What do you think?
Rate this book
What We Did to Survive
A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens' sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally!
Hannah is having an incredible spring break. A week at a resort in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and her family is perfect for de-stressing from senior year, even if it's awkward being around Emmy's older brother, Jackson, who she's had a crush on for as long as she can remember.
Still, the beach is gorgeous. So is the guy they meet in the surf. Except Hannah is now the third wheel in Emmy's vacation romance.
Eager to impress Emmy, her wealthy new boyfriend charters a private sailboat to make the most of their last day in paradise, and Hannah and Jackson are invited along. As the clouds roll in and the skies darken, their boat is the only one leaving the marina. And the further they get into open water, the more unsettled Hannah becomes. A storm is brewing onboard that's as deadly as the one racing toward them. Forget surviving graduation. Who will make it back to land alive?
Hannah is having an incredible spring break. A week at a resort in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and her family is perfect for de-stressing from senior year, even if it's awkward being around Emmy's older brother, Jackson, who she's had a crush on for as long as she can remember.
Still, the beach is gorgeous. So is the guy they meet in the surf. Except Hannah is now the third wheel in Emmy's vacation romance.
Eager to impress Emmy, her wealthy new boyfriend charters a private sailboat to make the most of their last day in paradise, and Hannah and Jackson are invited along. As the clouds roll in and the skies darken, their boat is the only one leaving the marina. And the further they get into open water, the more unsettled Hannah becomes. A storm is brewing onboard that's as deadly as the one racing toward them. Forget surviving graduation. Who will make it back to land alive?
285 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2026
824 people are currently reading
64816 people want to read
About the author
Megan Lally
4 books4,531 followersMegan 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.
You can visit her online at MeganLallyWrites.com or on Instagram: @Megan_Lally_
You can visit her online at MeganLallyWrites.com or on Instagram: @Megan_Lally_
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,763 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What We Did To Survive written by Megan Lally was bone chilling, creepy, twisted, thrilling, dark, and suspenseful. When I first read That's Not My Name by this author and being completely shocked, I knew I had to read every single book she writes, What We Did To Survive is no exception, in my opinion it wasn't her best book, but it still had me on the edge of my seat the entire time with my jaw literally hitting the floor. The best definition for this book is like having the time of your life on the biggest twisty roller coaster and then not knowing that you are going to get stuck at the very top hundreds and hundreds feet in the air wondering when help is going to come rescue you. If you are looking for a twisted book that will have your heart beating so fast and your jaw on the floor, y'all better mark your calendars for March 31st, 2026 for the publication of the newest book written by Megan Lally. This book had me sweating the entire time from the bone chilling inducing tension, but as someone who uses dark humor to cope it was funny at times. This is a young adult thriller, the characters are very one dimensional, and they make very questionable decisions as does every teenager, but the ending will have you yelling "WHAT THE FUCK" in the middle of the night. Nonetheless, I found this book to be very enjoyable and I'm pleased to say that I was shocked from the very first page all the way until the very last page was turned. What We Did To Survive is for all of the fellow anxious travelers, this book probably won't help your anxiety very much, but hopefully your next vacation won't go as badly as this one did. Before I forget, this book truly reminded me of the movie Cast Away long before it was even mentioned in the book.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS FIRE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
🎤🎶ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Eye Of The Tiger- Survivor🎤🎶
1:25 ───|──────4:03
"⛵🌊Our final vacation hurrah might be dead in the water⛵🌊".
"🌊🐚😍Nobody wants to appreciate the simple beauty of the sea anymore🌊🐚😍".
"🏝️🌊Getting lost in new places is my most favorite thing🏝️🌊".
Hannah and her best friend Emmy are spending their spring break vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to decompress before their senior year of high school and before they go their separate ways after graduation. Hannah tagged along with Emmy's family for this spring break vacation, which also includes Hannah's crush- EMMY'S OLDER BROTHER JACKSON. Hannah has had a crush on Jackson for ten years, but along those ten years they have had some misunderstandings, so this vacation can give them a reason to confess their feelings for each other, right? WRONG!!!!!!On this vacation, Hannah is a third wheeling gold medalist for her best friend Emmy and Emmy's new beach fling. Hannah has had quite the childhood, her mom left when Hannah was just six years old and her father has been a pediatric nurse practitioner for Hannah's whole life and for that reason she wants to attend Linfield University for their nursing program. Emmy Cole goes through boys like gum that loses it's flavor too fast. After high school, Emmy has plans to take a world tour adventure starting in Italy. On this vacation, Emmy meets Bennett "Ben" Mulholland who is Emmy's new beach flirtation and Mr. Moneybags. Trust Fund Ken invites himself to tag along on Emmy's solo trip around the world after literally five minutes of knowing each other. Emmy and Ben are just two irresponsible love birds that I often questioned both of their idiotic decisions, I mean y'all just met and Trust Fund Ken wants to tag along on her solo trip? I don't even know who the sane person was in this book.
