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Stay Awake
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.
In the vein of SJ Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep and Christopher Nolan’s cult classic Memento, Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that plays with memory and murder.
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.
In the vein of SJ Watson’s Before I Go to Sleep and Christopher Nolan’s cult classic Memento, Megan Goldin’s Stay Awake is an electrifying novel that plays with memory and murder.
340 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2022
About the author
Megan Goldin
5 books4,611 followersMEGAN GOLDIN worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs. She is the author of The Escape Room, The Night Swim, and Stay Awake.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,738 reviews
February 15, 2024
Let me say right off the bat, there is no doubt the premise of this book is crazy good. Liv wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea how she got there. Covering her hands and arms are cryptic messages in her own handwriting, reminding her to "stay awake" and "trust no one." She goes to her apartment, only to find strangers living there. And on top of all that, someone sinister is stalking her and the police want her for a murder.
Ahh! Are you getting vibes of Memento? Yeah, me too.
So when the setup is that amazing and it seems to build into something potentially mind-blowing, the question becomes, does it actually deliver? And the answer is yes and no.
On the plus side, I found this to be a quick and easy read. I felt compelled to see where it was going, which definitely kept me turning the pages. The most enjoyable parts were the police investigation, with detective Halliday being the real highlight of the whole thing.
But the majority of this story follows Liv, and that's where it fell short for me. Liv is your standard heroine of psychological thrillers, pill-popping (in this case, caffeine), paranoid, and just plain dumb in all of her thoughts and actions. Every time she meets someone who could actually help her, she runs away. My eyes definitely got a workout from all that rolling.
If you ever lose your memory, don't do what Liv did. Don't wander around aimlessly with no sleep, acting hysterical and writing cryptic messages to yourself. Instead, leave actually useful information for yourself, or better yet, go to the nearest hospital and get checked out.
Still, I did think the story came together nicely in the end. As for that all-important mystery/twist, it was fine. My jaw didn't drop or anything, but it was enjoyable enough.
This isn't Memento, that's for sure. But Stay Awake ended up being a decently entertaining way to while away a few hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Ahh! Are you getting vibes of Memento? Yeah, me too.
So when the setup is that amazing and it seems to build into something potentially mind-blowing, the question becomes, does it actually deliver? And the answer is yes and no.
On the plus side, I found this to be a quick and easy read. I felt compelled to see where it was going, which definitely kept me turning the pages. The most enjoyable parts were the police investigation, with detective Halliday being the real highlight of the whole thing.
But the majority of this story follows Liv, and that's where it fell short for me. Liv is your standard heroine of psychological thrillers, pill-popping (in this case, caffeine), paranoid, and just plain dumb in all of her thoughts and actions. Every time she meets someone who could actually help her, she runs away. My eyes definitely got a workout from all that rolling.
If you ever lose your memory, don't do what Liv did. Don't wander around aimlessly with no sleep, acting hysterical and writing cryptic messages to yourself. Instead, leave actually useful information for yourself, or better yet, go to the nearest hospital and get checked out.
Still, I did think the story came together nicely in the end. As for that all-important mystery/twist, it was fine. My jaw didn't drop or anything, but it was enjoyable enough.
This isn't Memento, that's for sure. But Stay Awake ended up being a decently entertaining way to while away a few hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
✧ Connect with me ✧ Instagram ✧
March 4, 2023
Wow! Memento meets thriller version of Fifty first dates and Before I go to sleep!
This book is outstanding, heart throbbing, mind bending, twisty, wildest, action packed, full throttle ride you may ever get! I love it so much! I cancel everything in my life to focus on it! Because it’s so addictive! Once you start to read, you can not put it down! You are drawn into story by its high tension mystery building, exciting, twisty chapters, biting your nails, squirming in your seat, trying to read faster for finding out what’s gonna happen next.
The increasing tension leaves you breathless. You feel like your marathon runner but instead of using your legs, you use your eyes to finish faster.
Here is a brief summary of the plot:
Our heroine Liv Reese wakes up in a cab, without having any idea when she climbed in, dizzy, confused, heading to her home.
When she reaches to her apartment, she finds out her roommate might be moved away, her cat is gone, strangers live in her place. When she checks her pockets to find her phone, she finds a knife wrapped up in a shirt covered in blood! And her hands covered with writings tell her: “ Stay awake”! What the actual hell!
Then she visits her work place, checking the exact day and year: it seems like she’s missed last two years from her life! But why she cannot remember anything? Why people act like so careful around her as if she may get broken into pieces at any second?
Liv has a special disorder: Her last memory was working at her desk in her office in New York. She remembered answering her phone and then NOTHING! Everything is a full blank! And what's more, whatever new memories she'd formed when she was awake disappeared once she went to sleep, and the whole process started all over again. She turns into Memento man each time she closes her eyes!
And now she might be a killer : she catches a glimpse of local news: seeing a brutal crime scene where the victim’s blood is used to scrawl a message across the window: the very same message that’s inked on her hands: WAKE UP!
Well: the book was smart, agitating, unputdownable.
I loved Liv! I also loved Darcy Halliday, veteran, joined the forces of NYPD, a badass, bold, intelligent homicide detective. It seem like we’re gonna see her more on the upcoming books of the author!
Even though there are still plot holes and unanswerable questions about some suspects and murderer’s motives, I’m still rounding up 4.5 stars 5 blazing, exciting, riveting page turner stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
This book is outstanding, heart throbbing, mind bending, twisty, wildest, action packed, full throttle ride you may ever get! I love it so much! I cancel everything in my life to focus on it! Because it’s so addictive! Once you start to read, you can not put it down! You are drawn into story by its high tension mystery building, exciting, twisty chapters, biting your nails, squirming in your seat, trying to read faster for finding out what’s gonna happen next.
The increasing tension leaves you breathless. You feel like your marathon runner but instead of using your legs, you use your eyes to finish faster.
Here is a brief summary of the plot:
Our heroine Liv Reese wakes up in a cab, without having any idea when she climbed in, dizzy, confused, heading to her home.
When she reaches to her apartment, she finds out her roommate might be moved away, her cat is gone, strangers live in her place. When she checks her pockets to find her phone, she finds a knife wrapped up in a shirt covered in blood! And her hands covered with writings tell her: “ Stay awake”! What the actual hell!
Then she visits her work place, checking the exact day and year: it seems like she’s missed last two years from her life! But why she cannot remember anything? Why people act like so careful around her as if she may get broken into pieces at any second?
Liv has a special disorder: Her last memory was working at her desk in her office in New York. She remembered answering her phone and then NOTHING! Everything is a full blank! And what's more, whatever new memories she'd formed when she was awake disappeared once she went to sleep, and the whole process started all over again. She turns into Memento man each time she closes her eyes!
And now she might be a killer : she catches a glimpse of local news: seeing a brutal crime scene where the victim’s blood is used to scrawl a message across the window: the very same message that’s inked on her hands: WAKE UP!
Well: the book was smart, agitating, unputdownable.
I loved Liv! I also loved Darcy Halliday, veteran, joined the forces of NYPD, a badass, bold, intelligent homicide detective. It seem like we’re gonna see her more on the upcoming books of the author!
Even though there are still plot holes and unanswerable questions about some suspects and murderer’s motives, I’m still rounding up 4.5 stars 5 blazing, exciting, riveting page turner stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
March 10, 2022
holy crap. this book messed. me. up.
this is one of the most exciting psychological thrillers i have ever read. im not a fan of the unreliable narrator trope, but there are certain instances when it can be used super effectively, and this is one of those times. it reminded me so much of ‘the flight attendant’ and the beginning of ‘the night of’ in that regard.
and i LOVED discovering livs memories along with her. i became just as obsessed as she did. i know the whole situation is pretty unrealistic, but it creates such a paranoid and distrustful atmosphere that works so well for mystery/thrillers. its exactly the right kind of suspense i want from this kind of story.
this is such a fascinating and engrossing book and definitely my favourite from MG so far! i already cant wait to reread it and pick up on all the things that i missed the first time around.
a really big thanks to st. martins press for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
this is one of the most exciting psychological thrillers i have ever read. im not a fan of the unreliable narrator trope, but there are certain instances when it can be used super effectively, and this is one of those times. it reminded me so much of ‘the flight attendant’ and the beginning of ‘the night of’ in that regard.
and i LOVED discovering livs memories along with her. i became just as obsessed as she did. i know the whole situation is pretty unrealistic, but it creates such a paranoid and distrustful atmosphere that works so well for mystery/thrillers. its exactly the right kind of suspense i want from this kind of story.
this is such a fascinating and engrossing book and definitely my favourite from MG so far! i already cant wait to reread it and pick up on all the things that i missed the first time around.
a really big thanks to st. martins press for the ARC!
↠ 4.5 stars
January 24, 2022
One of the best thrillers I have read in some time!
4.5 stars
Stay Awake is a riveting thriller about a woman with a rare 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. When she wakes up one night in the back of a cab in NYC with a bloody knife, she finds herself on the run, but she doesn't know who or what she is running from.
The narrative is split between multiple timelines. Liv and Halliday, one of the detectives investigating the murder, are the main narrators. This is my one qualm with this book--at times, I got confused about which timeline I was in, and while I liked Halliday’s character and would love to see her in another book, I would have preferred the entirety of the novel to be told from Liv’s perspective.
Stay Awake is packed with tension, suspense, and drama. The mystery behind Liv’s amnesia is intriguing, and the way the novel unfolds makes it unputdownable. I was so wrapped up in Liv’s mental state that I missed some obvious clues about the identity of the murderer. There are some red herrings, and I fell for all of them.
One might need to suspend disbelief in terms of Liv’s form of amnesia, but it works in this novel. Liv forgetting everything from the day before when she wakes up could have gotten repetitive, but thankfully Goldin limits the number of times the reader experiences Liv’s forgetfulness, and it was just the right amount. Liv is a hot mess, but she is likable. There are some creepers mixed in, and they add an extra layer of tension. The ending is action-packed and surprising.
I highly recommend Stay Awake. Thank you to Megan Golding for restoring my faith in my favorite genre!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars
Stay Awake is a riveting thriller about a woman with a rare 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. When she wakes up one night in the back of a cab in NYC with a bloody knife, she finds herself on the run, but she doesn't know who or what she is running from.
The narrative is split between multiple timelines. Liv and Halliday, one of the detectives investigating the murder, are the main narrators. This is my one qualm with this book--at times, I got confused about which timeline I was in, and while I liked Halliday’s character and would love to see her in another book, I would have preferred the entirety of the novel to be told from Liv’s perspective.
Stay Awake is packed with tension, suspense, and drama. The mystery behind Liv’s amnesia is intriguing, and the way the novel unfolds makes it unputdownable. I was so wrapped up in Liv’s mental state that I missed some obvious clues about the identity of the murderer. There are some red herrings, and I fell for all of them.
One might need to suspend disbelief in terms of Liv’s form of amnesia, but it works in this novel. Liv forgetting everything from the day before when she wakes up could have gotten repetitive, but thankfully Goldin limits the number of times the reader experiences Liv’s forgetfulness, and it was just the right amount. Liv is a hot mess, but she is likable. There are some creepers mixed in, and they add an extra layer of tension. The ending is action-packed and surprising.
I highly recommend Stay Awake. Thank you to Megan Golding for restoring my faith in my favorite genre!
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
August 14, 2022
Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.
THE PLOT
50 First Dates but make it horror. Every time Liv wakes up, she thinks it's a summer day in July before everything went to shit. She can't remember anything. She tries to Memento it and write notes on her hand, but it leads her to more confusion. Oh, and now she's being framed for murder. Liv does everything she can to stay awake and figure out what in the fresh hell is going on.
MY OPINION
Ok, guys, we need to have a talk. I was so excited to have my request accepted because 1) the premise sounded juicy (like one of my fave novels Before I Go To Sleep) and 2) the 5-star reviews were coming in hot and heavy.
So either all y'all are lying or I'm way too picky. It could be both tbh. Either way, this book was NOT IT and the only way I would rate this 5 stars if I were like Liv and lost my memory after reading this book. The math just ain't mathin.
Where do I start? Ok. I understand Liv lives in a time warp where she tells herself the same shit all the time, but did the author have to repeat herself every other paragraph too? Literally within 3 pages she writes:
I have the same message written on my skin. It must be more than a coincidence.
And:
The words WAKE UP! are written on my wrist. It’s more than a coincidence.
But this groundhog day situation beats the cake. Goldin writes:
"Why invite your fiancee's ex to your engagement party?" "I didn't expect her to actually turn up... I hoped the invitation would drive home the fact that [spoiler] wasn't hers anymore"
**JUST ONE PARAGRAPH LATER**
"Then why did you send her the invitation to your engagement party?" "...I sent it because I wanted her to know that our marriage was real."
I have to wonder if Goldin suffers the same diagnosis as Liv and fell asleep then woke back up and forgot what she had just wrote.
All this to say... The writing was relentlessly repetitive and just poor in general. For example: "I cook a cheese and asparagus omelet, which I eat while watching the TV in the living room." What in the YMCA creative writing class did I just read??? Oh and my personal favorite: "He also knew she was very fit because he often saw her running to work." Congratulations, Nancy Drew. Ok and lastly... why did she need to repeat the full government names of Halliday and Lavelle every chapter? Girl we been knowing.
Ok and now onto the plot. So this was clearly a rip off of 50 First Dates/Before I Go To Sleep/Memento. Nothing original about it. There was no suspense, nor mystery. Liv, if you don't know what in the cotton-eyed joe is going on, STOP RUNNING AWAY!!! Liv is always moaning how she needs answers, but whenever she's about to get them she's like jk, lemme slide out this fire escape real quick. Logic on zero.
The ending was very anti-climatic. Big ass plot holes. So you're telling me homegirl can't remember her own address but somehow booked flights and moved from London to New York on her own? Ok.
Liv seemed like a sad case before her memory loss. Halliday's backstory made zero sense and I'm not sure if the author was trying to make a comment on veteran's in America but it wasn't hittin. I couldn't get a sense of any of their personalities, and I didn't really want to. So, yeah.
I'm giving it 2 stars because... I think it had potential if the writing wasn't so distractingly bad.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: I was approved for this book
Cons: I read it and now I wish I could have a Liv moment and wake up tomorrow and forget it
THE PLOT
50 First Dates but make it horror. Every time Liv wakes up, she thinks it's a summer day in July before everything went to shit. She can't remember anything. She tries to Memento it and write notes on her hand, but it leads her to more confusion. Oh, and now she's being framed for murder. Liv does everything she can to stay awake and figure out what in the fresh hell is going on.
MY OPINION
Ok, guys, we need to have a talk. I was so excited to have my request accepted because 1) the premise sounded juicy (like one of my fave novels Before I Go To Sleep) and 2) the 5-star reviews were coming in hot and heavy.
So either all y'all are lying or I'm way too picky. It could be both tbh. Either way, this book was NOT IT and the only way I would rate this 5 stars if I were like Liv and lost my memory after reading this book. The math just ain't mathin.
Where do I start? Ok. I understand Liv lives in a time warp where she tells herself the same shit all the time, but did the author have to repeat herself every other paragraph too? Literally within 3 pages she writes:
I have the same message written on my skin. It must be more than a coincidence.
And:
The words WAKE UP! are written on my wrist. It’s more than a coincidence.
But this groundhog day situation beats the cake. Goldin writes:
"Why invite your fiancee's ex to your engagement party?" "I didn't expect her to actually turn up... I hoped the invitation would drive home the fact that [spoiler] wasn't hers anymore"
**JUST ONE PARAGRAPH LATER**
"Then why did you send her the invitation to your engagement party?" "...I sent it because I wanted her to know that our marriage was real."
I have to wonder if Goldin suffers the same diagnosis as Liv and fell asleep then woke back up and forgot what she had just wrote.
All this to say... The writing was relentlessly repetitive and just poor in general. For example: "I cook a cheese and asparagus omelet, which I eat while watching the TV in the living room." What in the YMCA creative writing class did I just read??? Oh and my personal favorite: "He also knew she was very fit because he often saw her running to work." Congratulations, Nancy Drew. Ok and lastly... why did she need to repeat the full government names of Halliday and Lavelle every chapter? Girl we been knowing.
Ok and now onto the plot. So this was clearly a rip off of 50 First Dates/Before I Go To Sleep/Memento. Nothing original about it. There was no suspense, nor mystery. Liv, if you don't know what in the cotton-eyed joe is going on, STOP RUNNING AWAY!!! Liv is always moaning how she needs answers, but whenever she's about to get them she's like jk, lemme slide out this fire escape real quick. Logic on zero.
The ending was very anti-climatic. Big ass plot holes. So you're telling me homegirl can't remember her own address but somehow booked flights and moved from London to New York on her own? Ok.
Liv seemed like a sad case before her memory loss. Halliday's backstory made zero sense and I'm not sure if the author was trying to make a comment on veteran's in America but it wasn't hittin. I couldn't get a sense of any of their personalities, and I didn't really want to. So, yeah.
I'm giving it 2 stars because... I think it had potential if the writing wasn't so distractingly bad.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: I was approved for this book
Cons: I read it and now I wish I could have a Liv moment and wake up tomorrow and forget it
January 1, 2023
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
*Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you. *Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you. *Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you.
That's Liz's reality, She wakes up to confusion and has to start all over again, trying to figure out where the people she knew have gone, She has a bloody knife in her pocket and her short hair is now down to her waist. Her apartment belongs to a couple she doesn't know, her former co-workers think she's been in London. They reference something bad having happened. This story is told in multiple timelines, from several POVs. Something is wrong with Liz, wrong with her life. She has notes to herself to trust no one. Strangers seem to know her, people she knows are acting strangely around her. She's getting weird phone calls from someone who says sinister things.
Liz's situation can definitely fit in the "one's worst nightmare" category. Other than Liz's POV, we see the present day investigation of a murder by two detectives. One is pretty sure Liz committed the murder, the other thinks something is off and wants to give Liz the benefit of the doubt. Red herrings fly, smacking the wall, distracting from a very obvious suspect for the evil that has transpired. The story is intriguing, the plight of Liz is horrifying, and I felt as exhausted as she did as she goes through utter confusion every time she wakes up. We do go back in time to learn what led up to her last memory two years ago but then...nothing...after Liz picks up the phone at work. All she remembers of the last two years is what has happened since she last woke up. She's all alone, she can't trust anyone. And she knows someone has been watching, is watching. This was a fun buddy read with Susan, DeAnn, and Jayme, with lots to discuss.
Pub August 9, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
*Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you. *Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you. *Imagine waking up and not recognizing where you are. Your last memory is a sunny day, a phone ringing at work, you picking it up...and that's it. Now it's fall, over two years later, and you have no memory of what has happened in those two years. You've written things like "STAY AWAKE" all over your hands and arms. But you can only stay awake so long before your body gives out on you.
That's Liz's reality, She wakes up to confusion and has to start all over again, trying to figure out where the people she knew have gone, She has a bloody knife in her pocket and her short hair is now down to her waist. Her apartment belongs to a couple she doesn't know, her former co-workers think she's been in London. They reference something bad having happened. This story is told in multiple timelines, from several POVs. Something is wrong with Liz, wrong with her life. She has notes to herself to trust no one. Strangers seem to know her, people she knows are acting strangely around her. She's getting weird phone calls from someone who says sinister things.
Liz's situation can definitely fit in the "one's worst nightmare" category. Other than Liz's POV, we see the present day investigation of a murder by two detectives. One is pretty sure Liz committed the murder, the other thinks something is off and wants to give Liz the benefit of the doubt. Red herrings fly, smacking the wall, distracting from a very obvious suspect for the evil that has transpired. The story is intriguing, the plight of Liz is horrifying, and I felt as exhausted as she did as she goes through utter confusion every time she wakes up. We do go back in time to learn what led up to her last memory two years ago but then...nothing...after Liz picks up the phone at work. All she remembers of the last two years is what has happened since she last woke up. She's all alone, she can't trust anyone. And she knows someone has been watching, is watching. This was a fun buddy read with Susan, DeAnn, and Jayme, with lots to discuss.
Pub August 9, 2022
Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.
October 9, 2022
After two disappointing thrillers that I did not finish I just had to jump ahead to an author that I was sure would not disappoint!! I’M SO GLAD I DID – THIS BOOK WILL KEEP YOU TURNING THE PAGES AT A RAPID PACE!!! If you guess the ending, you are a superstar because I didn’t!!
The novel is written from the point of view of both Liv and Darcy, two of our central characters. There is also a dual timeline!!
Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with no idea where she is headed or why she is in a cab!! When she heads to the apartment that she shares with her friend Amy – she is blown away when she finds that two strangers now live in that apartment.
WHAT IS GOING ON????
Detective Darcy Halliday is a new homicide detective working with long timer Jack Lavelle. They are called to the scene of a murder; the man they find has been killed and a message has been written in his blood on the window. It is written for all of those outside to read – “STAY AWAKE” IS WRITTEN IN LARGE LETTERS!!
We follow Liv who has a type of amnesia, every time she sleeps, she forgets the last two years of her life!! She sees the news report of the murder and notices that the same message “STAY AWAKE” along with lots of others are written on the inside of her hands!!
I found that with each chapter we find out a little more about Liv and Amy and the detectives working the murder case.
"WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE BOOK:
Each chapter just got better and better, no lag time in this one!!
The author handled the dual timelines and two POV’s very well.
The characters were very well developed. I felt so much fear and empathy for Liv. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be so confused and disoriented due to lack of sleep. The author does a good job of portraying Liv’s feelings.
Detectives Halliday and Lavelle are both determined and intelligent and are trying their hardest to solve a murder case while also tracking down a possible suspect. I love strong female characters and Darcy was whip smart and very detail oriented.
