Love love love! This might be my new favorite Megan Miranda book but I say that every time. The twists and turns are amazing and you never truly know who it is until the end. I also love the character development and how well you get to know each of them. Such a great quick read!

I really loved the synopsis for this book, it's what reeled me in but sadly it fell a little flat for me.
Most of the action took place in the last 15% of the book and before that the story drug a little.
I did like the writing and the overall premise of the book, that was amazing and I would be willing to read more mystery/thrillers from this author.

The Girl From Widow Hills was my second book by Megan Miranda, and I’ve loved them both. I won’t lie, this one started 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘰𝘸! It took me a couple days to get through the first quarter of the book, which isn’t like me at all. The next quarter of the book really started to peak my interest, but the second half of it had me completely hooked, and I stayed up until 1 in the morning to finish the book! I’m such a sucker for books where I can’t guess the ending, and this was an ending I never saw coming! I loved it! ⁣
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Arden suffered from sleepwalking as a child, and one night she walked out of the house during a storm and couldn’t be found. Several days later, she was found in a drain holding on for her life. She became known as the girl from Widow Hills. 20 years later, she has changed her name and moved away from home. She starts sleepwalking again, and wakes up in the middle of the night standing beside a corpse in her neighbors yard. Once again, she is in the spotlight, and she becomes known as the girl from Widow Hills. ⁣

I received this book free of charge from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a super quick read that pulls you into the story. A couple of good plot twists that keep you guessing and just when you think you have it figured out, there’s a big twist at the end.

Highly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book a lot!! I am a big fan of Megan Miranda and when I found out she was releasing a new book this year, I was beyond excited 🤗 I was even more excited to receive this eARC by Simon & Schuster via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

When Arden Maynor was 6 years old, she was swept away by a flash flood while sleepwalking and ended up missing for 3 days. This horrific accident brought together search parties of friends, neighbors and strangers from near and far to help bring Arden home safely. It was a miracle when she was found alive and clinging to a storm drain by a search party member who just happened to walk by at the perfect time. Arden became a legend in Widow Hills and her story made her famous on a national level. Her mother wrote a book about the accident and her safe return. She had fans, followers, and stalkers and with every passing year, the anniversary of her rescue brought forth even more unwanted media attention and harassing fan mail. As soon as she was old enough, Arden decided to change her name and begin a new life far away from Widow Hills.

Now going by the name of Olivia Meyer, she has managed to remain hidden from the public eye for the last several years. However, the 20 year anniversary of her rescue is right around the corner and she knows that the media will be interested in her and her whereabouts once again. All of the sudden, Olivia begins to feel that someone is watching her and begins to sleepwalk again. One night, she is jolted awake by the sound of a phone ringing and finds herself outside her house with a corpse laying at her feet and her hands covered in blood. Suddenly, Olivia is at risk of losing the new identity she carefully created for herself by being at the center of a murder investigation, desperately trying to figure out what happened that fateful night.

Megan Miranda is such an amazing storyteller and I LOVED the way that she wrote The Girl From Widow Hills. Told from the perspective of Arden/Olivia, the story bounces back and forth between present day and flash back memories over the last 20 years. The build up of the story line kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the entire book, resulting in a surprise ending that I truly was not expecting. While all of Megan’s books start off strong and have a great storyline build up, she improves with each book and in my opinion, The Girl From Widow Hills is definitely her best yet. The sleepwalking aspect of the story made me so anxious because while I have never slept walked before, it is a genuine fear of mine so it was terrifying, yet intriguing that this played such a huge role and I felt like it confirmed some of my biggest concerns about sleepwalking whether that was intentional or not 😂😅

I enjoyed all of the characters that were presented throughout the book and loved that almost all of them had an important role in the storyline- there really weren’t any unnecessary characters at all. I loved the detail and development of Olivia/Arden’s character and found her strength and perseverance through the unimaginable to be inspiring. Megan Miranda did an amazing job immersing the reader into the story- I truly really felt like I was along for the ride.

If you are a fan of Megan Miranda and enjoy good summer thrillers with a psychological component to it, this book is for you! THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS will be released on 6/23 and I highly encourage you to pre-order your copy now 💛

This book is gripping. It had me from the start. Direct and to the point, it was a joy to read from start to finish. It ended with just enough clarity with a hint of mystery. Honestly, the perfect edge of your seat thriller.

I really enjoyed The Girl from Widow Hills, it was a slow build and kept you guessing on what happened to Arden when she was 6 years old and what happened to the dead man found in her yard. I liked that there were two mysteries going on, one from Arden's past and present.

