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My April BOTM – The Only Survivors is a propulsive and chilling locked box mystery filled with the dazzling hairpin twist that is the author’s signature. The Only Survivors is bestselling author Megan Miranda’s best novel yet.
The Goodreads Description:
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 rive 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. 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 there are seven – and Cassidy finds herself hurtling back towards 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, they’ve been through, she wouldn’t willfully make them worry. Would she? And as they promised long ago each survivor will do whatever she or he can to save one another. Won’t they?
“I believed fate was an accumulation of decisions, not all of them yours.”
My Thoughts
Are you really shocked I chose another thriller? You shouldn’t be. I have heard nothing but amazing things about author Megan Miranda. Not to mention she has the coolest covers on all her books. This book was no different. I love any book set in the Carolinas and Outer Banks is no different. The writing was exceptional along with the character development. As stated above Megan is the queen of great plot twists and turns. I was left guessing chapter after chapter. I couldn’t put it down, probably why I finished it in five days.
“risk was not a thing that could be calculated in math class or fully reconciled by history. That it was often tied to some element of loss. She had witnessed that dichotomy in her mother’s expression as she told the stories of her past, triumph mixed with regret. The Andrewses made their own fate.”
As for negatives on the book, I was left wanting more details throughout the book. Such as when the flashbacks to the crash were told. It took me a while to piece those details together. The ending felt rushed. I think there could have been more to add but we will just have to use our imaginations.
The storyline reminds us that when you go through something tragic you should lean on those around you pact or no pact. You never know what someone is going through and being there for them, might just be the best thing you can do. Another theme I noted through the story was secrets can be deadly.
I feel for Cassidy on her decisions. She wants to start fresh but at the same time if I were her I would keep those friends closer. They went through something that no one should have to go through. No one else could understand what they went through and still go through on a daily basis. I would recommend this book to other readers who like thrillers and mysteries. I would not recommend it to readers who don’t like topics such as mental illness, and suicide. Overall I give The Only Survivors a four-star rating.
Find your copy here: https://shopstyle.it/l/bVVtu
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