This book was amazing! I couldn’t put it down. Absolutely terrifying and thrilling at the same time. One of my favorite books!!

I received an ARC copy of The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda, and this is my review of this book!

The after-effects of a high school trip tragedy have the survivors feel its impact years later. The survivors gather together once a year to be there for each other following the tragedy. However, there are many secrets and mysteries surrounding what actually happened the night of the tragedy and the years that followed that caused the survivors to make a pact never to tell a soul.

The plot switches from the present day to the past (from the tragedy's last hour to the tragedy's first hour in a backward timeline). I enjoy books that switch from past to present, but I have a hard time following when the plot goes in reverse, as it gets confusing to me to remember the storyline this way because you might not know what is essential.

I feel like I did not get to know all of the surviving characters as well as I would have liked to in order to feel truly connected to them.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the book. Set in the Outer Banks, but with dark and dreary weather, reminding the reader that tragedy looms over them the whole time and secrets lurk in the shadows waiting to reveal themselves.

The book was relatively slow-paced, and I wanted to know more about what happened. The twists at the end got me! and it was after the twist was revealed, I totally understood the impact it had on all of the book's characters, and the secrets started to make sense!

I want to read the book again, but in a different order, so that I can get a clearer picture of the timeline and how everything happened. Overall, it was a good book that kept my attention throughout!

This book was really addictive and every time I set it down, I was ready to pick it right back up.! The only thing I didn't like about the book was my lack of connection to any of the characters. I wish I cared a little more about them.

Loved this book!!! It kept me on my toes from the very first page!! I rate this book five out of five stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read!

I loved the twist at the end, but I kept thinking that there should be more. This store fell flat. One of the big reveals involved character I couldn’t even remember. I love Megan Miranda but she’s got way better out there.

*thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy. * this book will be published April 2023.

This book, what a wild ride. It varies from the past and present. They call it the now and then. A group of former classmates meet every year on the anniversary of a horrific crash that claimed the lives of all their friends their senior year of high school.

This group of seven survivors meet at the Shallows every year. For years Cassidy has tried to distance herself from the group. Every year feeling as if she can’t move forward with her life. But after learning one of the survivors killed themselves she feels compelled to meet with the rest of the group. A week of suspicion, lies, and deceit. This books was great I really enjoyed the different perspectives of all the people involved. Not to mention the ending, talk about woah I was not expecting that!

A thrilling, slow burn of a suspense novel where a group of nine high school classmates bond as survivors of a school van crash. Years later, the group continues to meet for a week every year, strengthening their bonds, protect one another and try to move on from that horrific van crash that had killed 12 of their other classmates.
After two of the nine survivors die, the rest become anxious and don't know if they can still trust each other,

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC. #TheOnlySurvivors #Netgalley #MeganMiranda

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Cassidy Bent is a one of nine survivors of a high school field trip accident. She and the other survivors get together for the anniversary of the accident every year. The nine survivors are now down to 7 and it seems like someone in their group is spilling their secrets. This year's get-together in the Outer Banks may very well be the last.

The synopsis of this book sounded appealing, but it ended up being a dud for me. It was like the author took the basis of "And Then There Were None," set it with high school students, but removed the action and intrigue. The story is told in two timelines; the present ~week anniversary and the past ~7 hours surrounding 'the accident.' The present is told in a normal forward-moving storyline, focusing on Cassidy as the main character. But she is just an utterly boring character. The past is told in reverse order, starting 7 hours after the accident, and each "past" chapter is another hour closer to the accident. Each past chapter is told from the point of view of the last 7 survivors. In trying to tell the story from all the characters' points of view, it became distracting and I couldn't really keep everyone straight. Plus the mentioning of further characters in the past who didn't survive, it was a bit convoluted.

There were three final reveals at the end. One was very predictable <spoiler> Russ was the one who was blackmailing people/scaring them </spoiler>, the second was not-so-predictable, but didn't really fall in line with the rest of the story<spoiler> Cassidy was the one who caused the accident, not a deer</spoiler>, and the third was described so vaguely, that I'm not even sure I know what the reveal was<spoiler> who actually stabbed Ben? Was is Grace? Was it Clara? Was it Amaya? I think it was Grace, but I really don't know </spoiler>.

While it wasn't a bad book, it also wasn't good. I found that I just really didn't care and was slogging through to finish. This is the first Megan Miranda book I've read, and maybe she's just not for me. 2/5 stars.

**Thanks to NetGalley** This was an engaging thriller with many unexpected twists and turns! I gave it 3 stars because the amount of characters made it difficult to keep track of everyone’s story at times. There was also some ambiguity about what actually happened to night of the accident that lead to some confusion.