I know a book is great when I get annoyed when anything gets in the way of my continued reading!! I allowed no phone calls, texts, etc for hours at a time.
I highly suggest you go into this book blind and let the author’s writing begin to unfold this terrific thriller!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel.
The novel is written from the point of view of both Liv and Darcy, two of our central characters. There is also a dual timeline!!
Liv Reese wakes up in a cab with no idea where she is headed or why she is in a cab!! When she heads to the apartment that she shares with her friend Amy – she is blown away when she finds that two strangers now live in that apartment.
WHAT IS GOING ON????
Detective Darcy Halliday is a new homicide detective working with long timer Jack Lavelle. They are called to the scene of a murder; the man they find has been killed and a message has been written in his blood on the window. It is written for all of those outside to read – “STAY AWAKE” IS WRITTEN IN LARGE LETTERS!!
We follow Liv who has a type of amnesia, every time she sleeps, she forgets the last two years of her life!! She sees the news report of the murder and notices that the same message “STAY AWAKE” along with lots of others are written on the inside of her hands!!
I found that with each chapter we find out a little more about Liv and Amy and the detectives working the murder case.
"WHAT I LOVED ABOUT THE BOOK:
Each chapter just got better and better, no lag time in this one!!
The author handled the dual timelines and two POV’s very well.
The characters were very well developed. I felt so much fear and empathy for Liv. I tried to imagine what it would be like to be so confused and disoriented due to lack of sleep. The author does a good job of portraying Liv’s feelings.
Detectives Halliday and Lavelle are both determined and intelligent and are trying their hardest to solve a murder case while also tracking down a possible suspect. I love strong female characters and Darcy was whip smart and very detail oriented.
I know a book is great when I get annoyed when anything gets in the way of my continued reading!! I allowed no phone calls, texts, etc for hours at a time.
I highly suggest you go into this book blind and let the author’s writing begin to unfold this terrific thriller!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, through NetGalley. It was my pleasure to read and review this novel.
January 10, 2025
After waking disoriented in a city cab, with disturbing messages inked on her hands and arms, Liv Reese asks the driver to drop her at her brownstone. Once there, Liv realizes she doesn't have her keys. What a night.
She's going to have to wake her roommate, Amy, to let her in. It's not ideal, but can't be helped. Liv is exhausted. She just wants to sleep off the rest of whatever this is.
Making matters even more confusing, she doesn't recognize the couple who come to the door of her apartment. Could they possibly be guests of Amy's?
The woman, in particular, is especially curt and hostile towards Liv. She claims they live there, have for quite some time and have no idea who Liv is, or where Amy could be.
Ejected from the place she considers home, Liv doesn't know where to turn. Then she finds the bloody knife. Every move Liv makes only seems to lead to more questions.
The next day, she heads to work. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at her desk. Maybe she can find some answers there.
In the office, things are just as confusing. It looks different and she doesn't recognize anyone, but somehow they seem to know her.
Stumbling around the city, trying to piece together how she ended up in this state, Liv catches a news report that shows a murder scene with the same message written on a window as is written on her hands.
She pieces together that the last memories she has are from two years ago. What has she been doing all this time, and more importantly, what did she do last night? Is Liv capable of murder?
Through past and present perspectives, the Reader is clued in to the truths surrounding Liv's memory issues and murky past. The question is, will Liv be able to piece it all together before it's too late?
She's on the run, but she doesn't even realize from what. I'll admit, her story had me panicking at times. It's uncomfortable, but in the best ways.
Stay Awake was one of my absolute most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint for a second. I enjoy Goldin's work so much and this is certainly no exception.
This was an insanely-intense, jaw-dropping, mortifyingly-wild ride. Goldin took me on a freaking journey with this main character. Oh my goodness.
In my opinion, this is a perfect Summer Thriller. Megan Goldin delivers again!!!
I was so confused towards the beginning on this story. It really played on my own anxieties, but in a way that was enjoyable. I couldn't help but try to put myself in the shoes of Liv and wonder how I would handle these circumstances.
It's hard to even imagine!
This definitely had me at the edge of my seat and I loved how it all played out. We also get the perspective of the police investigation to the initial murder.
The way the two eventually blended together was so well done. Goldin nailed it.
An extra-special thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I did listen to the audiobook and it was fantastic, including narration from one of my all-time favorite narrators, Imogen Church. I highly recommend that format for soaking in this highly engaging Thriller.
She's going to have to wake her roommate, Amy, to let her in. It's not ideal, but can't be helped. Liv is exhausted. She just wants to sleep off the rest of whatever this is.
Making matters even more confusing, she doesn't recognize the couple who come to the door of her apartment. Could they possibly be guests of Amy's?
The woman, in particular, is especially curt and hostile towards Liv. She claims they live there, have for quite some time and have no idea who Liv is, or where Amy could be.
Ejected from the place she considers home, Liv doesn't know where to turn. Then she finds the bloody knife. Every move Liv makes only seems to lead to more questions.
The next day, she heads to work. The last thing she remembers is answering the phone at her desk. Maybe she can find some answers there.
In the office, things are just as confusing. It looks different and she doesn't recognize anyone, but somehow they seem to know her.
Stumbling around the city, trying to piece together how she ended up in this state, Liv catches a news report that shows a murder scene with the same message written on a window as is written on her hands.
She pieces together that the last memories she has are from two years ago. What has she been doing all this time, and more importantly, what did she do last night? Is Liv capable of murder?
Through past and present perspectives, the Reader is clued in to the truths surrounding Liv's memory issues and murky past. The question is, will Liv be able to piece it all together before it's too late?
She's on the run, but she doesn't even realize from what. I'll admit, her story had me panicking at times. It's uncomfortable, but in the best ways.
Stay Awake was one of my absolute most anticipated books of the year and it did not disappoint for a second. I enjoy Goldin's work so much and this is certainly no exception.
This was an insanely-intense, jaw-dropping, mortifyingly-wild ride. Goldin took me on a freaking journey with this main character. Oh my goodness.
In my opinion, this is a perfect Summer Thriller. Megan Goldin delivers again!!!
I was so confused towards the beginning on this story. It really played on my own anxieties, but in a way that was enjoyable. I couldn't help but try to put myself in the shoes of Liv and wonder how I would handle these circumstances.
It's hard to even imagine!
This definitely had me at the edge of my seat and I loved how it all played out. We also get the perspective of the police investigation to the initial murder.
The way the two eventually blended together was so well done. Goldin nailed it.
An extra-special thank you to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.
I did listen to the audiobook and it was fantastic, including narration from one of my all-time favorite narrators, Imogen Church. I highly recommend that format for soaking in this highly engaging Thriller.
December 25, 2021
An expertly plotted thriller that will cause you to stay awake until you read the very last page.
Liv Reese wakes up in the middle of the night in NYC, in the back of a taxi…with no recollection of how she got there. She has writing all over her hands, and it’s her handwriting: messages telling her to “stay awake”, amongst other things. She has no phone on her, but finds a bloody knife in the pocket of her cardigan. She goes to her apartment, only to find strangers living there.
Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle (whom I would love to see again in a future novel) respond to a call of a murdered man found in an apartment building. He apparently died sometime overnight. The victim’s blood was used to write a message on the floor to ceiling window.
Liv is shocked to learn of the crime, and that the bloody message on the window matches one of the messages scrawled on her hand. Unfortunately, Liv doesn’t remember the last two years of her life. Every time she thinks back, the last thing she recalls is being in her office at work…two years and three months prior.
As the detectives make progress on their end, Liv looks to find out how she may be associated with this victim and what happened to her…but if she doesn’t stay awake, she might die.
I’m a huge fan of author Megan Goldin, and this did not disappoint. She proves here that her storylines are quite versatile, so fans shouldn’t go into this one expecting the same tone as her previous efforts.
The story is told in multiple timelines, and Goldin manages to juggle all of them and create a cohesive story that is unique and thrilling. While I wasn’t confused by the jumping around, I did pay close attention. I also appreciated that the story could’ve easily become repetitive given the nature of the plot, but yet never felt stale or rehashed. Each chapter gives us a little more knowledge than the last…until the puzzle is complete.
I wasn’t expecting the ending, but I also wasn’t surprised by it. It worked, and didn’t need to be an “OMG” moment. The story as a whole is crafted with precision, and Goldin continues to impress me. I couldn’t put this one down, and I hope other readers feel the same.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/9/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
Liv Reese wakes up in the middle of the night in NYC, in the back of a taxi…with no recollection of how she got there. She has writing all over her hands, and it’s her handwriting: messages telling her to “stay awake”, amongst other things. She has no phone on her, but finds a bloody knife in the pocket of her cardigan. She goes to her apartment, only to find strangers living there.
Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle (whom I would love to see again in a future novel) respond to a call of a murdered man found in an apartment building. He apparently died sometime overnight. The victim’s blood was used to write a message on the floor to ceiling window.
Liv is shocked to learn of the crime, and that the bloody message on the window matches one of the messages scrawled on her hand. Unfortunately, Liv doesn’t remember the last two years of her life. Every time she thinks back, the last thing she recalls is being in her office at work…two years and three months prior.
As the detectives make progress on their end, Liv looks to find out how she may be associated with this victim and what happened to her…but if she doesn’t stay awake, she might die.
I’m a huge fan of author Megan Goldin, and this did not disappoint. She proves here that her storylines are quite versatile, so fans shouldn’t go into this one expecting the same tone as her previous efforts.
The story is told in multiple timelines, and Goldin manages to juggle all of them and create a cohesive story that is unique and thrilling. While I wasn’t confused by the jumping around, I did pay close attention. I also appreciated that the story could’ve easily become repetitive given the nature of the plot, but yet never felt stale or rehashed. Each chapter gives us a little more knowledge than the last…until the puzzle is complete.
I wasn’t expecting the ending, but I also wasn’t surprised by it. It worked, and didn’t need to be an “OMG” moment. The story as a whole is crafted with precision, and Goldin continues to impress me. I couldn’t put this one down, and I hope other readers feel the same.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for a widget of the ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 8/9/22.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
June 27, 2022
1.5 stars
DNF at 50%
Liv wakes up every day not remembering who she is, and finds messages of “Stay Awake” written on her arms. She sees a news story of a murder with the same message written in blood on the window and Liv finds a bloody knife in her possession. The story then alternates between past and the present, where she spends the day trying to piece together clues only to do it all over again tomorrow.
Ok, the premise has been done before but if done well, it is still compelling.
BUT….
- Wait? Liv knows enough to write "Stay Awake” and other cryptic messages on her arm, but nothing else? Girl is not too bright. If she knows enough to write notes to herself WHY did she not write something more helpful? This isn't rocket science, it's common sense.
- Imogene Church’s narration ruined the book. Her narration was over-acted, overly dramatic, and she gives even mundane conversations and details a sense of urgency and dramatics. I’m going to write a message on my arm to never ever, ever, under any circumstances, download another book narrated by her
- The detectives sound cartoonish and it doesn’t help that the author gives them dialogue that doesn’t remotely sound like anyone actually speaks, especially seasoned detectives. They feel a need to give voice to every thought. Thank you Captain Obvious!