Ben, Emmy, Hannah, and Jackson are now going on a sailboat excursion for spring break memories, but the girls couldn't go unless Jackson "babysits" them. The Be-Yacht-Ch is a fifty foot sailboat and it's also private with no escape, what's the worst that could happen? First clue- there's stormy clouds, the second clue- there's no other boats that are leaving the marina- their boat is the only one leaving the dock, also they were warned that there's a storm rolling in, but guess what? These teens still made the choice to go out in this deadly storm. It turns out these teens aren't booking their sea trip through the resort they are staying at, but instead it's a private boat driven by Captain Keith who looks like a frat boy and has been living on this boat for twelve years and he does private trips on this boat that could ultimately cause these teens to lose their lives in this deadly storm that's rolling in. First turn that goes wrong- Captain Keith is trashed after downing a bottle of tequila and that's when fists start flying, none of these teens know how to steer a sailboat and now their captain is drunk out of his mind. A storm is now brewing onboard that's as deadly as the one racing towards the teens as they get further and further into the open sea. I'm not the one to judge others, but oh my goodness, the decisions these teens made were so questionable. But I will say their adventure and decisions made this book even more enjoyable, I just kept shaking my head and screaming for them to pay attention to who and what's around them, but obviously a book can't respond to me. You will have to read this book to find out how the rest of their sailboat excursion goes, be warned it's WILD.
THANK YOU TO NETGALLEY AND SOURCEBOOKS FIRE FOR AN ARC OF THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW!!!!!!!
🎤🎶ᴺᴼᵂ ᴾᴸᴬᵞᴵᴺᴳ : Eye Of The Tiger- Survivor🎤🎶
1:25 ───|──────4:03
"⛵🌊Our final vacation hurrah might be dead in the water⛵🌊".
"🌊🐚😍Nobody wants to appreciate the simple beauty of the sea anymore🌊🐚😍".
"🏝️🌊Getting lost in new places is my most favorite thing🏝️🌊".
Hannah and her best friend Emmy are spending their spring break vacation in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to decompress before their senior year of high school and before they go their separate ways after graduation. Hannah tagged along with Emmy's family for this spring break vacation, which also includes Hannah's crush- EMMY'S OLDER BROTHER JACKSON. Hannah has had a crush on Jackson for ten years, but along those ten years they have had some misunderstandings, so this vacation can give them a reason to confess their feelings for each other, right? WRONG!!!!!!On this vacation, Hannah is a third wheeling gold medalist for her best friend Emmy and Emmy's new beach fling. Hannah has had quite the childhood, her mom left when Hannah was just six years old and her father has been a pediatric nurse practitioner for Hannah's whole life and for that reason she wants to attend Linfield University for their nursing program. Emmy Cole goes through boys like gum that loses it's flavor too fast. After high school, Emmy has plans to take a world tour adventure starting in Italy. On this vacation, Emmy meets Bennett "Ben" Mulholland who is Emmy's new beach flirtation and Mr. Moneybags. Trust Fund Ken invites himself to tag along on Emmy's solo trip around the world after literally five minutes of knowing each other. Emmy and Ben are just two irresponsible love birds that I often questioned both of their idiotic decisions, I mean y'all just met and Trust Fund Ken wants to tag along on her solo trip? I don't even know who the sane person was in this book.
Ben, Emmy, Hannah, and Jackson are now going on a sailboat excursion for spring break memories, but the girls couldn't go unless Jackson "babysits" them. The Be-Yacht-Ch is a fifty foot sailboat and it's also private with no escape, what's the worst that could happen? First clue- there's stormy clouds, the second clue- there's no other boats that are leaving the marina- their boat is the only one leaving the dock, also they were warned that there's a storm rolling in, but guess what? These teens still made the choice to go out in this deadly storm. It turns out these teens aren't booking their sea trip through the resort they are staying at, but instead it's a private boat driven by Captain Keith who looks like a frat boy and has been living on this boat for twelve years and he does private trips on this boat that could ultimately cause these teens to lose their lives in this deadly storm that's rolling in. First turn that goes wrong- Captain Keith is trashed after downing a bottle of tequila and that's when fists start flying, none of these teens know how to steer a sailboat and now their captain is drunk out of his mind. A storm is now brewing onboard that's as deadly as the one racing towards the teens as they get further and further into the open sea. I'm not the one to judge others, but oh my goodness, the decisions these teens made were so questionable. But I will say their adventure and decisions made this book even more enjoyable, I just kept shaking my head and screaming for them to pay attention to who and what's around them, but obviously a book can't respond to me. You will have to read this book to find out how the rest of their sailboat excursion goes, be warned it's WILD.
April 10, 2026
I can honestly say that after reading That’s Not My Name, Megan Lally has officially become one of my favorite mystery authors! She knows exactly how to deliver those “what-the-heck-just-happened” twists that make you pick your jaw up off the floor. The moment I read the plot, I jumped at the chance to dive into this adrenaline-pumping survival mystery — and wow, it did not disappoint!
The pacing is heart-throbbingly fast — things escalate almost immediately. There’s tension, drama, romance, resentment, friendship tested to its limits, the irresistible “falling for your best friend’s brother” trope, and a villain so irritating you’ll want to throw the book (in a good way!). It’s the kind of story that captures your attention and refuses to let go.
