Member Reviews
Ive enjoyed previous reads by this author and although I enjoyed Stay Awake its my least favourite.
The story of Liv Reese who wakes up in the back of a taxi and has no idea where she is. She seems to have lost 2 years of memories from her life after a traumatic event and now every time she falls asleep she loses her memory! This leads her to believe that she may or may not be involved in a recent murder but, as she has no memory and every time she falls asleep she forgets everything again, its nearly impossible for her to piece together her past or indeed trust anyone.
I did enjoy this one to a point but found it a little weak overall. The premise is great but the whole scenario became a little repetitive, inevitable given the subject matter but, it just felt very samey throughout. I dont know if there is enough of a story here to flesh out into a full novel.
There is very clever use of the device plot in the closing chapters but some of the reveals were blindingly obvious and the story promised a lot more than it delivered.
Decent but (ironically)forgettable.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC though Netgalley.
I really liked this book! I picked it up this morning and spent the day reading it, impossible to put down.
Liv wakes up in a back of a taxi, with no idea how she got there. Disorientated she askes to be dropped to her apartment but when she arrives there, strangers are living there. She reaches for her phone and it's is place is a blood soaked knife and a message is written on her hand, stay awake. Horrified she finds out two years have passed since she woke up and the news is reporting a crime scene that has the same message that is on her hand. Did she commit murder and doesn't remember or has she encountered a killer and she doesn't know it is?
This started strongly if outlandishly. However I have read one of Megan Goldin's previous books and knew I was in safe hands. This story jumps back and forth from the present to two years previously , pulling the reader into the world Liv inhabits. Goldin captures the disorientation and confusion brilliantly , keeping you guessing till the end. Fast paced, well written, everything you want from a page turner.
This is one of the best books I have read this year. Thoroughly compelling and so well written about Liv who everytime she wakes up has no memory of the previous 2 years. Told from her historical and present day perspective and from a new homicide detective. This is the first book I have read from this author and it won’t be the last. Amazing read 5 ⭐️
Sadly this book wasn’t for me. I found it quite slow and a little repetitive. The premise was okay but just wasn’t executed well enough - you can assume why the killer did it but wasn’t really enough of a pay off at the end.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Oh this was goooood!!!!
Man oh man, this was so interesting and kept me guessing for a while! Oh there is nothing like a mystery with loads of puzzle pieces.
This author's writing has definitely improved and I'm enjoying her books more and more.
Even though I guess the who-dunnit bit about halfway, it didn't matter because seeing how all the puzzle pieces slot into place got me high in the way only good mysteries can.
Wow what a story with so many twists and turns you have no idea whether you are coming or going!! Absolutely brilliant
For some reason Megan Goldin's books read as realistic crime fiction or contemporary novels. I haven't read Escape Room yet but Night Swim definitely had the same characteristics as her latest novel and I'm there for it.
This time we're following Liv Reese. A woman who wakes up in a taxi with a bloody knife and no memory what has happened. It turns out two years have passed since her latest memory. As she roams around the streets of New York looking for old friends and acquaintances she's able to piece together what has happened to her. That is... until she falls asleep again when all memories of the time before she fell asleep are lost.
Megan Goldin has done a great job in making this story realistic. It's not necessarily thrilling, but it kept me on the edge of my seat to figure out what happened in the time Liv's memories were gone. Who can she trust? What's clever about the writing is that the reader does retain the memory of Liv, but the storystelling never become repetitive. Liv's path is straight forward to a conclusion and it's a logical path.
We don't just follow Liv in the current time and two years before when she had her last memories. We also follow Halliday who is an NYPD officer who investigates the murder of a man together with her partner Lavelle. The way they were written is really realistic as well.
The only reason why I would give it 4.5 stars instead of the full 5 is because I didn't like the reveal. It was very well written and it made sense. It just wasn't as complex as I was hoping for, which is just my personal taste.
Imagine waking up and having no memory of the past two years and being wanted for first degree murder. We’ll meet Liv, she’s that unfortunate person. Absolutely terrified and totally lost. She has to Miss Marple her way out of every waking moment and try to stay awake!