- The writing is just…not good.
- The story was so repetitive I found myself wishing someone would kill Liv just to shut her up. She’s too stupid to survive. Actually, everyone here continually repeats themselves. WHY?! I needed to write my own message of “STAY AWAKE” on my arm, to actually stay awake while reading.
- There are huge gaping plot holes. Or maybe I fell asleep and forgot?
Ultimately, I was unable to stay awake long enough to finish this book, and so I cut my losses and tossed it onto the dnf pile. Now if I could just forget about the time I wasted reading this mess.
As always, these are MY opinions only. Others have enjoyed the book so do please check out those reviews for alternate opinions.
• I received a digital e-book and audio via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
DNF at 50%
Liv wakes up every day not remembering who she is, and finds messages of “Stay Awake” written on her arms. She sees a news story of a murder with the same message written in blood on the window and Liv finds a bloody knife in her possession. The story then alternates between past and the present, where she spends the day trying to piece together clues only to do it all over again tomorrow.
Ok, the premise has been done before but if done well, it is still compelling.
BUT….
- Wait? Liv knows enough to write "Stay Awake” and other cryptic messages on her arm, but nothing else? Girl is not too bright. If she knows enough to write notes to herself WHY did she not write something more helpful? This isn't rocket science, it's common sense.
- Imogene Church’s narration ruined the book. Her narration was over-acted, overly dramatic, and she gives even mundane conversations and details a sense of urgency and dramatics. I’m going to write a message on my arm to never ever, ever, under any circumstances, download another book narrated by her
- The detectives sound cartoonish and it doesn’t help that the author gives them dialogue that doesn’t remotely sound like anyone actually speaks, especially seasoned detectives. They feel a need to give voice to every thought. Thank you Captain Obvious!
- The writing is just…not good.
- The story was so repetitive I found myself wishing someone would kill Liv just to shut her up. She’s too stupid to survive. Actually, everyone here continually repeats themselves. WHY?! I needed to write my own message of “STAY AWAKE” on my arm, to actually stay awake while reading.
- There are huge gaping plot holes. Or maybe I fell asleep and forgot?
Ultimately, I was unable to stay awake long enough to finish this book, and so I cut my losses and tossed it onto the dnf pile. Now if I could just forget about the time I wasted reading this mess.
As always, these are MY opinions only. Others have enjoyed the book so do please check out those reviews for alternate opinions.
• I received a digital e-book and audio via NetGalley. All opinions are my own
August 10, 2022
STAY AWAKE
Liv Reese doesn’t know why she has this written in black pen all over her hands. In fact, she has no idea when she wakes up in the back of a taxi of how she got there, or why, in place of her cell phone, her pocket contains a bloody knife. (Think the TV show-Blindspot”)
It’s because she suffers from a rare form of amnesia which can be described as repetitive dissociative fugue. When she falls asleep, she forgets everything that has happened over the past two years. So, she lives on caffeine, No Doz tablets, and energy drinks, hoping she can avoid repeating the cycle. But, nobody can avoid sleep indefinitely.
STAY AWAKE
Written in the Victim’s own blood, these same words have been painstakingly written on the window of a crime scene. Is it possible that Liv committed this crime? Is that why she has the knife? It can’t be a coincidence! Who can she trust to help her figure everything out?
The book unfolds in two timelines, TWO YEARS PRIOR and the PRESENT-told through the perspectives of Liv, and a detective on the case-Darcy Halliday.
The story was entertaining but NOT very surprising. I figured most of it out, including the PERP, pretty quickly. So, it lacked the WOW factor of a five star thriller for me.
Still, I enjoyed learning the details and reading to see if I was correct, and Megan Goldin remains an auto-request author for me!
See if you can figure it out today!
Liv Reese doesn’t know why she has this written in black pen all over her hands. In fact, she has no idea when she wakes up in the back of a taxi of how she got there, or why, in place of her cell phone, her pocket contains a bloody knife. (Think the TV show-Blindspot”)
It’s because she suffers from a rare form of amnesia which can be described as repetitive dissociative fugue. When she falls asleep, she forgets everything that has happened over the past two years. So, she lives on caffeine, No Doz tablets, and energy drinks, hoping she can avoid repeating the cycle. But, nobody can avoid sleep indefinitely.
STAY AWAKE
Written in the Victim’s own blood, these same words have been painstakingly written on the window of a crime scene. Is it possible that Liv committed this crime? Is that why she has the knife? It can’t be a coincidence! Who can she trust to help her figure everything out?
The book unfolds in two timelines, TWO YEARS PRIOR and the PRESENT-told through the perspectives of Liv, and a detective on the case-Darcy Halliday.
The story was entertaining but NOT very surprising. I figured most of it out, including the PERP, pretty quickly. So, it lacked the WOW factor of a five star thriller for me.
Still, I enjoyed learning the details and reading to see if I was correct, and Megan Goldin remains an auto-request author for me!
See if you can figure it out today!
February 16, 2022
4.5 STARS
Whew....
This was a wild and exhausting trip! STAY AWAKE , DON'T SLEEP! WAKE UP!
Liv Reese is in danger. She can feel it in her bones. She arrives at her apartment to find two strangers living there. "Who are these people? Where's my stuff?"
Poor Liv finds herself entangled in a murder investigation referred to as "The Sleepless Killer". She has no memory of the victim or being near the scene of the crime.
What an engaging read! It clipped along at a frantic pace. I could feel Liv's life spinning out of control with everything out of sync. Many good red herrings along the ride. I loved the two detectives on the case and how they bounced theories back and forth. The two timelines worked well for me, although there is a bit of repetition as Liv's memory issues repeat some of her mantra.
I had a great time reading this one, racing to get to the end to connect the dots. Overall, a quick, entertaining and page turning entertainment. Don't overthink this one!
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my Arc. OUT August 9, 2022
Whew....
This was a wild and exhausting trip! STAY AWAKE , DON'T SLEEP! WAKE UP!
Liv Reese is in danger. She can feel it in her bones. She arrives at her apartment to find two strangers living there. "Who are these people? Where's my stuff?"
Poor Liv finds herself entangled in a murder investigation referred to as "The Sleepless Killer". She has no memory of the victim or being near the scene of the crime.
What an engaging read! It clipped along at a frantic pace. I could feel Liv's life spinning out of control with everything out of sync. Many good red herrings along the ride. I loved the two detectives on the case and how they bounced theories back and forth. The two timelines worked well for me, although there is a bit of repetition as Liv's memory issues repeat some of her mantra.
I had a great time reading this one, racing to get to the end to connect the dots. Overall, a quick, entertaining and page turning entertainment. Don't overthink this one!
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my Arc. OUT August 9, 2022
September 2, 2022
**Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Megan Goldin for an ARC of this book! Now available as of 8.9!!**
Picture a golf course. Pristine, green, serene.
Now picture the same golf course...except the golf course in question is at Bushwood Country Club, and a wily gopher has caused a certain groundskeeper to essentially blow the entire thing up, making the entire course FULL of GIANT holes, thus rendering it unplayable.
In the case of Stay Awake, a THOUSAND plot holes not only tripped me up (on top of near CONSTANT repetition) but made this one nearly unreadable.
Liv has a rather unique and serious condition: she slips into a dissociative fugue state every time she falls asleep, and upon each wake up, she can't remember anything that has transpired (except things that happened prior to two years ago...I think. Confused yet?) This would be hard enough to manage on a regular basis...but for Liv, it becomes so much worse. When she finds herself in a taxicab, ending up at HER apartment and opens the door to two strangers who inform her she doesn't live at that address anymore...and it isn't the first time they've told her this information. She finds messages written all over her arms urging her to STAY AWAKE and has no idea what they mean.
From what Liv knows, she was working at a popular magazine, living near her bestie Amy, and was in love with hunky Marco, her European beau. However...she learns that these memories are from two years ago...and life has shifted dramatically since then. Now, everywhere she turns, things aren't the same, the people and places have changed, and she sort of drifts aimlessly around NYC looking for answers.
All of this comes to a head when she finds out a murder has occurred...and lo and behold, a message was written on the window at the crime scene...a familiar message: STAY AWAKE. Liv is horrified and assumes she must be involved...and THEN she finds a knife in her possession. As she reaches for her next dose of caffeine, can she outrun the police and figure out exactly WHY it is so important for her to stay awake before she forgets yet again? And where exactly WAS she last night?
After a bad experience with The Escape Room a few years ago, I was a bit leery about diving into another Megan Goldin book, but after hearing rave reviews of her last, I figured I'd give this a shot. I LOVE stories about amnesia and memory (a la Memento and 50 First Dates, both of which handle this subject matter brilliantly) so I figured I couldn't miss with this book. After finishing it, however, I wish I could close my eyes and clear MY memory when it comes to having actually READ the entire thing.
At first, I was intrigued and the story caught my attention. Chapters are short (always a plus for pacing in a thriller, unless they're TOO short) but I quickly realized Liv wasn't the only one who wouldn't be getting any answers: YOU, the reader, aren't going to get any either. As we bounced back and forth from timeline to timeline (this device was especially grating and messy in this book), I couldn't decide what story line was more irritating: Liv's journey (past and present) or the two detectives trying to figure out the case (mostly in the present). The narrative would deal with Liv, and then we'd have to wait for the detectives to 'catch up' to her in terms of timeline, so we had to keep going over and over the same information....which brings me to my next point.
This book is SO, SO, SO (yep, three times!) REPETITIVE. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over...and not in a good way. It almost felt like Goldin was trying to make the book longer by reiterating the same information or going over the same events in slightly different ways and I just didn't get it. It's fine for Liv to be confused, sure, makes sense, but I was just so annoyed with her that after a while, I didn't care.
I won't get into many of the more specific plot holes as not to spoil anything, but here are a few:
*Liv constantly drinks caffeine to...you guessed it...STAY AWAKE. However, the amount of coffee she consumes is simply insane NOT TO MENTION if she was drinking this amount of coffee she wouldn't have had time to go to all of these locations because she never would have been able to be more than a few feet away from a bathroom.
*Liv keeps a journal to help her remember things...but then doesn't keep the journal with her. (WHY WOULDN'T SHE WRITE THIS ON HER ARM? Or about a thousand other more relevant messages...)
*Liv has people who know about her condition (and AREN'T the bad guys)...yet nobody ACTUALLY helps her or stays with her. She also randomly remembers things that according to her condition, she would have forgotten.
*We hear all sorts of red herring-ish information in the beginning of the book that is then never mentioned again.
While I didn't fully guess the ending, I'm not sure that it mattered to me whether Liv was guilty or innocent or to be honest, what even happened to her. I could go on and on...but at the risk of sounding repetitive, I think I'll do the safe thing...and go get some sleep. 😴
2.5 stars
Picture a golf course. Pristine, green, serene.