I don’t want to spoil your reading experience, but let me tell you — there’s a twist that hits you right in the face when you least expect it. I actually gasped out loud. So smart. So shocking. So perfectly executed! Okay, I’m stopping myself here before I give too much away.
Quick plot summary:
Hannah and Emmy are best friends enjoying a dream spring break getaway in a luxurious Mexican resort — spa treatments, beach cocktails, and endless sunshine before college and travel separate them. Hannah’s about to start nursing school, while Emmy plans a European adventure. Everything is perfect… until Hannah’s long-time crush (and Emmy’s older brother) Jackson unexpectedly joins the trip. Hannah’s been trying to forget her embarrassing confession of love to him years ago, but seeing him again — especially shirtless with a crime novel in hand — makes that impossible.
Things get even more complicated when they meet Ben, a charming and privileged stranger who sweeps Emmy off her feet. Suddenly, Hannah becomes the third wheel in their whirlwind romance. When Ben invites them on a private boat trip to make their last day unforgettable, Emmy’s family insists Jackson tags along to keep an eye on them. But as they arrive at the marina, red flags start flying — dark storm clouds are rolling in, and most boat tours have been canceled. Still, Ben insists, and Emmy sides with him, pushing Hannah and Jackson to reluctantly come aboard.
Once they set sail, things spiral out of control fast. A storm brews, tempers flare, and soon the group finds themselves battling for survival in the open sea — testing not just their endurance, but the strength of their relationships and what they’re truly made of.
Can they make it back alive? Or will paradise turn into their worst nightmare?
Overall:
A high-tempo, tension-filled, and completely gripping thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night. I’ll admit, Emmy’s character tested my patience at times (selfish, narcissistic, and yes — occasionally punchable!), but that only proves how vividly Megan Lally writes her characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for sharing this electrifying survival thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
instagram
facebook
twitter
The pacing is heart-throbbingly fast — things escalate almost immediately. There’s tension, drama, romance, resentment, friendship tested to its limits, the irresistible “falling for your best friend’s brother” trope, and a villain so irritating you’ll want to throw the book (in a good way!). It’s the kind of story that captures your attention and refuses to let go.
I don’t want to spoil your reading experience, but let me tell you — there’s a twist that hits you right in the face when you least expect it. I actually gasped out loud. So smart. So shocking. So perfectly executed! Okay, I’m stopping myself here before I give too much away.
Quick plot summary:
Hannah and Emmy are best friends enjoying a dream spring break getaway in a luxurious Mexican resort — spa treatments, beach cocktails, and endless sunshine before college and travel separate them. Hannah’s about to start nursing school, while Emmy plans a European adventure. Everything is perfect… until Hannah’s long-time crush (and Emmy’s older brother) Jackson unexpectedly joins the trip. Hannah’s been trying to forget her embarrassing confession of love to him years ago, but seeing him again — especially shirtless with a crime novel in hand — makes that impossible.
Things get even more complicated when they meet Ben, a charming and privileged stranger who sweeps Emmy off her feet. Suddenly, Hannah becomes the third wheel in their whirlwind romance. When Ben invites them on a private boat trip to make their last day unforgettable, Emmy’s family insists Jackson tags along to keep an eye on them. But as they arrive at the marina, red flags start flying — dark storm clouds are rolling in, and most boat tours have been canceled. Still, Ben insists, and Emmy sides with him, pushing Hannah and Jackson to reluctantly come aboard.
Once they set sail, things spiral out of control fast. A storm brews, tempers flare, and soon the group finds themselves battling for survival in the open sea — testing not just their endurance, but the strength of their relationships and what they’re truly made of.
Can they make it back alive? Or will paradise turn into their worst nightmare?
Overall:
A high-tempo, tension-filled, and completely gripping thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night. I’ll admit, Emmy’s character tested my patience at times (selfish, narcissistic, and yes — occasionally punchable!), but that only proves how vividly Megan Lally writes her characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for sharing this electrifying survival thriller’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium.com
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐️ 3 ⭐️ Four teens are vacationing in Puerto Vallarta, one of them meets a cute and very charming boy who convinces them to go on a boat trip amidst an impending storm. A vacation that was supposed to be memorable turns deadly when things turn sinister shortly after they sail out. While trapped at sea, their interpersonal tensions escalate onboard very quickly and they learn that they must do whatever it takes to survive not just the danger from the storm but also the danger within their group.
What We Did to Survive is an anxiety-inducing YA thriller that is solid and satisfying and will have you flipping pages. It's very fast paced, throwing you right into action where you'll be chasing the tense survival chaos. It will make you nervous and feel claustrophobic, probably will make you sweat but laugh at the same time (there is dark humor in it, which was funny I must admit). It's appropriate for teens, as young as 13+ and they will definitely love it. Hidden motives, sketchy captain, messy and frustrating friendships--what teen wouldn't love this?
The characters are, however, very one dimensional. There is no depth to them, nothing is overly complicated in the story. They are the typical teens who bicker and argue and make questionable decisions. I felt that their created onboard tension fueled the suspense and escalated the sense of dread. It will have you hooked from page one, the middle does lag, but the ending will have teens shocked!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and the author, Megan Lally for an early copy!
Publication date: March 31, 2026
What We Did to Survive is an anxiety-inducing YA thriller that is solid and satisfying and will have you flipping pages. It's very fast paced, throwing you right into action where you'll be chasing the tense survival chaos. It will make you nervous and feel claustrophobic, probably will make you sweat but laugh at the same time (there is dark humor in it, which was funny I must admit). It's appropriate for teens, as young as 13+ and they will definitely love it. Hidden motives, sketchy captain, messy and frustrating friendships--what teen wouldn't love this?
The characters are, however, very one dimensional. There is no depth to them, nothing is overly complicated in the story. They are the typical teens who bicker and argue and make questionable decisions. I felt that their created onboard tension fueled the suspense and escalated the sense of dread. It will have you hooked from page one, the middle does lag, but the ending will have teens shocked!
Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and the author, Megan Lally for an early copy!
Publication date: March 31, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
**3.5-stars**
What We Did to Survive is a YA Survival Thriller from well-loved author, Megan Lally. I've read both Lally's previous works and was excited to get to this 3rd-book from her.
This story follows best friends, Hannah and Emmy, who while on vacation in Mexico take an ill-fated sailing charter, along with Emmy's brother, Jackson, and her current love interest, Ben, a boy she met at the beach.
The charter is towards the end of their week-long vacation, and the girls only convince Emmy's parents to let them go sailing with Ben, if her older brother, Jackson, also goes along. He's not really jazzed about it.
Emmy and Jackson have their own history, so all-in-all it's an uncomfortable traveling bunch to begin with. As they approach the docks it's clear inclement weather is coming in. They're even warned off by a captain of another boat, but Emmy and Ben insist they're going, and all will be okay.
Against their better judgement, both Hannah and Jackson also agree to go along. We follow their journey from that moment until the very bitter end, and what a journey it is.
This was good. It's very fast-paced and definitely kept me motivated to keep reading. The concept was fun, but I have to be honest, the character interactions were so grating and annoying for me. I would have tossed them all in the ocean if I'd been on this boat.
I had a hard time even believing that Hannah and Emmy would be friends, let alone best friends. They're total opposites, with the only thing holding them together seeming to be their shared history.
Additionally, the whole plot is based on a series of dumb choices, which isn't really bad in and of itself, I just had a hard time connecting with it, or understanding the characters motivations.
That would also be fine in a Survival Thriller if the Survival elements were front and center and kept me engaged. Here I felt the survival part played second fiddle to all of the absolutely OTT-interpersonal drama.
I found all the fighting and yelling so grating. It was like 96% of the character interactions. Also, there was too much 'let's air all our grievances', instead of 'let's come up with a plan' happening for my tastes.
I know this sounds a little doom and gloom, and I don't mean it to be. This still kept me entertained and I did read it quickly, I just don't feel like I had as much fun with it as I have with Lally's previous books.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. The action is intense and there is a lot of action. I think if you're just looking for a Popcorn Thriller, if you want to be glued to the pages, if you love stories set at sea; any of things, you absolutely need to check this one out.
As for me, though it's not my favorite from Megan Lally, I'm still glad I read it and I look forward to whatever she writes next. I do love how varied her plots and scenarios have been. She has a lot of creativity and it's anyone's guess what she's going to focus on next.
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this one.
What We Did to Survive is a YA Survival Thriller from well-loved author, Megan Lally. I've read both Lally's previous works and was excited to get to this 3rd-book from her.
This story follows best friends, Hannah and Emmy, who while on vacation in Mexico take an ill-fated sailing charter, along with Emmy's brother, Jackson, and her current love interest, Ben, a boy she met at the beach.
The charter is towards the end of their week-long vacation, and the girls only convince Emmy's parents to let them go sailing with Ben, if her older brother, Jackson, also goes along. He's not really jazzed about it.
Emmy and Jackson have their own history, so all-in-all it's an uncomfortable traveling bunch to begin with. As they approach the docks it's clear inclement weather is coming in. They're even warned off by a captain of another boat, but Emmy and Ben insist they're going, and all will be okay.
Against their better judgement, both Hannah and Jackson also agree to go along. We follow their journey from that moment until the very bitter end, and what a journey it is.
This was good. It's very fast-paced and definitely kept me motivated to keep reading. The concept was fun, but I have to be honest, the character interactions were so grating and annoying for me. I would have tossed them all in the ocean if I'd been on this boat.
I had a hard time even believing that Hannah and Emmy would be friends, let alone best friends. They're total opposites, with the only thing holding them together seeming to be their shared history.
Additionally, the whole plot is based on a series of dumb choices, which isn't really bad in and of itself, I just had a hard time connecting with it, or understanding the characters motivations.
That would also be fine in a Survival Thriller if the Survival elements were front and center and kept me engaged. Here I felt the survival part played second fiddle to all of the absolutely OTT-interpersonal drama.
I found all the fighting and yelling so grating. It was like 96% of the character interactions. Also, there was too much 'let's air all our grievances', instead of 'let's come up with a plan' happening for my tastes.
