This was a doozy, such a crazy thriller that had me not wanting to stop listening to the audiobook, I had to know how this was going to be resolved! So wild! I know a lack of sleep can make us crazy but our girl Liv was losing her dang mind. She wakes up and heads home, where someone else is living in her place. Turns out it’s 2 years later than she thinks it is, she apparently has written on herself to remind her what happens before she goes to sleep, oh and most importantly, she tells herself to STAY AWAKE, because she forgets it all again when she sleeps. Maddening, right? The reason she needs to stay awake is there have been a couple of murders she is tied to, can’t remember if she did it or not, and seems the most obvious suspect.

This was a fast paced page turner and I thought it was very well done. We have Megan’s POV as well as the POV of the detective on the case and this POV was very helpful. It got a little repetitive as the reader to have to be told along with Megan what happened each time as well, but it was a different spin each time and we progressed further into the story after each sleep so that was good.

This was very well done, I was so intrigued with how this was going to end as very often these types of stories start strong but end flat. However, I promise you this one does not. Just make sure you set aside some time for this one, because once you start you will not be able to put it down until you are done!

I listened to this one via audiobook and the narrators Imogen Church and January LaVoy were excellent, they are two of my favorites so I had no problem listening along or keeping up with the fast pace of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio ALC to review. You definitely want to have this one on your radar when it is out in August!

You wake up, with no clue how you got where you are. It’s two years later than it was when you last fell asleep, and you have the words “STAY AWAKE” written on your hands, along with “TRUST NO ONE.” Then you start seeing yourself on the news, and you’re a suspect in a murder - what do you do?

I could not stop listening to this audio book! The narrator for Liv was so engaging and did such a great job showing Liv Reese’s state of constant confusion as to who she was and what was happening to her. The other narrator for Darcy was great too. I could feel her contemplations and empathy with Liv’s case.

This was my first Megan Goldin book and it won’t be my last - it was one of the best thrillers I have read - it’s one you do not want to skip.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you @Macmillan.audio and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Liv has a gaping hole in her memory. When she wakes up on a park bench everything has changed beyond recognition. Her only memories are from two years in the past. With writing all over her hands and arms, she sees the prevalent words stay awake. Liv can’t remember the present when she wakes after falling asleep. As she tries desperately to stay awake, she sees footage of herself leaving the scene of a murder. Could she possibly have committed the crime? With the black hole in her memory, she must stay awake if she’s ever going to find out the truth, but could her memory be deadly? Goldin alternates the voices of Liv with the police investigation making this a riveting thriller that’s quite difficult to put down. Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle are a team I’m hoping we will see again quite soon!

The voice of Liv was quite grating, but the riveting plot had me forgetting as time went on. This book was a 4.5⭐️ read, but lowered to a 4⭐️ due to the narration.

What a book! I was immediately drawn in by the concept of a MC waking up with a murder weapon in her hand, no memory of what happened, and instructions on her hands to stay awake. This story was such a wild ride I almost feel like it's left me spinning!

I'll start out by saying that I found the plot a bit chaotic, and found myself occasionally lost in the back and forth
between the past Liv and present Liv timelines. In a way I think it added to the whole concept of Liv herself being
lost and confused, but it did make it a little hard to follow at times. I very much enjoyed though getting to hear from the detectives perspective as well as Liv as they both attempted to solve the mystery, and it was interesting seeing the detective know more in some ways than the actual person involved. And I definitely did not predict the ending!

Long story short, I loved the concept, characters, and complexity, but just wish it was a little more cohesive. Definitely worth the read though, and would recommend to any thriller lover!

Thanks for a preview in exchange for my honest feedback. I really enjoyed this thriller of a book about a woman with a rare form of amnesia that lands he in the midst of a murder investigation.

When Liv falls asleep, she wakes up without any recent memory and instead is stuck in a time two years ago. When she wakes up one night in the back of a cab in NYC with a bloody knife, she is confused, on the run and has no idea who to trust. The story unfolds from multiple perspectives in different point in time. You piece together the mystery along with Liv, which is exciting and ultimately satisfying.

Imagine waking up from a sleep and starting all over trying to figure out who you are and why you are where you are, while being a sitting duck for who exactly? Engaging, felt Liv's anxiety trying to remember with only messages written in pen all over her arms.

1. The narrator needs to not attempt to do an accent for Marco. He sounds like a Russian Grandmother. Not a handsome man with a French accent.
2. The begining of the book in so freaking confusing. You have no idea what timeline you are following.
3. You're telling me that Liv wakes up all the time not knowing who she is for 2 years and they don't have her in some type of assisted living facility?? She doesn't immediately take herself to a police department or hospital like any normal person would do??
4. No way that if the police are flooding an area that the bartender doesn't see her face on the TV before sneaking her out. No way that she is able to call from a resturaunt on the same block, eat an entire meal, and get out without being noticed.
6. So. Much. Repetition.
7. The storyline is a good idea, just poorly executed.

Every time Liv Reese wakes up, she’s lost her memory and reliving a day from 2 years earlier. A day where her roommate & boyfriend were killed, and she was almost killed… except she doesn’t remember that day… just how it started. She has no memory of them dying. Every time she falls asleep she’s back to that morning at work. She learned a few tricks, writing on sticky notes, a journal and on her hands - STAY AWAKE. But that all fails her when she wakes up in the back of a cab with a knife covered in blood in her sweater pocket and has no idea where it came from and no one to explain to her why she can’t remember. She tries to go home but it’s no longer her home, her boyfriend doesn’t answer the phone, her roommate doesn’t answer the phone or work at the hospital anymore. The knife from her pocket was used in a murder, and she’s the suspect. Trying to find her are 2 detectives working the case and learning about Liv and what happened 2 years ago. Did she kill this man and possible her roommate and boyfriend and got away with it 2 years earlier?
- Imogen Church and January LaVoy were great as narrators.
- My first Megan Goldin book and I was lucky enough to get a NetGalley audio arc.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for advanced access to the audiobook of Stay Awake by Megan Goldin in exchange for an honest review.

CW: trauma, murder, stalking, death, gun violence, knife violence, blood, drug use, mental illness, see full list on StoryGraph.

Liv just woke up. She doesn't know where she is or how she got here. She makes it back to her apartment to discover that a couple lives there now, and they have for a while based on how they've changed all the furnishings. Liv falls asleep on a park bench. Liv just woke up. She doesn't know where she is or how she got here. She notices writing on her hands telling her to stay awake. She goes to her office building. There is a new secretary that she's never seen before. The office has been completely remodeled overnight. What's happening? By staying awake and finding people that are willing to answer her questions, Liv discovers that she has lost an entire two years of memory. Even worse, she forgets everything all over again every time she goes to sleep. Something is happening. A strange man is calling her asking her where she put "the knife". A man is murdered in an apartment building and Liv seems to be connected to the crime scene by DNA. She has to figure out what's going on and if she murdered this man. And she has to stay awake to find out.

This was a high caliber thriller! I love Megan Goldin's writing. In this book, I think the en media res opening set up the dual timeline to be relatively effective. However, as the book went on and the two timelines began to converge, it began to feel a bit like groundhog day, which is a trope that I become easily frustrated with.

For some reason I completely blanked out on who was the culprit in the end. I remember how the book ended, but I don't remember the perpetrator. For some reason, my gut is telling me that he was completely unrelated to Liv's story at all, which seems like a very strange plot device for a thriller, but maybe that's precisely why I'm blanking on who it was. Because of this, whether due to my own inattention, or if this truly was the case, I'm disappointed by the ending. I thought this book had a lot of great build up and suspense, but didn't pack a punch where it counted.

I just generally love everything that the Author writes. This was my first time listening to the audio narration and I loved it. Normally I like a physical book to accompany my audio, but I found it was easy enough to follow along without the physical copy, because the narrator was so good! I think this is a great book, and while not my favorite from the author it was a fun time!

Think Groundhog’s Day for thrillers and you’ve got Stay Awake. This is a total mind boggler. I liked this totally new premise. When Liv wakes up in the back of a NYC cab and can’t remember a thing she is even more flustered when she gets to her apartment and it’s not hers??!!

This is a dual timeline story. One timeline takes place on this one entire day that Liv’s memory is lost, while the other timeline is before. She has some interesting notes on her hands when she wakes and one matches a note found at a recent crime scene. I’ll keep it short and sweet, but suffice to say you may STAY AWAKE after reading this one.

The middle of this was a little slow for me, but I really enjoyed the latter half of this book. It started to become a real nail biter. Pick this up if you want a new premise for a good thrill.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martins Press and MacMillan Audio for gifting me the latest thriller by Megan Goldin, wonderfully narrated by Imogen Church; January LaVoy - 5 twisty stars!

Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi that drops her off at her apartment, where there are strangers living. She finds a knife in her pocket instead of her cellphone and all kinds of messages written on her arms and hands - mostly Stay Awake. The last thing Liv remembers is living with her friend, Amy, dating Marco, happy at her publishing job. But nothing is adding up - and Liv comes to realize that she is being searched for as a suspect in a murder.

Told in different time periods from the voices of Liv and Detective Darcy Halliday, you will find yourself learning about Liv's past along with her. This was so wonderfully written, engrossing and twisty that I could not put it down. Go into this one as blind as possible to add to the intrigue. The characters were wonderful - you'll find yourself scared as Liv is on the run. I loved Halliday's character too - smart and confident in a man's world. The narration was spot on - when I couldn't read it, I was listening to it. Don't miss this one!

I listened to the audiobook of Stay Awake and thought that it was a good, suspenseful book. The main character loses her memory each time she falls asleep so it is very important for her to Stay Awake. The constant going back to the beginning each time she awoke got to be a little old after a while but it is important to the story. I didn't figure out "whodunit" until it was revealed.

I enjoyed the voices of the narrator however, it was read SO SLOW. I don't know if that was to induce sleep and force the listener to Stay Awake or not. I listened to the book at a faster speed which made it easier for me to pay attention.