It’s hard not to compare this book to SJ Waton’s ‘Before I Go To Sleep’ because of the similarities with the memory loss and Watson’s novel was the first to utilise that scenario. That said, this book holds its own in that Liv isn’t being lied to throughout the novel. She’s literally woken up in the future! Everyone’s lives have moved on and the city has changed and she’s playing this continual catch up whilst also trying to figure out why she can’t remember.
I genuinely enjoyed this book. It was engaging and entertaining and most of all I loved the way in which the story unfolds.
Told from two timelines, 2 years ago and when Liv wakes up 2 years later. The chapters flit between both before and after before merging in the present day. But rather than being a day to day description the past events are as jumbled as the after events so the whole story isn’t fully revealed until you’re hours away from the finale.
I must admit I did spot the clues and guessed very early on the who, why, what and where’s… but I chose to ignore my inklings and just read the book because the way in which it was written was really captivating and I enjoyable to read.
I’ve not read a Megan Goldin book before so for me, this book was a double win because I not only loved the story I’ve found another author whom I like to read.
So for those who’ve read Before I Go To Sleep and wondering if they’ll enjoy this book? Go for it! They’re both brilliant books, they do have similarities but they are equally independent of each other and just as good.
Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
This was a fun take on the concept of someone suffering from amnesia and losing all recent memories when they fall asleep.
Once the killer was revealed, it was obvious that it had to have been them, so some may guess their identity - but I didn't. This was one of those books I had to read as quickly as possible so I could find out what happened and I was very satisfied with the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC without obligation.
An enjoyable thriller - think Groundhog Day meets murder mystery. When Liv Reese wakes up, she thinks that she is two years back in time. She has no recollection of anything that has happened from when she answers her phone at her desk until she has just woken up. Her life becomes even more terrifying when she realised that the police are looking for her for a murder, which she has no memory of committing.
The author captures Liv’s confusion well, also making it quite easy to piece together what has happened in Liv’s life during the time she can’t remember. If you like a clever, well-crafted murder mystery, you’ll enjoy Stay Awake.
A huge thanks to the publisher for my complimentary copy and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.
The book follows Liv who wakes up one night at the back of a taxi with no recollection on how she got there . She has nothing on her but simply' Stay awake" at the back of her hand. This was one thriller that kept me awake, kept me engaged and also creeped me out. I was flying through pages to get to the end because what a book. I am still thinking about this book so it's lowkey keeping me awake. Love it!
Thank you to NetGalley and Canelo for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Liv has no idea where she is or why. She has no memory of how she got there. Her last memory was over 2 years ago. There are words written all over her: "STAY AWAKE." Once she sleeps, she goes back to forgetting.
Something happened two years ago, and now she's being pulled back in. There's a murder and she's linked to the scene, but how can she prove that she wasn't involved if she can't remember?
This book was wild, and if you love thrillers, this one should be on your list. The entire novel takes place in a little over a day, but it's so fast-paced that it flies. I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it! I enjoyed it even more than a previous Megan Goldin book I've read, so that's worth keeping in mind too!
CW: violence, murder, gaslighting, gun violence, memory loss
This was a twisty physcological thriller which ramped up the pace as it went.
The story mainly revolves around Liv who had amnesia and can't remember the ladt two years of her life, also every time Liv falls asleep she wakes remembering nothing. The story is told in joint time line and jumps about so you need to pay attention closely there are murders which need solving.
I think the amnesia trope is one of my favs and this book did not disappoint.
Highly recommend
Thank you to the author Megan Goldin and publisher for my advance copy for an honest review.
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
I loved this book - the plot in itself was pacey and gripping, and the empathetic insight into the trauma of memory loss was handled extremely well.
When magazine writer Liv wakes (repeatedly), her memory reverts to two years previously, to before a trauma that's revealed gradually throughout the book. Each time, her confusion and anxiety racket up a notch as she endeavours to avoid falling back asleep, aware only that she can't trust anyone she has only met in the recent past.
The lead detective in the story, too, has an interesting and engaging past, and I hope to see more from this debut author.
Thanks to Canelo and Netgalley for the ARC.
Stay Awake had me from page one. It locked me in and had me twisted around its fingers.
The plot is outrageously clever and distinct. The characters sparse, but real and compelling. Honestly, I'm surprised and equally happy and crestfallen at the same time. I absolutely loved the spins and takes the book gives. I loved how it didn't give me a chance to think either because I was being fed something new every step of the way. I'm crestfallen because it's finished. I feel like something is missing. I'm unsure if the ending ruined the book for me or that I just want more if that makes any sense to you?
Anyway, Stay Awake is a gripping and totally fresh and intimidating read. One I would recommend profoundly.
4/5
As far as Liv knows, she is a successful journalist in NYC, spending all her free time with her best friend Anna and her boyfriend, Marco….so why does she wake up in the back of a cab with no memory of what year it is and with a bloody knife in her pocket? Why are the words “stay awake “ written all over her hands?
This book has an intriguing premise but for me the execution of that idea didn’t work. For a thriller, the pace is frustratingly slow. I got to 50% and felt like very little had happened. Where I wanted to be desperate got answers about the two missing years of Liv’s life, I just felt frustrated. I did enjoy the chapters set in the past and the detective’s perspectives, as they provided context to what was going on. I did think the ending was very clever and would make sure the reader would see things in a whole new light .
Other readers have really enjoyed this book so I would recommended it those who have enjoyed the other books by this author or those who are fans of the genre.
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of the book.
Wow! What a book!
This is my first by this author but it certainly won’t be the last. It’s deliciously dark, unique, engaging and perfectly written. Overall, it’s a great thriller that I challenge anyone not to enjoy.
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
I give this book 4.5 stars
2 years ago, Liv was a successful writer.Now, she's lost and disoriented in a New York City 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, similar to the message that's inked on her hands. What did she do last night? Liv finds herself on the run for a crime she doesn't remember committing. But there's someone who does know exactly what she did, and they'll do anything to make her forget--permanently.
Addictive and tense from the first to the last page,cleverly constructed this mystery weaves together with plenty of clues and twists if you’re paying attention. Told from Liv (unreliable narrator) and Detective Halliday the storyline jumps around between 2 years ago and the last 48 hours. lt has my favourite short snappy chapters that each end with me wanting to STAY AWAKE and keep reading.
I devoured this wild ride of a book in just over a day.Go grab your copy!
With thanks to Netgalley, Megan Goldin and Camelot for my chance to read and review this book
Stay Awake by Megan Goldin
~~~~Out 18th August ~~~~
I've literally just finished this book and I must rave about it. By far one of the best books I've read this year. I was completely sucked in by this dark, intellegent and twisted mystery. I went in blind and came out battered and bruised! Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans who love a twisted mysterious story full of intrigue and twists. I personally think this is Megan Goldin's best and I've loved everyone of her books xx
3.75⭐️
I loved Night swim so I was keen to read this one. It’s different and quirky. It seems ironic with the title it invariably had my eyes drooping within a short every time I picked it up. It took much longer than average for me to get through the book.
It starts with quite a freaky vibe,
Liv wakes up in the back of a cab not remembering how she got there. When she gets home she finds it’s now inhabited by a couple with their own furnishing. She has no short term memory, and has notes scrawled on her hands stay awake being one of them. Liv’s story is told in the present and also 2 years earlier when her memory was normal.
Running alongside is a thread is Darcy Halliday and Jack Lavelle Detectives attending a murder with Wake Up written in blood on the window.
Ok the tension of the memory loss captivated me for a decent amount of time at the beginning, every time she was at the point of finding answers to her missing memory she left the situation. Knocking on to the half way point this started to wear a bit thin for me, and irritation was kicking in. Needless to say there’s a lot of repetition too. It’s very slow to unfold. Not the best combination for me. It’s a clever premise of a story.
I felt for Liv alone, disoriented and frightened, not knowing who to trust. I liked Halliday too as she is unwilling to just accept the easy suspect option.
A decent read, with a unique storyline. I just wished that it was faster paced.