On a school field trip the unimaginable happens, a trauma that has bound the only survivors together for a decade. After one of the survivors is unable to quiet their guilt from that night, they claim their own life. Now each year the survivors meet on the anniversary of that dreaded night to keep each other safe…and quiet. No one wants their secrets from that night to come out, for the truth of what really happened to come to light. They’ll keep each other safe…won’t they?

This was a dark, atmospheric, gripping mystery that kept me engaged from the first page until the last. It started off a little slower but then grew to a decent pace. I found myself picking up my Kindle to get a few pages in where I could. Especially since it was told in dual timeline. I kept flipping the pages hoping for another glimpse into the past, so I could finally get the whole picture.

However I was able to guess the big twist pretty early on. As well as there were some aspects to the story and some twists that just didn’t feel right. They didn’t feel like they fully fit or quite make sense to me.

This is honestly somewhere between 3.5 and 4 stars for me. I’m still trying to pin down my exact rating for this book. The atmospheric feel and growing suspense pulled me in but some of the details/twists didn’t feel complete. Overall a fast, entertaining read that I would recommend, especially for fans of Megan’s previous books.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda is a tour-de-force thriller set in the gorgeous, atmospheric Outer Banks. The format of this novel is what makes the pacing so perfect; the chapters alternate between past and present, but the present moves forward, while the past moves in reverse. The present is told in days, while the past is told hour by hour -- in reverse -- each hour from a different character's perspective. The result: a tension as palpable as the feeling in the air before the massive storm that's about to hit these characters, both literally and figuratively. The storm, the ocean, and the river are practically characters unto themselves in this suspenseful mystery that examines the role of trauma, survivor's guilt, and revenge. I highly recommend this, especially if you are heading to the Outer Banks this vacation season!

I ordered this through Book of the Month, forgetting I already had a copy from Netgalley on my Kindle. Oops.

I always love a Megan Miranda mystery, and this one was a fun take on the "locked room" trope (did we decide on a different name for these? I want to say closed loop? Because there's no such thing as a *literal* locked room mystery).

So 10 years ago, there was a horrific accident - two vans full of teachers and students crashed on a mountain road on the way back from a volunteer trip and there were only nine survivors. A year after the accident, one of the survivors, Clara, committed suicide, so the rest made a pact to spend the anniversary together. It's implied that they don't really see each other or communicate much in between reunions. But ever since the first disastrous year, they've always gathered at the same Outer Banks beach house, owned by Oliver's family.

Cut to the present day, where our protagonist Cassidy has finally decided to cut ties with the other survivors. The only thing tying them all together is this horrific accident, and she feels like this yearly trip is just putting salt in the wound, rather than helping them heal. So she's blocked their numbers, sent their emails to spam, and basically just tried to put it all behind her. But on the day of the trip she gets a text from an unknown number - it's a link to an obituary. Ian, one of the others, overdosed back in February, and Cassidy had no idea. So off she goes once again to The Shallows.

Once she gets there, trip organizer Amaya is acting really strange, and she eventually disappears and stops answering her phone. Then a tropic storm blows in, effectively stranding everyone. This is when the accusations start flying -- we've been seeing flashbacks to the day of the accident from various characters' perspectives (slowly moving closer and closer to the literal moment of impact) and it's clear that something strange went down out there before the nine were rescued. And now it looks like someone has been talking to the press - everyone has received veiled threats about a tell-all (article? book? podcast? it's unclear), but no one knows who was talking. It eventually becomes clear, based on what the informant knows, that the details could only have come from one or two particular people. Meanwhile, someone is definitely watching the house and keeping tabs on all of them.

The flashbacks to the night of the accident were effective - I like that we start 7 hours after (as they're finally about to be rescued) and keep moving backwards to the accident itself. It's a little fragmented, and by the end I'm still not 100% certain what actually happened, but it was an effective way to build suspense, and not in a way that's hiding flaws in the plot/logic.

Overall, this was really entertaining and hard to put down, which is really exactly what I'm looking for in these kinds of books!

This author has never let me down. Her books are always so intense.
This one is no exception, From start to finish excellent.

Grab it. Stay up late reading. You'll love it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Are you a fan of thrillers that are based on a group friends of friends that have experienced trauma together? That seems to be the trend so another in the list is:
Field Trip - Cassidy is on a field trip with a bunch of people from her school. There is an accident and only 9 of them survive.
10 Years - it’s 10 years later, and now their numbers are down to 7.
Beach House - but they gather like they do every year to show up for each other, at a Beach house rental
Sell out - but one of them might be an untrustworthy sell out who is willing to betray the others

This book is semi unique in that it tells the story not only in the present, through Cassidy’s eyes, but also during the time of their accident, which holds the survivors points of view and counts back from 7 hours after the accident to how the accident began. And while the present gives you a sense of unease about the danger and who might be responsible, the past feels like it’s underwater, much like the accident itself. I was never totally clear on what exactly happens in each point of view. But it paints a picture as a whole. And once you get to the twist, it smacks you in the face. While not my favorite Megan Miranda book, it was another solid Thriller.