I know this sounds a little doom and gloom, and I don't mean it to be. This still kept me entertained and I did read it quickly, I just don't feel like I had as much fun with it as I have with Lally's previous books.
Nevertheless, I would still recommend it. The action is intense and there is a lot of action. I think if you're just looking for a Popcorn Thriller, if you want to be glued to the pages, if you love stories set at sea; any of things, you absolutely need to check this one out.
As for me, though it's not my favorite from Megan Lally, I'm still glad I read it and I look forward to whatever she writes next. I do love how varied her plots and scenarios have been. She has a lot of creativity and it's anyone's guess what she's going to focus on next.
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I enjoyed my time with this one.
April 3, 2026
Hannah heads off on vacation with her best friend Emmy and Emmy’s brother Jackson, a guy she shares a bit of secret history with. She’s still quietly drooling over him, even though she knows it can’t really go anywhere. While away, Emmy the risk taker meets Ben, and the four of them decide to go on a boat adventure despite severe weather warnings later in the day. The captain promises to have them back in time, but what could go wrong? A LOT.
The tension in this book is really great. Things start to go awry, and there’s a lot of back and forth quibbling, especially since Emmy is totally smitten with Ben despite not knowing him for very long. Hannah and Jackson end up joining forces, trying to be the voice of reason while everything slowly spirals. Emmy is already dreaming of trotting off to Italy with Ben for her next adventure, but things take a dark turn when the captain is found drunk after dipping into the booze all day. Before they know it, the clouds turn dark, and so does the atmosphere on the boat.
A lot happens in this story. It feels like a bit of mind play at times, but in a really good way. It just keeps going, and you can’t help but root for these characters as they’re stranded out on the ocean. Who can they trust? Will they be saved?
The only thing I wish was different was the ending. Without spoiling anything, it just didn’t feel fair to me, but that’s just my opinion. I still really loved it.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The tension in this book is really great. Things start to go awry, and there’s a lot of back and forth quibbling, especially since Emmy is totally smitten with Ben despite not knowing him for very long. Hannah and Jackson end up joining forces, trying to be the voice of reason while everything slowly spirals. Emmy is already dreaming of trotting off to Italy with Ben for her next adventure, but things take a dark turn when the captain is found drunk after dipping into the booze all day. Before they know it, the clouds turn dark, and so does the atmosphere on the boat.
A lot happens in this story. It feels like a bit of mind play at times, but in a really good way. It just keeps going, and you can’t help but root for these characters as they’re stranded out on the ocean. Who can they trust? Will they be saved?
The only thing I wish was different was the ending. Without spoiling anything, it just didn’t feel fair to me, but that’s just my opinion. I still really loved it.
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 5, 2026
✎ᝰ.𝟑.𝟓☆
“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆, 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕.”
✄┈ 𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘤𝘰. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦? 🛟
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book… I have such mixed emotions but it’s definitely not bad. It was so intense and stressful that I couldn’t stop reading—I literally finished it in one sitting because I needed to know what would happen next 😭
This book felt like a real test of love, friendship, and survival. It was full of tension and constant build-up that kept me on edge the entire time.
For the first time, I actually loved the FMC in a thriller. Hannah was smart, strong, and not stupid at all—which is rare. But her friend Emmy… omg she was so frustrating. She refused to listen when people told her “no,” and I was genuinely angry at her 😤 Like REALLY angry. I don’t even feel like she deserves a happy life after everything. How do you trust someone you just met for two days and go on a trip in the middle of the ocean with him, even when your brother and your best friend warned you? They didn’t want to go and had to face all of that just because you’re a spoiled girl? I swear I wanted to slap her every single time
But at the same time, I felt so heartbroken for Hannah 💔 Her loving someone one-sided for 10 years… only for him to finally confess, and then everything happens…
The plot was amazing—I was never bored for a second. I was scared most of the time, even while just sitting still. I could literally feel the adrenaline. Megan Lally’s writing was really good, and honestly, who doesn’t love a good survival story?
However… the twist I saw it coming. It felt repetitive and something we’ve seen a lot, especially in ocean survival movies. I kept hoping I was wrong because when it was revealed, I didn’t feel shocked—I just felt sad and disappointed 💔
And honestly… I don’t think it could ever have a truly happy ending, no matter how much they tried to make it seem like one.
Overall: A tense, emotional, and thrilling read with strong characters, suspense, and a gripping survival story—despite some frustrating side characters and a predictable twist.
˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ |𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑🛟
Another anticipated read 😩 I’ve been waiting for this one… can’t wait to finally start it. 💗
“𝑰 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒆, 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒂𝒉. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕.”
✄┈ 𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘩, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘑𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘔𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘤𝘰. 𝘈𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴, 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘴𝘵. 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦? 🛟
I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book… I have such mixed emotions but it’s definitely not bad. It was so intense and stressful that I couldn’t stop reading—I literally finished it in one sitting because I needed to know what would happen next 😭
This book felt like a real test of love, friendship, and survival. It was full of tension and constant build-up that kept me on edge the entire time.