Now picture the same golf course...except the golf course in question is at Bushwood Country Club, and a wily gopher has caused a certain groundskeeper to essentially blow the entire thing up, making the entire course FULL of GIANT holes, thus rendering it unplayable.
In the case of Stay Awake, a THOUSAND plot holes not only tripped me up (on top of near CONSTANT repetition) but made this one nearly unreadable.
Liv has a rather unique and serious condition: she slips into a dissociative fugue state every time she falls asleep, and upon each wake up, she can't remember anything that has transpired (except things that happened prior to two years ago...I think. Confused yet?) This would be hard enough to manage on a regular basis...but for Liv, it becomes so much worse. When she finds herself in a taxicab, ending up at HER apartment and opens the door to two strangers who inform her she doesn't live at that address anymore...and it isn't the first time they've told her this information. She finds messages written all over her arms urging her to STAY AWAKE and has no idea what they mean.
From what Liv knows, she was working at a popular magazine, living near her bestie Amy, and was in love with hunky Marco, her European beau. However...she learns that these memories are from two years ago...and life has shifted dramatically since then. Now, everywhere she turns, things aren't the same, the people and places have changed, and she sort of drifts aimlessly around NYC looking for answers.
All of this comes to a head when she finds out a murder has occurred...and lo and behold, a message was written on the window at the crime scene...a familiar message: STAY AWAKE. Liv is horrified and assumes she must be involved...and THEN she finds a knife in her possession. As she reaches for her next dose of caffeine, can she outrun the police and figure out exactly WHY it is so important for her to stay awake before she forgets yet again? And where exactly WAS she last night?
After a bad experience with The Escape Room a few years ago, I was a bit leery about diving into another Megan Goldin book, but after hearing rave reviews of her last, I figured I'd give this a shot. I LOVE stories about amnesia and memory (a la Memento and 50 First Dates, both of which handle this subject matter brilliantly) so I figured I couldn't miss with this book. After finishing it, however, I wish I could close my eyes and clear MY memory when it comes to having actually READ the entire thing.
At first, I was intrigued and the story caught my attention. Chapters are short (always a plus for pacing in a thriller, unless they're TOO short) but I quickly realized Liv wasn't the only one who wouldn't be getting any answers: YOU, the reader, aren't going to get any either. As we bounced back and forth from timeline to timeline (this device was especially grating and messy in this book), I couldn't decide what story line was more irritating: Liv's journey (past and present) or the two detectives trying to figure out the case (mostly in the present). The narrative would deal with Liv, and then we'd have to wait for the detectives to 'catch up' to her in terms of timeline, so we had to keep going over and over the same information....which brings me to my next point.
This book is SO, SO, SO (yep, three times!) REPETITIVE. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over...and not in a good way. It almost felt like Goldin was trying to make the book longer by reiterating the same information or going over the same events in slightly different ways and I just didn't get it. It's fine for Liv to be confused, sure, makes sense, but I was just so annoyed with her that after a while, I didn't care.
I won't get into many of the more specific plot holes as not to spoil anything, but here are a few:
*Liv constantly drinks caffeine to...you guessed it...STAY AWAKE. However, the amount of coffee she consumes is simply insane NOT TO MENTION if she was drinking this amount of coffee she wouldn't have had time to go to all of these locations because she never would have been able to be more than a few feet away from a bathroom.
*Liv keeps a journal to help her remember things...but then doesn't keep the journal with her. (WHY WOULDN'T SHE WRITE THIS ON HER ARM? Or about a thousand other more relevant messages...)
*Liv has people who know about her condition (and AREN'T the bad guys)...yet nobody ACTUALLY helps her or stays with her. She also randomly remembers things that according to her condition, she would have forgotten.
*We hear all sorts of red herring-ish information in the beginning of the book that is then never mentioned again.
While I didn't fully guess the ending, I'm not sure that it mattered to me whether Liv was guilty or innocent or to be honest, what even happened to her. I could go on and on...but at the risk of sounding repetitive, I think I'll do the safe thing...and go get some sleep. 😴
2.5 stars
July 11, 2024
This is a Psychological Thriller that takes you on a very wild ride. I cannot say how much I loved this book. I have had bad luck with thrillers recently, but this did not let me down at all. This book is told in two timelines (one present day and the other two years before). The beginning was slow to get moving, but once it did I really was into the story. I did not see this book ending like it did, and wow that was one great ending. I listened to the audiobook, and I loved the narrator of the audiobook so much. I was kindly provided an e-copy and e-audiobook of this book by the publisher ( St. Martin's Press) or author (Megan Goldin) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.
July 20, 2022
Liv Reese has a great job writing for lifestyle magazine, Cultura, a hot Italian boyfriend, Marco, a stunning physician roommate/best friend, Amy, and a great apartment in Brooklyn.
Doesn’t she?
She did until she woke up this morning. Why is everyone treating her so strangely? And who is the couple who answered the door of her apartment? Weirder still: Why is there a bloody knife in her pocket, and why are her hands and arms covered in ballpoint ink admonishments to “WAKE UP!”, “STAY AWAKE!”, “TRUST NO ONE”, and more?
If all of that isn’t alarming enough, during her wanderings, she’s just seen a news report showing a murder scene where the killer scrawled “WAKE UP” in blood on the victim’s window. Is she connected to it somehow? Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle certainly suspect so, and now they just need to find her to ask questions.
That’s a great premise! You have an MC who’s not just lost two years of her memories but whose brain does a complete reset to her last familiar day each and every time she falls asleep. She’s confused, scared, and vulnerable to dangers she’s completely unaware of. I should feel the utmost care and concern for her! Wouldn’t anyone? So, why did I start feeling detached?
Questions are what mysteries are built on. It’s why most of us read them! However, there’s a big difference between a series of new questions that move you toward a conclusion and the same question being asked repetitively, like a child in the backseat saying, “Are we there yet?” over and over and over - only Liv’s question would be some variation of “What’s going on?”. I enjoyed it at first, then … not as much.
While I liked the story, my over-analytical brain got in the way of just going along with some things. Other than Detectives Halliday and Lavelle and those involved in the investigation, no one seems to know how to ask or answer a direct question. Everyone tells Liv that she doesn’t remember things, but no one seems to ever tell her the facts, like “Hey, you seem really confused. Let me help fill in the blanks.” Nope. Liz doesn’t ask and they don’t offer, and no one thinks to call the cops to help this clearly very confused woman.
What did work for me was the narration by Imogen Church and January LaVoy. I thought they both did a fantastic job, and listening to this while reading along on my Kindle kept me engaged in the story. The premise is intriguing, the story is good, the writing is excellent and it has a solid ending reveal, so the book has a lot going for it! Definitely more pros than cons.
For those of you considering this book, I hope that much like our MC, Liv Reese, you’ll go to sleep tonight and completely forget my review and wake up tomorrow with only memories of that last glowing one you’ve undoubtedly read before mine. There are many! I think most readers will really enjoy this book, and I know I’ll be eagerly awaiting Megan Goldin’s next one!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 3)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley and author Megan Goldin for this digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. This will be published on August 9, 2022.
Doesn’t she?
She did until she woke up this morning. Why is everyone treating her so strangely? And who is the couple who answered the door of her apartment? Weirder still: Why is there a bloody knife in her pocket, and why are her hands and arms covered in ballpoint ink admonishments to “WAKE UP!”, “STAY AWAKE!”, “TRUST NO ONE”, and more?
If all of that isn’t alarming enough, during her wanderings, she’s just seen a news report showing a murder scene where the killer scrawled “WAKE UP” in blood on the victim’s window. Is she connected to it somehow? Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle certainly suspect so, and now they just need to find her to ask questions.
That’s a great premise! You have an MC who’s not just lost two years of her memories but whose brain does a complete reset to her last familiar day each and every time she falls asleep. She’s confused, scared, and vulnerable to dangers she’s completely unaware of. I should feel the utmost care and concern for her! Wouldn’t anyone? So, why did I start feeling detached?
Questions are what mysteries are built on. It’s why most of us read them! However, there’s a big difference between a series of new questions that move you toward a conclusion and the same question being asked repetitively, like a child in the backseat saying, “Are we there yet?” over and over and over - only Liv’s question would be some variation of “What’s going on?”. I enjoyed it at first, then … not as much.
While I liked the story, my over-analytical brain got in the way of just going along with some things. Other than Detectives Halliday and Lavelle and those involved in the investigation, no one seems to know how to ask or answer a direct question. Everyone tells Liv that she doesn’t remember things, but no one seems to ever tell her the facts, like “Hey, you seem really confused. Let me help fill in the blanks.” Nope. Liz doesn’t ask and they don’t offer, and no one thinks to call the cops to help this clearly very confused woman.
What did work for me was the narration by Imogen Church and January LaVoy. I thought they both did a fantastic job, and listening to this while reading along on my Kindle kept me engaged in the story. The premise is intriguing, the story is good, the writing is excellent and it has a solid ending reveal, so the book has a lot going for it! Definitely more pros than cons.
For those of you considering this book, I hope that much like our MC, Liv Reese, you’ll go to sleep tonight and completely forget my review and wake up tomorrow with only memories of that last glowing one you’ve undoubtedly read before mine. There are many! I think most readers will really enjoy this book, and I know I’ll be eagerly awaiting Megan Goldin’s next one!
★★★ ½ (rounded to 3)
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Netgalley and author Megan Goldin for this digital ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC to honestly review. This will be published on August 9, 2022.
July 29, 2022
Oh no, the dreaded three stars...
What I Liked
This is a cleverly plotted mystery, I actually did not guess the identity of the villain before it was revealed. I didn't have a huge amount of buy in for the motive, but I can set that aside for the fact that in the end, I appreciated the way things turned out.
I really liked the portions involving the police officers and their process for trying to figure out who committed the murder in the beginning of the book. I appreciated that the author didn't make the male/female cops automatically start a romantic relationship, this book was much better for having zero romance.
What Didn't Work
I was constantly annoyed by Liv's character. I listened to most of this as an audiobook, and the narrator didn't really help. Her portrayal of Liz was more frantic and hysterical than it needed to be. (On the flip side, the narrator for the police detective was fantastic) I kept thinking--so you have this medical condition that makes you forget everything when you fall asleep. Instead of checking yourself into a hospital or making sure you have someone with you at all times, you write "Stay Awake" on your hand instead and then run willy nilly all around town trying to make sense of things over and over? I would think that the medical professionals would put her on a psych hold because she was a danger to herself, or that she could recognize that she needed help.
The reveal of Liv's backstory was way too slow. I (and most readers I assume) had already figured it out long before the police thought to pull her old files and see what the heck happened to her two years previously. Things could have been wrapped up and solved much more quickly had they done a bit of research.
At risk of going on too long and sounding like a broken record, I thought Liv was just too naïve and trusting about certain things, and then overly paranoid about others.
