I'm well into adulthood. I haven't read a ya book in probably 10+ years. Not that I don't enjoy them, I just tend to be more drawn to adult syorylines & themes. When I kept seeing That's Not My Name recommended in some adult thriller groups, I figured why not try it.
I'm so glad I did! I could not put it down. It's an edge of your seat, hand clinching, want to scream into the pages to warn the characters good. The twist, turns, unguessed events added to the thrill of reading. I will definitely be recommending this one to readers of all ages.

This one will be popular in my high school library. Lots of fun elements for mystery/thriller readers, and tons of good twists and turns.

This one really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. I haven't read a lot of YA thrillers lately, but the title That's Not My Name immediately hooked me. And thankfully the story did not disappoint because it had it all. Suspense, action, twists, this is a true edge of your seat page-tuner. It starts with a 17 year old girl waking up in a ditch, covered in blood, in the middle of nowhere, with no idea who she is. From that moment on I was holding my breath. The girl is found by a police officer who takes her into the station and helps identify her as Mary and contacts her dad. I'll admit I was a little worried about the amnesia storyline being cheesy and predicable, but I found it really upped the intensity. Early on it's pretty obvious that the man claiming to be her dad, isn't really her dad, but those are the mysteries we need to uncover. Who is she really? What does this man want? And how did he have her birth certificate?

Meanwhile, 17 year old Drew is being accused of killing his girlfriend Lola who is missing. Everyone in town is turning their back on him, but Drew is determined to find Lola. Guilt is eating away at him because on the night she disappeared, he was the one to let her walk home alone after the two of them had a fight. With the help of the Sheriff's daughter who is also Lola's best friend, and his cousin, the three of them piece together clues and track down Lola's location. Which leads him to the same cabin where Mary is staying wither her dad. Could these two mysteries be connected? Is Mary really Lola? I won't give away any spoilers, so you'll just have to read it for yourself, but the twists are gut wrenching. This is an emotional story, with a heartbreakingly beautiful ending (I loved the epilogue). My only complaint is the adults and how no one (even the parents) seemed to care or really help/believe Drew. It was so frustrating, especially since he was just a kid too!

This is a must read and great for fans of Karen M. McManus.

Read if you like:
- Mystery
- Suspense
- Young Adult
- Teens out smarting the adults
- Dual POVs
- Amnesia

An enjoyable debut thriller that kept me entertained. This book was enjoyable and is one that I would recommend. I look forward to more titles by this author.

This book was a lot of fun to read- I love a good thriller with an amnesia plot! It read like a movie and I was quickly drawn into the story and attached to the characters. I wasn't sure how I felt about the dual POVs early on, but later decided I really liked what each set of characters brought to this story.

I was able to predict the ending early on- I feel like I've seen this story played out more than a few times in books or lifetime movies. It wasn't anything groundbreaking or new, but that didn't make reading it any less enjoyable. Once I started this one I couldn't put it down. It was a quick fun read and look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

There was a lot to unpack in this book. For starters, I wasn't really expecting a "thriller" to actually have a little bit of an emotional effect on me.

There are two POVs in the book..Mary and Drew. The interesting thing is Mary (who starts off the story by being a girl who is hurt and scared ) has no idea who she is. I mean literally, she has no idea. She couldn't remember if her name is even Mary until a man shows up to prove that she is.

Then you have Drew, he is under scrutiny of his hometown after his girlfriend disappeared on night after a fight. Its sort of a who did what kinda book.

I did enjoy this and I think it will make for a great book club read.

This one hooked me from the beginning, kept me guessing, and surprised me with an unexpected ending. There are two POVs: a girl with amnesia who has been told her name is Mary and a boy named Drew who is being blamed for his girlfriend’s disappearance.

Really enjoyed this one. I usually like to guess what (if any) twists there are, but I did not see that ending coming.

