OMG this was a wild ride and I was totally here for it!!! I knew that dude wasn't her dad, but we all did. I had no idea how fucked-up he really would turn out to be though. And it took a bunch of teenagers to solve it and get some justice! I love that Drew would NOT give up on finding his girl. I am now off to add all of Megan Lally's books to my TBR!

#ThatsNotMyName
#NetGalley

Whoa! One, I can't believe this is a debut novel. Two, I could not believe the twist.

Missing girl, boyfriend blamed, that's a traditional plot. Throw in, questions of identity, kidnapping, mental illness, and more, and you have yourself a darn good novel.

This is definitely one of those Thrillers/Mysteries that you think you have all figured out until you don't.

Highly Recommend

I had the audiobook and the narration was great!

This was an incredible thriller, I was completely immersed in the story. My heart was pounding reading and it truly did not fell like a YA book. I loved the dual POVs and every time I thought I knew where the story was headed, it took a major detour. The narrators were great at keeping me listening, this was a hard book to put down. I don't think I've ever cried reading a thriller but I cried at the end of this. I was feeling all of the emotions. It was suspenseful, captivating, heart wrenching, and oh so good. This debut author has a bright future ahead of her writing thrillers. Even if you don't usually read YA, I highly recommend this if you love thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5758048541

What an absolutely brilliant gripping and suspenseful thriller penned by author, Megan Lally that will keep you guessing until the final pages! I was absolutely captivated by the incredible way the writing and changes in POV kept me hooked and guessing about Lola and Mary and what the motives everyone had in the disappearance of one girl and the reappearance of another. In my head, I was thinking in a formulaic way that naturally would lead to a seemingly obvious conclusion as to where everything was leading, but the shocking twist and bittersweet ending had me in a chokehold and desperate to read more works by Megan Lally. Additionally, the audio and narration was superb with terrific voice acting and stellar performances by incredible narrators who sold the story and had me hooked and on the edge of my seat.

An intense and captivating thriller that you won't be able to put down!

This novel is an absolute must-read! It's so good that you'll want to run, not walk, to get your hands on a copy. Trust me, you won't regret it. I don't want to give anything away, so I suggest going into it blind and letting the story unfold before your eyes. Get ready for an unforgettable journey!

***Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Lally, and RB Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

.This was such a good YA mystery given from two points of view that will keep you guessing until the very end.
I really liked how quickly the story moves a long, grabbing your attention right from the start. And while you are given many clues, I was not able to put all the piece's together and enjoyed that it wasn't the ending that I was anticipating.
A young woman wakes up in the hospital and cannot remember how she got their nor what her name is. But when a Father shows up looking for his daughter Mary they are finally able to put the piece's together and Mary goes home with her Father even though she really doesn't remember him. Meanwhile Drew and his girlfriend break up when Drew decides they are getting too serious and he leaves her to walk home alone. But when Lola doesn't make it home he becomes the main suspect and Drew is left trying to find her and prove his innocence.
I really enjoyed the book and when I thought I had it figured out I was pleasantly surprised.
I listened to this as an audiobook narrated by Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira. I thought they both did a wonderful job narrating this story, each of them bringing the story to life and drawing you into the characters lives. I would definitely recommend this as an audiobook.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It's hard to believe this is a debut novel. It is well written with good characters, interesting story, and plenty of twists! The excellent narration makes this book even more of a delight.

Several of the twists in the book were surprising but the last one was a real mind-blower. Overall, this was an enjoyable mystery.

I tend to prefer either adult or MG, so it takes a really strong YA to suck me in - this thriller absolutely delivered! It's creepy, well-paced, and the heart-breaking twist at the climax almost made me cry (I didn't actually cry, of course, because I'm an unfeeling crocodile).

Premise - a brown haired, green eyed girl shows up in a town with no memory of who she is or how she got there. Soon later, her distraught father shows up to take her home. He has proof that he's her dad, but even so something doesn't feel quite right... meanwhile, 90 minutes north, a high school boy is suspected of murdering his brown haired, green eyed girlfriend who went missing 5 weeks earlier. He sets off to find her, because he can't forgive himself for what he did the night she disappeared.

The characters were well developed and felt like real teens - not too old and not too young. I love the amnesia trope in thrillers and this one pulled it off really well, too. It really gave me that unsteady sense of constant anxiety you'd have if you forgot who you were. The separate POV narratives chugging along until their dramatic collision worked well for driving up the tension, too!

This wasn't perfect - my biggest objection was how the boy's self-blame started to feel copy-paste levels of repetitive and he constantly said things along the lines of 'for once we agree, I blame myself, too'... he says that like ten times though, so it's not exactly "for once" but rather 'on one thing.' Nitpicky, but it was a little annoying while reading. Still, the story overall was so good and I would definitely read more from Megan Lally!

Thanks, NetGalley and Sourcebooks, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ahh young love❤️❤️❤️

Drew
What would you do if your high school girlfriend goes missing...
On the same night you break up with her????
Be the prime suspect that's for sure!

Mary
What would you do if you woke up on the side of the road?
With no memory of how you got there, you don't even know your name.
You're father picks you up but something seems off...

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for an honest review.

That's Not My Name
By: Megan Lally
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss, Robb Moreira
Publisher: Recorded Books
Release date: 12-26-23

She wakes up on the side of the road with no memory of how she got there or who she is. Luckily, an officer sees her and takes her to the station and in comes a man in a panic, frantically looking for his daughter, saying he’s been looking for her for hours. With a ton of documentation he is able to prove to the officer she’s Mary and he is her father, or so he says. Drew thinks he and Lola need to cool off after an argument but then she goes missing and everyone thinks he’s to blame. Now, he’s determined to find her and bring her home.

That’s Not My Name was easily a five star read for me! I received this book as an ALC and mannnnn I devoured this. Fast paced and creepy, this story holds your attention for the entire span of the story. I enjoyed it so much I didn’t want it to end, but I also needed to know what happened. I can’t remember the last YA novel I couldn’t stop reading/listening to or easily gave five stars to. The narrator’s held my attention throughout the story’s entirety and I didn’t lost interest even a little. Both narrators made this story easy to follow and had me captivated. I loved the book so much that when I finished, I immediately ordered myself a physical copy to keep on my shelves. If you enjoy thrillers, I suggest giving this one a read or a listen, it is out today 12/26/23! Happy publication day!

Thank you so much NetGalley, RB Media, & Sourcebooks Fire for my advanced copy and giving me the chance to review it honestly.

Happy reading!

Wow, what a suspenseful read. I'm impressed this is a debut! It's a dual POV and both narrators are captivating. I kind of suspected what had happened but that didn't take away my enjoyment of the story in any way. I didn't want to stop listening to this. I felt for both protagonists, Drew and Mary. Highly recommend to YA thriller fans!

The book switches between an amnesiac girl and a boy who is the prime suspect in the disappearance of their girlfriend. Both story lines keep you guessing. The pieces click into place as you read along. This was a first novel and you can tell, it is a bit predictable. I had the twist figured out before it happened because some big glaring clues that pointed towards it. It was quick paced and emotionally tragic, dealing with guilt, grief, and other heavy subjects. For a debut novel and a YA thriller it was good and I definitely will read more from this author.

This was a really well written debut from author Megan Lally and a seamlessly narrated audiobook

Although it was YA, and the characters were 17, it didn’t feel condescending, childish or basic - in fact apart from their ages, I’d have presumed this was a regular thriller

When a girl wakes up in a ditch with amnesia, Wayne comes to her rescue proving he is her father and she is Mary

Meanwhile, Drew has been ostracized by the town as his girlfriend Lola has gone missing. Even though he’s a popular teen, everyone believes he’s guilty including the police

Told from Mary and Drew’s POV, I enjoyed both characters and felt we got to know them intimately

I didn’t fully understand why everyone would turn on Drew the way they did, especially as he’d literally done nothing wrong - ever. I liked that he had two dads but I’d have enjoyed at least one scene with them rather than just the occasional mentions

I loved when Drew finally convinced friends of his innocence and we definitely got some Goonie vibes 🚲

The reveal, although surprising and resolved wasn’t as satisfying as I’d have liked. No spoilers but I like to feel a little warm and fuzzy at the end and I didn’t

Because it was YA, there was a strong focus on the teens, with the adults being largely incompetent or absent. I’d have liked to have delved deeper which would maybe have helped me feel warmer and fuzzier at the end

Overall, this was an intelligent, well written YA thriller and I’m excited to read more from the author

Thanks to Netgalley and RB Media for access to this arc in exchange for my honest review

I don’t usually do audio books, but I enjoyed this one and I’m glad I gave it a shot! My favorite part about reading is being able to feel the emotions the author is trying to give, and the narrators did just that! At times, I did think they could’ve given us more emotions but overall they did a great job! The story was engaging and had me guessing throughout the entire listen.