Even though I have many cons about this book, it wasn't a bad read for me. I was invested in the story and thought that in the end it had a decent conclusion. I'm a fan of Goldin's books and will definitely read another one in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
What I Liked
This is a cleverly plotted mystery, I actually did not guess the identity of the villain before it was revealed. I didn't have a huge amount of buy in for the motive, but I can set that aside for the fact that in the end, I appreciated the way things turned out.
I really liked the portions involving the police officers and their process for trying to figure out who committed the murder in the beginning of the book. I appreciated that the author didn't make the male/female cops automatically start a romantic relationship, this book was much better for having zero romance.
What Didn't Work
I was constantly annoyed by Liv's character. I listened to most of this as an audiobook, and the narrator didn't really help. Her portrayal of Liz was more frantic and hysterical than it needed to be. (On the flip side, the narrator for the police detective was fantastic) I kept thinking--so you have this medical condition that makes you forget everything when you fall asleep. Instead of checking yourself into a hospital or making sure you have someone with you at all times, you write "Stay Awake" on your hand instead and then run willy nilly all around town trying to make sense of things over and over? I would think that the medical professionals would put her on a psych hold because she was a danger to herself, or that she could recognize that she needed help.
The reveal of Liv's backstory was way too slow. I (and most readers I assume) had already figured it out long before the police thought to pull her old files and see what the heck happened to her two years previously. Things could have been wrapped up and solved much more quickly had they done a bit of research.
At risk of going on too long and sounding like a broken record, I thought Liv was just too naïve and trusting about certain things, and then overly paranoid about others.
Even though I have many cons about this book, it wasn't a bad read for me. I was invested in the story and thought that in the end it had a decent conclusion. I'm a fan of Goldin's books and will definitely read another one in the future.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 11, 2022
Everyone, quick! Stop what you’re doing and read this book!!!!!!!
I was blown away by this one and read it in two days. I literally couldn’t put it down. Chapter One hops right to the point and into the action and holds on to you tightly until the last page.
Because this book goes back and forth between two different timelines and even a third by the end, it has the potential to lose the reader. I was sure to always be paying close attention so as not to get confused with the times. There are minor hints and clues throughout that are so subtle you blink and you miss them and even some red herrings to throw off the scent.
Although the ending wasn’t ultra surprising, it doesn’t even matter to me. That’s how great of a story this was.
Shoutout to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had never heard of this author before reading this book and I will most definitely be keeping her on my radar. Bravo! 👏🏼
5⭐️
I was blown away by this one and read it in two days. I literally couldn’t put it down. Chapter One hops right to the point and into the action and holds on to you tightly until the last page.
Because this book goes back and forth between two different timelines and even a third by the end, it has the potential to lose the reader. I was sure to always be paying close attention so as not to get confused with the times. There are minor hints and clues throughout that are so subtle you blink and you miss them and even some red herrings to throw off the scent.
Although the ending wasn’t ultra surprising, it doesn’t even matter to me. That’s how great of a story this was.
Shoutout to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I had never heard of this author before reading this book and I will most definitely be keeping her on my radar. Bravo! 👏🏼
5⭐️
February 24, 2022
Insomnia robs like a thief in the night. It leaves zombie-like days bouncing madly in the pinball game of life. Eyelids begging to close up shop. Days and days past your bedtime.
When a Megan Goldin novel arrives on the scene, you just grab it and clutch it to your chest. Stay Awake is in that category. Goldin comes up with a brilliant storyline encompassing the "what if's" that happen in life. She's hooked a winner here with the mysterious reality of those who suffer from the clutches of sleep deprivation......the mind in the death throws of the inability to shut down and find peace. Constant swirling and whirling thoughts that never seem to hush.
We'll come upon Liv Reese who stumbles into a cab in New York City in the wee hours. The driver follows her instructions to take her home to her apartment. Liv is confused and disoriented, but she knows that her best friend and roommate, Amy, will sort things out.
Liv, with no key, no phone or handbag, pounds on the door of their building. There's no signs of life until a couple stomps down the stairs and begins flicking on lights. They inform Liv that they are the residents of the apartment. No Amy or Liv live there. They threaten to call the police. Liv makes a dash to a familiar bar called the Nocturnal. The bartender recognizes Liv, but she is clueless. Liv notices a barrage of graffiti written all over both of her hands. Snarls of pen marks bearing words like Stay Awake and Don't Open the Door and a phone number she doesn't recognize.
Upon leaving the bar, she reaches into the huge pockets of her long cardigan and finds a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. Why, what, and how come to mind. She immediately gets rid of it in an alley garbage can. Liv will stumble around the city trying to make sense of the last hours.....hours, days, and shockingly, two years of time unaccounted for.
Megan Goldin creates a scene of shocking proportions with her main character of Liv. You'll find your own brain in vertigo from the descriptors and this panic-infused journey into a Black Hole. Liv will become part of a murder scene splashed out constantly by the media. She recognizes herself in a video revealing her movement out of an elevator where the crime took place. Liv has no memory and no clue as to why she was there......and we don't either.....until certain individuals start showing up in search of the elusive Liv. Oh, Momma.
I highly recommend Stay Awake if you're looking for a stunner of a read. There's nothing like falling into the chambers of a mind that is out to sea with no recollect of current happenings or the footprints as to how you got there. Goldin is up to the challenge in this one. Just grab it and run.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Megan Goldin for the opportunity.
When a Megan Goldin novel arrives on the scene, you just grab it and clutch it to your chest. Stay Awake is in that category. Goldin comes up with a brilliant storyline encompassing the "what if's" that happen in life. She's hooked a winner here with the mysterious reality of those who suffer from the clutches of sleep deprivation......the mind in the death throws of the inability to shut down and find peace. Constant swirling and whirling thoughts that never seem to hush.
We'll come upon Liv Reese who stumbles into a cab in New York City in the wee hours. The driver follows her instructions to take her home to her apartment. Liv is confused and disoriented, but she knows that her best friend and roommate, Amy, will sort things out.
Liv, with no key, no phone or handbag, pounds on the door of their building. There's no signs of life until a couple stomps down the stairs and begins flicking on lights. They inform Liv that they are the residents of the apartment. No Amy or Liv live there. They threaten to call the police. Liv makes a dash to a familiar bar called the Nocturnal. The bartender recognizes Liv, but she is clueless. Liv notices a barrage of graffiti written all over both of her hands. Snarls of pen marks bearing words like Stay Awake and Don't Open the Door and a phone number she doesn't recognize.
Upon leaving the bar, she reaches into the huge pockets of her long cardigan and finds a bloody knife wrapped in a t-shirt. Why, what, and how come to mind. She immediately gets rid of it in an alley garbage can. Liv will stumble around the city trying to make sense of the last hours.....hours, days, and shockingly, two years of time unaccounted for.
Megan Goldin creates a scene of shocking proportions with her main character of Liv. You'll find your own brain in vertigo from the descriptors and this panic-infused journey into a Black Hole. Liv will become part of a murder scene splashed out constantly by the media. She recognizes herself in a video revealing her movement out of an elevator where the crime took place. Liv has no memory and no clue as to why she was there......and we don't either.....until certain individuals start showing up in search of the elusive Liv. Oh, Momma.
I highly recommend Stay Awake if you're looking for a stunner of a read. There's nothing like falling into the chambers of a mind that is out to sea with no recollect of current happenings or the footprints as to how you got there. Goldin is up to the challenge in this one. Just grab it and run.
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Megan Goldin for the opportunity.
August 9, 2022
3.5 ⭐
Pacy and suspenseful!
"Stay Awake" really kept me awake. I don't want to sleep like the main character Liv.. for me I want to know how the pieces all come together. It hooked me from the very beginning!
Liv forgets when she wakes up and therefore tries to stay awake. She falls into this two-year loop and the readers get two timeline perspectives from her. When she woke up with a bloody knife and heard that a murder had taken place where a note was written in blood similar to what she scribbled all over her arms she started to freak out. Was she involved? Two detectives who were assigned to the case are on her tail.
This is a very addictive thriller that I can see myself giving 4 stars if I like the ending. I think I was a bit disappointed with the grand finale. I was hoping for more since I was hyper-alert throughout this journey.
I'm excited about the audiobook because January LaVoy never disappoints. She's the voice of detective Halliday. I'm not too familiar with the main narrator Imogen Church who voices the MC, Liv. I struggle to get through some of her chapters where I felt she was overacting.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this DRC.
Available today: Aug 9, 2022!
Pacy and suspenseful!
"Stay Awake" really kept me awake. I don't want to sleep like the main character Liv.. for me I want to know how the pieces all come together. It hooked me from the very beginning!
Liv forgets when she wakes up and therefore tries to stay awake. She falls into this two-year loop and the readers get two timeline perspectives from her. When she woke up with a bloody knife and heard that a murder had taken place where a note was written in blood similar to what she scribbled all over her arms she started to freak out. Was she involved? Two detectives who were assigned to the case are on her tail.
This is a very addictive thriller that I can see myself giving 4 stars if I like the ending. I think I was a bit disappointed with the grand finale. I was hoping for more since I was hyper-alert throughout this journey.
I'm excited about the audiobook because January LaVoy never disappoints. She's the voice of detective Halliday. I'm not too familiar with the main narrator Imogen Church who voices the MC, Liv. I struggle to get through some of her chapters where I felt she was overacting.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this DRC.
Available today: Aug 9, 2022!
July 17, 2022
Imagine what it must be like to fall asleep and when you wake you are stripped of your memories. This is Liv Reeses’s reality. She wakes in the back of a taxi, no clue of why she is there and her confusion increases when she’s dropped at her apartment and a couple of strangers answer the bell. Why has she got graffiti messages on her skin urging her to “stay awake“ and “don’t sleep“? Why is she chilled to the bone about reports of a murder on television? She remembers absolutely nothing of the last two years; she recalls dating Marco, that she is a successful magazine writer and that her best friend is Amy. The rest is a big fat blank. Detectives Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle investigate the murder in the present day as Liv desperately tries to piece together what may have happened to her.
This is so good! It has everything I enjoy most in a thriller, a well thought out plot, a protagonist you can root for, two well crafted and also very likeable detectives, a very intriguing mystery, a hint or three of the creepy, tension and suspense you can actually sense and of course, the obligatory twists!
Liv’s confusion is written so well you feel it too, her complete lack of centre with her poor brain trying to catch up as she reels from one revelation to another. The dread, panic and utter bewilderment are palpable as her missing two years remain elusive. I have absolutely no idea if the diagnosis given to explain her memory loss is real but it actually doesn’t matter to me one little bit because the author get you to buy into the concept and immerses you in Liv’s world.
The author melds and blends the past with the present so seamlessly that you get pieces of the jigsaw of Liv’s life a bit at a time as it builds to a very good conclusion. I miss all the clues for the perpetrator because the author has me totally focused on Liv!! I definitely need to stay awake!!
If you are after an intelligent and well crafted mystery thriller that’s a bit different from the norm then look no further! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
This is so good! It has everything I enjoy most in a thriller, a well thought out plot, a protagonist you can root for, two well crafted and also very likeable detectives, a very intriguing mystery, a hint or three of the creepy, tension and suspense you can actually sense and of course, the obligatory twists!