For the first time, I actually loved the FMC in a thriller. Hannah was smart, strong, and not stupid at all—which is rare. But her friend Emmy… omg she was so frustrating. She refused to listen when people told her “no,” and I was genuinely angry at her 😤 Like REALLY angry. I don’t even feel like she deserves a happy life after everything. How do you trust someone you just met for two days and go on a trip in the middle of the ocean with him, even when your brother and your best friend warned you? They didn’t want to go and had to face all of that just because you’re a spoiled girl? I swear I wanted to slap her every single time
But at the same time, I felt so heartbroken for Hannah 💔 Her loving someone one-sided for 10 years… only for him to finally confess, and then everything happens…
The plot was amazing—I was never bored for a second. I was scared most of the time, even while just sitting still. I could literally feel the adrenaline. Megan Lally’s writing was really good, and honestly, who doesn’t love a good survival story?
However… the twist I saw it coming. It felt repetitive and something we’ve seen a lot, especially in ocean survival movies. I kept hoping I was wrong because when it was revealed, I didn’t feel shocked—I just felt sad and disappointed 💔
And honestly… I don’t think it could ever have a truly happy ending, no matter how much they tried to make it seem like one.
Overall: A tense, emotional, and thrilling read with strong characters, suspense, and a gripping survival story—despite some frustrating side characters and a predictable twist.
˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖ 𐙚 ˖ ݁𖥔 ݁˖
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ |𝑃𝑟𝑒-𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑🛟
Another anticipated read 😩 I’ve been waiting for this one… can’t wait to finally start it. 💗
July 14, 2025
Who doesn't love a survival story? A broken sailboat, some bad weather, a group of idiots lost at sea... What could possibly go wrong? (I'm so excited for you all to find out!)
April 5, 2026
I’M SO GLAD I DON’T LIKE BOATS!
In What We Did To Survive Hannah, her best friend Emmy and Emmy’s brother Jackson are on a paradise vacation. While there Emmy gets into a holiday romance. He is wealthy, eager to impress and insists on booking a private sailboat trip treat for her last day, with Hannah and Jackson joining along. A storm puts their lives at risk; will they make it back alive?
Anyone else feeling claustrophobic and anxiety induced!? Ok great not just me then. Ms. Lally brough the heat with her newest release and threw me straight in the deep end. Her writing always locks in, and she is a champion when it comes to setting a scene and making you feel like you are right there in the action.
This Is YA at its finest and is going to be loved by a lot of teens. I had to separate my adult mind from the behaviour and decisions that some of these characters were making, or I would’ve thrown my book across the room like a disgruntled parent. LOL.
In terms of the characters, truthfully there is not a lot too say. They read very one dimensional and delusional, but the author did a good job keeping the pace that I tried not to dwell to much on it.
The beginning was intriguing, the middle dragged a little and the ending was suffocating and emotional!
I don’t know whether I am being slow or just don’t get the analogy, but what the hell did this mean!??…
"You son of a bitch"
"You should see what I can do with a PlayStation"
LOL HUH!?? What does that even mean!???
Anywhooo, this was an enjoyable read, that had my nerves rocked. Decisions are bottom barrel stupid at times, so take the scenarios with a pinch of salt and not too seriously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
I love this authors work!
Blurb sounds sooo juicy!
So excited to read her new release!
🩷🩷❤️🩷
In What We Did To Survive Hannah, her best friend Emmy and Emmy’s brother Jackson are on a paradise vacation. While there Emmy gets into a holiday romance. He is wealthy, eager to impress and insists on booking a private sailboat trip treat for her last day, with Hannah and Jackson joining along. A storm puts their lives at risk; will they make it back alive?
Anyone else feeling claustrophobic and anxiety induced!? Ok great not just me then. Ms. Lally brough the heat with her newest release and threw me straight in the deep end. Her writing always locks in, and she is a champion when it comes to setting a scene and making you feel like you are right there in the action.
This Is YA at its finest and is going to be loved by a lot of teens. I had to separate my adult mind from the behaviour and decisions that some of these characters were making, or I would’ve thrown my book across the room like a disgruntled parent. LOL.
In terms of the characters, truthfully there is not a lot too say. They read very one dimensional and delusional, but the author did a good job keeping the pace that I tried not to dwell to much on it.
The beginning was intriguing, the middle dragged a little and the ending was suffocating and emotional!
I don’t know whether I am being slow or just don’t get the analogy, but what the hell did this mean!??…
"You son of a bitch"
"You should see what I can do with a PlayStation"
LOL HUH!?? What does that even mean!???
Anywhooo, this was an enjoyable read, that had my nerves rocked. Decisions are bottom barrel stupid at times, so take the scenarios with a pinch of salt and not too seriously.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
I love this authors work!
Blurb sounds sooo juicy!
So excited to read her new release!
