That's not my name

by Megan Lally, Stefanie Frida Lemke (Translator)

Wem vertraust du, wenn du dir selbst nicht mehr trauen kannst?

Was machst du, wenn du nach einem Autounfall ohne Erinnerungen am Rande einer Straße aufwachst? Was, wenn dich ein Mann, der sich als dein Vater ausgibt, von der Polizeistation abholen will? Er hat deine Dokumente, zeigt Familienfotos, alles passt so gut zusammen. Dein Name ist Mary. Das sagt er zumindest.

Drew ist am Rande der Verzweiflung. Schon seit Wochen ist Lola verschwunden, und was läge da näher, als dass er, ihr Freund, sie ermordet hat?! Davon scheinen zumindest die Bewohner der Stadt überzeugt. Drew lässt nichts unversucht, seine Freundin zu finden. Denn es ist noch nicht alles verloren - oder?

Ein Wettlauf um die eigene Erinnerung - Nervenkitzel bis zur letzten Seite!

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Young Adult, Fiction, Horror

384 pages, Paperback

First published December 26, 2023

About the author

Megan Lally is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of That’s Not My Name. When she’s not writing dark and twisty young adult novels you might find her barefoot at the ocean, drinking one too many lavender lattes, or arguing about the validity of glitter as a favorite color. (It’s absolutely a color, and it’s the best one.) She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

You can visit her online at MeganLallyWrites.com or on Instagram: @Megan_Lally_

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This is another one of my fastest reads. I was able to devour this book in one sitting, completely drawn into the mystery of a seventeen-year-old girl who wakes up in a ditch, covered in blood, with a crushed nose and a lump on her head, in the middle of nowhere. She has no idea who she is. At the same time, there's Drew, another seventeen-year-old boy accused of the disappearance or presumed murder of his girlfriend, Lola. Are these two events connected?

However, the girl who lost her memory has already been taken home by her worried dad, who drove her from the station and told her a story about meeting her in a cabin. She might have had a car accident, and her name is Mary, so she's not the same missing girl Drew is accused of killing, even though her body hasn't been found. Officer Roane is determined to pin the crime on him to provide closure to the very concerned citizens of the small town.

As Mary spends more time with her overprotective dad, his conservative and controlling ways, which prevent her from going outside without a disguise, raise questions in her mind. Why can't she remember him? But, most importantly, why can't she remember who she really is?

Meanwhile, the town's shunned boy, Drew, is determined to unravel the mystery of his missing girlfriend. Guilt eats away at him because he let her go on the night she disappeared. Can he piece together the clues and track down Lola's location, which may lead him to the cabin where Mary resides and provide the answers he's looking for? Could these two mysteries be connected?

Overall, this is a well-written, heart-throbbing, riveting, and exciting page-turner that you shouldn't miss. I initially planned to give it four stars, but the epilogue featuring Drew affected me more than I expected and brought tears to my eyes. So, I've added half a star and rounded up my rating to 4.5 stars! I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more works by this author in the near future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing me with this unputdownable book's digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Quill&Queer · Rating 5 out of 5]

They call me hell
They call me Sta-cey
They call me Her
They call me Jane

---------------

I've been reading less and less young adult thrillers these days, as the majority of them are just... not good. I decided to pick this one up due to the surprisingly high community rating, and was rewarded with a gripping, emotional story that I flew through in a few days.

This is a dual POV, told from a girl who believes her name is Mary, picked up by her father after an accident triggers amnesia, and Drew, whose girlfriend Lola disappeared one night, leaving him the prime suspect of the investigation. There was a constant question of if Mary really was Lola, and who this father figure really was.

I really liked the ending. The story stays grounded in reality throughout, making this feel like something that could really happen, and the emotional scenes were so well written it made the characters stand out and feel like real people. This is the author's debut, and I'm so excited to see what she writes next.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel gutted after reading this one, and will definitely need something more uplifting now.

[Larissa Cambusano · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ why did this make me tear up. so good.

[Katie Teinert · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

✅Read this if: you want a super quick and easy read that’s mildly suspenseful and you don’t mind a little predictability and ignoring plot holes.
❌Skip this if: you absolutely can’t get past glaring plot holes like the ones mentioned below, you don’t like stories from more than one POV, or if you are looking for a story that gets your heart racing and adrenaline pumping.

