Megan Miranda is one of my favorites. She's been around for a while yet I always find readers who haven't heard of her and I love to turn them onto her brand of the psychological thriller. The Only Survivors is another great entry into her oeuvre though probably not the one that I would give to a new reader. The denouement here was rather easy to suss out and the huge cast of characters made it somewhat difficult to follow. There were still great passages of suspense and Ms. Miranda is a master of characterization.

This was a DNF at 28%. The backstory was cool and it had potential, especially with regard to the podcast aspect, but there were too many characters to keep track of, and most importantly, nothing really happened to make me keep reading. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early review copy.

Another great mystery by Megan Miranda! This one is about a group of friends that were the only survivors when the vans crashed on their high school trip 10 years ago. As adults, they get together every year. But, this year, things are different. Secrets are revealed, there are arguments, no one knows who they can trust. There’s an impending storm…. the power goes out… 👀
Perfect elements for a mystery, right?

I loved this book! Another riveting thriller from this author. I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A tragic accident devastated a group of classmates and an entire community. Since then, every year the survivors reluctantly reunite to remember and support each other. On the tenth anniversary meetup, one of the survivors goes missing and everyone starts questioning loyalties and memories. Secrets, secrets and more secrets!

Miranda does a good job of recreating the tragedy and putting yourself in their shoes. What would you have done? She explores the crushing guilt and second guessing of the characters effectively. Her descriptions of the setting were great and really sets the scene for the accident and present day. In my mind’s eye, I could see the whole thing! The last 1/3 of the book is a page turner.

The main plot felt somewhat unoriginal and “been there done that”. There were so many characters, it gets a bit cumbersome. The flashback scenes felt a bit repetitive. Sloooooow burn.

Overall, not my favorite Miranda title but a fine enough read. I think her die hard fans will love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and MarysueRucciBooks for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read almost every single one of Megan’s books but for some reason this one just didn’t do it for me. I live for a good psychological thriller but this one was just way to slow of a burn for me. Don’t get me wrong over all it was a good story it was just a bit to slow and dragged our. This book did have a captivating plot that can take readers into the minds of several different characters as a shared tragedy from their past is unearthed and re examined. I like alternating time frames usually but this one wasn’t for me.

I always enjoy Megan Miranda’s writing. The idea of a group of teens with nothing in common meeting every year on the anniversary of their survival is very intriguing. It was a little slow starting out, the main character Cassidy Bent, didn’t have very much of a personality so she was hard to like. But given the trauma she had been through it makes sense in the end. It was hard for me to keep all of the characters straight so that slowed me down a bit too.

I loved the overall concept and thought the few little twist were great, and also so sad.

The short chapters and timeline changes are always a win for me!

Coming in April 2023!

Megan Miranda is brilliant at the dual timeline. Here, just like in her novel “All the Missing Girls,” one timeline “Now” goes forward, and the “Then” goes backwards. It all becomes so good.

This is a story of a group of former high school classmates who were the survivors of a tragic high school trip. As the survivors they made a pact to stick together and ten years later they have all come back together. Someone or ones are wanting to do a tell all book about this tragic trip, but the truth is threatening to be revealed. And, something is happening to the survivors - one died on the one-year anniversary and another just died, and now the question is who’s next?

Themes: ➡️🔙👯‍♂️👯‍♂️👯‍♂️🚌☠️🪦🔪🤫🤐

My feelings: 🙂🧐🤓🫣🤔🫡🫢😁🫠

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In a life or death situation, who do you save?

Ten years ago, two vans carrying a group of high school students on a volunteer service trip have a tragic accident and end up submerged in a turbulent river, fighting for their lives.. A storm was raging, an unwise choice was made to make a detour…in the end, the two teachers who were leading the trip and twelve of the students were dead. Nine students survived, but none were ever the same. On the first year anniversary of the tragedy, one of the nine survivors commits suicide; those remaining make a pact to gather together each year on that date, to help one another safely through the day, or maybe just to hold one another accountable. On this tenth anniversary, at least one of them, Cassidy, has decided she no longer wants to put herself through the ordeal. She changes her phone number, blocks the others on email and social media, and in every way she can puts herself out of reach. But on the day she should be gathering with the others, she somehow gets a text telling her that one of the other survivors, someone she had felt close to but who had struggled over the years, has killed himself too. She invents a story for her boyfriend, whom she has never told about her past trauma, and heads down to the house on the Outer Banks where the group has gathered each year. Something feels different this year, and its not just the impending storm that threatens surging waters and the real possibility of being stranded by road closures. Is someone watching them and, if so, who? Why? They all are haunted by that night, and each have secrets they don’t want revealed. Once again, they are confronted with stark choices. Who can they trust? And if their lives are on the line, who will they save?
Most readers will have, at some point, been asked (or asked themselves) that heartbreaking question. If they found themselves in a terrible situation, maybe a fire or a sinking ship, and they had to choose who would be saved, what choice would they make? A partner or a child? A close friend who is severely wounded or a stranger who is unscathed? Or worst of all…would you just save yourself? In The Only Survivors, each of the main characters has had to make that actual decision, and then live with the consequences of those decisions. As Megan Miranda tells the story of the seven days of the tenth reunion, she alternates with chapters talking about the seven hours on the night of the accident.from different characters points of view. What really happened that night, why some survived and others did not, and why each survivor is irreparably damaged by what they did to survive, slowly come together. None of them really trusts one another completely, and the danger to the group may just be coming from within. With more than a few plot twists, the reader is hooked by the story from beginning to end, and kept guessing right up until the final chapter. Fans of Megan Miranda’s other books (including the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick The Last House Guest) will devour this well-plotted thriller, as will fans of authors like Gillian Flynn, Alafair Burke, Paula Hawkins and Tana French will as well. I highly recommend The Only Survivors….just be careful if you’re reading it on a a stormy night! Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner S&S/Marysue Rucci Books for the advanced reader’s copy.

“A group of former classmates reunite in The Outer Banks to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident, only to have one of the survivors disappear.
Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remaining. Who would you save?”

Told from alternating points of view, past and present, details of secrets, lies and deception unfold chapter by chapter leading up to the biggest one of all.

Megan Miranda skillfully crafted a page turner from cover to cover, and I did not want to put it down! I’d recommend this read to anyone who is looking for a twisty, suspenseful thriller, with beach read and I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes!!!

Thank you @netgalley @simonandschuster and @marysueruccibooks for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Megan Miranda has long been on my list of TBR authors. I was excited to receive an early copy of this book & see what the hype was all about!

This story is told in dual timelines & with dual POVs. It’s primarily told in the present from Cassidy’s POV, but there are flashbacks to the past from everyone else’s POV. Right off the bat, I felt like I was missing something, which confused me. I legitimately thought this was part of a series & I was picking up midway through. You know there’s some kind of crash & that this cast of characters kept some kind of secret/the truth. For the past decade, the survivors meet up on the anniversary of the crash & spend the week together. This year, something is awry & everything comes to a head.

In some ways, this was a 4-star read because I was genuinely intrigued and interested to see where the story took me. In other ways, it was more of a 3-star read because there were so many characters to keep straight…who did what and when and with who. The beginning and the end had my head spinning just trying to remember who was who and how they all connected. I’ve rounded up to 4 simply because my interest was piqued & I was thoroughly engrossed with the story.

As I sit on it, though, the “surprise” felt rather obvious & I had guessed most of it decently early on in the book. What I wasn’t able to guess was the connection and motivation behind it all. I am intrigued enough to read more by this author! I think this one would be tough as an audiobook because of all the characters and their story lines. Definitely glad I read a hard copy.

10 years ago, on the way home from a school trip, a horrible accident occurred killing all students aside from 9 students. Today, 7 students remain and all gather in the Outer Banks to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the tragedy, of their survival. During their week long stay, strange things begin to happen - someone goes missing, mysterious notes are found and it feels like someone is watching them. As the story unfolds, so do the secrets of that horrible day. Who would you save? Anyone? Or just yourself? And who wants to make the survivors pay the price?

I rated this book 4 stars. I felt the story was very interesting and found myself excited to find out all that had happened. There was definitely suspense and twists throughout the book but the twists were not super unpredictable. The book was a slow burn and very detailed and drawn out at times. But I enjoyed how the book was told from last and present, linking everything together! I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

I've read everything written by Megan Miranda in the adult fiction genre. For me she is on average a 3 star read. Her books are entertaining, characters are easy to root for, and she has some nice surprises but never completely implausible twists. In general, I can expect an enjoyable time reading with her. The Only Survivors did not disappoint. In fact, I would rate this a 3.5 star read - it would be 4 expect there were a couple of narrative/plot points that felt clumsy to me.

