Although this book had me intrigued throughout, I felt like there was a lot of surface information but no depth to a lot of the story. I wish the author would've gotten into more detail about the town and the traditional, and also the FMC's past relationships. I think we just scratched the surface of the character's experiences and it would've helped me feel more connected to the characters. Overall, it was a quick read and I liked the premise, also how it ended. I wish we got a little more in the epilogue because I want to know exactly how everything turns out.

The beginning of this novel drew me in, but I was lost by the middle. This book had some good twists, but I couldn’t stand the main character. Also Beckett’s daughter wouldn’t have had any of the issues she had if Beckett would have been honest with her from the beginning. I’m still confused as to what the howling is and why Adalyn made the decisions she did. I feel like I’ve been left with more questions than answers.

I love Megan Miranda's writing style. It keeps you thoroughly engaged and makes me want to check out all of her other works. If this book is any indicator then they will all be special as well.

Loved it!! Beckett could have solved a bunch of problems by telling Delilah the truth about everything from the start. Delilah might not have applied to Wyatt College if she had known what happened to her mom there all those years ago. Now Delilah is being targeted for the tragedy that happened during the fire. So many people still blame Beckett and believe she helped Adalyn escape town. I couldn't imagine why Beckett's parents didn't want her staying in their house while they were away. It seemed so suspicious. Were they trying to hide something? If Delilah wouldn't have gone "missing" then the truth about Adalyn would have never been discovered. Everyone blamed Adalyn and Beckett for the fire, but why were two twenty-four year old men going after college girls? The guys weren't there to play board games. They were there for revenge and nothing good was going to happen if they caught Adalyn and Beckett. Didn't anyone question why they were on the campus? I was suspicious of so many people, especially Cliff and the janitor. Cliff seemed to know more than he let on. There had to be a reason his house was burnt down. Then there was the janitor . He happened to be in Delilah's room during move-in day. He always happened to be around when Beckett showed up on campus. I figured he had to have something to do with Delilah's missing items. There were so many twists and turns, I had no idea who to believe or trust. Everyone seemed to be hiding a secret. Would have loved to learn more about Adalyn.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller and kept me guessing until the end. I was definitely shocked when the truth about everything was finally revealed and who was behind everything. Loved the characters, story and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Simon Element through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Megan Miranda’s You Belong Here is a gripping psychological thriller that weaves together themes of memory, guilt, and the inescapable pull of the past. Set against the backdrop of Wyatt Valley, a picturesque yet insular college town in the Virginia mountains. The story itself takes place in the present, as well as 20 years ago. The story centers on Beckett Bowery, a ghostwriter who has spent two decades avoiding Wyatt Valley, where she attended college and where her parents were professors.

Her senior year was marred by a tragedy known as “the Howling,” a hazing ritual gone wrong that left two local men dead and Beckett’s roommate, Adalyn, on the run. Though never convicted, Beckett was implicated as an accomplice and sent to finish her degree at a sister college in London, where she met Trevor and ended up with Delilah before a peaceful separation. Now, her daughter Delilah has secretly applied to Wyatt College and earned a full scholarship, pulling Beckett back to the town she swore never to revisit.

When Delilah goes missing after a cryptic, dropped phone call, Beckett must unravel the secrets of her past and the town’s hidden traditions to find her daughter. The narrative alternates between the present and flashbacks to Beckett’s college years, gradually revealing the truth behind the tragedy and its lingering impact. When the body of an older woman is found during the return of the Howling, ghosts from the past come back to haunt not only Beckett, but Delilah as well. The alternating timelines are seamlessly woven, with past and present converging to deepen the mystery.

Flashbacks to Beckett’s college days provide context for her guilt and paranoia, while the present-day search for Delilah keeps the stakes high. Miranda’s precision in revealing just enough to keep readers guessing is masterful, making the dual narrative a highlight. The relationship between Beckett and Delilah is an emotional core of the novel. Beckett’s overprotective instincts, born from her own traumatic past, clash with Delilah’s teenage desire for independence, creating a realistic and relatable dynamic.

As the protagonist, Beckett is a flawed, relatable character whose guilt and protective instincts drive the narrative. Her status as a potentially unreliable narrator adds tension, as readers question whether her fears are justified or paranoid. Delilah is a realistic teenager, balancing independence with vulnerability. Her decision to attend Wyatt College without her mother’s knowledge sets the plot in motion, and her disappearance fuels the suspense. Trevor seems like a good guy who was only in the story because he's Delilah's father. Let's also understand that if you live in a small town, people have long memories, and they won't let you forget the past no matter how far you run away.

Thank you to NetGalley, Megan Miranda, and Simon Element for the eARC. Wow—what an incredible slow burn! Megan Miranda masterfully unravels the story, chapter by chapter, with such precision and suspense. A beautifully crafted psychological thriller that kept me up late into the night. An absolute must-read!

Megan Miranda never disappoints! Twists in all the right places, character development is strong and engaging, and never saw the ending coming! Looking forward to hearing what our shoppers think of the book!

An exceptional story of how the past can always come back to haunt you. In the case of, You Don’t Belong Here, it reminds us that your family is never safe from your past.
Megan Miranda brings us another suspense filled novel that leaves you holding your breath!
Highly recommended!
Thank you NetGalley. All comments and opinions are my own.

My first Megan Miranda book won't be my last. This was a solid, suspense filled drama with enough secrets, twists and turns to keep me interested. I'm not sure what the whole story was around "the howling" and what made it so terrifying, but I understood enough to get the gist of the storyline.
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon Element for the advance review copy!

Megan Miranda kept me reading just 1 more chapter until I finished this book!

We follow Beckett as she returns to Wyatt Valley to drop her daughter Delilah off at Wyatt College, her own alma mater. Beckett is hesitant to leave her daughter here due to her own circumstances for leaving the rural college town where her own parents have taught for years.

Beckett quickly returns to town when strange things start happening. She learns that all actions have future consequences and now that her daughter is the one that will be paying them, she tries to untangle the mess created two decades before. I kept wanting to know what the outcome would be.

There were a few things that left me confused or wanting more explanation. In particular, the howling (which is a major plot point) was not described in enough detail to fully comprehend what it was.

Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, the plot, and the writing.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for providing me an ARC of the book.

Megan Miranda did it again, she kept me wrapped around my kindle until I finished this book!

We follow Beckett as she returns to Wyatt Valley, despite her liking to drop her daughter, Delilah off to Wyatt College. She is fearful of this scenario due to the circumstances on which she left town to begin with.

Beckett quickly returns to town when strange things start happening. She learns that all actions have future consequences and now that her daughter is the one that will be paying them, she tries to untangle the mess created two decades before.

The mysterious atmosphere was on point! It kept me wanting to know what the outcome would be.

Overall, I enjoyed the mystery, the plot and the writing. If you are a fan of thrillers, this one will hook you slowly but surely.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon Element for providing me an ARC of the book.

I've got mixed feelings about this one. It had some good twists, was really suspenseful, was a really quick read, I enjoyed the flashbacks but... I have so many questions. First, I still don't quite understand what 'the howling is'... and why Adalyn did what she did, and some other things about the end that I won't reveal but didn't quite make sense to me. So yeah, I guess an easy twisty read, but not one to think about too much. *shrug*

Beckett didn't want her daughter to attend the college in her hometown that she fled from many years ago. She feared it would resurface old feelings and somehow her daughter would get wrapped into it.

Her daughter insisted - she wasn't ever told all of the details of why her mother left town - so she didn't understand her mom's fears.

Now, the daughter goes missing while on campus and Beckett must return to town to find her and face the consequences of her actions long ago.

This book is the perfect "back to school" thriller with surprising twists. I loved learning how the past unraveled as the flashback chapters went on.

