I really loved this one. What an original concept! I loved how the letters affected everyone and we learned their history through the present. It got really twisty at the end and I was not expecting how it turned out.

4.5

A fresh, gripping twisted thriller.
This one pulled me in with its unique vibe—even with a slow start, I was hooked. The ending? Speechless.

You think you can rewrite the past… but the past might just write back.
When letters written by high schoolers in 2003 resurface 20 years later, long-buried secrets come to light—secrets tied to a classmate’s tragic death. After one recipient takes her own life, her best friend Audrey digs for the truth… and uncovers way more than she bargained for.

3.5 book here, can't quite commit to a 4th star. Time capsule letters are sent to former students with some disastrous results. I loved the main story that followed these letters and how it brought back up so much from the past and pulled it all together. I wish there had been a bit more of what happened with other letters outside of our main story. The quickie snippets made me want just a bit more of those stories. In exchange, the main story could have been tightened up to allow space for those other stories while improving the pace of the book. Also, I am not sure why but I kept getting the two main male characters confused. They felt so very similar to each other, especially compared to the tertiary men throughout the book. And, while I did overall really like the story, the letter at the end that wrapped everything up was annoying. I don't like neat little bow endings and it didn't add anything to the story, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed this. It has multiple time jumps and narrators but I thought it was great. It also features multiple people’s letters from the past. I enjoyed trying to figure out the mystery, and although I got a couple of the twists I definitely didn’t get them all. All in all solid book with some great characters.

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen for the copy of this ARC. This will be out in June of 2025.

This was such a fun and clever read—imagine Desperate Housewives with a twist: the drama is sparked by a school assignment from 20 years ago, where students had to write letters to their future selves.

I loved the premise because it taps into something so relatable. Many of us have had a teacher give us that same assignment, and at the time, it always feels a bit silly. But in Dear Future Me, the unexpected delivery of those letters two decades later sets off a chain of events that’s anything but trivial.

As old secrets resurface and new ones are uncovered, the lives of these former classmates unravel in ways no one could have predicted. This story perfectly blends mystery with thoughtful reflection—what really happened on that fateful school trip when a student died? Can we truly change the course of our lives, even years later? And is getting what you once wanted actually what’s best for you?

Set against a coastal backdrop, this novel is the perfect summer thriller with depth. Pick this one up when it hits shelves on June 3rd—you won’t regret it.

“Dear Future Me” grabbed me from the first page. It was fast-paced with a twisty, suspenseful plot. The characters were well-developed - Audrey was definitely the star. She was such a fantastically written character, filled with so much feeling and detail. I did like the multiple POV aspect and the back and forth timeline as well.

Thank you to Deborah O’Connor, Poisoned Pen Press, and Netgalley for the e-arc of Dear Future Me! Twisty thriller filled with secrets and lies! I loved the different characters letters within the book showing you characters personalities/development from childhood to present. I also loved the main character Audrey! I thought I had the end figured out multiple times but I was wrong! Loved the concept of the dear future me letters, kept my interest throughout! This book publishes on 6/3/25!

Twenty years ago, a high school class was given an assignment to write letters to their future selves. When several students, now adults, receive their letters, they contain secrets about the death of a fellow student on a class trip shortly after the letters were written. When one of the former students commits suicide after she opens her letter, the former classmates are thrust into another police investigation. Dear Future Me is an engaging thriller with an interesting and unique plot, as the reader is immediately pulled in with a quick and shocking opening as the contents of the letters are revealed by each addressee. The plot is propelled by Audrey, the best friend of the girl who commits suicide, as she doggedly tries to unravel the mystery, and her character is easy to root for throughout her ordeal. The author definitely delivers on an interesting concept in this twisty, entertaining read. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DEAR FUTURE ME by Debora O’Connor
5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
MOOD: 🫨😵🫢🤯😨

Thanks @netgalley @sourcebooks @poisonedpenpress @deborahleighoconnor for the ARC! 🤍 Publish day JUNE 03. Mark your calendars!!!

MI OPINIÓN:
Este libro fue simplemente perfecto. Desde el inicio, la historia me atrapó con un ritmo ágil que nunca decae; siempre está ocurriendo algo que mantiene la tensión y el interés al máximo. Los personajes están muy bien construidos y es muy dinámico.
El desarrollo de la trama es top, con giros inesperados que sorprenden cada vez y momentos llenos de suspenso que me mantuvieron al borde del asiento. Cada capítulo aporta algo nuevo y sorprendente, lo que hace que sea imposible dejar de leer.
Este libro tiene todo lo que busco en una gran historia: misterio, intriga, emociones intensas, buen final. Gran plot. Sin duda, merecería hacerse película!

Hasta ahora mi favorito del año 🤍

————————

MY OPINION:
This book is captivating from start to finish, with a fast-paced, suspenseful plot filled with unexpected twists. The characters are well-developed, and each chapter surprises, making it impossible to put down. It’s packed with mystery, intrigue, and intense emotions—definitely movie-worthy and my favorite read of the year 🤍

#DearFutureMe #netgalley #thrillers #thrillerbooks #thrillerbooksaddict

The premise for this thriller is perfect. The pacing and unfolding of the story builds to a crescendo I didnt see coming! I really enjoyed this novel and felt the visceral storyline of what it means for your life not to turn out how you expected

"Dear Future Me" was an assignment topic in a high school class. Twenty years later, the former students were shocked to see the letters in the mail. Emotions ran the gamut from surprise to anger to panic as they were faced with terrible secrets they had managed to keep quiet. Well-liked and successful Miranda's reaction was extreme and her lifeless body was found beneath a cliff shortly after. Her friend Audrey was horrified and desperate to discover what happened. Filled with crippling grief, she contacted and questioned the remaining individuals which inevitably led them to places they didn't want to go. Miranda's wasn't the only death they knew. But grief can result from other losses, too. Audrey's life had gone in a completely different direction than she had desired and she found herself reflecting on her struggles. What she discovered about her former classmates chilled and surprised her.

Ambition, betrayal and guilt can cause people to behave in ways they usually wouldn't. This novel is more than a thriller...it highlights deep feelings felt by a wide range of characters. The slower pace worked beautifully and steadily built up tension. I felt involved. The ending was satisfying and unexpected. All in all, well worth jumping into, especially if you crave originality!

This was a decent thriller. I loved how this book jumped right into the action. I did find some parts to drag or throw the pacing off but nothing major. I didn't see the ending coming.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. All views and opinions in this review are my own.

“Dear Future Me” is a small town mystery done right. It has a unique premise, hinging on letters to one’s “future self” with potential for a reckoning with past mistakes and past selves. The storytelling flowed easily, I was hooked every chapter, with just a hint of detail to keep the reader guessing until the end.

I also appreciate that it’s not as fast-paced and as “twisty” as most thrillers tend to be. The mystery relied on the main character Audrey’s empathy and ability to build connections with her former classmates, while also battling some issues of her own and dealing with grief in her own way.

Thank you NetGalley and Deborah O'Connor for this ARC! This read was a bit slow for me and I felt myself losing interest throughout. The story concept with the "Dear Future Me' letters was great, I really did enjoy that concept. What would one say to there future self? Definitely had me thinking what would I have written?
The characters were developed well but I didn't connect with any of them and maybe that is why I felt a loss of interest while reading. I think some our our patrons who enjoy these types of books will really gravitate towards this one.
In the future I will look for more of this author's works.

First I would like to thank Poisoned Pen Press, NetGalley and Deborah O’Connor for this eARC.

This being my first book my by Deborah I was very impressed. The writing style was wonderful. The storyline was great. The twists and turns that I have repeatedly said are my favorite parts of a story are right here in this one. Though I did figure it out, it didn’t take away from the story and how much I enjoyed it. I highly recommend this book!

thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC!

yeah idk. this isn't bad but I feel like it could have been way better. there are like... three characters too many here, and some of them genuinely seem to have very little point in the story or development of the protagonist. that said, speaking of the protagonist, I really did love her. I think O'Connor did a great job with a character in a pretty unusual situation for a book of this kind. just wish the other characters had some more development. also boy... her brother sucks and there's not really any reckoning with this and that bothered me.

Glad I got to read this early. Started slowly for me, but it got better. Will recommend it to patrons. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

My experience reading Dear Future Me is a conflicting one, and not one I believe I've encountered before. While it was very well-written, the pacing was incredibly slow. (Normally, I find the opposite to be true — the plot flies, but the writing is lackluster.) Anyway, it's such a bummer because I think I would have loved the story if there was more suspense and intrigue. Nevertheless, I think readers who love a slow burn will *love* this book.

I loved the idea behind the plot of this book. Personally, I'd never read a book like this before, so I was very curious to see what this one would unfold. Overall, I enjoyed iy, but this turned out to be too long for my taste, and too slow. I believe a few chapters less would benefit this book. Especially after the first 1/3 of it. I started to lose interest and almost considered dnfing it.
But this is an interesting premise, so I could recommend it to readers who enjoy slow-burn mysteries.
The writing is actually quite atmospheric, so it helps, too.
Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for the eARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a ride. The more the book went on, the more secrets were discovered and revealed. My jaw was dropped to be very end. Letters written in the past come back to haunt and change everyone’s future. The twist and turns had me hooked! Great read!