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The Only Survivors: a compulsive, gripping shock of a thriller from the bestselling author of The Last House Guest

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Told primarily by Cassidy Bent in the present, there were also a handful of extremely tense and riveting POVs from the past that gave me a Lord of the Flies feeling. As much as the former was a slow burn of perfectly drawn out suspense, the latter was anything but predictable and I hungrily ate up every word. Ultimately, the plot of this one, while perhaps not all that original, felt eerie and chilling and succeeded 100%, in my opinion. The SEVEN who remain gather at the property, and the charade continues, with sand, swimming, and S’mores over a sizzling campfire until ANOTHER one from the group disappears. Can they really trust one another? In the comments below, Susan asks a good question: why was Clara excluded from the survivor’s settlement – the money paid out by the school to the victims and the survivors.

And then, before I could stop the image: I saw them running, funneling out the front door, a massive wave rising up behind the house, sky darkening, shadow expanding. The chaos of panic, and wondering who I would save first— First, it’s a challenge when there is a large cast of characters to really get to know any of them, and with the exception of Cass, that is the case here, as well. As a reader who enjoys strong character development, that is one reason that this one missed the mark for me. We learn the bare minimum about each, so I never grew to care for or empathize with any of them. But, something isn’t right…..people are on edge. The organizer leaves and doesn’t return, and a massive storm is on the way which promises to shut down the only roads in and out of town. It would be hard to concoct a more promisingly sinister setting [that] affords plenty of hiding places for predators and plenty of opportunities for the weather itself to turn villainous. Miranda uses this setting to maximum effect, both as a plot device and as a way to inject steady droplets of terror into the narrative. Masterfully suspenseful.” — Booklist (Starred Review) I loved the smart twists and how things were wrapped up adroitly! I was planning to give four stars but smart ending made me give extra half star and round up 4.5 to 5 slow burn mystery, cabin in the woods stars!

More from The Author

Cassidy Bent is one of the survivors of an accident that happened when she was eighteen years old—two vans carrying high school seniors to a volunteer trip veered off the road into a river in Tennessee. Nine people made it out alive. A year later, when one dies by suicide, the remaining survivors promise to meet up every year on the anniversary—so that none of them has to be alone. Ten years after the accident, Cassidy decides to skip the reunion so that she can finally move forward with her life.

Instead, I’d planned to stay at Russ’s for the weekend, the final step of evasion. I needed to move forward. I was twenty-eight, with a steady job and a semi-serious boyfriend who cooked breakfast on Sundays and owned reasonably decent sheets. Cassidy, Josh, Brody, Hollis, Amaya, Oliver, Grace were the last ones standing! But will they stay alive longer? Somebody is watching the Shallow, playing mind games with them. Bound by this horrific ordeal, the survivors make a pact to come together each year to commemorate it.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 water . . . again. Then Amaya stops responding to her phone. After all they’ve been through, she wouldn’t willfully make them worry. Would she? Fans of Miranda’s previous works won’t be surprised by her skillful timing of twists and turns, but even longtime readers will appreciate just how tautly plotted this thriller is. She doesn’t just employ the use of alternate timelines and perspectives; she breaks the mold entirely, using mirrored settings, dynamics and secrets to both expose the errors of her characters’ past and highlight the effects of the allegiances they’ve formed. The result is a masterwork of craft artistry, so clever that you could almost read it twice --- once for the plot and once to appreciate the technical acuity of its author.

I pressed my fist to my teeth, let out one single gasp, hoped it was muffled under the sound of running water.Maybe it would feel this way no matter where we were, as long as we were together. Maybe everything we touched together turned to ash. Guilt pervades this story as various characters feel guilty for their role in the accident and the aftermath—Amaya feels guilty because the trip was her idea; Cassidy feels guilty because she inadvertently caused the accident. How can these characters overcome their guilt? a b "The Plot Twist of M.I.T. Science Grad-Turned-Mystery Writer Megan Miranda". northernexpress.com . Retrieved 2023-04-04. Growing up, Miranda lived in New Jersey [9] [3] [5] and spent time at her grandparents' house in the Poconos. [4] the edge of the dunes, protected only by aluminum storm shutters and cedar shake siding that had faded over the years to a weather-worn gray.

Did Grace kill Clara to keep the secret of the fact that she killed Ben? And did she push Russ off the cliff? I straightened my spine, steeling myself. On a list of things that could set my nerves on edge, this would be near the top. Not quite as high as driving on curving dark roads, or being lost. But arriving late to this house, with this group: high. I grew tired of Cassidy’s voice; her affect is flat, as she is almost devoid of emotion. I didn’t care one way or another for her. I was more intrigued by the others, perhaps because we only get snippets from their POVs. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly likable or empathetic. Overall though despite the reservations I enjoy the book. I keeps my attention throughout especially my desire to get to the elusive truth and that when it comes is well played.To make matters worse, one year later, a fellow survivor died by suicide after the memorial service, cutting their number down to eight. In an effort to keep an eye on one another and preserve the inimitable connection forged by death and destruction, the remaining survivors have reunited every year since, holing up in a beach house rented by the wealthiest of them for a week.

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