Ten years ago, two vans full of highschool students were in a traffic accident resulting in 12 deaths and 9 survivors. Now, only 7 of the survivors remain.

Bound together by the secrets and trauma from that night they make a pact to spend time together every year on the anniversary of the accident. Cassidy almost decides to skip this year, but a text message with an obituary from a strange number draws her back.

While this definitely started off slow for me, but things certainly pick up in the second half! I did find that it was a little all over the place (which is what pulls it down from being closer to a 3.5 star read from a 4 star for me).

I enjoyed flipping back from present and past to tell the story. The ending twist is also one that you may not see coming!

Survivors of Tragic Accident Reunite

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda is a gripping thriller centred around a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident. A decade ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine, claiming many lives. The novel primarily follows Cassidy Bent, one of the seven survivors, who reluctantly attends the annual reunion after receiving a mysterious call. The gathering is held at a remote island house, where the group's fragile bond is tested as secrets from the past resurface and new threats emerge.

The Only Survivors is a well-crafted thriller that explores the psychological aftermath of a tragic event. Megan Miranda's adept storytelling and atmospheric writing make it a captivating read, despite some criticisms regarding character development. It is a must-read for fans of suspenseful and twisty mysteries.

One of the best Miranda book. I really enjoyed this one. I don't remember a lot since I read this book a while back and totally forgot to review it here 😬

The Only Survivors is a slow burn mystery about the secrets of a group forced together after a tragic event years ago, set against the backdrop of the Outer Banks.
Overall, this was an okay read for me. It felt very atmospheric and the setting was interesting, but with so many characters, I didn’t feel that invested and by the end it was predictable to me.
Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Megan Miranda has become one of my go-to domestic thriller writers. When I pick up one of her books I always know I’m in for a good murder mystery. The Only Survivors was no exception. While it wasn’t my favorite of her novels, it still kept me captivated while reading.

One of the best aspects of Miranda’s books is always the atomsphere, which she excels at here once again. Their beach house on the Outerbanks was satisfyingly sinister, and the group of friends-by-circumstances-not necessarily-by-choice made it hard to know who to trust and who to suspect.

Miranda’s writing is always at its best when writing dual timelines, and The Only Survivors definitely benefited from this. The story unfolded between ‘Now’ and ‘Then’ – outlining the survivors’ 10th annual meeting in the Outerbanks interspersed with flashbacks to the tragedy that they had survived. The dual mysteries: ‘Who was targeting the survivors now?’ and ‘What had truly gone down that fateful night that would put targets on their backs?’ were compelling enough to keep me hooked right up until the reveal.

Unfortunately, that’s where this novel fell a little flat for me. Maybe I’ve been reading too many domestic thrillers lately, but I found the twists here pretty predictable and a little underwhelming. (And the reason I couldn’t rate this book higher.) Nevertheless, The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda delivers an overall enjoyable read for fans of the genre.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for sending me an ARC of this book. All thoughts are my own.

3.5/5

Came for the thrill, stayed for the suspenseful slow burn and Outer Banks, coastal vibes. My favourite part of a Megan Miranda book is the way she composes a setting and delivers it in such a realistic manner. This book, however, is a very slow burn and the presence of a large cast of characters only adds to the challenge. The most challenging part for me was the ending - while it’s definitely shocking, the logistics make no sense which made it lack believability. Overall, this was a well written, atmospheric suspense novel packed with secrets and cover ups.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for a copy of ‘Only Survivors’ in exchange for an honest review.

This author has become auto read for me! True to her style, it was twisty, fast paced, and so incredibly well written. I didn’t find the large group of characters hard to follow which exemplifies the great writing and story telling.

The Only Survivors is definitely a slow burn mystery. There are a rather large group of characters in this novel. There are two different timelines in this novel and the writing alternates back and forth between the accident and after when the students get together to mark the tenth anniversary of the accident.

I found the characters to be underdeveloped and this book relies more on the setting of the novel to propel the story forward. I found this book to be a slow read with characters that were not particularly memorable. The Only Survivors was not a book that I was particularly eager to return to. I kept reading so I could gather my thoughts at the end.