🩷🩷❤️🩷
December 13, 2025
3 stars
this was a really fun and interesting! I stayed in my bed and finished this in less than a day, megan’s writing is so addicting.
the characters | they were all so crazy wtf 😭 i swear the only person i was rooting for through the entire book was hannah, she was literally the heart, soul, and brain of the whole group. emmy and ben made me so mad, especially emmy because wdym you whole-heartedly trust this guy that you’ve known for 1 day.. The way she would constantly neglect weird things that he did and choose him over her own brother and best friend was insane. boy crazy friends are the worst istg.
the plot | it wasn’t bad, but i have to admit i did get bored at some times. I wish we got to see more of why ben was like that, though. that didn’t really get wrapped up in the end - are we just supposed to assume that ben is a crazy psychopath?? Because when we first met him he was completely normal.. And why was keith willing to take them in the ocean during a storm? Other than that, it was fine.
overall, read if you want a gripping thriller with a.. sad plot twist at the end.
thank you to netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
☆ ── preread ⊹
looking for a good thriller 🤞🏻
⌗ fall book #7.
thank you to netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
this was a really fun and interesting! I stayed in my bed and finished this in less than a day, megan’s writing is so addicting.
the characters | they were all so crazy wtf 😭 i swear the only person i was rooting for through the entire book was hannah, she was literally the heart, soul, and brain of the whole group. emmy and ben made me so mad, especially emmy because wdym you whole-heartedly trust this guy that you’ve known for 1 day.. The way she would constantly neglect weird things that he did and choose him over her own brother and best friend was insane. boy crazy friends are the worst istg.
the plot | it wasn’t bad, but i have to admit i did get bored at some times. I wish we got to see more of why ben was like that, though. that didn’t really get wrapped up in the end - are we just supposed to assume that ben is a crazy psychopath?? Because when we first met him he was completely normal.. And why was keith willing to take them in the ocean during a storm? Other than that, it was fine.
overall, read if you want a gripping thriller with a.. sad plot twist at the end.
thank you to netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
☆ ── preread ⊹
looking for a good thriller 🤞🏻
⌗ fall book #7.
thank you to netgalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2026
megan lally, you've done it again!!! how does this author shock me and also BREAK ME, in the same book
November 27, 2025
I’m a sucker for survivalist stories, and I truly enjoyed that part of the book. The main character came across as very resourceful and I loved that about her. The last part of the book was the best part, as tensions grew and there was always some new hurdle to overcome. The last part also made me feel a lot, and I regretted finishing it at a public place because it was hard to hold back my emotions.
The start wasn’t my favorite however. It dragged a bit and I didn’t adore her way of thinking, but I guess it fits for a young woman somehow.
Overall the last part of the book was very memorable and it really moved me. The first part could have been better, but the ending made up for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
The start wasn’t my favorite however. It dragged a bit and I didn’t adore her way of thinking, but I guess it fits for a young woman somehow.
Overall the last part of the book was very memorable and it really moved me. The first part could have been better, but the ending made up for it.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.
April 29, 2026
Wow. Ok. Um. I don't know what to say other than this book was low-key kinda boring. It was soo slow and in my opinion would have made a better short story. The ending twist was alright but still unsatisfying and low-key kinda depressing. However thats not the reason why I didn't like it.
I feel like this book could have been executed soooo much better. They are literally on the boat for like over 75% of it. I know that may not be a shocker bc the cover is literally the ocean but like still. Idk 🤷♀️.
Also I was expecting more of a psychological thriller than a survival thriller. Ok. I know what ur thinking. The title is literally "What We Did To SURVIVE" but still I was prepared for much more of a twisty psych thriller like her first book. Instead this book was low-key all about surviving. PERIOD. Which sounds cooool and all but it just got boringggg. Now of course there was an onboard "mystery/thrill" apart from the storm but then again it just wasn't enough to keep me entertained.
Another issue for me was the dramaaaaaa 🎭. There was soooooooooooo much teenage bickering and fighting (both physical and verbal) it just got to be too much for me. I was listening to the audio book and I had to stop and go to the physical copy bc it was hurting my ears.
Overall this book wasn't a 100% no for me but it definitely wasn't this author's finest. I really hope her 4th book (assuming she's writing one) is more similar to That's Not My Name than her other two. Hopefully my next read is better 🤞
𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙:⚓️🛟
omg I am actually so obsessed with this author's dedications! 🫢🫢⬇︎
"For all my fellow anxious travelers.
This book probably won't help your anxiety much,
but your next vacation can't possibly go as badly as this one..."
I'm intrigued! 🤔🤔
I feel like this book could have been executed soooo much better. They are literally on the boat for like over 75% of it. I know that may not be a shocker bc the cover is literally the ocean but like still. Idk 🤷♀️.
Also I was expecting more of a psychological thriller than a survival thriller. Ok. I know what ur thinking. The title is literally "What We Did To SURVIVE" but still I was prepared for much more of a twisty psych thriller like her first book. Instead this book was low-key all about surviving. PERIOD. Which sounds cooool and all but it just got boringggg. Now of course there was an onboard "mystery/thrill" apart from the storm but then again it just wasn't enough to keep me entertained.
Another issue for me was the dramaaaaaa 🎭. There was soooooooooooo much teenage bickering and fighting (both physical and verbal) it just got to be too much for me. I was listening to the audio book and I had to stop and go to the physical copy bc it was hurting my ears.
Overall this book wasn't a 100% no for me but it definitely wasn't this author's finest. I really hope her 4th book (assuming she's writing one) is more similar to That's Not My Name than her other two. Hopefully my next read is better 🤞
𝙥𝙧𝙚-𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙:⚓️🛟
omg I am actually so obsessed with this author's dedications! 🫢🫢⬇︎
"For all my fellow anxious travelers.