10 years ago a group of high school students on a school field trip endure a horrific bus accident during a violent storm. The survivors meet every year for the anniversary of the accident at a huge house in the Outer Banks. The accident is, in many ways, the only thing that really binds this group together. For the 10th anniversary, our MC Cassidy arrives at the house despite having no other ties with any of the survivors, and despite an initial feeling that she no longer wants to meet with them at all. A text from a mysterious sender changes her mind. The weekend begins with one of the group disappearing, and another horrific storm on the horizon. As the story unfolds, we get to go back in time for the POV of each of the survivors during the accident 10 years ago.

Ultimately, there are several good twists, including the final reveal which I did not at all see coming. There are a few times where the story lags a bit, but this is still a great read.

This suspense thriller will definitely be a favorite of all the Megan Miranda books! I'm still holding the edge of my seat with what happened. Ten years after 2 school buses go over a cliff, and flood waters carry them downstream, seven survivors meet yearly to talk about what happened and offer their support. Meeting at a beach house in Outer Banks called The Shallows, they share their survivor guilt and hope no one talks about what really happened. They are reeking of lies and deception, even though their resilience is evident that night that they watched their classmates perish and saved the ones they could.

The story divides into Then and Now with bits and pieces coming from characters with their own POV.
The town speaks in whispers of the ones that get together each year. No one knows what to say to them.
"We were the ghosts, staying in a ghost house."

With a storm brewing at sea, they will be closed off from safety. They realize when one of their friends leaves without a trace except a note left behind Get Out Now, they are in danger. One of the survivors was found recently from an overdose and the clues to it all may not be what it seems. Who to trust and whether or not to stay becomes the forefront of their minds. Is the storm more dangerous than themselves?
"Because you could not pull one thread without unraveling all the rest." If one person slips and tells what really happened the night of the accident, then they all will fall, unless someone stops them from it.
Thank you, NetGalley and Scribner for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Only Survivors is a thriller told through alternating POVs and timelines. Cassidy is the only one to narrate the present, as a group of high school friends gather to commemorate a tragic accident in which this group was the only survivors. The past is told through the lens of other characters, including characters who are no longer alive. I liked this, as it allowed us to gain a fuller perspective of the events and tensions surrounding the accident. There are secrets, and hidden objects, and a stalker! It’s a great read for thriller lovers!

Riveting story of 9 classmates who survived an unimaginable tragedy only to be haunted by the memories of that tragic night for the next decade. After the death of one of the survivors, the groups make plans to meet up every year to check on each other. However, in typical Megan Miranda fashion, this is only the start of this twisty mystery.

Smart and sharp story about past friendships and making peace with tragic events. Really enjoyed the tone and characters and plenty of twists to keep things interesting!

Loved it!! From the start I was suspicious of everyone. They all seemed to be hiding something. The friends don't actually seem like friends. Do they really like each other? Most of them didn't even keep in contact with each other except for the one week at the beach house. Cassidy seemed like she was affected the least by the accident and wanted to completely distance herself from the others. Did Clara actually think the survivors should feel guilty about leaving the injured behind? It was a tragedy at what happened, but if they would have stayed by the river, they would have all perished. How would the injured have made it up the side of the cliff? The survivors all needed therapy and a lot of it. Through most of the book I thought Will was the one behind everything or maybe Jason survived and was exacting revenge on the group. For being adults, they acted more like teenagers. They never even thought to prepare for the storm, until the last minute. There were so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I figured something out, more information was revealed and I would change my mind. I really don't know how they all kept the secrets for so long. The ending was everything, especially when everything was finally revealed. I never expected who was behind everything. That person went to such great lengths to get the information. Ian must have been tormented the most, because he knew what really caused the accident. He went to such great lengths to protect that person. In the end, he was all alone.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller and kept me guessing until the end. I was definitely shocked by what caused the crash. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Scribner through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early copy of this title, all reviews are my own.

Believe it or not, this is my first Megan Miranda. I really had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately I only have this one 3 stars. I really didn’t connect with the characters much at all, and didn’t really care what happened to them. I think it was a little anticlimactic, and far fetched. It was just ok for me!

(Thank you NetGalley for the ARC).

A group of high school friends survives a tragic accident. A decade later, they still meet to commiserate and continue their life-long bond. But this time, it seems like an uninvited guest may be throwing a wrench in their reunion.

This was fine. The pacing was a little slow. I didn't really care or feel connected to any of the characters. The plot was interesting and the mystery was there. But the bit of a Scooby-Doo like reveal was annoying and caused me to rate this 2 stars instead of 3. Honestly, I got to the 90% mark and was able to stop there and go to sleep for the night because I had already figured out everything there was to be revealed/discussed (I had). So this one was just okay for me.