Stay Awake by Megan Goldin

Stay Awake
☆☆☆☆ 
.ePUB, 295 pages
Expected Publication: 09 Aug 2022
By: St. Martin's Press

About The Book:
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.

My Review:
This was my first read by this author and what a wild ride it was. I have had The Night Swim on my to be read pile for a long time and after a taste of Ms. Goldin's writing I will have to bump it up my list. It happens very rarely that a psychological thriller surprises me and really keeps me on edge. Normally, I know who is bad and who is good and have an inkling on how the story will unfold...But not with "Stay Awake" by Megan Goldin. Nothing was how it seemed and I was left in the dark up to the very end. The story kept me as confused as the heroine, Liv. I basically found out what's going on at the same time she did. And until then, I was biting my nails - completely captivated by Liv's story.

I've found the story to be really intriguing. We're all shaped by our memories. Every day waking without them sounds like a never-ending nightmare. How do you know who to trust? Or what to believe? How do you even know who to love or hate? Those are things Liv is confronted with everyday, while she fights to find her memories and therefore herself again. Megan Goldin managed to easily let me look into Liv's head. Her thoughts and feelings were tangible, despite her usual situation. I think she captured her voice perfectly. The voice of a woman who everyday needs to learn how and what to feel. The complexity of her character and the story were astounding. And I appreciated that she made Liv as real as possible - both good and bad. This book is suspenseful, riveting and flat-out thrilling...All. The. Stars.

Disclosure:
With many thanks to NetGalley, Megan Goldin and St. Martin's Press for the giving of the ARC.

#NetGalley

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