The Girl from Widow Hills is about Olivia Meyer who goes through a traumatic experience during her childhood. When Olivia was 6 years old she went by the name of Arden Maynor and was missing for three days and found in storm drain. Since the accident Olivia has changed her name and does not speak of what happened to her when she was a child. Now that the twentieth anniversary of the accident is coming up she feels that she is being watch and has started sleep walking again. She awakes one night in her yard to find a dead man at her feet and from there she starts to seek the truth of what happened and why this man was in her yard.

I really enjoyed reading The Girl from Widow Hills because it wasn't what I expected and the ending was a real twist. I really liked the character build up, getting to know Olivia Meyer and her personality but also being introduced to many characters that you didn't know what their intentions were, it made for a very suspenseful read. I would recommend The Girl from Widow Hills for anyone looking for a thrilling read.

Gripping read and interesting characters. Arden Maynor was a child sensation for surviving a flood in a small town and being rescued after several days underground. It's a weird, unwelcome type of fame she spends her life running away from, even changing her name and breaking contact with anyone from that part of her life. Fast forward 25 years when she finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation that is possibly connected to her past life. I did really like the pace of the story but felt like a few things were left unresolved, which is probably more like real life anyways. But it's a great read with short chapters and a story that whips on by!

Wow. I can honestly say I did not see that final twist coming. Props to Megan Miranda for another compelling thriller!

Arden Maynor was just six years old when her life was changed forever. The entire nation knows the miraculous story of how she went sleepwalking in a storm only to be found three days later clinging to the grate of a storm drain. As the twenty year anniversary of her rescue approaches, Arden (now Olivia), has settled into a quiet life where no one knows her past. Except she’s sleepwalking again… and one night she wakes up from sleepwalking by tripping over a dead body in her yard. Olivia’s quiet life is about to get very messy.

This was a slow burn of a thriller, similar to Miranda’s previous novels. While it was slower-paced, I was completely sucked in and finished it in 24 hours! I desperately wanted to know what had happened in Olivia’s yard and was praying she’d be innocent!

I felt so badly for Olivia as she struggled to maintain her private life without the pressure of the media and the people who thought she owed them for her survival all those years ago. It was an interesting exploration of ownership of one’s story and life when parts of it are lived in an extremely public manner.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Simon & Schuster, and Megan Miranda for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

CW: drug abuse, overdose

I received an Advanced Reader Copy of THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS by Megan Miranda for an honest review. Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS follows Olivia who once upon a time was a young girl named Arden. Arden was quite literally swept up in a major news story when she was reported lost. With a history of sleepwalking and a shoe found near an intake point for the underground pipes system, the community rallied around her single mother in the search for the missing little girl. Miraculously she was found three days later clinging to a metal grate and rescued.

In the wake of the media sensation, Olivia has left her mother and her old life behind, changing her name and telling no one who she once was. After getting a call that her estranged mother has passed away and receiving her mother’s meager remaining possessions, her history has been stirred back up. Olivia finds herself sleepwalking again and worries that she’s being watched. When she stumbles on a body just off her property line, Olivia knows that it isn’t all in her head!

This book really kept me guessing throughout! It took me a few chapters to settle into the story, accepting that this was going to be a slow burn. The author had me wondering where exactly the story was going, but I did feel for Olivia from the first. We all see those news stories that make headlines, but don’t always think about the impact that has on those in the spotlight for years to come. Olivia was just six when she made the news and for years she was treated as though she owed the public something for their prayers and aid during her ordeal.

It’s hard to discuss without getting into spoilers, but there were some elements that I felt like could have been explored a bit more in the beginning that had me wondering if I had perhaps missed something. The reasons why they weren’t are made clear further into the story, though. I did not predict the coming twists until well into the story which I very much appreciated.

THE GIRL FROM WIDOW HILLS will be out on 6/23/2020 and I do suggest you add it to your TBR!

Arden Maynor grew up in the glare of fame because of an incident as a young child - she went missing while sleepwalking, was washed away by a flash flood in the small town of Widow Hills, Kentucky. It seemed like everyone united to find her safe and sound; friends, neighbors and strangers volunteering and organizing vigils and participating in search and rescue. In a stroke of complete luck she was found clinging for dear life to a storm drain in town. Arden became "the girl from Widow Hills" and a national story of miraculous survival. Following her rescue fame came into play not only from the incident itself but Arden's mother wrote a book about the events that transpired. Hoards of fan mail and fans of every kind forced Arden's mother to relocate as each anniversary of Arden's rescue became worse than the last. Arden could barely wait until she was legally able to change her name to escape her unwanted spotlight.