Overall, this was a moderately entertaining read for the atmosphere and the mystery, but just didn't hold my attention like I had hoped. The ending wasn't particularly surprising and left me feeling mediocre, partly due to the lack of clearly defined characters and introducing characters without providing a foundation for their importance and relevance to the story being told. The parts of the novel set back in time before the reunion was the most interesting parts to read. Of all the characters, I found Cassidy to be the most interesting. I feel like I would have been more invested in the reading, had there been more defined characters and more plot development.

I really enjoyed this one. From the first chapter I was intrigued and excited to know how it ends. I liked the suspense that I felt throughout the entire book. It kept me flipping through the pages needing to know what happens next. Was it perfect? No, sadly it wasn't. However, I did really enjoy it and thought it was perfect for a summer read.

This book was so good! It was such a great thriller that kept me guessing right til the end. I didn't see the ending coming! Will be recommending this to friends for sure!

I absolutely loved this book!! I couldn’t put it down.
I just loved all the characters. I highly recommend this book.

It's been quite some time since I've read a thriller where I could really feel the impending crisis. Miranda uses a dual timeline in The Only Survivors, so we learn a little bit about the accident that brought this group together initially, while also navigating the tensions of present day. Adding to this tension is The Shallows, the house in which the group stays each year, which is not only labyrinth-like on the inside, but exposed to the will of the Atlantic on the outside. Probably not the best setting for a group of people who barely survived a flooding gorge in the past, right?

What makes Miranda's books standout in my mind is how subtly she layers mystery on mystery until you start questioning every character's reliability.

An excellent thriller that had me hooked from the first. To be honest I’m not sure I understood all the details of the back story but it didn’t matter as I still really enjoyed this read. An interesting cast of characters in an interesting setting it made for a perfect light summer read. Recommend!

Usually I really like Megan Miranda’s novels but the first 2/3 of this one was way too slow for me. Eventually to finish the book I switched over to audiobook. The mystery reveal was ok but a little lacklustre overall.

⭐️⭐️

Unfortunately, I decided to DNF The Only Survivors at 25%.

I started reading it quite awhile ago and really struggled to get into it. I often found that I was skimming because I just wanted to get through it. I ended up putting it down for a break and have still found no interest in finishing. I really wish I had more interest in it because it did get decent ratings but I guess it just wasn’t for me.

I loved how atmospheric this novel was, and while it was slow burn for sure, I thought the ending had a good pay-off and was worth the slowness. I liked this a lot better than last house guess by her and as usual, the cover is gorgeous.

I thought the writing was strong, good twists, and I loved the ending. The locked room vibe here was fun and well done.

The Only Survivors is the first book I have read by Megan Miranda.

This book had my hooked right off the bat and I couldn’t stop! I had to know how this story was going to play out!

So many times I thought I had figured it all out but nope you were kept on edge till the bitter end!

Def a great read!

The Only Survivors presents a thrilling narrative, unfolding at a secluded coastal location, where a group of high school friends who survived a harrowing van crash reunites each year. Originally comprising nine survivors, they now find themselves reduced to a tight-knit group of seven.

These friends have guarded hidden truths about the true events surrounding the accident, striving to maintain a unified front and adhere to a shared narrative. However, as the story progresses, the threads of their carefully woven facade begin to fray, and the truth threatens to emerge.

While the pacing occasionally veers toward the slower side, I was so engrossed in the intriguing plot and well-developed characters that I managed to devour the book in a single day. The allure of unraveling mysteries and the complex dynamics among the survivors kept me fully engaged throughout.

In the end, despite some moments of leisurely progress, The Only Survivors delivers an enthralling experience thanks to its compelling storyline and captivating characters. It's a book that will undoubtedly appeal to those seeking an absorbing and thought-provoking thriller.

I didn't guess the twist, but I wanted more suspense and shock factor. The tension between the characters was frustrating to read because the reader can feel that none of them want to be there but feel like they have an obligation to be there for this annual reunion. The tension slowed the story down and dragged it out, which is probably the opposite effect it wanted to have. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada for the e-ARC in exchange for my review.

I am unable to read this book on the NetGalley shelf app due to the font size. I would like to thank you for the copy but I could not read it.