The Only Survivors is about a group of high school students that were involved in a tragic accident while on a school trip. The tragedy bonds the survivors together, whether wanted or not. The group gets together every year on the anniversary of the accident. Cassidy has gone to great lengths to be unavailable to the group, not wanting to be drawn back into the fold. But near the 10 year anniversary of the tragedy, she gets a cryptic message regarding an obituary for one the survivors, someone that she was the closest too. This jars her back to the reality that she needs to be their with her group. The group meets at a beach rental on the Outer Banks of NC and things seem strange: people seen on the beach, belongings start to go missing, and a survivor leaves without warning. These things add to the suspense and the idea that the survivors are hiding something and someone is out to let the secret come to light.

This story is mostly told from Cassidy's point of view, but does flashback to the night of the accident. Those episodes are told from each of the survivors points of view. I enjoyed this aspect. It adds to the feeling that something is being hidden, something else happened, but what and by who? Though this book is a thriller, it was not too creepy. There was enough thrill/suspense to keep the reader interested, but not over the top. I do have to say that the first 90% was really good, but the ending somewhat fell flat for me. I felt there was good resolution to the story, it did not leave me with questions, but I felt the build up throughout the book made me think there would be a more dramatic ending than there was.

This was my first Megan Miranda read. I enjoyed it. I especially enjoyed the aspect that it was partially set in NC, always enjoy books that take place in my home state. Overall a solid 3.5 star rating!

Thank you to NetGalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Meh.

Did I read it in one afternoon? Yes. Did I enjoy it? I’m not sure.

I was hooked from the beginning but the slow pacing of the first half caused me to lose interest. Once they all left the beach house, it went downhill quickly. I did not like the ending at all. There were so many other ways it could have gone and I just can’t rationalize why this route was chosen.

“Who do you save in the moment, when you have the chance? The answer was simple, and obvious, and always, always the same: whoever you can.”

This novel is set in two different times - a Then and a Now. And majority of the narration comes from Cassidy Bent, one of the survivors. The chapters set in the past are told in the eyes of the other survivors, those still alive, that is.

The novel is filled with tension, unspoken truths, fear, and survivor’s guilt. The yearly gathering of the survivors was never a positive event, and this week wasn’t any different except for some texts from an unknown number and a phone washing up on the beach.

It was such a great read and had me on the edge of my seat the entire time - eager to uncover the events that occurred the night of the accident. The author did a great job of tying the story together and connecting the dots. I highly recommend this one!

Unfortunately, this was a miss. I love the "something bad happens to people when they're little and they come back together as adults for a reckoning" troupe, but this one never pulled me in. There were too many characters with few traits that distinguished them from one another, and the whole time I was wondering what really was keeping them together. I'd pass on this,

I will admit that when I first started reading, I had trouble connecting with the storyline and the characters, so I put the book down for a few weeks before deciding to dive back in. The second attempt was a success and I was immediately drawn into the plot. Megan Miranda has the perfect touch of suspense in her novels and I keep the light on way too long at night to continue reading. This one is worth the slow burn.

This is a very slow build. It takes half the book for things to be put in motion. You know that each character is dealing with survivors guilt, but why? The ending was neatly tied up. I’m a sucker for a beach location and a beautiful cover too.

This book kept my interest until the last 10% when frankly I just didn't care anymore.
A lot of it seemed hokey, especially the awkwardness of the reunion. These people don't even like each other; why would they get together every year?
However, the set up of making everyone seem suspicious was so good that at the ending I still couldn't stop being suspicious of everyone, maybe that was the intent.
It was well written, but the story didn't work for me so I won't be recommending it.
Thank you for the opportunity to review.

The Only Survivors is a captivating read that effortlessly holds your attention. This thrilling ride will keep you guessing until the very last moment. Miranda skillfully employs varying perspectives, flashbacks, and clever misdirection to keep you on your toes and constantly questioning the events that transpire. As the narrative progresses, each revelation and twist proves to be a game-changer, ensuring you can never quite predict the outcome. Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable read that I wholeheartedly recommend.

As a Megan Miranda fan from way back, I will always pick up her books ASAP. And while I've enjoyed all of them to varying degrees, The Only Survivors didn't completely work for me. Since the characters (and there were so many of them!) weren't friends before the "incident" I didn't really buy the conceit of them meeting up every year. There were definitely some creepy moments but some of the twists were a little too out there for me. Nevertheless, I will be back for her next one.

Yet another fun, compulsively readable thriller by Megan Miranda. There's something to Miranda's writing that I find a notch above her ilk. The protagonists usually feel more fleshed out and the story more engaging, less the feel of just being a vehicle for the mystery. Miranda's last few books have been more of the slow burn variety than her first two adult novels. While I enjoyed this, some readers might find it took too long to get going. Altogether a fun read for the beginning of warm days.

Told in first person by Cassidy in the current time period interspersed with multiple narrators from “then”. This story follows nine classmates that survived a tragic accident as teenagers as they meet for their tenth reunion.

I found this to be a quick and compelling read, finishing it in less than 2 days. I’m a little fuzzy on some of the “then” details. While there were a few twists and turns that I enjoyed, I can’t say I was surprised by the culprit behind the mysterious notes, emails, etc. Still, I enjoyed the ride.

Recommended to group/reunion thriller readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner for a copy provided for an honest review.

There's always three sides to every story. Yours, mine, and the truth.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Only Survivors is the latest release from thriller veteran Megan Miranda and my third read from her. While she's not an auto-buy author for me, I often pick up her latest release.

In The Only Survivors, a group of friends, brought together by a tragedy they survived senior year, come together for a reunion at the beach. This time, after the death of one of their own, the secrets they've been keeping threaten to break them apart.

This is my second favorite book from Miranda. If you haven't read All of the Missing Girls I highly recommend it. The set up for this one was absolutely perfect. My favorite trope in thrillers is when a friend group that was once close is brought together for a reunion and this fits that mold perfectly. Like some of my other favorites with this trope, this story is filled with flashbacks telling the group's history from each of their own points of view.

The only thing that kept me from giving it a full five stars was the ending, which I found to be just fine. There might have been one or too many too characters as well in my opinion. Those things aside, I highly recommend checking it out.

The Only Survivors is the newest release by thriller author Megan Miranda. This book takes place on the eastern coast during a storm. In a cottage on the beach, the only survivors of a horrific car crash from ten years prior are gathered together in honor of the crash and the victims of said crash. While they are all together tensions mount and things happen that uncover many secrets from the accident. Fast-paced and full of action to keep the reader glued to the edge of their seats. Read and enjoy!

I read anything Megan writes and she has done it again! I could not put this one down. There is something to be said about a story with a long history and a huge twist. I loved this one just as much as her others!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this book to review. Let me start by saying that this book was a wild ride. Shifting in time between a tragic “accident” that happened to a group of high school students to a present a decade later where the aftereffects are still harshly felt. The twists and turns were crazy and it kept me pulled in. It seemed like every character in the book was unreliable and yet I believe no one knew the whole truth. Everyone had a few pieces of the puzzle and a lot of suspicions. Overall a good book I’d recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers with lots of twists.

First line: Our house, like most things, came down to luck.

Summary: Cassidy has spent the last ten years reuniting with classmates who all survived a tragic accident leaving only nine survivors. But this year Cassidy has decided she does not want to relive the worst night of her life again with the other survivors. That is until she receives a mysterious text announcing the death of one her classmates. As soon as she arrives she notices that this year is going to be different. Everyone seems a little more on edge. And it appears that someone is going to talk to the press about that night. But who?

My Thoughts: I love Megan Miranda’s books normally but this one felt a little disjointed. I could never really feel a cohesiveness to the plot. It seemed as if several different threads were running through it but not creating the suspense I usually feel during her stories. There was a storm. People are watching them. Some of the survivors are disappearing. Strangers are becoming friendly. So many things were happening rather than one thing tying the story together.

And I quickly figured out or guessed one of the big reveals. It seemed rather obvious from the start but maybe I read too many of these novels now to be shocked. However, the final reveal was not what I was expecting so that’s why I gave it 3 stars. It was still a fun book and kept me interested but it was not nearly as good as All the Missing Girls which was told in such a unique fashion that I always recommend it for anyone looking for a good twisty thriller.

3.5 Stars is what The Only Survivors gets from me.

This was my first Megan Miranda novel and I had heard nothing but great things leading up to it!
Cassidy is one of 9 survivors of a horrific accident that happened a decade ago during her senior year of high school. Every year after the accident's first anniversary, the survivors come together at a house in the Outer Banks for a week to console each other and escape reality for a little bit.
This year things are different, there are only 7 survivors left, Ian succumbed to his addiction a few months prior to their annual retreat to the Outer Banks and Clara had taken her own life the day after the first anniversary of the accident.
Something is off when they all get together, something is amiss, someone is watching them and it's a race against time to figure out who it is before another one of the survivors is lost.

This book started out very slow for me, I wasn't immediately drawn in but since her other books came so highly recommended I pushed through. The pace finally picked up around 40-50% of the way through and I was finally drawn in. I saw one of the twists coming and had figured out another piece of information before it was revealed. The ending redeemed some of the slowness of the book because I didn't see the big twist coming at the end!

I wish I could give this 4 stars but the slowness and the dragging of the book really got to me. I will read more from her in the future though!

The Only Survivors is a slow-burn thriller that gave me Yellowjackets vibes. It focuses on a group of high school students who survived a freak accident from a school trip. Now in their annual reunion, they found that deaths started catching up and they've received anonymous threats.

This is my first Megan Miranda and I really like The Only Survivors. I especially enjoy the structure of the book. The dual timeline followed a 7-day timespan in current day and a 7-hour recounts at the accident. Unfortunately I thought the final reveal and the ending wasn't quite as tight as the rest of the book, and the motive of the villain didn't really click with me.

Despite the unsatisfactory ending, I still really like this book and will definitely be reading more Miranda's books!

Thank you NetGalley and Marysue Rucci Books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a great thriller, and of course the cover is gorgeous. There were enough twists and turns that even though I saw a few of them coming, there were several that I did not or was wrong about, which I liked. It was interesting that the flashbacks of the night of the tragedy were told in reverse, but I completely understand why the author chose to unveil the truth in that way. These characters have been carrying huge burdens and survivor's guilt since the accident and have all coped with it in different ways. The book really emphasized that trauma is not something you can ever really "move on" from and that it will continue to impact your choices and relationships for the rest of your life. The ending of the modern timeline was pretty cliché and I was honestly a little bit annoyed by it, but the reveal of the cause of the accident made it all worth it. This one will definitely keep you guessing and you won't be able to put it down.

Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner Publishing for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


***There was a problem with accessing this title through the Netgalley app. I was able to load it onto my ereader from my computer, but I could not find the title with all of the others on my app.***

I am not quite sure what I just read. The entire book was a suspenseful buildup to the ending, but when I got there it hardly seemed worth it. A small group of young people survives a horrific accident where several other classmates perish. The surviving group decides to meet up every year for reasons that are not clear, and I felt strung along hoping there would be some kind of reveal. There is a twist at the end that didn't quite justify the hours I spent reading. Although I am usually a fan of this author, I'm afraid this one fell short for me. I'm giving it three stars because it was a page-turner, for the most part. Recommended, but with reservations.

Thanks and appreciation to NetGalley for the ARC.