main character. Liv Reese wakes up and remembers nothing from the last two years. We are along for the ride as Liv tries to find out what caused her memory loss and what has happened over the previous two years of her life that she has absolutely no recollection of. She starts out with only the clues written on her hands, STAY AWAKE. I just loved it and the suspense was chef's kiss! The atmosphere of Liv not knowing who to trust or what was going on was so good. I definitely can't wait to pick up Megan Goldin's next book since they seem to just keep getting better.

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc.

I was not expecting this book to be so good. In this story we follow Liv Reese, who wakes up in a cab with no recollection of how she ended up there. When she gets to her destination, she realizes the taxi driver has taken her to her apartment. But, hey, there are strangers living there. And to make things worse, she has a knife with blood in the pocket of her jacket.

The story goes back and forth in time and is told from multiple points of view, one being Liv’s, and another being detective Halliday’s, who is investigating a crime scene whose only suspect is Liv Reese. The problem is that Liv has amnesia. Every time she falls asleep she forgets everything and her last memory is that she was at work sitting in her desk two years ago.

This story is very engaging and you see yourself in the mind of this woman, spinning around, trying to find what is going on, where she is, and what has happened to her. The character development is very good, the plot is impressive, the pace is great, and the writing style keeps you turning pages.

I listened to the audiobook which was greatly narrated by Imogen Church and January LaVoy. Both capture the various emotions of the characters and gave this audiobook a formidable pace. It was difficult to stop listening to it. I also liked the ending of this book and would recommend it to all fans of the genre. Great novel.

I CANNOT say enough about this book! It is everything I want in a thriller. The characters, the suspense, the twists, all there! This poor woman develops a kind of amnesia after a traumatic event, everytime she goes to sleep she forgets everything of the last 2 years. She wakes up with a bloody murder weapon in her hand. Is she the murderer or is she the next victim? What is it that she can't remember? There's an amazing female detective who is determined to find the truth.
Read this book!! 5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ is not enough!

Such an intriguing premise that was executed fairly well! I was so intrigued with the memory loss that Liv experiences but there is unfortunately a downside to that - lots of repetition. Liv forgets things that we already know and we have to witness her rediscovering them again.
Though the villain is pretty predictable, I was very entertained and overall enjoyed the reading experience.

STAY AWAKE by Megan Goldin is a solid thriller. I was so excited to read this book since I loved her other book The Night Swim. I’ll just let you know right now this book is not as good as The Night Swim. It’s about a woman, Liv, who has amnesia and might be a murderer. I really liked how this story was told in dual POV between Liv and the detective investigating the murder. Two narrators on the audiobook was great!! I much preferred the detective’s parts. I didn’t care for the constant and repetitive aspect of Liv’s parts. I’m all for an unreliable narrator but this one just didn’t work for me. There were a couple surprising twists but the lead up and reveal wasn’t spectacular. I think I was just a little bit disappointed because I was expecting to love this one as much as the Night Swim.
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Thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for my eARC and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley for my ALC!

4.25 stars

This book has an exceptional start and it keeps being pretty good for the first third of the book.

We have the story of a girl who wakes up, has no clue what is going on and everything she knows about her life seems to be outdated by a few years. The confusion grows even more when she's noticing the inscriptions on her body urging her to stay awake and not go to sleep.

This is a really good mystery and the story goes fast keeping the reader guessing all through out the book.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to read this book!

Liv Reese has a tendency to fall asleep and wake up with no memory of the last two years. Over and over again she finds herself desperately trying to figure out what happened to her. With nothing to go on but the hastily scribbled notes on her hands, Liv tries to piece together what happened to her so she can resume her normal life. Unfortunately, the people she remembers aren't there to help her.

This one was a very fast moving, easy to listen to story. While the whole explanation for her amnesia is a little implausible, if you can suspend your disbelief around that the story is great. The characters were good, the story was tight, the narrator was awesome.

The only thing I didn't like was how frequently Liv's waking up involved her utter shock and disbelief about how the weather is so different and a season has passed. Several time her waking up started with some remark about the temperature and how it can't be that season because the last thing she remembers is a totally different season. We get it it's been a while. I thought there were lots of other ways for a character to be surprised about the time loss other than the seasons. It started to feel a little bit like the 10 millionth time the guy goes back to try to save Kennedy in Stephen Kings "11/23/63"; awesome the first few times but at some point you have to roll your eyes and say ok we get it