A big thanks to the author, publishing company, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I have enjoyed other titles by the author. This one was a bit slow for me. I had very high hopes as it started. The story got very slow and repetitive during the middle. I thought I knew the plot right off, however I was wrong. So it did keep me guessing. I gave this book three stars.

✨BOOK REVIEW✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Author: @
Pub Date: August 9th

➡️Swipe for Synopsis➡️

💭MY THOUGHTS💭
Told in dual timelines and dual perspectives, this thriller is one to add to your want to read piles to finish off the summer! Who knows it could also be a BOTM pick, as they have featured Goldin before with her book Night Swim (which is a must read too).

Stay Awake is an expertly plotted thriller! Where Goldin choose to show little glimpses of clues, the slow and precise unraveling of the clues, and the piecing together of the two timelines is done very well! The books starts out with a bang and captures your interest from the start (like any thriller should do 😜). The middle for me read like a mystery. Each new chapter gives a new hint of who Liv was or the detectives shed new light of the case and I thoroughly enjoyed trying to put all the clues together. The end brings us back to thriller speed and you biting you fingernails down as far as they go! 😬😬😬 Even though at times the novel feels a bit far fetched….like could that reeaallllly happen??? I was still sucked in and wanted to know more about who Liv was before this rare form of amnesia took over her body!

So many things about this book just creeped me out…the writing on her body, not having a person to count on, her scar, the knife, the murder in which she can’t figure out why she was there, unknown people coming into where she lives when she is sleeping, and not remembering what happened to you each and every time you fall asleep make my heart work in overdrive. As someone who loves a good rabbit hole, this one sure sent me down a few! 😜

If you enjoyed Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson and love a book with a fantastic detective (Detective Darcy Halliday is whipsmart and doesn’t let the men boss her around. I would love to see her at the center of another Goldin thriller) Stay Awake was written for you!! Enjoy!!

Loved this book - very good!

I just read it in e-book form, but gave the audiobook a try and I’m glad I did because I really liked the narrator! Definitely a good thriller that can easily be read OR listened to!

Liv Reese's memory is wiped clean every night, she is desperately trying to stay awake! She knows that she is in danger, that someone is after her...but can't remember who or why.

Because Liv has no memories, it takes a while for us as the reader to get a handle on who all the players are in this one. We are piecing things together along with Liv. I like that this book is told through dual timelines, so we can get a glimpse into the past.

This wasn't my favorite of Goldin's, I much preferred The Night Swim but this was not a total miss for me. I did like Liv and her resilience to find out what was happening to her. I liked the police investigation side of things. It was a nice break from the confusion of Liv's memories.

As far as the audio, this was a win. The narrator brought the story to life.

This book gave me major Before I Go to Sleep vibes. It is a similar concept. So if you enjoyed that book, you will enjoy this one.

"Stay Awake" by Meg Goldin — get ready for a ride.
The novel follows Liv Reese as she awakens with a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. She has no memories of how she got there or the past two years due to a memory loss issue. Liv soon finds herself in the center of a murder investigation as she races to figure out who's the identity of the real killer before they get — all while doing everything she can to stay awake. Solid narrator in the audiobook version too.
This thriller is full of suspense, unexpected twists and unpredictable characters. Goldin unfolds the plot expertly with multiple non-linear timelines for the big reveal. It's an enthralling read that thriller lovers shouldn't miss.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for sharing this advance copy with me in exchange for my honest review.

🔊Song Pairing: Losin’ Sleep - Merkules

💭What I thought would happen:

Honestly Megan Goldin became an auto buy author after The Night Swim

📖What actually happens:

Liv Reece wakes up with no recent memories..but is on a park bench and it’s very chilly…odd for mid summer heat wave…but why are there fall leaves. She doesn’t live in walk up anymore…where is her cat! Why aren’t her best friend Amy and boyfriend Marco answering?!

While Liv tries to get her memories figured out, there is a murder being investigated. Very odd as on the window written in blood is STAY AWAKE. One single stab wound to the victim and no sign of struggle. What does this murder have to do with Liv?! Why is stay awake written on her knuckle?

🗯Thoughts:

I looooved The Night Swim. It was my absolute favourite thriller from the fall. This book while good didn’t give me that same feeling but it’s okay.

Stay Awake is like that person you always see at parties and like very much because they’re young, fun and beautiful. The kind of person you want to be friends with but they’re aloof; you never quite know what they’re thinking/feeling and if they would actually have your back but you’ll always think of them fondly. That’s this book. Walking chaos.

If you have anxiety, get ready…it’s going to be cranked up to 11 until you’re finished this book. I was confused many times throughout with a couple specific characters and the addition and removal of one in particular. Plus, some of the timeline had me like wtf day are we on right now?! Had me in a tizzy!

I look forward to other’s reviews. I wonder if I’d felt different if I’d read this instead of listening.

Excellent! The best psyche thriller I’ve read in a long time with such a refreshing and original plot! Also my two favorite female narrators. This one really kept me guessing and turning the page!