The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda

Hello everyone. I hope you're having a great day.

I recently told you about an experience my husband's "parts" had with a dresser while on a family trip to the Outer Banks (see review for The Villa). (Laughing at myself, aren't you glad you read this...about hubby's "parts".  I dare you to find THAT in another book blog!) That trip was with my whole family, spouses, kids, the works, we even took our dog.  Our adventure was in May and there was a storm heading out to sea.  We got there first and the cottage, on stilts, was literally swaying in the wind.  Not to be indelicate (what the heck I've already mentioned privates...repeatedly) but the water in the toilet was sloshing from side to side.  Okay, perhaps sloshing is a bit dramatic but there was definitely wave action!  The weather, as usual, was undependable, cold one minute and roasting the next.  Now there are stores and restaurants galore, but at that time, it was still the wild west of the east coast.  No gun slingers but there was also no miniature golf, and you could kiss any hopes of an ice cream cone goodbye.  It's a wonder we survived such untamed conditions.  Now Kill Devil Hills has a Target.  The wild west now has a shopping buggy and dollar section.

I recently read The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda.  My reading relationship with this author has run hot and cold.  While her books are sold as thrillers, they really are more like a mystery with some intrigue.  This is the story of a group with friends who experienced a tragedy together.  They have decided not to discuss the details, their secrets, so have kept them within the group.  Each year on the anniversary of this terrible accident, the group spends their time together in a cottage on the Outer Banks.  The story is told in one voice, that of the survivor Cassidy.  She has broken ties with the group.  It has been many years and Cassidy would rather focus on her life now and put the past behind her.  Despite changing all phone numbers, email addresses, etc., she receives a text from someone in the group.  She is directed to the obituary of one of the other members, Ian.  Cassidy cared for Ian and is shocked to learn of his death.  Propelled by the loss of her friend, she reluctantly decides to attend this year's anniversary gathering.  Once she arrives odd things start happening, making her question not only the text she received but all her fellow survivors.  As things progress tensions are magnified as a terrible storm rolls in, isolating the friends further.  We slowly learn not only what happened in the past, but about the present events.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.  It was an easy, pleasant read, that was well researched and full of atmosphere.  For me, the middle dragged a bit, but I prefer a rocket paced, page flipping thriller.  Again, this felt more like a mystery.  Around page 300 I really thought the author had betrayed her readers, taking the story in a terrible place.  Reading further, I discovered this was NOT the case, the twist introduced was one I hadn't even considered, which I love.  The end was kind of blah for me.  I wish it had been much more dramatic, again, I love heart pounding thrillers. Megan Miranda is a world class author and I'm a housewife who isn't going to the grocery store this week and is already out of bread.  Check this book out for yourself, I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Nags Head was so rural when we were there, I saw Black Beard sword fighting the Wright brothers on the beach.  There may have been some alcohol involved.