A well written story with so many secrets! This was a slow burn story, so hang in there. The story goes back and forth between the past and current day with Cassidy as our narrator. I can't really say if I had a favorite character as there were quite a few, which lead to not really getting to know them in detail. Overall I really enjoyed this story.

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Scriber Pub for the ARC

Review:
First off, thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for my honest review.
Secondly - this may be an unpopular opinion but I found The Only Survivors to be on par with other Megan Miranda books, an average of 3-stars and overall...forgettable. I found the beginning of the book to be a little slow, the middle to be a little long - but the end was un-put-downable. I HAD to know what was happening. I didn't necessarily find this one predictable, but it wasn't unforeseen either. Overall, a good book - not great. Maybe listen as an Audiobook to make chores more fun.

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Summary:
The Only Survivors follows a group of young adults who all went through a life altering ordeal in high school, that has banded them together for life. When in high school two vans filled with students and a couple of teachers was making their way back to school after a volunteer trip when a horrible accident happens. The vans crash into a ravine, and took the lives of several students and teachers - leaving only 9 to survive in any way that they can. A year later, the 9 survivors make a pact to get together every year on the anniversary to remember that night.

It's the tenth anniversary of the accident, and there are only 7 of the 9 survivors left. As they all gather together, an overwhelming feeling of doom is among them. One of the 7, Amaya, leaves the house and no one can get a hold of her. Cassidy, who always rooms with Amaya, is becoming more and more concerned and an impending storm is making its way towards them and Amaya is no where to be found or heard from. Not only is Amaya missing, but it also seems like someone in the group is no longer keeping the secrets from that fateful night 10 years ago that they all promised to keep hidden...

Honestly I really enjoyed!! I didn’t get hooked until about 40% in but then I had to read until I finished it. It was good and I didn’t expect where it went!!

I adored this book so much that despite having an electronic advance copy in exchange for an honest review from the publisher, I also ordered my own hard copy! It's the sort of book I'll read again. I've really enjoyed Miranda's previous books, but this is by far my favorite. I loved the dual timeline: Cassidy is in the present, trying to avoid her group of friends who swore they'd stick together after the horrible tragedy (and the thing they did) a decade ago. The past POV alternates through all her friends, which was so cool. I was impressed with how each character sounded and felt so different. I also loved that the past POV was told in reverse order, working up toward a big reveal. Anyway, this book was full of characters who felt real and authentic, dark and twisty bits, and the sort of page-turning suspense that had me read this book in just a few days (which is fast for me!). Can't wait for Miranda's next!

What's it about (in a nutshell):
The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda is a thriller about a group of friends who have kept secrets since high school. They meet yearly at a beach house, but this year is much different. One group member has died, and everyone else's safety is questioned.

My Reading Experience:
I found the story compelling, and once I figured out that the past timeline might hold the answers I sought, I found myself paying close attention to those seven hours. I also enjoyed that the perspective of each hour of those seven hours focused on a different survivor, and getting the different viewpoints allowed me to get a much more complete picture of what happened.

The clues are all there, so the big reveal wasn't so shocking as it was more of an "aha" moment. I liked that the reveal made all the elements come together into a cohesive story of a group of people pulled together by the fact that they survived a tragic event and have all been suffering from survivor's guilt because of the secrets they have been protecting.

Characters:
One of the weaker aspects of the story is the characters. Cassidy Bent is the only one who developed to any extent and told the story. I found it very intriguing that the invisible one is at the story's center.

The six other survivors are barely more than one-dimensional, stereotypical high school students growing up. They fill the social roles you would expect from teens (in the past timeline) and mostly have grown into adults with careers in the various helping professions (in the current timeline). None are particularly relatable or despicable; they just are who they are. Another intriguing aspect of the story is that these seven people are not actually friends. They come together once a year because they are the only survivors, not because they were ever friends.

Narration & Pacing:
Cassidy tells the current timeline in first-person narration. Being in her head, you get the overwhelming sense of guilt that she feels, creating an atmosphere all of its own. There are also chapters from the event that the group survived when they attended high school, which are told in the 3rd person, with each chapter in the past focusing its perspective on one of the survivors.

The pace was neither fast nor slow. It sits solidly in the mid-range, speeding up and slowing down in relation to the suspense level. The past timeline was considerably faster than the current day one overall, but then the past plot is full of action and the suspense of survival.

Setting:
The setting is the outer banks of North Carolina in a house called The Shallows. I love the location. It's so isolated once the storms come, the power goes out, and the roads to the mainland close down. It is perfect for increasing the atmospheric feel and building suspense.

Read if you like:
* atmospheric psychological thrillers
* plot-driven stories
* dual timelines

I wanted to love this one because the synopsis sounded so good. It is about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident--only to have one of the survivors disappear. Fingers start pointing and questions pop up about the original event. Almost 10 years ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school trip crash and go into a ravine, many of their classmates die. The nine survivors are linked together forever. They meet each year at a beach house in the Outer Banks to commemorate that terrible night. But someone is watching them and someone seems to know that there is more to that night than they have ever revealed. The beginning of the book was slow and although it did start to pick up about 30% of the way through, I spent the majority of the book confused. It just seemed like the author tried too hard to make it cryptic and spooky. They were teenagers, they weren’t completely honest, mistakes were made. It just didn’t live up to the hype for me.

