3.75 ⭐️

Wyatt College is nestled in a picturesque small town in Virginia’s Blue Ridge mountains. But, it has an ugly history-a HAZING tradition called “The Howling”, which went horribly wrong one year.

When the wind whistles, the undergraduates must run from home base through the dense woods and back to campus without getting “caught” by any Seniors wearing masks.

Beckett Bowery was a senior at the college the year that tragedy struck. Two local men dead, and her roommate, Adalyn Vale, on the run, never to be seen again, after being suspected of starting the fire which claimed their lives. Beckett was accused of being her accomplice and though never proven, she was asked to finish her senior year at a “sister college” in London.

For the last two decades, Beckett has stayed away, despite both of her parents being Professors at the college. Then her daughter, Delilah, applies to Wyatt College secretly and accepts the full scholarship she is offered. Beckett is worried that the town will still remember the accusations.

TURNS OUT, SHE WAS RIGHT

Not less than a week later, Beckett is awoken by her cell phone in the middle of the night. Her daughter’s name is illuminated, but all she hears is a gasp before the call is dropped…

Megan Miranda always sets a scene vividly, transporting me to wherever her book takes place, with this being no exception. And, her characters feel like real people-with the mother/daughter dynamic here ringing true.

This book unfolds from Beckett’s POV in three parts, with the first two setting up the story mostly in the PRESENT with glimpses into the PAST when Beckett was the student on campus. The third part, which begins at 56% is when the pace picks up and most of the action takes place, with Delilah seemingly being targeted by someone with a grudge.

Readers of Dark Academia will be pleased with the CREEPY hazing ritual-“The Howling”, the hidden underground tunnels and the dark woods which surround the school and make Cell phone service and Wi-Fi unreliable at best.

And, it seems that SOMEONE is always watching.

College kids with secrets from the PAST getting exposed isn’t MY favorite trope-so this wasn’t a favorite of Megan Miranda’s for me, but although I have enjoyed her last few more, this was still a mostly satisfying read that might work as a “spooky season” pick!

EXPECTED PUBLICATION DATE: July 29, 2025

Thank You to Simon Element/S&S/ Marysue Ricci Books for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts!

I received an ARC of this novel thanks to NetGalley for my honest review.
I love Megan Miranda and have been a huge fan of her books, but this one wasn't it for me. The first half of the book is about something totally unrelated to the rest of the book and seems like a huge waste of time. It did end up having some relevance to the plot but not enough to take up that much of the story. There was also a "big" event that happened in the past that I felt could have been elaborated on more.
Would not recommend, but will look forward to what she writes next.

I will start by saying that I did like this book. With that being said though, it might have been too slow of a burn for me. As always though, I appreciate the ARC! Overall rating: 3.5/5

I found this book intriguing and full of tension, with an eerie atmosphere that kept me turning the pages. Beckett’s reluctant return to Wyatt Valley and the deep-rooted mystery surrounding her past made for an engaging read. The setting had a haunting presence, adding weight to her unease, and the slow reveal of secrets kept me curious about what really happened all those years ago. I appreciated the emotional complexity of Beckett’s relationship with her daughter, Delilah, and how her fears shaped her choices. The story had solid pacing, and the suspense built steadily, but I found myself wanting a little more depth in the ending. After such an intricate buildup, the resolution felt too quick, leaving me wishing certain elements had been explored further.

The book had a strong sense of mystery and atmosphere, and while the story kept me engaged, the rushed ending held it back from being completely satisfying. Still, I’d recommend it for those who enjoy slow-burn suspense with deeply rooted secrets.

This was my first Megan Miranda book, and I know it will not be my last. I found the mother character relatable, and I enjoyed the relationship between the mother and daughter. I wish the ending had been a little more twisty, but It was still entertaining and thrilling.

You Belong Here
By Megan Miranda

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Let me catch my breath.

So first of all, this book kept me up all night. It had me in an absolute chokehold.

Megan Miranda is a powerhouse thriller author. I auto-buy all of her books. And I love them.

I am grateful to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the advanced copy of this book, in exchange for my honest thoughts about it.

Buckle up because I have many…

Megan Miranda and I are in the exact same stage of parenthood. For both of our children. So maybe this book just resonated with me on a deeper level because of that.

•I literally FELT all the feelings in this book. The grief. The panic. The relief. The anxiety and restlessness and the feeling of loss of control.

•The twists in this book had me second and third guessing even my own rational thought.

•The portrayal of parenthood broke my heart. It is me. The mom and the mom. I am her.

Five stars. No notes.

First of all, I loved the small college town nestled in the mountains of Virginia. I was born and raised in a Virginia mountain college town so I can relate to the vibes. You Belong Here was a slow burn that was full of intrigue and some top notch character development. I didn’t feel confident in who I could trust and really loved the dual timelines that were featured. The audiobook narrator @cassandracampbell was soothing and did an amazing job of telling this story.

When Beckett’s daughter chooses to move to her old home town to attend the same college she did, she is surprised and concerned. Twenty years ago, Beckett’s best friend and roommate disappeared after supposedly murdering two men. Since people in her home town suspect Beckett of having helped the escape, she’s worried that her daughter will learn of her infamous reputation. The story moves on from there when her daughter mysteriously disappears, and Beckett desperately tries to find her.

This was just an okay read for me. I found myself getting impatient with the main character as we constantly “heard” her thoughts as she fretted, worried, and tied herself in knots. There was lots of angst about her situation which I get, but as a reader, it gets to be monotonous and takes away from the gist of the story. There was a twist at the end, but it wasn’t enough to save the book for me.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

4 🌟

How can you not love Megan Miranda?!

I was so excited to get this ARC and was hooked from the moment I picked up the book. I felt like the pacing was really good throughout the whole book, revealing just enough to keep me engaged. The ending did feel a little rushed but overall a solid thriller.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Such a good book! It has a slow start and I had to really make myself keep reading during the first 30% of the book. But once I got to about 45% I couldn’t put it down and I had to finish it before I could fall asleep. I liked the glimpse into Beckett’s past and I like how the story unfolded. Overall it was a solid 4 stars and I would definitely recommend it!

Beckett didn't want to come back to to her hometown. The secrets, the fire, the destruction of one night - even though her parents live there. But her daughter, now 18 and graduated, wants to go to the school her mom went to and be close to her grandparents. And Beckett must finally face this old town, old classmates, and the rumors and secrets that surround her.

This one hooked me right from the start. That breathy nighttime call and she has to rush back. The secrets were very slow to unfold and I liked how it kept me guessing what was really going on. As people came back into Beckett's life, I couldn't help but question how they all fit and how they remembered the night long ago. A great mystery that kept me on my toes, I was hooked from the start and was satisfied by the ending.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Release: July 29, 2025
Author: Megan Miranda
Publisher: Simon Element
Rating: 4 ★ 

A gripping thriller about buried secrets and the haunting pull of the past. Beckett Bowery swore she’d never return to Wyatt Valley, the idyllic Virginia college town where a tragic event during her senior year changed everything—leaving two men dead and her best friend vanished without a trace.
For over twenty years, Beckett has kept her distance, building a new life far away from the town and its painful memories. But when her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies and is accepted to the same college with a full scholarship, Beckett is forced to confront the past she thought she left behind.
As Delilah settles into life in Wyatt Valley, Beckett's fears resurface. The town hasn’t forgotten what happened—and neither has she. With danger closing in and long-buried truths threatening to surface, Beckett must face the secrets that once drove her away, before history has a chance to repeat itself.
You Belong Here is a slow-burn, atmospheric thriller that kept me hooked, even if it didn’t completely blow me away. Megan Miranda is known for her suspenseful storytelling, and this book definitely delivered on mood, mystery, and layered characters.
The story follows Beckett Bowery, a woman who fled her college town after a tragedy involving a fire, two deaths, and a missing person. Years later, she’s forced to return when her daughter, Delilah, secretly enrolls at the same college and then disappears after a chilling phone call. What follows is a dual timeline narrative that unravels Beckett’s past while exposing how deeply secrets can bury themselves in a place—and in a person.
I really liked how Miranda built the suspense gradually. The setting of Wyatt Valley had a creepy, claustrophobic vibe, and the flashbacks were well done. The pacing felt a little uneven to me—the first half was slower, and the second half picked up speed quickly—but I still found myself turning the pages late into the night. I appreciated the subtle clues dropped along the way, even though I was hoping for a bigger twist or more shocking final reveal.
Overall, this is a solid, well-written thriller that fans of domestic suspense and Miranda’s past work will likely enjoy. It may not be her most twist-packed novel, but it’s definitely worth a read for its atmosphere, character depth, and underlying tension.

Favorite Quote:
"there are things we choose to forget, and things that haunt us no matter how much we want to erase them."