Great book! I listened to the audio and both narrators were perfect with their character voices and tone. The story had me from the very beginning and I could not stop listening! Highly recommend and can’t wait wait for more by this author!

I absolutely love this! Especially the twist! I was semi kind of expecting it but then I wasn't expecting it at all! Way to surprise me!
I really felt for these kids too. I mean really and truly. I felt all creeped out when our girl was picked up from the police station.
Ugh perfect! I loved the narrators too!

It is not everyday that I can honestly say I really enjoyed a YA novel! But Megan Lally threw a curve ball at me and knocked it out of the park with this one! Well done! (Don't get all excited there were some things not so great)
First of all, great opening and well developed plot line! The whole time I was on edge and clawing to find out what would happen. A girl is found by the side of the road with no memory of who she is or how she got there. A policeman finds her and brings her back to the station when a man walks in and claims she is his daughter, Mary, he even has the documentation and papers to prove it. Hours away Drew a once golden boy has been accused of murder of his girlfriend, Lola--but, no body has been found. As Mary begins to adjust to her life with her father, she begins to question him, like why did he allow her to eat Strawberries when she is allergic? Drew is determined to find out what happened to his girlfriend, even though the more truth he reveals about what happened that night they got in a big fight the guiltier he looks!

Lally builds suspense and I for once enjoyed being inside the mind of a teenager (it made some of their dumb/immature "talk" and behaviors tolerable) as they navigated what was happening.
The ending was very satisfying and had me guessing until the big reveal, which shocked me!
There were some typical YA Book things you can expect which I do not think it is fair to count against the book as this is marketed towards teens:
-Teens being smarter than the cops
-Teens pulling off some pretty incredible things (Max getting the CCTV video from the diner)
-Adults acting stupid/bafoonish
-Edgy social choices
-Dumb motivations (Leaving your girlfriend on the side of the road because hse starts talking about getting married....come on "Dude")

One thing I cannot "Not" mentioned (that was complicated) I really disliked how the author continued to mentioned and normalize Drew's 2 dads. It was mentioned over and over again. I am not sure why she felt like she needed to include that in the book, it had nothing to do with the plot. Despite that I look forward to reading more by this author.

I will end on a good note: The pacing was fantastic! Perfect for a quick read that will have you invested the whole time---if you are a teen you will love it! If you are an adult, give it some grace and suspend belief a little and enjoy the ride.

Thank you Net Galley for this advanced copy listen of That's Not My Name. I was not influenced or paid in exchange for this honest review.

This book was SO GOOD! A great debut! It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I just wanted to know the end and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to see what else Megan Lally puts out.

Thank you so much for the advance copy.

Thank you to NetGallery and RB Media for allowing me to read and review this advanced copy of That's Not My Name!

This book contains two main plots, Mary Boone recovering her memories and Drew trying to find his girlfriend, Lola. The narrators, Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira, did an amazing job of keeping the story tense and atmospheric. Both perspectives were intense and kept me guessing at every reveal.

Since there are two plots, I think it's important to say that one plot does not overpower the other. Both are jam-packed with twists and turns. I will say that I liked Drew's storyline a little bit more than Mary's, but neither storyline ever became dull and hard to read. They work in tandem with each other with reveals being connected by the end of the book.

As many of the reviews have stated, I thought the book was going in one direction and the ending completely shocked me. This is one that I can say that I truly did not expect. And I loved it. I had so many theories lined up for each main character and ALL of them were wrong.

The description of the injuries at the end of the book made me super uncomfortable, which is something that is always welcomed in a thriller. However, I would advise younger audiences of this book to proceed with caution, as this book has some explicit content, particularly language and themes.

It is almost impossible for me to believe that this is a debut novel from author Megan Lally. I love the writing style and how she was able to keep me hooked from beginning to end, literally. I am super excited for her upcoming books coming in 2025 and 2026. Praise for her for making a YA thriller not feel like a conventional YA thriller.

I was thoroughly impressed with this YA thriller. I am usually not fond of YA but this is an exception. I loved the ending of this book because it was heart wrenching. It was a realistic ending that denied any fluff that YA’s usually carry. I loved the representation of guilt, true crime stories and how it can affect the people involved, and the need to rescue the people you love.