By: Megan Miranda
One school trip changed everything for a small town and the few teenagers that survived. Now, ten years later, there are only seven “friends” left and they all still drop everything to retreat to the beach house in memory of that horrific event. Despite going to school together, and surviving the unimaginable, these seven people are practically strangers. Now with the threat of long buried secrets being leaked, they must figure out who among them can be trusted. Will these people team up together, in order to survive this melancholy week? Or will they continue to perish one by one?
Cassidy is not a character readers will love, but readers who have experienced deep trauma/grief will be able to relate to her. Cassidy’s strong desire to break the cycle of the past and just forget about the event, drives her actions throughout the whole story. Readers will start out seeing her evaluate each situation and figure out who would be worth saving, unable to escape the survivor instinct that now seems part of her DNA. There are a lot of phrases constantly repeated throughout each chapter, including “the only survivors” which detracts from the title and the story. The Outer Banks setting is perfect for this story. Readers will be able to feel like they are in that shabby beach house, with the storm getting closer. The setting provides so many metaphors for the plot that it amplifies the fact that these seven people are still trapped in the event from ten years ago.
I wanted to love this book. I wanted to read it in one sitting and rave about it for years. Unfortunately, I cannot. I know this is in part due to my illness, messing with my focus and the side effects that had me tied up in knots for weeks. I have set down many books in these last 13 months. However, I did keep going back to this story, because I knew, just knew deep down it would get better. Once I reached the midpoint of the story, I did finish it in two days. I liked the peeling of layers. I liked how it reminded me more of a puzzle, rather than a thriller. And I loved the setting! (The setting is the absolute best part!!!) While this wasn’t my favorite story, I know others will absolutely love it.
What’s the last psychological thriller that you’ve read?
Notes:
I signed up to honestly review an advanced e-copy of this story via Netgalley and the publisher, Simon & Schuster.
To learn more about this book, click here.