—SPOILER WARNING—

I really really wanted to like this book more than I did. These weren’t my only thoughts/grievances, but they were the ones that stood out and that I bothered to jot down as I read. I started just kind of stream of consciousness writing in my notes app, so here are those thoughts:

⚫️ We’re supposed to believe that police and paramedics let someone who was (correctly) assumed to be a minor child refuse medical treatment when she clearly had a concussion and memory loss to the point where she has no idea who she even is or anything about her life?

⚫️ We’re also supposed to believe they let that same child go into the custody of someone claiming to be her father, when she doesn’t know who he is because of memory loss, without doing a blood test or something to verify? Especially when she was found bruised and bloody in the road with no sign of how she got there? Yes he had pictures with her, but that doesn’t mean he’s her parent or that he’s supposed to have her in his custody! (Obviously we’re supposed to accept that the cop is just wildly incompetent because otherwise this story would have ended after 3 chapters.)

⚫️ So….everyone just accepts the assumption that she was in a car accident as fact, but there’s no sign of a car anywhere? If she got into a wreck she can’t have walked too far in the condition she’s in, so WHERE’S THE CAR?!

⚫️ And if they’re assuming it’s a car accident why didn’t the cop ask for any identifying facts about the car so he knows what to look for - license plate, make/model, insurance info…anything? Make it make sense! (Again, we’re supposed to suspend belief in how this would actually happen because if the cop had gotten any info about the car he would have pieced together really quickly that homeboy is lying!)

⚫️ So…Wayne is supposed to be so strict that “Mary” isn’t allowed to wear a modest v-neck shirt because it dips an inch below her collar bone (and he gets really upset about this shirt), she isn’t allowed to read anything that’s not “appropriate,” so there’s nothing but Christian literature and Chicken Soup for the Soul books in her room, but he’s totally chill with her watching Schitt’s Creek? I don’t buy it. No shade because SC is one of my favorite shows. But like…come on. Wayne would for sure not be cool with it.

⚫️ Is this book sponsored by Dairy Queen?

⚫️ The cop doesn’t think it’s at all suspicious that the neighbor goes missing days after he finds this girl bruised and bloody? No red flags?? Okay. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Final thoughts:
I don’t get the hype. The theme is interesting and I think this could have been a great book, but the execution is a big miss for me.

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually didn't see that last bit coming. 4.25

[Abbie Konnick · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW!!! So different from so many other thrillers I’ve read in the best way! Realistically terrifying, so twisty, and so unique (but believable all at the same time). I didn’t expect to like this one so much, but I feel like I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time!

[megs_bookrack · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5-stars rounded up**

That's Not My Name was a great start to a new reading year. If this is what 2024 has in store, I'm a happy girl!



I've been on a holiday for the past 10-days. My house needed cleaning, I needed to unpack, organize, it was a whole day affair. Thanks to Megan Lally, that day was a breeze.

I started this one as soon as I started cleaning this morning and could not stop. It's super compelling, with fabulous narration for the audio. Before I knew it, it was done.



This story follows two perspectives, Mary and Drew. There are dual narrators for the audio and they were each perfect for the character they were portraying. They were convincing as teens, which isn't always the case.

When we meet Mary, she is injured and in distress. She is taken to a police station and expresses that she has no memory of who she is, or how she got injured.

As she and the kind Officer who picked her up try to decide what their next steps will be, a frantic man arrives at the station looking for his daughter.



She doesn't remember him, but really, she doesn't remember anything. He is able to provide the Officer with everything needed to prove she's his daughter, Mary Boone. He has School IDs, family photos, even her birth certificate.

The Officer leaves Mary in his care, but does promise to check up on her soon, after she's had a chance to rest.



Drew's whole life changed weeks ago after his girlfriend, Lola, disappeared. He hasn't been 100% truthful about the last night he saw her, not with anyone, not even the police, and now the guilt is eating away at him.

Making matters worse, the whole town, even people he considered friends, seem to think he is responsible for her disappearance. It's always the boyfriend, right?



Drew tries to stay positive and focused. He knows he didn't do anything to Lola and he's determined to find her before it's too late. He needs to prove his innocence, but he also feels he owes it to her after what he did.

