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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy of this novel to read and review.
I had read Megan Goldin’s “The Escape Room,” which I found underwhelming. “Stay Awake” is a much stronger effort! I would have read it in a single sitting if I hadn’t had to work. The plot moves quickly and, while Liv does fall asleep and wake up with no memory a few times throughout the novel, the reader is never bogged down with her questioning where she is and what happened even though it happens repeatedly. These snippets of plot are brief enough and the story moving quickly enough that it never gets tedious or boring. I also liked that there several very believable culprits behind the mystery, so that the end reveal-while surprising-is not out of left field and aligns well with the existing story. I look forward to reading more of Megan Goldin’s work as she continues to write!
I had read Megan Goldin’s “The Escape Room,” which I found underwhelming. “Stay Awake” is a much stronger effort! I would have read it in a single sitting if I hadn’t had to work. The plot moves quickly and, while Liv does fall asleep and wake up with no memory a few times throughout the novel, the reader is never bogged down with her questioning where she is and what happened even though it happens repeatedly. These snippets of plot are brief enough and the story moving quickly enough that it never gets tedious or boring. I also liked that there several very believable culprits behind the mystery, so that the end reveal-while surprising-is not out of left field and aligns well with the existing story. I look forward to reading more of Megan Goldin’s work as she continues to write!
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stay Awake has an interesting premise-- the main character is basically Guy Pearce from Memento. However, the writing is so poor that it takes away from anything interesting or entertaining that could have happened. It's repetitive and.. just bad. The reader gets beat over the head with everything, and there are random side stories that serve no purpose.
This was a tough one to get through. I still gave it 2 stars, though, instead of 1 because I could see some people wanting an easy, psychological thriller and finding this one okay.
This was a tough one to get through. I still gave it 2 stars, though, instead of 1 because I could see some people wanting an easy, psychological thriller and finding this one okay.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
While the premise of the story is very hard to believe (someone who loses their memory every time they fall asleep), the plot kept me reading. Liv wakes up with a bloody knife in her pocket and hair that has grown down to her waist. When she goes home to her apartment, she finds a new couple in residence and she doesn't live there. When she shows up at her job, everyone acts like she's been away for years. Catching a glimpse of the local news, she’s horrified to see reports of a crime scene where blood has been used to write the words STAY AWAKE across a window. Noting that she has this same message inked on her hands, she's very confused. What did she do last night? Why does she remember nothing from the past two years? It's obvious something is seriously wrong with Liv! The two detectives on the case (Darcy and Jack) arrive at the scene to find a dead man with a message in blood on his window. When they encounter Liv, she becomes a prime suspect. Liv finds herself alone with no one to trust and on the run for a crime she doesn’t remember committing.
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes