Megan Miranda is one of those authors that I automatically pick up. The Only Survivors is her newest release.

The premise is an oft used vehicle, but Miranda puts her stamp on the plotting. Ten years ago, a group of high schoolers on a field trip crashed. Some of them made it out - and some of them didn’t. For the last ten years, a group of those who did survive get together at a cottage.

But there’s more to the reunion story than just a get to together. Something happened the night of the crash. They never speak of it and the reunion is always a reminder that no one else should know what really happened that night. But this year’s get together is different. One of their group has died. Keeping the secret has taken a toll on all of their lives. Accusations and suspicions abound.

The story unfolds in a past and present narrative, which I always enjoy. As readers, we are privy to more than one piece of information. I had my suspicions which were proven only partially right by the final pages.

Like I said, I've always enjoyed Miranda’s books, but I did find the pacing a bit slow in this latest. The reveal of that secret from the past is never fully explained until the end. I did get a bit frustrated with the drawing it out for so long.

Cassidy is the main character and is her point of view that drives the bus. Some of the supporting players are given a point of view as well, but we really only come to know them through Cassidy‘s eyes.

The book is set in the Outer Banks, and Miranda has done a really good job of bringing the setting to life, especially the storm.

I enjoyed this latest, but am hoping for a faster paced tale in the next book.

Megan Miranda has a natural ability to take you on a winding, twisting adventure between past and present when trying to determine what is really going on, both now and in the "then".

This book was full of red herrings, unreliable characters, and subtle reveals throughout that still left us hanging all the way until the very end. I really enjoyed following one person in the present, but getting a view of every character in the past. As the pieces started coming together in the past, it led to more questions in the present: what elements should we be paying attention to? Are all of the side characters as important as the rest? Who is the perpetrator? Why are they doing it?

I can honestly say that although I had a sense of who it was, I was really kept hanging with putting all of the pieces together until the very end - it wasn't until about 96% that my brain was screaming OH THAT EXPLAINS IT! (which to me, is a sign of an excellent mystery thriller).

This officially makes MM an auto-read for me, I can't wait to see what the future books bring!

Another great book by this Author, a thriller mystery that had you guessing who did it through out the read. I flip flopped quite a few times thinking I knew what had happened to the survivors all those years ago. This book was an easy read and you got to know the characters slowly over the course of the story., I would not say I loved the characters but the dynamics between them held my interest. I look forward to future books by this author.

I voluntarily received a free advanced copy from NetGalley and all opinions are my own

I would recommend this book to friends and family and my book clubs

4.5⭐️ If Megan Miranda writes it, I will read it
This was a chilling thriller written in dual timelines.
I loved the chapters on the past as it revealed more and more secrets each time.
The present had a chilling atmosphere and untrusting friends.
I found this book to be unputdownable with twists and turns. I did guess one twist, but that did not take away from my love of the story.

This book stayed very true to the author’s previous work. A character driven, atmospheric slow burn mystery. I enjoyed the dual time lines as well as a few small twists throughout the book but the first half of the book kind of dragged for me. There was a lot of background info and build up but nothing really happened 🤷‍♀️. I did enjoy the second half of the book where the story finally started to come together and the pacing picked up. Overall this was entertaining with a few twists but not my fave. 3.25⭐️

Megan Miranda's latest "The Only Survivors" proves that she is far from done giving readers one of the best summer thrillers of each and every year. In this gut-wrenching mystery, readers follow Cassidy, one of several high school students who survives a harrowing accident on a senior year trip 10 years in the past. After a failed attempt to leave that event and her fellow survivors permanently in her past, Cassidy attends yet another annual reunion of the survivors in the Outer Banks, except this time something is different, they have lost yet another member.

Miranda writes the setting of this book, a big creaky house on the beaches of the Outer Banks, almost as if it is a character in and of itself- a quality her writing has become known to posses. The gloomy, yet gorgeous, and semi-gothic beach town serves as the perfect backdrop for this mystery to unfold.

Written in a split timeline of seven hours in the past, seven days in the present, Miranda gives readers glimpses into how the events of the past made the survivors into the people we are learning them to be in the present.

While this large cast of characters made for a wealth of suspects that only added to the fun of guessing where Miranda was taking this narrative, it sometimes made it difficult to recall who was who, an understand quality of a novel trying to fit the lives of seven survivors into the confines of 350 pages.

Overall, "The Only Survivors" is an easy, thrilling, mystery-packed, quick weekend read that will be loved by all fans of Miranda's staple summertime mystery.

4/5

I had a lot of thoughts while reading this book and here are the ones that stuck with me:

•This book was a SLOW BURN mystery. It definitely started out at a snails pace but does pick up as the story moves along.
•I liked the dual timeline and getting the different POV’s of the crash 10 years ago.
•There is a fairly large cast of characters which I wish we felt more connection with.
•Some of the reveals of the crash night I didn’t see coming but I did figure out the ending twist quickly.
•I think I would have liked to have spent more time in the “past “ sections of the book or more time on how each character moved on.

All in all, I’d say even though it didn’t knock my socks off, I still liked it!

The Only Survivors is available today!

Thank you @netgalley and @simonschusterca for my advanced copy!

The fact that I read this book in practically a day (except for the first few pages) is one sign that it was a real page turner. I love books that switch back and forth between two timelines. It keeps you reading and is easy to slip back and forth. Some of the revelations towards the end I did not see coming! I liked that the characters were not perfect. They all had their flaws and insecurities. You couldn’t understand why they kept coming back together every year even though they weren’t really friends so you had to keep reading to find out. Overall a great mystery/thriller.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the eARC in exchange for a honest review.

I kind of forgot what The Only Survivors was about by the time I actually started the book which worked out for the best. The story switched between the present day and flashbacks of the accident which kept my attention. Although it is mainly told from the POV of Cassidy, one of the survivors, we also get the POV of the other survivors. These people are not perfect so yeah, I suspected each of them at one point or another. I found the flashbacks more interesting than the present chapters. Although The Only Survivors didn't blow my mind, it is a solid mystery that entertained, and surprised me at the end.

“𝚈𝚘𝚞‘𝚛𝚎 𝚋𝚊𝚌𝚔. 𝚈𝚘𝚞‘𝚛𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎, 𝚊𝚝 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚜. 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑
𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚖.“

Tomorrow is release day for the new locked room mystery from Megan Miranda. Miranda became one of my favourite authors years ago and can always be relied upon to provide a tense, suspenseful read that keeps you guessing until the very end.

“𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚝𝚊𝚕, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚛𝚞𝚜𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛--𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚋𝚘𝚡.“

When we meet Cassidy and her former high school classmates, they are all just trying to survive the day to day, 10 years after a terrible tragedy that changed all of their lives forever. They come together through loyalty and a need for connection but is there a traitor in their midst?

“𝚆𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚜, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚏𝚎.“

This read was a bingeable nail-biter that I flew through in just a couple of days. Do yourself a favour and grab this one!

The Only Survivors is an atmospheric thriller following a cast of characters dealing with survivors’ guilt.

Since a tragic accident on a school trip ten years ago, the nine remaining survivors made a pact to reconvene on the yearly anniversary.

Cassidy Bent is one of the nine survivors, but she’s cut the others out of her life in an effort to move on with her life. And she did until she received an email about the yearly gathering with an obituary link to one of the survivors.

When Cassidy arrives at the meeting house, the vibes are off, and a few feel like someone is watching them.

This thriller follows Cassidy’s perspective with alternating chapters from the survivors at the time of the accident.

The characters all have distinct personalities, so there was no getting them mixed up. Even though they were distinct, they were slightly underdeveloped. But it’s a thriller, so I don’t always expect stellar characterizations, especially when dealing with so many characters.

The story became much more interesting to me when the chapters about the accident began. Before that, it was hard to understand their motivations for meeting annually when it appeared they were barely friends.

The ending picked up the pace, and some reveals were surprising, if not mind-blowing.

I had fun reading this one. And although I only finished it a few days ago, I can barely remember the details. So it may not be that memorable of a read, but it is enjoyable in the moment.

If you enjoy slow burn thrillers brimming with atmosphere, you may like this one.

3.5 rounded down.

Thank you to Marysue Rucci Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is my FAVOURITE Megan Miranda novel. This thriller is filled with shocking twists and turns. Miranda utilizes a unique story telling technique similar to All The Missing Girls. The storyline is told in reverse with us the reader getting glimpses of the beginning of the novel. The final twist in the book had me shooock. I wanted to scream (I actually may have-and potentially thrown the book 😅)

This book follows a group of survivors that meet up at every year on the anniversary of the accident, but we aren’t sure why and we do not know what they have survived. None of the survivors seem close at all. Threatening emails and notes begin to appear and the only people who know exactly what happened that day are together. They all begin to distrust each other, but what do they not want to be revealed….

New thriller coming your way!

Thank you to @NetGalley and @simonschusterCA for the reviewer’s copy! This book publishes on April 11, 2023.

Synopsis:
A decade ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine—a tragedy that claimed the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. The nine students who managed to escape the river that night were irrevocably changed. A year later, after one of the survivors dies by suicide on the anniversary of the crash, the rest of them make a pact: to come together each year to commemorate that terrible night. To keep one another safe. To hold one another accountable. Or both.
Their annual meeting place, a house on the Outer Banks, has long been a refuge. But by the tenth anniversary, Cassidy Bent has worked to distance herself from the tragedy, and from the other survivors. She’s changed her mobile number. She’s blocked the others’ email addresses. This year, she is determined to finally break ties once and for all. But on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary attached: another survivor is gone. Now they are seven—and Cassidy finds herself hurling back toward the group, wild with grief—and suspicion.
Almost immediately, something feels off this year. Cassidy is the first to notice when Amaya, annual organizer, slips away, overwhelmed. This wouldn’t raise alarm except for the impending storm. Suddenly, they’re facing the threat of closed roads and surging waters…again. Then Amaya stops responding to her phone. After all they’ve been through, she wouldn’t willfully make them worry. Would she?


I have been so excited to read this one. It has everything that I love in a thriller – past and present stories, complex characters, and a whole lot of mystery. This one had a slower pace and was hard to get into at times, but I felt the atmosphere and descriptiveness made up for it. The final twist was a but of a let down but all in all it was a fun read.

3.5 stars

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda is a psychological thriller about a group of people who survived a crash when they were younger.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Simon & Schuster Canada and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Originally there were nine survivors of the horrific crash that claimed the lives of fellow classmates and a couple of teachers.   Cassidy, Amaya, Clara, Grace, Oliver, Joshua, Ian, Hollis and Brody made it when their two vans ended up in the raging rivers. They made a pact to re-unite every year on the anniversary to commemorate that terrible night, when every one of them were changed.

On this tenth anniversary, only 7 remain, and Cassidy tried everything she could think of to get out of this week long memorial.  But changing her email, and blocking all the others did not prevent a message coming through that changed her mind.

Something is different this year, and when Amaya takes off,  and a major storm traps the group, Cassidy is determined to leave, and make this her last visit.  Especially since someone is watching them, and it sounds like someone knows their secrets.




My Opinions:
This was quite good.  The plot, although not new, was carried out well, and twists were thrown in.

The story is told in two time-lines - Then and Now.  It is also told through multiple perspectives.  This worked well for this particular story, with no confusion.  It allowed the story of what happened all those years ago to come out slowly (perhaps a little too slowly).  It did drag occasionally.

Unfortunately, the characters were not very likeable.  I couldn't get behind any of them.

All that sounds negative, but overall, I think the book was good.  It just lacked something.  There was no "thrill", no real excitement.

“I had started to believe that the thing we thought was saving us from the past might’ve been binding us to it instead.”

In crafting this propulsive thriller, author Megan Miranda has checked all the boxes I look for in a spectacular read! Not only has she crafted a strong cast of characters, but she’s also set this story in a small town, taken advantage of multiple points of view, timelines, and flashbacks, and maximized the tension, reeling in readers each step of the way. Being challenged as a reader is one of the things I enjoy the most and Miranda knows how to keep my heart and mind involved in a story.

I promise you, this will be a trip to the beach like you’ve never had before! It’s certainly NOT a relaxing get-away or a reunion full of laughter and great memories; you’ll be watching over your shoulder and second-guessing every character and every move.

I loved that I was treated to a fantastic locked-room mystery as well as a survivalist story. The queen of suspense has really pulled out all the plugs with this one. I had to keep reading to find out who would survive this reunion. I love it when that happens!

Miranda writes to explore survivor’s guilt, keeping secrets, and loyalty and will have you asking yourself what you’d do in the same situation: who would you save if you couldn’t save everyone?

I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I haven’t been wow’ed by any of this author’s previous works but this one is definitely her best yet. It’s a slow burn mystery which doesn’t usually work for me but there were enough twists and turns to keep me engaged! And the ending!!! Wooo

I absolutely love Miranda’s writing, I think she can set a scene so well and this one was so different! I don’t want to say to much because in thrillers I really fell the less you know the better the ride! But we have a group of people who have nothing in common but the awful thing they all survived together 10 years ago on a high-school trip. But they all made a pack that would come back to this house for the week of the anniversary of that event every year. Cassidy’s our Main character and who’s POV it’s in, decides this year she isn’t going to attend intill she finds out one of them has died and she goes to the house. As they all gather together at this spot they have been coming to for 10 years they all feel like why this hasn’t been ever fun this year is something different, something is wrong, and Cassidy’s can’t help but feel like someone is watching them. As we go on through the book, we learn all isnt what it seems and is the secrets and twist in this book was so good! I also loved how she give us a some of the now and than we got a different survivors POV of what happened than. Which really keeps you reading to figure out what the hell is going on! Than the ending! I was 100% surprised about where this book went and the twist was good! If you enjoy Megans thrillers I definitely recommend picking this one to!

I love a good thriller that will have you hooked to the last page. Normally, I switch up what I’m reading with a thriller/mystery between a heavier read. Sometimes they have you on the edge of your seat and sometimes … 😟

The Only Survivors tells the story of a group of high school seniors who survived a terrible accident. The accident killed twelve others and since that dreadful day, the survivors get together annually on the anniversary. They are holding onto a lot of secrets about the accident. Two survivors have died - one by supposed suicide and another from overdose. As the group comes together again, they realize that someone is searching for the truth and will stop at nothing.😳

Pros: I really enjoy books set up in alternate timelines. The “Then” timeline about the crash had me so interested. The setting was also great with an ominous storm on the horizon. Cons: It was very slow and wasn’t that gripping - the grand finale simply left me saying “oh ok”. I’ve had more miss than hit with this author but I know many love her books. This one wasn’t for me but I’m grateful to receive an advanced copy from the publisher. This one publishes on April 11th.⭐️⭐️

*AD-PR*

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This was fantastic but I knew it would be. Megan Miranda always delivers a thriller I can not guess. She is an auto buy for every year. This book takes place with the characters gathering after a tragedy. However, during this gathering, sinister warnings and unexplained events start happening. I finished this in an afternoon. This is a must read for spring.

Quick review as I had already read a co-worker's ARC

Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps…from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.)
**************************************************************************************************************************************************
From the New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and “master of suspense, Megan Miranda” (Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl), a thrilling mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remain. Who would you save?
A decade ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine—a tragedy that claimed the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. The nine students who managed to escape the river that night were irrevocably changed. A year later, after one of the survivors dies by suicide on the anniversary of the crash, the rest of them make a pact: to come together each year to commemorate that terrible night. To keep one another safe. To hold one another accountable. Or both.
Their annual meeting place, a house on the Outer Banks, has long been a refuge. But by the tenth anniversary, Cassidy Bent has worked to distance herself from the tragedy, and from the other survivors. She’s changed her mobile number. She’s blocked the others’ email addresses. This year, she is determined to finally break ties once and for all. But on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary attached: another survivor is gone. Now they are seven—and Cassidy finds herself hurling back toward the group, wild with grief—and suspicion.
Almost immediately, something feels off this year. Cassidy is the first to notice when Amaya, the annual organizer, slips away, overwhelmed. This wouldn’t raise alarm except for the impending storm. Suddenly, they’re facing the threat of closed roads and surging waters…again. Then Amaya stops responding to her phone. After all that they’ve been through, she wouldn’t willfully make them worry. Would she? And—as they promised long ago—each survivor will do whatever he or she can do to save one another. Won’t they?

A propulsive and chilling locked-box mystery filled with the dazzling hairpin twists that are the author’s signature, The Only Survivors is New York Times-bestselling author Megan Miranda’s best novel yet.
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There is not much I can say after that synopsis about the plot or its machinations, as usually, the publisher can say it best. The book is expertly crafted and utterly readable: I had read it in one fell swoop so when I saw it on the desk I snatched it up, read it, and then looked on NetGalley to see if I could talk it up there.
A lovely twisty tale that I will recommend far and wide to friends, families, patrons and people I see reading on public transit.
#shortbutsweetreviews