Arden chose a new identity of Olivia Meyer and this successful young woman lives hundreds of miles from Widow Hills. Olivia has enjoyed being nearly anonymous but as the twentieth anniversary of her rescue encroaches the hounds will start to circle, searching for Arden. Anxiety gets the best of Olivia and she can't shake the feeling of watchful eyes especially since she's started sleepwalking again. After waking suddenly one night on her property she finds a body at her feet. A corpse is the last of her issues because she recognizes the man, she knew him as Arden. Olivia braces herself to be forcibly thrust into the spotlight again - where her life as Olivia merges with "the girl from Widow Hills".

This book is similar to what happened to Arden (Olivia) as a child - slow build but once it takes hold it is just as surprising and unrelenting as a flash flood. I didn't want to put it down. The Girl from Widow Hills took me realistically around 2 days to finish - only because I do need sleep. No sleep with a toddler isn't fun. It was so, so good. Fast paced, action packed and it literally kept me guessing until the last couple chapters. Several truths were revealed that totally blindsided me and others that made sense only once my hindsight kicked in at the end of the book. I obviously don't want to reveal to much and ruin it for anyone but I REALLY enjoyed this book. Megan Miranda did an awesome job with the characters, their interactions and bringing the story to life.

Arden's survivor story struck a note with me when she described how people felt that she "owed" them something. Either by remaining in public spotlight, appearing more grateful or telling people what she used the funds for that were raised for her and the list could go on and on. What many don't realize or stop to think about really is about how much people surviving a traumatic event don't want to relive it - in any shape or form and would rather just be left alone. People are fickle and if she'd remained in the spotlight and done the things they'd wanted most would've turned on her anyway; wondering why she just wouldn't let it go, why keep milking the situation and that list could also go on indefinitely.

I highly, highly recommend this book - it sucked me in and didn't want to let go. It made me want to go read all the other novels that Megan has written - some of them are already in my to read list but this puts them a lot higher up compared to others in this genre. Readers who enjoy psychological suspense, thrillers and murder mysteries would more than likely love this book. A huge thank you for the opportunity to read a digital ARC from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster - all opinions within the review are my own.

The Girl from Widow Hills

Liv has moved on from her past. When she was six years old, she was swept away during a flash flood while she was sleepwalking. She survived for three days underground and was found by a citizen hanging to a grate. Because of the media obsession with her miracle rescue, she has left her old life and what happened to her and started new. When a box of her late mother's things arrive at her house, she starts sleep walking again, and a body is found outside of her house, things start to unravel. The past she worked so hard to keep in the past is catching up with her.

The plot idea was different than many suspenseful books I've read. It was written mostly in a "now" timeframe, with some news articles and interview transcripts that help give details of what happened 20 years ago. The novel definitely highlights the importance of news and media during cases and the part they play in a story. While I though the idea was an interesting one, the book as a whole didn't really hold my attention. I most enjoyed the end- which was fast paced and suspenseful! Otherwise, just feeling a bit indifferent about it.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.75 rounded up. I've enjoyed her last couple of books and this one held up to her others. Miranda is quickly becoming one of my summer go to thriller authors. I found the first half a bit slow but definately picks up in the second half. The story was interesting enough to push me to keep going. Arden Maynor was a young child when she was swept up during a rainstorm while sleep walking and found in a storm drain. As an adult Arden has changed her name trying to escape her infamous past and start a new life. Her past catches up to her when she stumbles across a body while sleep walking and she becomes the main suspect.

This was a well written book (albeit slow in the beginning) but the interesting premise and twists made the reading worthwhile. Unlike some other unreliable narrator stories that i've read the last couple of years, this one really worked for me.

***I received a free e-copy of The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one. I felt like the characters were interesting and I loved the backstory of her being the subject of a viral story and having to deal with the fallout 20 years later as an adult. I felt like the ending was a little abrupt with regards to Bennett and and wrapped up quickly for what was a fairly long book but it was a fun read.