Liv’s confusion is written so well you feel it too, her complete lack of centre with her poor brain trying to catch up as she reels from one revelation to another. The dread, panic and utter bewilderment are palpable as her missing two years remain elusive. I have absolutely no idea if the diagnosis given to explain her memory loss is real but it actually doesn’t matter to me one little bit because the author get you to buy into the concept and immerses you in Liv’s world.
The author melds and blends the past with the present so seamlessly that you get pieces of the jigsaw of Liv’s life a bit at a time as it builds to a very good conclusion. I miss all the clues for the perpetrator because the author has me totally focused on Liv!! I definitely need to stay awake!!
If you are after an intelligent and well crafted mystery thriller that’s a bit different from the norm then look no further! Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
July 25, 2023
My thanks to St. Martin's Press, Megan Goldin and Netgalley.
This is most definitely a case of me being so happy that I gave an author a second chance!
Ms. Goldin has one other book that I've read, and I truly didn't like it! But, the writing was great, it just wasn't my type of story. At all.
This? Crikey! I haven't read a book this fast in a very, very long time!
I loved each and every moment of it!
"Stay awake?" That's what Liv's wrist said! I took that to heart! For a day and a half I was obsessed.
Read the synopsis and nothing more.
This is one book that you really don't want any clues or feedback for.
Yes! It's that good!
I'll admit that I missed that one GLARING clue! Damn, shit and hell!
Best darn whodunit that I've read so far this year!
Recommended!
This is most definitely a case of me being so happy that I gave an author a second chance!
Ms. Goldin has one other book that I've read, and I truly didn't like it! But, the writing was great, it just wasn't my type of story. At all.
This? Crikey! I haven't read a book this fast in a very, very long time!
I loved each and every moment of it!
"Stay awake?" That's what Liv's wrist said! I took that to heart! For a day and a half I was obsessed.
Read the synopsis and nothing more.
This is one book that you really don't want any clues or feedback for.
Yes! It's that good!
I'll admit that I missed that one GLARING clue! Damn, shit and hell!
Best darn whodunit that I've read so far this year!
Recommended!
August 16, 2022
Stay Awake started out with a bang for me and sucked me in!! I loved the beginning and thought it was intriguing!! Then, I felt bummed because it slowed down for a bit and I thought it was going to be a dud, but luckily It picked back up at the end. Overall, I enjoyed it! I definitely felt a lot of suspense while reading and I liked how the story unfolded. I thought the storyline was unique and interesting!! 3.5 stars rounded to 4!
Thank you Net Galley and St Martins Press for an ARC in return for my honest opinion.
Thank you Net Galley and St Martins Press for an ARC in return for my honest opinion.
February 1, 2022
Remember that cute rom-com with Sandler and Barrymore called Fifty First Dates? Well take that scenario and switch the rom-com for a psychological thriller and you've got Megan Goldin's latest offering, Stay Awake.
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a NYC cab only to realize she has no idea how she got here or where she is. In fact, she can't remember the last two years. Her last memory was of answering a call at her work for Cultura magazine on a hot summer day. Her hands are covered in writing saying things like Stay Awake, Don't trust anyone, etc. She also has a bloody knife among her belongings which is terrifying because she would never hurt anyone and she can't figure out why she would have such a thing.
Then she sees the news and that the cops are looking for her in connection to a man murdered. The most frightening thing is that scrolled on the window in the room in which he was murdered are the words Stay Awake in the victims blood. Surely she didn't do this...did she?
This one started off with a bang and I was all in trying to figure out what in the heck was going on. Liv is an unreliable narrator but a likeable one so rooting for her was never a problem. I also enjoyed the homicide detectives on the case, Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle, and I would not be at all surprised if they are featured again in a future novel. My only issue is that I had this one figured out fairly early on and I'm not the best arm chair detective so when my suspicion proved correct I was a little disappointed that I wasn't thrown off the trail as other readers were. It appears my powers of deduction got the best of me here.
All in all this was plenty entertaining and it moved at a quick pace so fans of this genre are going to delight in the mystery that Goldin created. My verdict: Stay Awake and finish this book. You won't be disappointed. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a NYC cab only to realize she has no idea how she got here or where she is. In fact, she can't remember the last two years. Her last memory was of answering a call at her work for Cultura magazine on a hot summer day. Her hands are covered in writing saying things like Stay Awake, Don't trust anyone, etc. She also has a bloody knife among her belongings which is terrifying because she would never hurt anyone and she can't figure out why she would have such a thing.
Then she sees the news and that the cops are looking for her in connection to a man murdered. The most frightening thing is that scrolled on the window in the room in which he was murdered are the words Stay Awake in the victims blood. Surely she didn't do this...did she?
This one started off with a bang and I was all in trying to figure out what in the heck was going on. Liv is an unreliable narrator but a likeable one so rooting for her was never a problem. I also enjoyed the homicide detectives on the case, Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle, and I would not be at all surprised if they are featured again in a future novel. My only issue is that I had this one figured out fairly early on and I'm not the best arm chair detective so when my suspicion proved correct I was a little disappointed that I wasn't thrown off the trail as other readers were. It appears my powers of deduction got the best of me here.
All in all this was plenty entertaining and it moved at a quick pace so fans of this genre are going to delight in the mystery that Goldin created. My verdict: Stay Awake and finish this book. You won't be disappointed. 4 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my complimentary copy.
March 20, 2022
4.5*
Liv Reese awakens in the back of a cab with no memory of how she got there. Glancing down at her arms, she’s more confused than ever. They are covered in writing… with several prominent words, including
Stay awake! And Wake Up!
Meanwhile, the police are mid-discovery of a man’s body in a rental, with the same simple words scrawled on the window… WAKE UP!
Now come on, We all know that can’t be a coincidence!😉
Wow! This was quite the thrill ride!
Poor Liv, every time she goes to sleep she loses her memories from the previous 2 years. (And who wouldn’t like to forget the last two years?!) Now it’s crucial she put the pieces together once again. Who to trust? Why does she feel her life is in danger?
I’ve read similar premises in past reads. But thanks to some serious creativity it still felt fresh and terrifying! I sped through this at breakneck speed, high on the thrill as was Liv on her caffeine.
Though there were a few things not quite adding up for me, in the end I still absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it! Thriller fans, don’t miss out on this little gem!
A fast and furious buddy read with Susanne that we both really enjoyed!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.
Liv Reese awakens in the back of a cab with no memory of how she got there. Glancing down at her arms, she’s more confused than ever. They are covered in writing… with several prominent words, including
Stay awake! And Wake Up!
Meanwhile, the police are mid-discovery of a man’s body in a rental, with the same simple words scrawled on the window… WAKE UP!
Now come on, We all know that can’t be a coincidence!😉
Wow! This was quite the thrill ride!
Poor Liv, every time she goes to sleep she loses her memories from the previous 2 years. (And who wouldn’t like to forget the last two years?!) Now it’s crucial she put the pieces together once again. Who to trust? Why does she feel her life is in danger?
I’ve read similar premises in past reads. But thanks to some serious creativity it still felt fresh and terrifying! I sped through this at breakneck speed, high on the thrill as was Liv on her caffeine.
Though there were a few things not quite adding up for me, in the end I still absolutely loved this one and highly recommend it! Thriller fans, don’t miss out on this little gem!
A fast and furious buddy read with Susanne that we both really enjoyed!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.
July 23, 2024
Oof, this was hard to rate.
On the one hand, I thought Stay Awake was extremely gripping. Short chapters, alternating between the past and present, really kept the pages turning. And the premise was very compelling, if not all that plausible.
Liv wakes up in a taxi with no memory of how she got there. Her phone and credit cards are all missing, her hands are covered in scrawled messages like "STAY AWAKE", she carries a bloody knife and, stranger still, when she arrives at her apartment someone else is living there. Liv has to piece together what happened, figure out if she is in danger, or if, perhaps, she herself is the dangerous one.
I was totally engrossed.
But I was getting towards the end of the book, feeling the thinness of it and how few pages I had left, and thinking "surely not everything can be adequately addressed in this much book?" I was right. It seems like we're missing a whole bunch of explanations.
The culprit makes complete sense but a lot of their behaviour does not. Like And Oh, and
Also, the police detectives were quite remarkably stupid at times and seemed to need to have the same things explained to them by three or four different people. Lavelle was the worst, insisting on his theory when there were a good number of reasons it was unlikely, but Halliday had her moments too.
You know when you're thinking if the characters had just a couple more brain cells the book would have been, say, 50 pages instead of 300+? That's this book.
Still, all that being said, it was very entertaining.
On the one hand, I thought Stay Awake was extremely gripping. Short chapters, alternating between the past and present, really kept the pages turning. And the premise was very compelling, if not all that plausible.
Liv wakes up in a taxi with no memory of how she got there. Her phone and credit cards are all missing, her hands are covered in scrawled messages like "STAY AWAKE", she carries a bloody knife and, stranger still, when she arrives at her apartment someone else is living there. Liv has to piece together what happened, figure out if she is in danger, or if, perhaps, she herself is the dangerous one.
I was totally engrossed.
But I was getting towards the end of the book, feeling the thinness of it and how few pages I had left, and thinking "surely not everything can be adequately addressed in this much book?" I was right. It seems like we're missing a whole bunch of explanations.
The culprit makes complete sense but a lot of their behaviour does not. Like And Oh, and
Also, the police detectives were quite remarkably stupid at times and seemed to need to have the same things explained to them by three or four different people. Lavelle was the worst, insisting on his theory when there were a good number of reasons it was unlikely, but Halliday had her moments too.
You know when you're thinking if the characters had just a couple more brain cells the book would have been, say, 50 pages instead of 300+? That's this book.
Still, all that being said, it was very entertaining.
August 15, 2022
4.5 caffeinated stars - now available!
We meet Liv when she wakes up in a taxi and she has no memory of the recent past. She is shocked when strangers answer the doorbell at her apartment, who are these people? Where is her roommate Amy and her cat?
Liv discovers writing all over her arms reminding her to stay awake and not to trust anyone. She’s in a pickle with no cell phone or purse, but luckily, she finds cash in her pockets.
The book toggles back and forth between the present and the past so we get to know Liv, her boyfriend Marco, roommate Amy, and a bit about her job writing for a culture magazine.
Now in the present, Liv discovers a crime has been committed and she realizes she might be responsible as she can’t remember anything from the night before. Why was there a knife in her pocket? As she works to put the pieces together and struggles to stay awake, danger seems to be following her and the police seem to be closing in. My sympathies grew for Liv as the book went on, how horrible to not be able to remember things!
Speaking of police, I liked the storyline with Darcy, the interim homicide detective who is working the case. She is smart and stands up for herself. As they close in on Liv as the prime suspect, I kept hoping there was another answer.
