j_squaredd's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Car accident, and Alcohol
Moderate: Drug abuse, Vomit, Suicide, and Child death
ashlynhammer95's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, and Suicide
beckyremillard's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Toxic friendship, Blood, Car accident, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Death
cassiereadsbooks_'s review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Car accident, Suicide, and Toxic friendship
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Suicide, Addiction, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Drug abuse, Death, and Child death
Moderate: Alcohol, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Sexual content
kelly_e's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Title: The Only Surviors
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 11, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Atmospheric • Layered • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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. 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.
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having only read one Megan Miranda book previously, I was drawn to her latest release because of the stunning cover. I picked this one up hoping for an entraining palette cleanser and it was certainly that.
What I like:
• the setting. Miranda does atmosphere really, really well. Here the Outer Banks, particularly the house, are a character all their own. It felt creepy and suspicious.
• the structure. Told in dual timelines, this one has a unique structure with the present timeline moving forward linearly, whereas the past timeline was told in reverse. This structure worked really well in helping create suspicion.
What I didn't like:
• the large cast. It took some time to sort everyone out, and because there are so many characters I never got a good sense of who each was. It made connecting or liking any of them pretty much impossible.
• the unreliable narrator. Given I never got a good sense of any of the characters, I really never felt connected to Cassidy (who narrates the present timeline), so I just didn't care at times.
A slow burn and slightly predictable thriller, The Only Survivors isn't a story that will stick with me long-term, but I did enjoyed my reading experience at the time. I can definitely see it being popular this summer, and I'll continue to explore this author's work for the entertainment value alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Megan Miranda fans
• readers who enjoy locked-door mysteries
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There's a moment, when your mind rebels against what it knows to be true."
"There are things you have to do to survive, and there are things you have to believe too - and this was one of them."
Author: Megan Miranda
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 3.50
Pub Date: April 11, 2023
T H R E E • W O R D S
Atmospheric • Layered • Predictable
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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. 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.
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Having only read one Megan Miranda book previously, I was drawn to her latest release because of the stunning cover. I picked this one up hoping for an entraining palette cleanser and it was certainly that.
What I like:
• the setting. Miranda does atmosphere really, really well. Here the Outer Banks, particularly the house, are a character all their own. It felt creepy and suspicious.
• the structure. Told in dual timelines, this one has a unique structure with the present timeline moving forward linearly, whereas the past timeline was told in reverse. This structure worked really well in helping create suspicion.
What I didn't like:
• the large cast. It took some time to sort everyone out, and because there are so many characters I never got a good sense of who each was. It made connecting or liking any of them pretty much impossible.
• the unreliable narrator. Given I never got a good sense of any of the characters, I really never felt connected to Cassidy (who narrates the present timeline), so I just didn't care at times.
A slow burn and slightly predictable thriller, The Only Survivors isn't a story that will stick with me long-term, but I did enjoyed my reading experience at the time. I can definitely see it being popular this summer, and I'll continue to explore this author's work for the entertainment value alone.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Megan Miranda fans
• readers who enjoy locked-door mysteries
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"There's a moment, when your mind rebels against what it knows to be true."
"There are things you have to do to survive, and there are things you have to believe too - and this was one of them."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident and Mental illness
Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Grief, Child death, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, and Vomit
sibling death, PTSD, overdosejillwedemeier's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
From the "New York Times" bestselling author of "All the Missing Girls" and "The Last House Guest," comes "The Only Survivors," a gripping mystery about former classmates who reunite each year on the anniversary of a tragic accident.
Ten years ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine, claiming the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. Nine students were the only survivors, and their lives were forever changed. After one of the survivors commits suicide on the first anniversary of the crash, the remaining members make a pact to come together each year at a house on the Outer Banks. By the tenth anniversary, one of the survivors, Cassidy, has tried to distance herself from the tragedy. She plans not to attend this year, but on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary of another survivor. Grief-stricken, Cassidy heads to the Outer Banks. When she arrives, something feels off, and Cassidy is the first to notice that Amaya, the annual organizer, has disappeared. Then, as a storm heads toward the Outer Banks, the group faces closed roads and surging waters, again. With only seven survivors remaining, this locked-room mystery is told from Cassidy's point of view over a span of seven days, with flashbacks to the seven hours prior to their rescue on the day of the accident.
Megan Miranda has spoiled me. This book was an enjoyable read, but it just didn't blow me away like her other books did. It was definitely a slow burn, and there were so many characters that I started getting confused about who was who. I loved the setting and the storyline, though, and there were a lot of unexpected twists and big reveals at the end that made it worthwhile. It was a quick and easy read, making it a perfect beach read this summer.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that BEAUTIFUL cover?!
Ten years ago, two vans filled with high school seniors on a school service trip crashed into a Tennessee ravine, claiming the lives of multiple classmates and teachers. Nine students were the only survivors, and their lives were forever changed. After one of the survivors commits suicide on the first anniversary of the crash, the remaining members make a pact to come together each year at a house on the Outer Banks. By the tenth anniversary, one of the survivors, Cassidy, has tried to distance herself from the tragedy. She plans not to attend this year, but on the day of the reunion, she receives a text with an obituary of another survivor. Grief-stricken, Cassidy heads to the Outer Banks. When she arrives, something feels off, and Cassidy is the first to notice that Amaya, the annual organizer, has disappeared. Then, as a storm heads toward the Outer Banks, the group faces closed roads and surging waters, again. With only seven survivors remaining, this locked-room mystery is told from Cassidy's point of view over a span of seven days, with flashbacks to the seven hours prior to their rescue on the day of the accident.
Megan Miranda has spoiled me. This book was an enjoyable read, but it just didn't blow me away like her other books did. It was definitely a slow burn, and there were so many characters that I started getting confused about who was who. I loved the setting and the storyline, though, and there were a lot of unexpected twists and big reveals at the end that made it worthwhile. It was a quick and easy read, making it a perfect beach read this summer.
Also, can we take a moment to appreciate that BEAUTIFUL cover?!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Death, and Suicide
Moderate: Drug abuse
ckschroeder's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Suicide
Moderate: Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Drug use
Minor: Gun violence, Stalking, and Violence
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book was pretty good, not as predictable as most thrillers. However, I saw a few things coming. I understand why she blamed herself, though it was her teacher's fault. I wish they'd gone a bit more into some of the other characters not just in the flashbacks. As multiple POVs would have been better. But overall a good thriller with an exploration of survivors' guilt and trauma.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Car accident, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Vomit, Addiction, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Drug use, and Drug abuse
shutupiamreading's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
If you're looking for a good locked-room mystery, this is for you. I loved the atmosphere of the beach house and the setting in the South, and there is just the right amount of creepiness and mystery. Also love how well Megan Miranda does the reverse chronological timeline!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse