“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. 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. 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. Almost immediately, something feels off this year. Cassidy is the first to notice when Amaya, 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 he or she can do to save one another. Won’t they?”
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Publication Date: April 11th 2023
Content Warning: Graphic car accident, child death. Moderate violence, injury. Minor suicide, drug abuse, stalking.
There is nothing I love more than a ’10 years later’ thriller, as I like to call them. Ten years ago, a group of classmates were involved in a tragic crash and now, those who survived come together in memorial of those they lost.
The Only Survivors follows protagonist Cassidy Bent as she reluctantly returns to the annual meeting place of the survivors. She has been out of contact with the other seven for some time, and learns that one of them has passed away, three months after they died, which is what convinces her to meet up with the remaining six this year.
When Cassidy arrives at the meeting point, it doesn’t feel right, and after an anonymous message telling her that she has to leave is found in her bedroom, her paranoia increases. She doesn’t trust those around her, and I feel like she never has done. She was only involved due to being on the same class trip, and she was never close with anyone else she has been inconveniently left with.
Told between now and then, we are able to learn what happened ten years ago to result in this group still continuing to meet up. Now is told solely from Cassidy’s point of view, with the Then portions being told from each of the other survivors’ point of view. The Then portions add more to the story as they are not only from Cassidy’s POV, and it seems like each person has something that feels as if they are to blame for the crash happening/certain people not surviving.
I’ve been known to have never been able to guess a Megan Miranda plot twist, but I did manage to get it, but only just before it was revealed, which I’ll take as a win!
Much like other Megan Miranda books, this one holds a slow pace and a familiar plot. I knew it was a Miranda book that I was reading as they all have the same feel about them, which is a good thing. It’s good that she has established her own tone and pace that is memorable over the years.
As always, I look forward to Megan’s next publication!
Thank you to Quercus for the ARC!
All the love,
Jade x
Tea Stains and Book Spines 