The longer Lola is missing though, the more his chances of finding her diminish. He knows that, he's realistic, so clearly time is of the essence. Along with a couple of friends Drew begins some sleuthing of his own, following leads to a place he never would have suspected.



When I tell you I was drawn in from the very start of this story, that is not an exaggeration. Getting Mary's perspective as she struggles to recover memories and figure out what happened to her, that whole narrative was so freaking compelling.

Then with Drew, I was equally transfixed by his story. He doesn't reveal everything right away and you can tell he is second-guessing some things. I needed to stay with him until the end.



I love how Lally paced this out. The perspective shifts were so well done. It's definitely a 'one more chapter' kind of read. Each chapter left me wanting more in such a fun way.

The intensity builds at a nice steady pace as you are given more and more information about what the truth actually is for these two. By the end, I was racing along and felt so many emotions by the end.

I loved the conclusion and am just so very pleased by the overall experience. I am absolutely blown away that this is a debut. Lally knocked this out of the park, IMO and I am super stoked to see what she delivers us next.



I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who enjoys a tense, fast-paced, emotional YA Thriller. I think this would work well for fans of Kit Frick, Laurie Faria Stolarz, Mindy McGinnis, or even Natalie D. Richards.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Recorded Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. Megan Lally is going on my autobuy list for sure. I can't wait for more!

[Gabby Scheyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

i did not know a thriller book could make me uncontrollably cry and stare at a wall upon upon finishing it

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

My teenage daughter is currently reading this so stay tuned for her in depth review, and by in depth i mean 2 or 3 words probably 😂
Update ~ her 3 words ~ did not finish 😐

4.5⭐
Genre ~ YA thriller
Setting ~ Oregon
Publication date ~ December 26, 2023
Est page Count ~ 300 (29 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 1 minutes
Narrators ~ Sophie Amoss, Robb Moreira
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ debut, amnesia, kidnapping, amatuer sleuthing, some violence

Wowza! I can see why this is currently a #1 new release on Amazon. And it's a debut!

The Girl wakes up in a ditch bruised and battered not knowing who or where she is. Wayne says she's his daughter, Mary, and he has all the proof the cops need to release her into his care, even though she has no clue who he is. I was so scared for her.
Drew's girlfriend, Lola, is missing and the whole town blames him. No one will listen to him, so he and his two friends, Max & Autumn, take matters in their own hands and search for Lola!

The characters were well developed. The teens didn't act like immature tools. I mean the amatuer sleuthing was a bit implausible, but what were they supposed to do when no one would take these kids seriously. Wayne's creepiness was convincing.

This gripped me right from the start and didn't let go until the crazy ending. It was super fast paced, suspenseful and intense throughout. If this is Megan's debut I don't know how she'll top it in her next books.

The cover and font give off the perfect creepy vibes.

Narration notes:
Both of them sounded age appropriate and did a great job. Sophie was properly frantic and convincing as a captive. Robb's anguish was evident throughout.

*Thanks to Megan Lally, RB Media and NetGalley for the audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

[T.S · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

omg! i'm shedding tears 😭 for a YA thriller this was surprisingly enjoyable with a plot twist that genuinely caught me off guard (most ya thrillers kinda bore me). i literally stayed up till 3 am to finish it cause i was so hooked. i highly recommend going into it blindly for a better reading experience


- short and fast paced
-great narration
-emotional
- bittersweet
-YA
-dual pov

(recommended from my fav youtuber Larryreads 💋)

[veerali · Rating 2 out of 5]

𖦹 — 2.5 stars ⊹

i'm in a serious slump, and this book did nothing to lift my spirits. i could see the plot twists from a mile away 🤚

[ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Melissa (So Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent YA mystery with some surprises.

I listened to this as an audiobook and once I got started I had difficulty stopping. It's very intriguing and I really wanted to know what was really going on. Both narrators are engaging and kept me invested.

A girl wakes up in a ditch. She is picked up by a police officer and has no memory of who she is or even of her name. A man comes into the police station frantically looking for his missing daughter Mary. He produces all of the proper photos and identification showing that this girl is indeed his daughter, and he is able to take her home. In another city, Drew is a suspect in his girlfriend Lola's disappearance. He was the last person to see her, and enough time has passed that everyone believes he killed her. Drew won't give up looking. Are these two situations connected?

I thought I knew what was going on, but it turned out to be much more twisty than I imagined. If you've read any of my reviews, you know I dislike the "wrongly accused" trope but in this case it's handled well and I didn't mind it as much as usual.

This is a very fast paced story with relatable characters and a real sense of foreboding. The mystery unfolds deliberately in both cases, and I really liked the ending epilogue, it put a very satisfying cap on the tale. There are a couple of things I had some slight quibbles about, but I'm picky about details (Like there's no way Wayne, being the guy he was, would have let Mary watch Schitt's Creek). Overall though, if you like YA mysteries this is an excellent example of a uniquely written one and I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This YA was one unputdownable read

I don't think I've read a lot of books that has the amnesia trope, but i will definitely be scoping out for more because this held my attention throughout.

The book starts of strong with a teen waking up bruised and battered at the side of a dirt road. After being rescued by a passing officer she is taken to the station but she has no recollection of what happened or who she even is. Hours pass and a man named Wayne comes into the station frantic looking for his daughter. He has all her identification and her name is Mary. When Wayne lays eyes on the bruised unknown teen in the station his stress turns to relief as he has found his daughter... or has he?
In another part of town we are following Drew who five weeks earlier lost his girlfriend Lola after an argument late at night and she has not been seen since. The police, Lola's best friend and most of the town think Drew is responsible and has caused harm to Lola. Drew is determined to clear his name and really get down to what/ where is Lola.

I cant believe a YA book had me all in my feels! You already know I am so picky with my YA thrillers and will find holes to nit pick at, (which i still did with this🤣) but this was a really good solid read. I genuinely thought I had the whole book sussed out and was taken aback at the latter part of the book. WTF definitely rolled off my tongue quite a few times!

⋆｡°✩ WHAT I LIKED ⋆｡°✩

➽ The dual perspective from Drew and 'Mary'
➽ The side characters Max and Autumn were cute, there were running around like lil detectives
➽ The atmosphere, tension and suspense could really be felt
➽ I was wrong with my predication about the twist
➽ Easy read and very fast paced

⋆｡°✩ WHAT I DIDNT LIKE ⋆｡°✩

➽The inaccuracies about food allergies. So minor but it irked me a little. lol
➽The police procedure was just abysmal. It was not realistic and felt quite juvenile
➽ 90% of the book was predictable

Overall this was a good YA thriller that kept me on my toes, and had me saying 'just one more chapter'! Would highly recommend for a quick digestible read.

3.5 ⭐




------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

⋆｡°✩ pre read ⋆｡°✩
Had initially planned to read another book,
But the book girlies on this app have been hyping TF out of this one and I have FOMO!
Fingers crossed for another 5 star read ⭐💜

[kim ౨ৎ]

₊˚⊹⋆ 🐈‍⬛ pre-read
⤿ started september 15

oh my gosh?! rtc

another day, another thriller 🙂‍↕️ im already 20% through and it’s highly entertaining, i hope i continue to enjoy it !

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hooked from the beginning and all the way! I think this is one of those books best going in blind. I didn't expect many things and my assumptions were pretty much wrong the whole time. Great job by the author and a super debut! 4.5⭐🤩

[chloé ✿ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars (average rating. rounded down.)

extremely predictable with sprinkles of juvenile writing, but short and engaging!

YA thrillers continue to be more exciting (and sad??) than adult thrillers 🤭


╔════✿summer tbr jar prompt✿════╗

a book available on kindle unlimited

[Alexia · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 50%

I really wanted to like this book, as it has been sitting on my TBR list for far too long. The intriguing premise and glowing recommendations had me excited, but I found myself consistently prioritizing other titles that promised more engaging experiences. When I finally made the decision to dive into this story, my hope was to capture that same thrill I felt while reading *First Lie Wins*. Unfortunately, I found myself disappointed.

Let’s begin with the writing style—it felt excessively simplistic and juvenile, failing to match the complex emotions and themes the author aimed to convey. I couldn't connect with Mary’s point of view, leaving me feeling both annoyed and disengaged. On the flip side, Drew’s perspective was filled with such negativity that it only served to elevate my frustration, particularly due to the abundance of unlikable characters he surrounded himself with.

Speaking of characters, I can’t help but wonder why so many thrillers lean into the trope of crafting unlikable protagonists. It feels like a trend where every character, from the main leads to the supporting cast, is painted in shades of morally gray or outright unsympathetic. This has become a dealbreaker for me in thrillers, as it significantly hampers my ability to invest emotionally in their journeys.

As for the book’s blurb, it didn't do the narrative any favors. From the outset, knowing that Wayne was not actually Mary’s father and that Drew was innocent of his girlfriend's murder stripped the story of suspense. Instead of crafting tension, it made the characters appear foolish and naive in their actions, which further added to my irritation.

I’ve gleaned quite a bit about the supposedly shocking plot twist that awaits at the end of the book, but honestly, I’m not inclined to slog through a lackluster experience just for that payoff. It simply doesn't feel worth it to me. The journey thus far has not captivated my interest enough to warrant continuing until the final revelation.

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me!? Reading YA? Who would have guessed!?

But after such convincing reviews from my trusted GR friends, I had to give it a try!
And...it worked!💃🏼

Lola is quickly is on the fast-track to becoming a statistic…just another missing teen girl. First on the list for lead suspect is her boyfriend Drew. Of course he swears he is innocent and interestingly, appears to be the only one looking for her.

Meanwhile Mary, dazed and confused on the side of the road, was just returned to her father. All compliments of the ever so helpful police.
But Mary struggles to recall any memories of her father, or any part of her life for that matter.

This was a highly engaging read, locking me in right from the start. There’s no getting around it, there was definitely a YA element to this read. But the storyline and twists were so well done I had no issues whatsoever!

The audio's narration provided by Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira was superb! Well done!🙌

I may not be quick to pick up every YA I set my eyes on, but moving forward I will definitely keep an open mind and be willing to try yet another!

[Wendy with a book · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️s for this YA amnesia-trope thriller with plot holes so gaping you could drive a sketchy, unmarked van through them.

[Francesca (pavisfrancesca) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Oh wow this one had me. Fast paced YA thriller that reads more like new adult - it had depth and great characters. I read this in a couple of sittings and very much enjoyed it even as an adult, I think it would be perfect if you want an easy thriller read. Still not over the ending 🥺🥺🥺

Rating down from a 5 as there was a couple of plot holes and the police were just down right stupid

Highly recommend

[ariyel ୭ · Rating 3 out of 5]

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ “the important thing is i have a tomorrow. i know
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ who i am. the rest will come.” ‎ ‎ ── ⋆˙⟡ 3.5 stars! ★‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎⌗ ❪ contains no spoilers ❫ ⸝⸝

🔎⌇ ⤿ my thoughts. ⟢ i really liked this. even with all the problems it had, i couldn’t stop reading. i started it on a whim at like 10pm and somehow finished the whole thing in one sitting. it was messy. predictable. sometimes ridiculous. but i was invested the entire time.

the premise is what pulled me in. a girl wakes up in the middle of the woods with no memory of who she is, and a man shows up at the police station claiming to be her dad. a few cities away, a girl has gone missing and her boyfriend is being accused of killing her. immediately interesting. and the dual pov worked so well here. i loved switching between mary and drew. we needed both perspectives to really follow what was going on, and i liked how their chapters slowly filled in different parts of the bigger picture.

but even though i was into the story, the execution wasn’t great. the mystery wasn’t hard to figure out. most of the reveals felt obvious. and honestly, a lot of things just didn’t make sense. the way people reacted. the way certain scenes unfolded. it all felt a little too easy. like the book wanted you to pick up on the truth, but still tried to act like it was a twist later. and the blurb definitely gave too much away. i think i would’ve liked this more if i went in blind.

and then there were the pop culture references. they need to be banned. i absolutely hate when books include them. the lizzo lines alone had me physically cringing. i don’t care if it’s meant to be quirky, it sounded ridiculous. and they kept showing up. the taylor swift mention too. it was just too much.

but still. even with all that, i had fun. i wouldn’t call it a thriller in the scary sense—it wasn’t scary—but it had enough tension and mystery to keep me going. and now that i’ve finally read this, maybe i’ll actually pick up more thrillers instead of just saying i will.


🖋⌇ ⤿ characters. ⟢ “mary boone” ‎ ─ ‎ her pov was interesting. i liked being in her head while she tried to piece everything together, especially early on when she’s dealing with the memory loss and the creepy familiarity with wayne. but i also found her frustrating at times. there were moments where she’d start questioning things and i was like yes girl trust your instincts. and then she’d immediately talk herself out of it and go back to pretending nothing was wrong. it sucked. also didn’t help that the reader already knows something’s up, so watching her try to gaslight herself into peace just felt kinda pointless.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ drew carter-diaz ‎ ─ ‎ i actually kinda liked him. unexpectedly. he’s basically being blamed for everything, treated like a criminal without a single piece of evidence, and still doing more to find lola than the actual law enforcement in this town. like he’s literally the only one trying. the way everyone just turned on him immediately irritated me so bad, but it also made me root for him even more.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ೯ side characters ‎ ─ ‎ hated most of them. autumn sucked for half of the book. the sheriff was the worst. the scotts were terrible. like genuinely how are you all this useless. almost every adult in this book acted like they were allergic to logic. the only one i liked was max. he was loyal and actually supportive. if it weren’t for him, drew would’ve been completely on his own.


🗃️⌇ ⤿ extras. ⟢ plot holes everywhere but it’s fine. kinda.
⊹ the setting was barely used. the mountain and forest had potential.
⊹ the sheriff alone knocked like half a star off my mental wellbeing
⊹ “my lizzo heart spasms inside of my chest.” “my lizzo heartbeat speeds up.” this sounds stupid as fuck?? what does that even mean???


📌⌇ ⤿ overall. ⟢ messy? yes. but fun. there were plot holes, suspiciously convenient moments, and some straight up weird lines… but! i was into it. i liked the dual pov. i liked the concept. i didn’t love how obvious everything was, but i still wanted to know how it’d all come together. definitely not perfect, but it did make me want to read more thrillers. so i’ll take that as a win.

. . . . . ◟੭

☆ 🖇️ pre-read 𖥻 ＜꒱ — ❪ 0370 ❫
i always say i love thrillers and then proceed to rarely pick them up… but! i’ve been eyeing this one for like a year now so maybe it’s finally time?? kinda excited !

[Faithsreadingthings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a lot of this book predictable, yes. Did I DEVOUR it within 24 hours, also yes. I felt like the way the the police handled the case was a bit unrealistic and annoying but I literally loved this book so it wasn’t that big of a deal. I actually got so attached to these characters and I was literally sobbing at the end.

This book is so fast paced and binge-able. It kinda felt like Holly Jackson meets Karen McManus but make it super fast paced with an emotional ending.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooop. I fear I might be having an EXCELLENT reading year. This is my third 5 star read for the year. I wasn't expecting this one.

What Worked: That's Not My Name started off as a typical YA thriller. I just knew I was going to figure everything out. It's written in dual perspective where Mary doesn't remember who she is, but is recognized immediately by someone claiming to be her father. As readers are introduced to a second perspective, Drew, it becomes clear that something about Mary's perspective is off. To be honest, I don't want to say much else because I don't want to influence anyone's perception of the but this but was NOT what I was anticipating. I actually began to feel frustrated that Lally would right a book that was so easy to figure out. That ending blew me AWAY. It was packed with so many emotions. The tension, the fear, the rawness of it all was captivating and mind blowing. I am definitely looking forward to reading more by Lally in the future. In fact, at the time of writing this review, I'm already on hold for her second book that just released. Her ability to write fully developed characters with so much depth and emotion is something I've been missing with so many YA thrillers and mysteries. I truly enjoyed my experience with this one.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm astonished at the overall high rating for this juvenile, predictable story that's on par with a Scooby Doo episode.

Because of the timing (Lola disappeared five WEEKS prior, while "Mary's" story takes place over five DAYS, it's immediately obvious that "Mary" is NOT Lola. So there goes the mystery.

So many things just didn't fit:

- The sheriff is so incompetent and hateful, he's a caricature of the Bad Cop. Why was he the only one on the case? Where are the other officers? Why weren't Lola's parents doing more to look for her? Why wasn't the media remotely interested in Lola's disappearance? I mean, no one was even listening to the messages on the tip line.

- Drew and friends manage to break into the sheriff's computer AND a diner's surveillance camera system to "download" relevant information. LMAO Yeah, that's not how cloud security works.

- The killer gives the police the address of his cabin where he's buried like a dozen bodies. What?

- No one insists that a minor with retrograde amnesia, clearly caused by a traumatic brain injury, gets immediate medical attention. The officer is all, Well, you don't have a headache, so you're good to go. Dude, she can't remember her fucking NAME. I think that's a problem. Plus, minors don't have the right to refuse medical treatment. And why would "Mary" not want to go to a hospital where it's safe?

- If "Mary" was in a car accident, where the hell was the car? Why didn't the police gather relevant information, like make/model, license plate number, insurance policy, etc. A car doesn't just disappear, and if "Mary" was so badly injured she could barely crawl, wouldn't the car be nearby?

- Why would Drew lie when the truth actually explained why he didn't follow Lola when she stormed off? He made himself look more guilty by lying. This made ZERO sense.

- If the killer has lived at the cabin for years, why didn't the neighbor recognize him? It would have been more believable if Wayne kept changing locations so as not to be discovered. I assumed that's what he was doing, but then in the epilogue we find out the bodies were all buried "on and around the property."

The only good thing I can say is that Drew had two dads. It's rare to see queer couples normalized in mainstream books, so kudos to the author for that.

[ari [violet’s vrsn 🩵] [semi ia] · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐

dnf at 25%

spoilers free

14+

romance: 2/10 (one of the main characters is looking for his girlfriend who’s missing, and it’s alluded that they’ve slept tg)

cursing: 5/10 (every minor curse word used semi-frequently, f-ck used non-frequently)

violence: 6/10 (kidnapping, car crash, serial murder)

other: the mmc has two dads, drinking/smoking/drugs mentioned

tw: physical and mental trauma

first person, present tense


– OVERVIEW –

this was genuinely GENUINELY one of the worst books i’ve read this year.
no, it does not beat fearless, but it is the runner up.

this was just trashy in every sense of the freaking word.

the writing was so dry, i couldn’t picture anything bc it was horribly described, i was staring at words instead of enjoying the movie i was promised. it usually doesn’t take much for me to see a movie play in my head but this was literally the furthest from that i’ve ever experienced in a book

all the mcs made me want to gouge my eyes out, they complained and whined every second i was reading this. i’m typically a slow reader but this put me in a 2 week slump so i’m pissed at it.

the pacing was so weird the girl’s chapters would be so intriguing one minute then we have a quick break for a free chapter and then we come back to snoozeville? okay???



– PLOT –

it’s the amnesia trope ✌️🥰



– CHARACTERS –

mary
⤷ this girl was just a bitch

drew
⤷ i have a personal vendetta with this name bc a guy who assaulted me was named drew so that was nice to read💀🙏

that one cop bro
⤷ he was cool

wayne??
⤷ was it wayne or denis? i lwk can’t remember and i lwk don’t care


– CONCLUSION –

this is scum of the earth. don’t read it



post-read

dnf at 25%

🤡🤝

this was terrible. literally dog crap

rtc

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

WHAT DID I JUST READ?? This was so freaking good and I could not stop. Blew me away!!

I was so hooked from the start and was dying to know where the story was going to go.

I will say, I do think there was a little bit of a plot hole, but it’s easy to “assume” the missing information (I don’t want to spoil anything)

All in all, a really good captivating YA Thriller! I definitely need more from this author!!

[lilly ♡ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ✨

i definitely wasn't expecting to love this book as much as i did. when i wasn't reading, i was thinking about this book. i felt so deeply connected to the characters. i guessed the plot twist with about 30 pages left but i still ate it up 🤭

[Seeraaa ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75⭐

I really enjoyed the reading experience, I was always eager to know what would happen, especially when I started forming different theories about the events and characters.

Although the beginning was a bit slow, 🐢 it was normal for psychological thrillers, as the plot gradually built up and the characters and atmosphere were introduced in a way that helped the reader understand what would happen next.

As the story progressed, my excitement grew to see how the events would unfold, While the plot wasn’t completely shocking because I predicted some of the twists, 🔄 it made the story feel more realistic, which allowed me to dive deeper into its details.

As for the ending, it was very realistic. When I reached it, I felt it was very logical and impactful. The resolutions and explanations were well-executed, which made the story more
convincing.

Overall, the experience was enjoyable and thrilling, and the ending was satisfying and realistic, which made me like it. 🙌🏻



Starting a new buddy read tonight with my lovely Leena! 🫶🏻❤️
Can’t wait to scream, rant, and fangirl together haha 🤭😅