This was a great thriller! I was really drawn in by the dual perspective setup, going between Drew, a high schooler trying to find his missing girlfriend, Lola, and a girl who believes her name is Mary, living with her father and experiencing amnesia after an accident. The premise felt fresh and interesting, and I enjoyed the pacing - it made this a quick, easy book to finish on vacation. Even the ending, which I'm sure some could predict, was gut-wrenching and completely flipped the perspective of the rest of the story before it. I really enjoyed this and would love to read more from Megan Lally!

I loved the romance! they understood each and could be themselves together. The chemistry between them was amazing! I also loved the slow-burn and the sexual tension between the main characters. There were several scenes that made me blush and smile so much. The writing is beautiful and descriptive. I honestly felt like I was living in the world with the characters. I felt so many emotions while reading this book, I cried, I laughed and I smiled. This book will stay in my heart for a long time.

This was a very twisty thriller that had me guessing until the end. I was left with some questions as to how the killer would let her live for so long, and how so many of the victims looked alike. I wanted to know more about how the victim was kidnapped. Overall, teens will likely enjoy this mystery thriller, and will read it quickly as it is a page turner.

That's Not My Name by Megan Lally, her debut novel, was such a hard book to put down! I didn't realize it was marketed at Young Adult until I started reading but that really didn't matter. The story was so good and heartbreaking at times. A young girl is rescued but has no memory. Her father comes to get her but maybe things are not as they seem. Lola is missing and her friends are searching for her. The story takes place in the Pacific Northwest, which is a favorite place of mine. The ending was perfect and I certainly look forward to reading Ms. Lally's next book. If you have resisted reading YA because you think you are too old, give this one a try and maybe your mind will be changed!

As a YA thriller, this checked all the boxes for me. It was interesting, and kept my attention throughout the whole book. I loved the complexity of the characters and the storyline.

I’m so happy to have had the chance to read the Advanced Reader’s Edition e-copy of “That's Not My Name" by Megan Lally; thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire!

This is a YA thriller that will be going on the staff recommendation wall at work. Filled with mystery and suspense from the first few pages, the fast pace and action continued throughout the story. From the flowery one of a kind jacket to the red velvet cupcake conclusion; That's Not My Name had me riveted. The next Megan Lally story will definitely be an automatic purchase. I hope it's just as twisted and creepy as this amazing debut!!

4.5 ⭐️ Mary, my Mary…or is she?

This gripping tale swiftly unfolds as a seventeen-year-old girl, Mary, awakens in a ditch, her memory wiped clean, amidst suspicion of her connection to a local girl's disappearance. Simultaneously, Drew, also seventeen, grapples with accusations surrounding his girlfriend Lola's vanishing. The narrative deftly interweaves Mary's journey, sheltered by her father who harbors secrets, and Drew's relentless quest for truth. As Mary questions her identity and her father's motives, Drew's guilt over Lola's fate propels him into an investigation, haunted by the possibility of their intertwined fates.

The story navigates through dual perspectives, switching between Mary's uncertain reality and Drew's relentless pursuit of answers. Themes of identity, deception, and redemption converge as the mysteries surrounding Mary's amnesia and Lola's disappearance unfold. The emotions and authentic character portrayals anchor the narrative in realism, evoking empathy and investment from readers

Hi Again!

I am so happy to be back! I took the past week off for a much-needed break and I feel like I accomplished a lot! I also read a lot (but definitely not the books I planned to read or thought I would have read last week, but that is totally okay)! Before going away for a bit over a week for my time away I did finish reading That’s Not My Name and it is officially a new favorite of mine! I recently even looked at my local bookstore to grab a copy for my permanent collection but they did not have any. I am going to continue to look for a physical copy but in the meantime let’s talk all about this book!

SPOILERS AHEAD

Lola was the girlfriend of Drew. But after Lola has a fight with her parents, she and Drew drive to their favorite spot by the lake and decompress for a bit this conversation quickly turns into a fight and Lola storms out of the car. After she storms out of the car she is never seen again and everyone assumes she is fine until the next morning when her parents and everyone are freaking out and accusing Drew of having done something to her. But Drew knows he didn’t and he feels so guilty about the fight and being the only one who believes something bad has happened to Lola. Drew is determined to not give up on Lola and amongst being questioned by the police and his whole life falling apart he begins to create flyers and post them literally everywhere. He is determined to never give up on Lola.