In this creepy college thriller, Beckett returns to her hometown after years away. She reluctantly returns to town to send her daughter Delilah to the same college that she left in a cloud of suspicion after a mysterious fire and the disappearance of her best friend. When her daughter disappears, she is forced to acknowledge painful truths from her past to find Delilah.

Megan Miranda is truly the queen of atmospheric thrillers. She writes the creepiest settings and this was no exception, with a spooky college campus filled with tunnels, howling winds, and old houses containing messages. This novel is a slow burn but the second half picks up the pace and certainly kept my attention. I liked the dual timelines to tell the story. I think fans of campus thrillers, atmospheric settings, and slow burn thrillers will really enjoy this read!

Thank you to Megan Miranda and Simon and Schuster/ Mary Sue Ricci books for the arc and opportunity to be an early reader and reviewer.

This was a new twist on a similar plot. Usually it is younger person having to return to their college/hometown due to something with a reunion or alumni event of some kind. In this, Beckett returns to Wyatt Valley because her daughter has secretly applied to the college. When her daughter goes missing, it brings back memories and threatens Beckett's current life.

I haves loved all of Megan Miranda’s books until now. This was really difficult to get invested in. I would read a page or two and instantly just not care. It took quite a bit of time for the mystery to get started and I felt like the payoff wasn’t worth it.

First line: I knew how easily a story could shift.

Summary: Beckett grew up practically on the campus of Wyatt College. Her parents were professors at the college and it made sense to attend for her own education. Everything went smoothly until her senior year when two locals were killed on campus and her roommate went on the run for the murder. After these events Beckett left and rarely returned because the town never forgot and didn’t forgive the fact that she may have been involved.

Twenty years later, Beckett’s daughter secretly applies and receives a full scholarship to Wyatt College. Fighting against her fears for her daughter and the secrets of her past she allows her to attend. But then one weekend she receives a mysterious call and then the disappearance of her daughter draw her back to the town and the people who still blame her for what happened so long ago.

My Thoughts: Megan Miranda has been a very solid author. I usually rate her books a 3 or 4 star. They have good storylines and twists that can be shocking but at other times they fall a little flat. This one was a 3 star read for me. It took a while to get into the plot. I loved the short chapters and peeks into the past timeline. It helped explain things that were happening in the present and why Beckett felt the way she did about the town and college.

Having attended a small town college in rural Kansas there were things I could easily relate to. I pictured Tabor College in Hillsboro as I read, which was a fun addition to my reading journey. I also grew up going there for summer camps and visiting the town where family lived or for sporting events gave it this hometown feel. Having this book come out near the start of the school year is a perfect time as kids head to college. I think many will enjoy the plot and the atmosphere of the story.

Wow! This is was my first Megan Miranda book, and it will not be my last. This book kept me guessing throughout. I thought I had an idea of who was behind it all, and then I was pretty shocked by the end. I really appreciate the shorter chapters, different timelines, fast-paced story and atmospheric setting.

🎵Hey there Delilah, what’s it like in Wyatt Valley? 🎶🎤

As I approach the 10th anniversary of my own college graduation, You Belong Here hit me with a wave of nostalgia I didn’t expect. Megan Miranda’s latest novel follows Delilah as she embarks on her freshman year of college—an experience full of excitement, uncertainty, and in her case, secrets tied to her family’s past.

The college Delilah attends is more than just an academic institution—it’s also her mother’s alma mater, and as she settles in, she starts uncovering unsettling truths about her mother’s time there. What begins as a coming-of-age journey quickly deepens into a haunting exploration of legacy, memory, and protection. Delilah’s discoveries offer a poignant reflection on the weight of the past and the lengths a parent will go to in order to shield their child from it.

Of all of Megan Miranda’s books, this one feels uniquely different. The tone is more intimate, the emotional layers richer, and the character development especially strong. It’s less about plot twists and more about the quiet revelations that reshape everything you thought you knew.

I truly enjoyed this read and found myself reflecting not only on Delilah’s journey but on my own time in college. Miranda’s storytelling continues to evolve in meaningful ways, and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

I'm 50/50 on Megan Miranda. I either love her books or can't wait for it to be over. If I hadn't been reading in order to write a review, I would have given up. The book was just way too slow and such long long explanations that I couldn't get into. I didn't care for any of the characters. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers. This one is a miss for me but others might love it if they are fans of Miranda.

This book sadly let me down. I so badly wanted to love this one because Megan Miranda is Queen but it took me forever to finish because I was just not invested in the story enough.