This title is my least favorite of Megan Miranda's. She's developed a formulaic approach to her writing. The Only Survivors lacks the character and story development that her other titles have. The book was okay, not the best, but I don't think I would purchase it for my library unless I had multiple requests. I'd rather add additional copies of her other titles, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall the sum is better than the parts here. I enjoyed it but I felt like the characters were confusing. There wasn’t enough character development for me to remember who was who. And they kept rehashing the same scenarios is the narrator’s mind and it got repetitive. However I always enjoy Megan Miranda’s books and this is worth a read.

10 years ago, a horrible accident occurred on a school trip. Nine students survive. On the one year anniversary, one of the survivors commits suicide, and the rest of the survivors make a pact to meet every year. On the tenth anniversary, one more survivor has died from suicide and another is missing. What exactly happened on this trip and who might disappear next?

This book caught my attention from the first sentence and I was desperate to know how it would end. There were so many twists. What I enjoyed most about this book is that the storyline was so drawn out. This is the perfect beach read! Told in alternating timelines, the present is told from Cassidy’s perspective (one of the survivors), and the night of the accident from all of the survivors. Cassidy, has decided that she no longer wants to meet with the group anymore because she is trying to move on with her life. She has a wonderful career, and is in a comfortable relationship. When she decides not to go to the Outer Banks, she receives a text that she can’t ignore. When she arrives, everyone is acting strange. With a storm brewing outside, and a group of friends turning into strangers being forced to stay inside, will everyone be safe?

An amazing claustrophobic thriller that will have you guessing on every page! Don’t miss this book!

2.5⭐️s

I’m definitely a skeptic when it comes to slow burns and it’s because of books like these lol

This was waaaaay too slow for me and nothing happened the first 90% of the book. I was waiting for some type of clue as to what the twist would be and then it just happened. It had a slight shock factor, but it didn’t make up for the boringness I read beforehand. Too much chit chat and not enough action. I know Megan Miranda is a polarizing author, so I haven’t formed an opinion yet. I’ll probably give another one of her books a go.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

Megan Miranda writes well paced psychological thriller with great characters. This one was no exception. I read it straight through in one day, constantly changing what I thought had happened. Told over two timelines from various points of view, the twists kept coming to the very end. Highly recommended

Thanks to NetGalley and S&S/ Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced reader copy.

I sadly did not enjoy this book at all. I have heard of Megan Miranda before, so I was really excited to have the opportunity to receive the ARC. The Only Survivors is about a group of adults who survived a traumatic event in high school. This group meets yearly at a beach house to remind themselves that they are still there for each other (kind of?). Cassidy, the main character, was alright. All of the characters were alright. None of them really stuck out to me. The plot was also so slow. I honestly did not understand the point of the book for at least 50% of it. The ending also felt rushed and stupid. Instead of being surprised by the "twist", I was relieved because it meant the book was almost over. I am not the type to not-finish a book, so I am disappointed that this book felt like a complete waste of my time. Reading it and finishing it felt like pulling teeth. I will probably still read another Megan Miranda book or two to see how they compare to this one. Otherwise, this was not it.

This story had a lot of build up for a small payoff. I typically really enjoy all of Megan Miranda’s books but I was definitely not feeling this one. Really slow burn that didn’t go anywhere exciting. I’m definitely still a fan of her stories but felt like this was a little weaker than most.

My first 5⭐️ review of April goes to this gem of a book! I loved it, read in one sitting! This reminded me a lot of her book, All The Missing Girls. (Great read, go check it out). The book is set on a beachy scene, when a hurricane comes to town. The hurricane added to the ominous feel the novel had. Everyone’s trapped in a house, everyone has secrets, is someone watching them, etc.

The past perspective starts at hour 7, just before the group of 9 is found. Than each time you travel back in time, the hours go backwards as well. The author does an amazing job of bringing you right up to the point the prior hour starts, you never feel like you miss a beat. However, if you aren’t paying attention to the minor details, you will be lost.

I enjoyed the character development greatly, you learned just enough about them to follow their story. Nothing more, nothing less. This is a wonderful, fast paced read with some many twists and turns. The running theme throughout: Who do you save if given the option? Cassidy, our main character, toys with this question throughout the entire novel. You can’t save everyone, so who is the most deserving? She takes you through this mental journey as well.

Overall, Megan Miranda delivers again and I was so excited to have the opportunity to read this!


Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

I was excited to receive an ARC from netgalley. The author,Megan Miranda is such a good thriller writer. I really enjoyed this book about a bunch of high school kids that survived an accident and still come together years later at a beach house to remember that night. But, of course it's not that simple that they are survivors from the accident. The story unfolds near the end of the book,which made the pace kind of slow, but when it picked up speed.... wow! I can't wait to read her future books.