Thanks again to NetGalley and Simon Element / S&S / Marysue Rucci Books for providing me with a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Beckett Bowery is struggling to send her only daughter off to college, but its not just the normal empty nest that all parents experience. Her daughter, Delilah has chosen to attend her mothers alma mater which just so happens to be where both her parents are professors and the scene of an unsolved murder. If that wasn´t enough Beckett´s college roommate was a prime suspect but she has not been heard from since that night!
Megan Miranda has written a twisty fast paced mystery that you will stay up into the late hours of the night reading! Her characters are well written and relatable and they each have something they are hiding. I devoured this book, Megan Miranda never disappoints she kept me guessing the entire book! Well done!

I love all of Megan Miranda's books so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I really enjoyed this one, kept me intrigued the whole way through. I liked the college campus atmospheric setting in a small town. I think the ending was great and unexpected. I think the puzzle of this suspense unfolded nicely and was well written. Perfect to read on a night in. Give it a read !

Thank you Netgalley and Simon Element for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

Megan Miranda is such a powerhouse of a writer and her skills are out in full force with this new release. She crafts a twisty tale with compelling characters and page-turning suspense.

Premise was great, and the book started off strong. I was very invested in the beginning and all the way through until about the middle. At that point, I felt like the book lost itself and wasn’t really advancing the story anywhere. I didn’t get that thrilling must turn the pages filled with this book. I will definitely read more by this author as she is one of my favorites.

Wyatt Valley is a college town marred by a tragic fire that resulted in the death of two local young men and cast a pall of suspicion over Beckett Bowery after her roommate, the suspected arsonist, disappeared. Beckett has kept her distance from her hometown in all the years since then, but when her daughter Delilah earns a full scholarship to Wyatt Collage, they’ll all be forced to confront the secrets of the past.

I’m a big Megan Miranda fan (Daughter of Mine was one of my favorite reads last year), so You Belong Here was one of my most anticipated reads of this summer. Miranda excels at setting a suspenseful atmosphere, and the small town college/dark academia vibes are spot on. The tension is so deliciously palpable that I wanted more of it, especially The Howling, which didn’t seem fully fleshed out to me. There is somewhat of a dual timeline, although I would have liked even more of Beckett’s college days. The pacing is slow but propulsive, with some twists I saw coming and others that surprised me. All in all, a solid mystery/thriller with good bones that didn’t quite come together for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Element, and Marysue Rucci Books for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of You Belong Here. I’ve enjoyed Megan Miranda’s work in the past, and while this one had some strong points, it didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

I liked the eerie, close-knit college town setting and the slow unraveling of past secrets. The dual timelines worked well to build some suspense, and the twist at the end was satisfying. But the middle dragged a bit, and I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I hoped I would. Beckett’s suspicion seemed to shift too easily, and that made it harder to stay fully invested.

Overall, it was a decent read, just not my favorite from Miranda. I think readers who like atmospheric mysteries with a slow build will still enjoy it.

I love a good cozy end-of-summer read, outside in 68º weather, and nearly the same setting!

Beck's family has a lengthy generational presence in the halls of Wyatt Valley College in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. She hasn't been back since the day she received the letter expelling her from the school - since the fire that killed two students, causing her friend, Adalyn, to become a twenty-year fugitive. And now, to Beck's surprise, her daughter, Delilah, has applied and been accepted into Wyatt Valley. No longer able to hide from her past, Beck decides it's time to face old demons. But when Delilah gets lost in the woods and a dead body is found at a construction site on campus, Beck and Delilah become suspects. Since the police are bound by limited information, Beck must act fast to save her fragile family. She knows more than anyone.

It's challenging to write a captivating thriller novel these days with original ideas and an ending that leaves the reader satisfied. This was a good book. I don't have many negative things to say about it. Miranda is a fantastic writer. There were a few gasping moments and the dramatic arc did keep me engaged. I just wasn't astonished with this one. I'll continue to read Megan Miranda's books. She's certainly not disappointing.

A special thank you to NetGalley, Megan Miranda, and Simon Elements for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!