2.5-3 stars

Mary wakes up in a ditch with no idea who she is. At the police station, a man claiming to be her dad shows up and, after providing proof, takes her home. But something doesn’t feel right.

Drew is accused of murdering his girlfriend Lola, who has been missing for five weeks. Desperate to find Lola alive and also prove his innocence, Drew sets out to on his own.

Are the two events connected?

If I had known this was a YA novel I probably wouldn’t have read it. It was a quick read, predictable, but the two POVs (Mary and Drew) weave together well in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A young girl wakes up in a ditch, no idea who she is, covered in bruises.
In another town, Drew is under suspicion by the local Sherriff since his girlfriend Lola disappeared.
These two stories come together, not in a smooth or easy way but with a crash that leads to a twisty ending I didn't see coming.

This was a fantastic story, fast paced and engaging. I thought I knew where it was going but I was so wrong. I loved it!

I enjoyed this YA thriller and was hooked from the beginning. It was so descriptive and well written it was so easy to just dive in and not put it down. Even though I seen some of the twists coming, it was so well written that it didn’t bother me (but I did not see the twist at the end!) This was a debut novel for this author and I will be looking forward to the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow. This was a lot better than I expected it to be, tbh. This seemed like a copy and paste cliche story until the ending. I gasped.

The mystery was so interesting that I was actually fully invested in the story unfolding. This was also a very short story so it was easy to get lost in what was going on. I don’t want to give too much away because it threw me for a loop, but I really did enjoy this one. Plenty of twists and turns and a solid source fire thriller for the holiday.

4⭐️

This was a fun young adult debut thriller by Megan Lally. For a debut, I really thought she really did a great job, it was twisty and I loved the dual POVs. It actually surprised me because I thought I knew what was going to happen and I was wrong,

The characters are pretty well done. However they do some things that are a bit aggravating like making just some terrible choices or the adults in this story just being really obtuse.

I really loved all the mentions of real places in Oregon. I found it all to be very interesting and very atmospheric.

The pacing of the book is really well done and it's was very easy to read.

I look forward to see what else Megan Lally writes in the future. As this one did not disappoint.

Thank you so much to NetGalley Sourcebooks Fire for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I will be posting my review to my Instagram page the.floofs.booknook and retail sites close or on publication.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

I have no words. I'm in tears, but I have no words. This book was incredible, I couldn't put it down, and I have no words.

I expected a little more from this book. It was a good story but irritated me at times. I guessed the plot pretty quickly but did have some unexpected twists.

Title: That’s not my Name
Author: Megan Lally – Debut Author
Publisher: Source Books Fire
Genre: YA/Teen- Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: December 26, 2023
My Rating: 3.4 Stars
Pages: 304

A seventeen-year-old girl wakes up in a ditch in the middle of nowhere. She is covered in blood, with a crushed nose and a lump on her head.-she has no idea who she is.
A Police Officer finds her and takes her back to the police station. Soon a frantic man arrives, and says he is her father –that her name is Mary and he has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos that confirm she is Mary.
At the same time, a young teen Drew, is accused of being responsible for the disappearance or perhaps death of his girlfriend, Lola. The police as well as the people in this small town are convinced Drew has committed a crime and they want justice.
Are these two events somehow connected?
Story totally had me hooked. True I was suspicious of Wayne regarding the food allergy as I have a food allergy and even my grandchildren know about it.

This was a quick read! I did love the author’s Acknowledgement and I will check out Megan Lally’s next novel!

I know I am not the target audience so perhaps I will be forgiven for my 3.4 Stars as to me 3=Good.
.
This is Megan Lally’s debut. Since I wasn’t familiar with her I read the ‘About the Author’.
Megan writes twisted young adult novels about murder, mayhem, and heartbreak. When she’s not writing, you might find her barefoot at the ocean or drinking too many lavender lattes. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.
You can visit her online at MeganLallyWrites.com or on Instagram: @Megan_Lally

I love a good mystery as well as a good YA and since our author writes both as well as mayhem – which got my attention!

Want to thank NetGalley and SourceBooks-Fire for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for December 26, 2023.

This debut thriller is told her the point of view of two characters. One is Drew, a teenager suspected of killing his girlfriend, Lola. The small town, sheriff in charge of the case refuses to believe anything, but the fact that Drew is guilty, so Drew starts to investigate on his own.

The other point of view is from that of “Mary,” a teenage girl, who wakes up in the woods with no memory of her past, broken nose, and two black eyes. A man named Wayne arrives at the police station to claim her and says he’s her father. But as she finds out more and more about herself from Wayne, she starts to wonder why it doesn’t feel right.

This book has great characterization, character growth, mystery, and interiority. It’s got twists and turns like you would expect, and there’s some great high-stakes moments.