This is a fast-paced first-person POV thriller with flashbacks scattered in just enough to make you pull your hair out. When Arden Maynor was six years old, she was lost for three days in the town’s storm sewer system, making national news when she was found alive. Now twenty-six, living hundreds of miles away and going by Olivia, she has rebuilt her life and wants the past to stay there. But as the 20th-anniversary approaches, Olivia starts sleepwalking again with some terrible side effects.
She trusts a couple of her co-workers and she trusts the old gent she lives next to, but that’s it. Living every day looking over her shoulder, she knows there’s something more to her sleepwalking and the dead body she woke up next to in her front yard. Yes, that’s right. She absolutely has no clue who the person is, why she’s there, her house is dark, the front door is standing open and she’s in severe pain. As events continue to spin out of control, one of her co-workers disappears as if running from something. And that creepy feeling, like she’s being watched from the dark woods behind her house? And those darned porch light bulbs that keep blowing out, especially when she’s heard a bump in the night.
Megan Miranda loves to string her reader along and I absolutely love the suspense! I try to figure out the plot while she occasionally throws me a bone in the wrong direction. It’s a test of wits and sadly I always lose, but the thrill of the read is so very worth it!
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for making it available.)

I like each Megan Miranda book better than the last. The Girl from Widow Hills tells the story of Arden Maynor, who as a young girl was sleepwalking, swept away by a flood, and found in a drainage pipe 3 days later. The story made national news (think baby Jessica) and Arden was traumatized for life. Flash forward 20 years and Arden has changed her name to Olivia, blocked out most of her past and kept it a secret from everyone in her life, and finds a dead body in her yard. As Olivia is forced to delve into her past, a lot of what she blocked out and kept hidden is uncovered. This was an entertaining book, but I thought the ending was too over the top. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for a review!

This was my first time reading Megan Miranda, but I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future! While I thought the book started out a bit slow, once it picked up, it really took off and I read the last half in one sitting! It was a wild ride with an unreliable narrator and an abundance shady characters - at one point, I suspected every single character. The ending was unexpected and satisifying.

Loved this book, Love Megan Miranda!

Thanks Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to review this early in exchange for review.

Olivia escaped the spotlight of her old life- surviving a childhood accident. But it’s the twentieth anniversary and apparently you can run from the story, but you can’t hide.

I’ve read all of M.M.’s adult books and this is definitely top two! This story was full of twists and turns, characteristic of Miranda’s novels. An unreliable narrator, murder mysteries, sleepwalking, and flashbacks to the prior timeline- what else can you ask for?

In October 2000, six-year-old Arden Maynor left her house sleepwalking in the middle of the night and goes missing for 3 days amidst a horrifying rainstorm. Everyone in the town searches for her, and the nation's spotlight is placed on the small town of Widow Hills, Kentucky. Finally, she is found clinging to a storm drain.

Her mother milked the fame of her daughter's harrowing trauma, writing a book and raising money for her daughter. Arden, on the other hand, did not like the constant attention. She changed her name to Olivia and began to live a quiet, brand new life. At 26, she lives in a cottage in the middle of nowhere, works at a hospital, and tells nobody that she is THE girl from Widow Hills.

She is able to hide her "other life" until she mysteriously begins sleep walking again. This has not happened since she was a child and she is confused about why she is suddenly waking up outside again. One night, she wakes up in a daze only to find that her hands are blood-stained and she's standing next to a man's corpse.

Did she kill the man and forget? If she didn't kill him, who did? Why can't she remember anything about this man's death or about her traumatic childhood experience?

When the truth starts coming out, I was hooked. I read this story in one sitting. I could not stop turning the pages. It was one of those thrillers where you just need to know what happens next. Each time I thought I had it figured out -- and I'm usually really good at guessing the ends of thrillers -- a twist threw a wrench in my guessing game.

The book's pacing and plot were extremely captivating. Each present-day chapter, narrated by Olivia, was interspersed with the media transcripts, newspaper reports, book excerpts, voice mails, and more from the time of the 2000 incident, which helps you slowly piece together Olivia's fragmented past. It's almost like you're discovering what really happened that October along with Olivia as she begins to piece it together as well. I found this to be a really interesting format.

The writing is pretty simple, but it is enough to keep you immersed and engaged. I thought the ending was a tad bit rushed after the big "reveal," and would have liked a bit more of a resolution. If you're looking for a page-turning thriller then look no further. I liked this better than Miranda's The Guest List, which I thoroughly enjoyed as well.

This will be a fun summer thriller for everyone!

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy. A full review will be posted on my bookstagram closer to publication day. (https://www.instagram.com/cant.liv.without.books).

This is the best thriller that I have read in a while.

Our main character, Olivia, had a traumatic event in her past that she has tried to separate herself from. Unfortunately, the past refuses to be forgotten.

When Olivia was six, she was missing for three days, and her story became famous.

The twentieth anniversary of Olivia sleepwalking out of her house into a storm is fast approaching.

There are other thrillers about childhood trauma out there, but The Girl From Widow Hills is definitely still worth reading. All the plot twists felt fresh, and the ending had me shocked.