This was a fast-paced and well-written thriller. I really like this author’s writing style and this one exceeded my expectations!
This one made for a great buddy read as we bandied about our guesses. My thanks to Susan, Jayme, and Marilyn for playing detective with me.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of this one.
We meet Liv when she wakes up in a taxi and she has no memory of the recent past. She is shocked when strangers answer the doorbell at her apartment, who are these people? Where is her roommate Amy and her cat?
Liv discovers writing all over her arms reminding her to stay awake and not to trust anyone. She’s in a pickle with no cell phone or purse, but luckily, she finds cash in her pockets.
The book toggles back and forth between the present and the past so we get to know Liv, her boyfriend Marco, roommate Amy, and a bit about her job writing for a culture magazine.
Now in the present, Liv discovers a crime has been committed and she realizes she might be responsible as she can’t remember anything from the night before. Why was there a knife in her pocket? As she works to put the pieces together and struggles to stay awake, danger seems to be following her and the police seem to be closing in. My sympathies grew for Liv as the book went on, how horrible to not be able to remember things!
Speaking of police, I liked the storyline with Darcy, the interim homicide detective who is working the case. She is smart and stands up for herself. As they close in on Liv as the prime suspect, I kept hoping there was another answer.
This was a fast-paced and well-written thriller. I really like this author’s writing style and this one exceeded my expectations!
This one made for a great buddy read as we bandied about our guesses. My thanks to Susan, Jayme, and Marilyn for playing detective with me.
Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read an early copy of this one.
July 13, 2023
“Where did you put it?”--------------------------------------
“Put what?”
“The knife,” he hisses. “What did you do with the damn knife, Liv? You took the goddamn knife when I was in the bathroom, and you walked off with it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. This must be a wrong number.” I resist the urge to hang up the phone. I feel compelled to know more.
“Don’t tell me you fell asleep and forgot everything again?” he says.
He frightens me with the accuracy of his comment. “How do you know I woke up with no memory?”
“Because you lose your goddamn memory every time you fall asleep. Listen, here’s what I want you to do…”
“Lack of sleep does horrible things to a person’s mind,” said the social worker. “It can make some people psychotic.”Liv Reese has a problem with sleep. Whenever she nods off, pop go the last two years, wiped clean. Thus the messages she has written to herself on her body, ( I look like a human graffiti board.) reminding her to remain awake at all costs. Not remembering might be useful for coping with a bad, newly lost relationship, but there is no upside to forgetting for Liv. Coming to in a cab crossing the Brooklyn Bridge, she has no understanding of the world in which she now struggles. On trying to get into her brownstone apartment, she finds it occupied, not by her roomie, but by strangers, who are not exactly eager to let her in, and it looks oddly changed. It was Summer last thing she remembers, but seeing her breath in the air challenges that. She finds a clue on her fingers and heads to what seems likely to be a familiar locale, a bar, Nocturnal. At least someone seems to know her there. “You’re afraid of what you do in your sleep.” he tells her. Should she be? That bloody knife she had been toting around does not ease her concerns.
Megan Goldin - image from the Sydney Morning Herald
Reese is having a bad day. Over and over and over. Not quite the sort of charming fantasy rom-com-do-over one might see in, say Ground Hog Day or Fifty First Dates. Nope. There are no yucks to be found here. As you no doubt noted from the book quote at the top of this, she is in a bit of trouble. This is much more the Memento vibe, trying to stay alive while also desperate to find out what caused her to go blank two years ago. The same day does not repeat like a video game level. The real world continues on its merry, or not so merry way. It is only Liv who resets.
So what caused her to blank out? That is her quest, the driving force of the novel. All she has to do is figure out what all the writing on her body, and other locales, means, or can lead her to. Prominent among these is an all caps “STAY AWAKE” above her knuckles. “WAKE UP” adorns an arm, coincidentally the very thing painted in blood on the window of a man who had just been murdered.
Goldin must have been driving a Bis Rexx dump truck when she was loading up her protagonist. Being pursued by someone who is probably a psycho-killer, looking like a suspect in the murder, while not being able to recall anything from the past two years, including whether she is or is not, herself, a psycho killer, makes for a wee bit of stress. And then having to cope with all this while completely exhausted from lack of sleep, wired from mass consumption of coffee and anti-sleeping pills, and having no idea who you can trust. On the other hand, loading a character up with such a surfeit of misery makes it almost mandatory to root for her. It’s like Atlas is holding up the world and Zeus decides to toss on a few extra planets for laughs. Awww, c’mon, give the poor thing a break. So, sure, easy peasy. Have a nice day. Sheesh!
We actually get a day and a half with Liv, beginning on Wednesday 2:42 A.M. and ending on Thursday 2:45 P.M. Every chapter begins with a time stamp. It is an intense thirty-six hours. Did she or didn’t she murder that man? Will the cops or won’t they catch her and put her away for the murder? Will she or won’t she find out what caused her memory failure? Will she learn who the psycho is who is pursuing her? Will he catch her? Will she be able to stay awake until answers are found? Is there anyone on her side?
We see two time periods, the present and two years prior. The present is divided pretty much between Liv’s ongoing travails and Detective Darcy Halliday’s investigation of the recent murder. The two-year lookback is a singular third-person telling.
Chapters alternate in the present in groups between Liv’s ongoing travails, and Detective Darcy and her partner working the case. So, a few chaps on Liv, a few on the investigation, and then a lookback. There are sixty-six chapters in the book. Twenty-nine of these consist of Liv’s first-person narrative. Twenty-two follow Detective Halliday and her partner as they investigate. Thirteen look back to the events of two years earlier, as they lead up to the mind-blanking event. (Yes, I know that leaves the total a couple short. There are two that do not fit the major divisions.) All the chapters are short, so you can catch a few pieces of the novel whenever time allows, on the train, at bedtime, while waiting for your next crudité delivery to arrive, and not feel compelled to read on just to finish a long chapter. I mean, you might want to keep on anyway, but because the story had drawn you in, not because of any obsessive need to complete a chapter no matter how lengthy. I don’t know anyone who would do such a thing. Can’t imagine it.
Wait, wait, what is that beeping sound? Oh, no, another load for Liv! Not enough to contend with already, try adding (piling?) on no keys, no purse, no ID, no phone. She is about as isolated as a person can be in a city of eight million. This also counterbalances any hostility we might have toward her for being a food writer for a chichi magazine called Cultura.
Trauma can do terrible things to one’s brain. But wait there’s more. Liv has had that blank spot since her trauma, but was able to have a life anyway. However, that daily reboot problem is of very recent vintage, only a few weeks. Previously, she had been able to form new memories just fine. What changed? I found Goldin’s explanation for this a weak point in the story. I have a few other gripes, which I am putting under a spoiler tag, so if you have not read the book, please feel free to skip this.
I enjoyed the character of Detective Darcy Halliday, tough, smart, able to access her softer side to find ways to the truth. I also liked following the procedural investigation, but not so much her interaction with her more experienced male partner, Detective LaVelle. Just did not at all care whether they bonded with each other or not.
There are surely many, many films and books that this might be compared to, in addition to the few noted above. Hitchcock’s Spellbound, Tana French’s In the Woods, the latest iteration, Surface, on Apple TV. The Jason Bourne Series is the most famous. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is another. Many live in the world of fantasy or science-fiction. But few of the real-world-based (not fantasy or sci-fi) amnesia tales outside Memento incorporate a daily reset. It definitely adds to the stress level. (For a book about a real real-world person afflicted with an inability to form new memories, you might want to check out Patient H.M. by Luke Dittrich)
The tempo goes from frantic to OMG!!! So there is no danger of you drifting off while reading. Does it all come back to her? Oh, puh-leez. I am not gonna spoil that one. But you know how these things go. Sometimes it all comes back, often with another knock to the head. Sometimes nothing comes back, and sometimes parts return, but not the entirety. You will just have to see for yourselves. I am spoiling nothing, however, in telling you that we readers find out why she developed her initial amnesia two years back.
Red herrings are allowed to swim freely, which is perfectly ok. They can be delicious. Most of the supporting cast felt a bit thin. Darcy is well done, but most of the actors were not on the page long enough to develop all that much. A killer’s motivation seemed a stretch. NYC was exploited as a setting far less than it might have been. On the plus side, a (probably-deranged) performance artist adds a particularly poignant bit of menace. But the damsel-in-distress with serious memory issues and darkness descending is a pretty killer core, so the scaffolding erected around it is of lesser importance.
Bottom line is that this was a fun read, a page-turning thriller, an excellent (end-of) Summer treat. Best part is that if you fall asleep while reading, it will still be there for you when you wake up.
The white, as yet unpainted, part of the wall, is graffitied with an array of random sentences. Most are written in pen. A couple are in marker. One appears to be written by a finger dipped in black coffee.
Memories lie.
Don’t trust anyone.
He’s coming for me.
Review first posted – August 19, 2022
Publication dates
----------Hardcover - August 9, 2022
----------Paperback - July 11, 2023
I received an eARE of Stay Awake from St. Martin’s Press in return for something, but I just cannot remember what. Thanks, folks, and thanks to NetGalley for facilitating.
This review has been cross-posted on my site, Coot’s Reviews. Stop by and say Hi!
=============================EXTRA STUFF
Links to the author’s personal, FB, and Twitter pages
From MacmillanBlockquote>MEGAN GOLDIN, author of THE ESCAPE ROOM and THE NIGHT SWIM, worked as a correspondent for Reuters and other media outlets where she covered war, peace, international terrorism and financial meltdowns in the Middle East and Asia. She is now based in Melbourne, Australia where she raises three sons and is a foster mum to Labrador puppies learning to be guide dogs.
Songs/Music
-----Paul Simon - Insomniac’s Lullaby - referenced in chap 1
-----Eagles - Hotel California - live, acoustic version - chap 37
-----Alicia Keyes - New York - referenced in chap 48
Item of Interest from the author
-----Book Lover Reviews - Does Suspense Have a Place In A Wired World?
September 22, 2022
A very solid 3.5/3.75 stars. Thrilling and hard to put down, but the overall reveal was a bit underwhelming. Review to come.
October 2, 2022
This was a pretty good thriller. 👍 It follows a woman with amnesia- she resets every time she falls asleep- like 50 First Dates (but without the comedy) 😉 It also follows a detective trying to solve a murder case. I kinda guessed “who done it”- but it was still worth the read! 🤗
July 4, 2022
5 Stars for this highly entertaining and gripping thriller!
I have loved this author's previous books so I'm really not surprised how much I enjoyed this one too!
Pulled me in right from the start and had me staying up until the early morning reading.
It was a gripping read and the suspense was full on right up until the end. I loved how everything came together.
Another well-written and intriguing novel from Megan Goldin!!
I have loved this author's previous books so I'm really not surprised how much I enjoyed this one too!
Pulled me in right from the start and had me staying up until the early morning reading.
It was a gripping read and the suspense was full on right up until the end. I loved how everything came together.
Another well-written and intriguing novel from Megan Goldin!!
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