A teenage girl is picked up on the side of the road by a young police officer. She has no memory of how she got there where she is from or what her name is. A man shows up at the police department saying she is his daughter Mary. He has photos, birth certificate and old school ID. He states that she was driving to meet him at their cabin and never showed up. Strange thing is there is no car anywhere near where the police officer found her.
Hours away from “Mary” and the police department are Drew. His girlfriend has disappeared and everyone including the sheriff is looking at him as the reason. He is on a search to find her to not only prove his innocent but hopefully find Lola before it is too late.
Megan Lally tells the story that every parent fears. The story is told from “Mary” and Drew’s point of view. Lally does a wonderful job of building and developing the characters. The story moves quickly and just when you think you have it all figured out, she throws and unexpected turn.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for gifting me an early copy. Below you'll find my honest review.

This is how you write a thriller. I don't care if it's YA or adult, supernatural or fully realistic - this is how you do it. Absolutely unputdownable, totally just-one-more-chapter-able until the wee hours of the morning, and really, really compelling.

You're immediately invested in BOTH of the stories that are running through this novel, and I can't really say much else without spoiling the story. Let's just say... "invested" isn't a strong enough word.

Highly recommended!!! Read this one!

This was an enjoyable and surprising read. A young girl goes missing and it's up to her boyfriend and best friend to find her because the local police are not taking the family or the boyfriend seriously. In fact, they believe he is responsible for her murder. Twisty and thrilling with an ending I didn't see coming, I really enjoyed this debut thriller by Megan Lally.

Lally, Megan. That’s Not My Name. pgs. 304. Sourcebooks Fire, 2023

A 17-year-old teen wakes up on a dirt road in Oregon with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Local police bring her to the station where a distraught man named Wayne claims that she is his daughter, Mary. And he was documents to prove her identity. Drew and his girlfriend, Lola get into a big fight, and she disappears. Five weeks later, everyone in town, including the police think Drew did it. Drew is determined to prove his innocence and find Lola. Officer Roan wants to find evidence that Drew did it so town can put it all to rest. Who is the teen with no memory? Is she Lola or Mary? What really happened?

The plot is well-written, engaging, and a page turner. Told through two points of view, characters are well-developed, intriguing, and draw the reader into the story. Characters are cued as white. Wholly immersive, this is a must-read for fans of horror, thrillers, and mysteries. Recommended for most library collections. 5 stars, Gr 7 and up

Please Note: A copy of this book was given to us by NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are our own. No other compensation was received.

What do you do when everything thinks you killed your girlfriend and even the small town sheriff has quit looking for his daughter's best friend? Drew continues to spiral while not giving up. It is his fault she is missing, but he swears he did not kill her. Megan Lally draws you in and keep the pressure on to find Lola. This book is told in alternating chapters with Girl 1 who is found in a ditch--with a concussion and she doesn't know her name. He dad "saves" her and can prove she is Mary. But things don't quite add up and "Mary" starts to remember. Will Drew continue to look even with the sheriff after him? Will "Mary" be safe? What will Mary's father do next? This is already on my library's to purchase list! Students will LOVE it! Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the egalley.

This is a fantastic book; I loved everything about it. Both the sections written by Drew, a boy hoping to clear himself of suspicion in his girlfriend's possible murder and to find her alive and well, and "Mary," a girl who suffers from amnesia and is living with a man who claims to be her father, are beautifully written and equally captivating. The excellent writing and suspense kept me reading it any chance I got, and I felt a bit bereft when I finished it and couldn't keep enjoying it. A well-done twist rounds out this excellent novel by a very talented debut author. I very much look forward to reading more by her. I think it would be very appealing to YA readers, but as a (much) older adult, I thought it was one of the best books I've read this year. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

Holy smokes, this book had me on edge. At the beginning I thought I knew what was going to happen but no.
Drew is looking for his missing girlfriend, Lola, she stormed off after a fight and no one has seen her since.
In another town, a young girl is found bruised and disoriented, she can’t remember her own name. Until her father comes to the police station and is relieved to have found his daughter Mary.
What follows is a very intense story that keeps you guessing.
I really enjoyed the different POV, I would get hooked on Drew’s POV just for it to change to Mary’s, and vice versa. I will definitely be looking forward to more books written by Megan Lally.
Thanks so much for the arc!

I really enjoyed this! The beginning really gripped my interest and I kind of sussed out what was going to happen or the twist but I enjoyed it regardless! very intense and gets you guessing about what will happen!

3.5 stars rounded up!

Thank you for NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC to review!

What a great surprise! YA fiction hasn’t been living up to my standards lately but this one knocked it out of the park! I was hooked from the beginning and finished in a couple of hours because I absolutely couldn’t put this book down and the ending! Wow! Probably my favorite thriller of the year!

Really enjoyed this. I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5, quick read, multiple POV, YA thriller. There’s some cursing and the ending is more graphic than the rest, but overall I would say this is appropriate for mature upper middle grades as well. Drew’s chapters were more interesting than Mary’s, but the end really picks up pace. I don’t want to say much and give it away, but this was a solid debut and entertaining read with strong characters and a good story. I particularly liked the ending. In addition to being a thriller, I loved how the family and friend relationships were portrayed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and a chance to read this early. All opinions are my own.