The Only Survivors

Megan Miranda

Mystery Thriller

A mystery about a group of former classmates who reunite to mark the tenth anniversary of a tragic accident—only to have one of the survivors disappear, casting fear and suspicion on the original tragedy.

Seven hours in the past. Seven days in the present. Seven survivors remaining. Who would you save?

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?

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

“Who could fault us, really, for doing what it took to survive?”

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) After a tragic accident in their teens, a group of 9 make a pact to stay together as friends but also to get together on each anniversary.

The way this was written was done well. We start in the present then jump to the past. Each scene in the past goes backwards counting down to the one moment that caused everything. I had to pay attention to the chapter headings but I liked how it counted down to “the moment” that is referred to many times but not talked about.

It’s a familiar trope, kids doing something horrible, then making a pact to keep it a secret. Then years later it comes back to haunt them.  However, I liked it. It held my attention well. I can’t say I feel I have all the pieces to the mystery but I do understand much better the trauma they endured. It was a fun read that kept my interest. I recommend this to thriller lovers!

General content summary: F words= 20+, language, alcohol, suicide (previous, few details), many die when a bus runs into a river (some details, blood, injuries), drowning, baby abandoned and found (previous), some details of a corpse, gun threat, gunshot wound and blood, fall from great height (death). 

Thank you to Scribner Books for the copy!

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

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