Ten years ago, Cassidy and 9 other classmates survived a terrible accident on a high school volunteer trip. On the anniversary of the accident, her and the other survivors shut themselves off from the world and meet at Olivers family beach house to stop themselves for thinking about what could have been. But as the years go on, and their numbers start to dwindle, it appears someone is looking for information, and will do anything to find out what really happened. As a storm rolls on, and secrets come out, the survivors begin to question one another’s loyalty and wonder who is searching for answers, and who is willing to give them.

The Only Survivors
by Megan Miranda
Pub Date: April 11, 2023
Scribner
Many Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for my honest thoughts on this book.
I enjoyed reading this thrilling mystery 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, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remaining. Who would you save?
I highly recommend this thriller for the brilliant twists and turns , settings and mysteries!
4 stars

After wanting to read this author’s work for a long time, I was excited to have this be my introduction to Megan Miranda.

Let me start by saying her writing wasn’t what I had expected— and not in a good way. This story is quite the slow burn, and when the plot twists revealed themselves I was left feeling let down.

There wasn’t much thrill for a thriller, in my opinion. Instead, it’s a very character-driven story. And while this should be a strength, I believe that this is where the novel falls flat.

The narrator Cassidy is quite one-dimensional and apathetic. And none of the side characters were particularly likable or distinguishable. It was difficult to get through the story, when I didn’t feel connected to anyone. And I didn’t really care about their lives or what happened to them.

Unfortunately, I don’t think this author is for me. 2 ⭐️

A high school excursion turns deadly. This group of friends is now linked together forever. I really enjoyed the slow burn of this one. The past/present storyline was integrated well and I liked how we got to see what was going on from the eyes of different characters.

I loved how everything came together at the end and all loose ends were tired up. I recommend this one!

Like the river mentioned so many times in this book I was swept up in the mystery surrounding these friends and their secret. I will admit it took me awhile to start feeling invested in the characters, particularly the main character. I felt there was so much left out of her in terms of depth, but as the story kept unfolding it made more sense why she was such a mystery. The ending had great twists and turns and I it was unexpected and kept me engaged!

I am a huge fan of Megan Miranda - her books are always page turners for me! Her latest, The Only Survivors, was no exception. Cassidy and her friends survived a tragedy ten years ago during their senior year of high school - as the gang reunites for their annual trip to the Outer Banks, something seems off in the remote house that they share every year. With two of the survivors now dead, secrets begin to emerge about the survivors causing tension and uncertainty among them. This novel was tense and had excellent twists as it progresses, jumping from the Outer Banks reunion to the night of the horrible accident that changed their lives. I would absolutely recommend this title. Congratulations to Ms. Miranda on another outstanding novel - I can't wait for the next one!

Ten survivors of a horrific high school bus crash meet at a beach house every year to support each other. But after ten years, two of the group are dead and a unidentified podcaster is intimating that the survivors didn’t tell the truth about the cause of the crash. Is one of the group talking?

Quintessential Megan Miranda—full of speculation and red herrings.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You weren't going to go to the reunion week this year. But then your friend texts you a message with another friends obituary attached - so you pack up your car and head out to the reunion.
But once you arrive you learn that the person you thought texted you wasn't who you thought it was. Now you're not sure who it was that lured you here. All you know is that someone has a reason to want you here.
This was a tense and thrilling ride about a group of friends that are linked together by a traqic past. Honestly, we've seen this same plot in many other stories so it's nothing new. But reading this book doesn't feel like the others do. The two timelines work very well and are told through the eyes of different characters; sharing what they experienced and felt back then on that fateful night.
Sometimes being invisible is better than being wholly exposed.
Whom can they trust and who's been talking? This book is well written - gripping, atmospheric, and compelling you can feel the suspense. Some chapters are really long (not my fav thing in a book) but you're so wrapped up in the story you hardly notice.

I’ve been a fan of Megan Miranda for a good while and I always look forward to her books. Unfortunately, this wasn’t my favorite of hers. I enjoyed the idea and found the protagonist likable and relatable. My issue was with the pacing of the plot. Things felt rushed to me and I never felt like the mystery found that second level like most of her novels do.
I’d still recommend the book because it’s better than many mysteries and thrillers on the shelves right now. I think the issue is that Miranda is a victim of her own success and is being judged by her outstanding past performance.

A story about survivors of a horrible natural disaster (who may have not been completely innocent in the course of saving themselves) who are hunted down in later years. Decently compelling.

MY JAW WAS ON THE FLOOR. The twists just kept coming and coming. Megan really knows how to keep you guessing till the last page! The similarities were crazy to my actual life. My name for one only it was Cassidy and not Kassidy. My husband is Josh and my birthday was also mentioned! It added to the eerie feeling for me ! 10/10 and thank you so much for this opportunity! Review will be with my February wrap up on TikTok @kassidyyy6