We also follow Mary in this story. Mary wakes up in a ditch, with no idea who she is or what happened to her. But she knows it can not be anything good. She starts to get up from the ground and move on to try to figure things out when a police car pulls up to her. The officer takes her to the stations, gets her kind of cleaned up, and gives her warm clothes and a blanket. Mary does not want to go to the hospital but the officer moves her to a back room and they begin to chat when he hears a knock on the door. There is a man at the door begging to be let into the station as he is looking for his missing daughter. While the officer is a bit skeptical that Mary could be his daughter, he has photos of them together throughout their lives and her birth certificate so he lets Mary go home with him. The officer plans to go check on them frequently but Mary can not for sure remember if this is her dad? Also if this is her dad, why is she in a ditch? What happened? Mary has endless questions about her own life which makes her all the more confused as she begins to try to piece her life together.

This book was absolutely amazing. Once I picked it up I could not put it down. I was granted an E-ARC on Netgalley (in exchange for my honest opinions) and I read it so quickly and then when it officially came out I placed a hold on my Libby so I could try the audiobook. (It has not come in yet). Both Drew and Mary’s POVs were exciting to read from and I never felt disappointed when one or the other came on. (I will say there were plenty of times when I was on the edge of my seat waiting to hear what was happening in the other POV). The ending was an absolute twist and I never guessed what we would learn (I also felt my heart literally break for Drew multiple times but especially at the end). I am beyond excited to read Megan Lally’s next book and I am super grateful to the publisher for allowing me to read this book a bit early! I definitely recommend checking this book out if you are looking for a great mystery/thriller.

P.S. If you are reading this I would love love love an ARC of the next book!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (deserves many more)!

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I think this author made me love thriller books. I COULDN’T PUT THIS DOWN!!

That’s Not My Name had me looking over my shoulder while I was reading this book

OMG!!!!!

I always love a good YA thriller and this one was top notch! I was instantly drawn in to the mystery surrounding the disappearance of 17-year-old Lola, and the suspicion that was cast over her boyfriend Drew. Everyone thought he had something to do with it, but he is committed to finding Lola and bringing her home.

Miles away from Lola and Drew's hometown, a teenage girl wakes up in a ditch with a lump on her head and covered in blood, with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Someone claiming to be her father picks her up at the police station and brings her home, calling her by the name of Mary. She should be relieved to be home, but Mary has too many questions- why can't she remember what happened? Why can't she remember her dad? But most concerning of all, why can't she remember who she really is?

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the twist at the end had me shook!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

In this YA mystery, Lola has gone missing. We get to follow Drew, Lola’s boyfriend. The town hates him because he’s the boyfriend, so it was obviously his fault. And he will admit that it’s his fault, but that he didn’t hurt her and she’s out there waiting to be found. When the sheriff seems to give up, it’s up to Drew to figure it out. But is anyone on his side?

The audience for this is YA. And it is very YA. I enjoyed the journey (even if it would never work like this in the real world) and will definitely be recommending to my students. It’s well written and kept my interest. There are several twists along the way that I didn’t see coming! This would be a great summer read for any teen!

A YA thriller told from two perspectives. Our main perspective is that of Mary Boone, a teen girl who as we meet her, is waking up from some kind of accident in a lonely Oregon forest that has resulted her losing any memory of herself. Luckily her dad finds her at the police station. Too bad she can't remember her dad.
Our other perspective is Drew, a teen boy who's girlfriend went missing, and he was the last one to see her. His entire town believes he is to blame for her disappearance, including the town's sheriff that has all targets set on Drew.

This was a 4.5 stars for me. The initial opening of the book was attention grabbing, but then the shifting back and forth between perspectives lost momentum for me. However, 50% of the way through the story, I found myself unable to put this book back down. It quickly snowballed to a breakneck pace of a plot, and I was just trying to hold on for the ride. A twisty-turny end that I didn't see coming. This was fun to read.