The Accident

by Lori Miller Kase

Hannah has a She thinks she knows who's behind the hit-and-run accident that killed a popular high school football player in her small Connecticut town. But could it really beher brother, Rob? Or worse, his best friend Zach, the first boy to show her any romantic attention? As the police investigation into the accident unfolds, and Hannah falls hard for Zach, she vows to protect them both. Hannah is consumed with guilt as she finds herself lying to both her parents and her friends. Tensions mount as she learns she and Rob aren't the only ones in the family with a secret, as her friends turn against her, and as two different versions of the truth about the accident emerge, forcing her to decide where her loyalties lie. With her brother? Or with her boyfriend? The Accident is about choices and consequences, secrets and lies, and what happens when you follow your heart instead of your conscience.

Genres: Young Adult

300 pages, Paperback

Published October 14, 2025

Reviews

[Nursebookie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Accident by Lori Miller Kase

I just closed the last page of The Accident, and I’m honestly still sitting here thinking about Hannah - her heartbreak, her choices, and the weight of carrying a secret that could shatter everything. This book didn’t just keep me turning pages… it made me feel every ounce of guilt, love, fear, and confusion right along with her.

Lori Miller Kase captures the messiness of being a teenager so perfectly, when love feels earth-shattering, family means everything, and right and wrong aren’t as clear as they should be. There were moments I wanted to yell at the characters, moments my heart hurt for them, and moments I had to stop and ask myself, What would I do if I were Hannah?

The suspense is intense, but what makes this story unforgettable is the emotion behind every decision - every lie told to protect someone you love, even when it hurts you. It’s raw, honest, and beautifully written.

✨ I didn’t just read this story—I lived it.
✨ Emotional, gripping, and impossible to put down.
✨ If you’ve ever loved someone so much it scared you… this book hits deep.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Catherine Poe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Meryl Moss for my copy of this book which will publish 10/14/2025
Lori Miller Kase has written her debut novel, The Accident which is a YA thriller and psychological drama about love, guilt, and the fine line between protecting others and betraying yourself. I enjoyed this coming of age novel and immediately became interested in the characters and their stories. The author has written a book that will appeal to those that love to read about common every day life situations and family drama , dealing with the consequences of poor decisions made in the moment.

#lorimillerkasewrites

[Patrick D. Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Accident is an excellent book and I recommend it highly, especially to fans of YA psychological thrillers like A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Lori Miller Kase tells a first-class story and uses a first-person point of view to create powerful feelings of suspicion and uncertainty. She knows how to get inside the mind of her teenage protagonist Hannah in a way that makes you feel almost guilty for intruding on her thoughts — almost, but not quite. I felt Hannah's desperation so intensely I found myself fully engaged and speculating wildly right alongside her. This book felt like a modern YA Jane Eyre!

The Accident follows Hannah’s growing dread over what she may or may not know about a hit-and-run accident that killed a popular fellow high schooler. In clean and powerful prose, the author documents Hannah’s thoughts and fears with clinical precision. The ordeal magnifies and intensifies the usual pressures of friendship, family, and school for Hannah, and as the complications grow and tension builds, she becomes convinced that the fates of those around her depend on the choices she makes — or has already made — even as they become more and more difficult.

What The Accident does best is how it gets us inside another person’s mind, something we can never truly do in real life. But what makes it even more special is the way Hannah tries so hard to do that herself. She constantly struggles to understand what the people around her are thinking and feeling, even when they pose threats to her friends and family.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy from the publisher so I was able to read it and offer my honest opinion before the official launch. Five stars!

[Caroline Igra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lori Miller Kase's The Accident is a fast-paced YA thriller with a heavy-duty moral undercarriage. It packs a hard punch and offers an excellent, meaty, thought-provoking reading experience. The accident, announced in the title and occurring right at the start of the novel, is only the beginning of the story. The real focus, and one which Kase unpeels like layers of an onion, holding the reader in suspense while questioning his or her own moral makeup, is the dilemma faced by the main protagonist. The writing is vivid, scenes are beautifully described, and characters are well fleshed out and believable. The tension caused by the original accident only builds as Kase takes us along on a journey of twists and turns that make the protagonist's new reality almost untenable. From the first paragraph, we are swept into a drama from which we can not turn away until we get all of the answers. Great read!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Telling the truth is always the right thing.”

A deadly hit-and-run shatters a quiet Connecticut town—and Hannah can’t shake the chilling feeling that she’s knows who was behind the wheel.

Do you like to read books that make you think? Because this one certainly did! It made me think about loyalty, the importance of honesty, how difficult it is to be a teenager, and the pressure of doing the right thing even when it is hard and may hurt someone you love.

The Accident is action packed but in a much more emotional way as opposed to physical action. It constantly has you thinking and reflecting and wondering…what would I have done? How far would I go to protect my family? Can I accept apologies with grace? Very thought provoking.

Thank you to @meryl_moss, @booktrib, and the author for the gifted copy.

[Monica UpstateBookB*tch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Midweek I finished The Accident by Lori Miller Kase and I loved it! Right from the first chapter, I was totally engrossed, constantly trying to piece together what really happened, and honestly, I had no idea who was lying until the very end. The suspense was expertly handled and kept me guessing with every turn.
What truly impressed me was how authentically Lori Miller Kase captured the teenage mind. Hannah’s thoughts, doubts, and emotions felt incredibly real and raw—nothing felt fake or forced. It’s rare to find a book that delves so deeply and genuinely into the complexities of adolescence while weaving such a gripping mystery.
Plus, I loved that as an adult reader, I never once felt like I was reading a “YA” book; the themes and depth were universal and compelling. If you’re looking for a thriller similar to A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder or One of Us is Lying, check this one out!!

[NYCityGirlReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This YA psychological thriller The Accident starts with a tense and emotional opening that kept me engaged throughout the entire story. Kase expertly portrays teenage protagonist Hannah's confusion and fear through his writing which drew me into her deteriorating mental state. The story revolves around a suspected hit-and-run accident, which creates escalating feelings of guilt and paranoia, and multiple concealed secrets. Through her precise and personal writing style, Kase shows readers the inner turmoil of Hannah's mind while her relationships with friends and family members start to break down. Kase expertly captured how teenagers are consumed by emotion. The story develops its tension perfectly while maintaining mystery about what actually happened and who caused the accident until the final revelation. Thanks to the publisher for an ARC - I gave this three stars, although if I were the target audience, no doubt a five-star read. Praying Kase writes an adult thriller next!

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lori Miller Kase wrote a great (debut) young adult novel. She successfully takes us into the head and mind of the protagonist who overhears her brother and her crush talk about an accident that killed the town's football star. As she questions everything she knows about her brother and her crush, she struggles with her own choices.
This pyschological drama/thriller deals with the consequences of the decisions we make. It's a coming of age novel with endearing characters and a great storyline. I was enticed from the first page, waiting and wanting to know who was actually at fault for the accident. I recommend this book highly!

[Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Right from the start, this book grabbed my attention, with Hannah overhearing secrets about an accident that killed a fellow high school student. The problem is that it puts her between two boys she cares deeply for — her brother and her brother’s best friend.

The short, tense chapters, told from a first-person point of view, give this an edgy psychological feel, and around every bend, more lies and secrets come into the light.

I love discovering new authors, and Lori Miller Kase is one to watch!

Thank you @meryl_moss and @lorimillerkasewrites for this #gifted book.

[Harriet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. I really felt like I was in the mind of the protagonist, Hannah. Each short chapter grabbed my attention and made me want to keep reading. The novel was well paced and really kept my attention. This YA novel captured the family life of a young teenager caught choosing between her new boyfriend and her brother in a hit and run mystery. I want to share this with all my teenager friends. Adults will enjoy too!

[Jane Woodcox · Rating 5 out of 5]

A total page turner! I was immediately pulled into this novel and the mystery of who was responsible for "the accident". The moral dilemma and complicated family/friend dynamics were highly relatable and thought provoking without unnecessary or over the top drama or explicit detail that might be too mature for some teens. As an adult reader I could not predict the ending - wow. I would highly recommend it for a book club read for both young women and men. Or parents with teens.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, that was GOOD! (and not just because i’m a Hannah that went to UHart). The Accident is a deeply beautiful and tragic story about choices, morality, and the decisions we make for the people we love.

I was utterly engrossed in Hannah’s world from the first page to the last. Her story will linger with me. As Lori Miller Kase so eloquently writes:

“Every act - or failure to act - had repercussions. So many butterflies. A multitude of wings flapping.” 🦋

[Camille Kilgore (Coribello) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing read……the cover, intertwining lives transposed via a telling story by an amazing new author of relationships, family, fear, trust, and finding the clarity to navigate the life of a teen. A must read for every middle school classroom and YA who harbors a secret and oh yes how music and science play a part.