This book probably won't help your anxiety much,
but your next vacation can't possibly go as badly as this one..."
I'm intrigued! 🤔🤔
October 16, 2025
Yea, no. I can't do 4th grade reading level books.
What not to expect: common sense, depth, plausibility, intelligence, natural dialogue, charm/intrigue/joy/excitement/thrill/fear, satiation..
What you can count on: a handful of ignorant, petulant, sanctimonious jackasses.
What not to expect: common sense, depth, plausibility, intelligence, natural dialogue, charm/intrigue/joy/excitement/thrill/fear, satiation..
What you can count on: a handful of ignorant, petulant, sanctimonious jackasses.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally
PUBLISH DATE:March 31, 2026
WHAT DID I JIST READ??!! I finished this book feeling completely speechless.
I was not prepared for how intense this story would be, especially for a YA novel. From fairly early on, the suspense grabbed me and continued to grow. Every time I thought the tension might finally ease, something else happened. The final stretch was absolutely relentless.
This story centers on survival under extreme circumstances, and it does an incredible job of making you feel the pressure, fear, and uncertainty right alongside the characters. The biggest twist completely blindsided me. The payoff was both shocking and heartbreaking and caught me off guard.
What made the ending work so well was how the author circled back and reminded the reader where the clues had been all along. You realize you weren’t lied to. You just didn’t see the full picture. That kind of reveal is so satisfying.
Hannah and Jackson felt like genuinely good people, which made the emotional impact even heavier. Emma annoyed me throughout the book, but I still found myself empathizing with her. She’s a teenager in an impossible situation.
The ending absolutely ripped my heart out. The story doesn’t give you the kind of neat, comfortable ending you might want. Instead, it leaves you feeling the weight of it, even after the last page.
I highly recommend this book, but emotionally prepare yourself. This is the kind of YA thriller that hits hard, escalates fast, and and it left me emotionally wrecked.
Content Note:
Strong language (frequent use of the F word), intense peril and survival situations. The book is otherwise clean and does not include sexual or intimate scenes.
BOOK TITLE: What We Did to Survive
AUTHOR: Megan Lally
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 2858
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
PUBLISH DATE:March 31, 2026
WHAT DID I JIST READ??!! I finished this book feeling completely speechless.
I was not prepared for how intense this story would be, especially for a YA novel. From fairly early on, the suspense grabbed me and continued to grow. Every time I thought the tension might finally ease, something else happened. The final stretch was absolutely relentless.
This story centers on survival under extreme circumstances, and it does an incredible job of making you feel the pressure, fear, and uncertainty right alongside the characters. The biggest twist completely blindsided me. The payoff was both shocking and heartbreaking and caught me off guard.
What made the ending work so well was how the author circled back and reminded the reader where the clues had been all along. You realize you weren’t lied to. You just didn’t see the full picture. That kind of reveal is so satisfying.
Hannah and Jackson felt like genuinely good people, which made the emotional impact even heavier. Emma annoyed me throughout the book, but I still found myself empathizing with her. She’s a teenager in an impossible situation.
The ending absolutely ripped my heart out. The story doesn’t give you the kind of neat, comfortable ending you might want. Instead, it leaves you feeling the weight of it, even after the last page.
I highly recommend this book, but emotionally prepare yourself. This is the kind of YA thriller that hits hard, escalates fast, and and it left me emotionally wrecked.
Content Note:
Strong language (frequent use of the F word), intense peril and survival situations. The book is otherwise clean and does not include sexual or intimate scenes.
BOOK TITLE: What We Did to Survive
AUTHOR: Megan Lally
PUBLISHER: Sourcebooks Fire
FORMAT: ebook
PAGES: 2858
I received a complimentary digital ARC [Advanced Readers Copy] of this book via NetGalley. Thank you to the Publisher and the Author for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication. As always, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
October 17, 2025
Never trust people. Or boats.
I like this plot.
I’ve always been a fan of the whole “stranded at sea” thing, particularly in movies. So I was pretty happy to read a book about it.
I just can’t help but love the imagery my brain creates from reading about big storms over the ocean.
(I know that it actually terrifying. But in my head, it looks cool.)
This is a young adult thriller, so I wouldn’t say there is anything overly crazy or dark.
But, I think it was pretty good for what it is. It gave me the vibes that I was looking for.
No spoilers, but there is a psychological twist.
Which is always my jam, but I particularly liked this one.
It actually did surprise me, which gets bonus points.
I think my only complaint is that it started to drag a bit at a certain point.
I feel like that is odd to say, since this is quite short. But, just reading about people trying to survive when there is no real action going on can get old a bit quickly.
Luckily, the low action scenes don’t last a super long time.
I have to comment on how seriously frustrating Emmy was.
She does get better as the story progresses, but for a while there…
I was totally not rooting for her.
I mean, trusting a guy you met like 2 seconds ago, instead of your best friend and your brother?
Come on girlie. Let the guy obsession REST.
Random notes:
- Infections don’t set in immediately after you get a wound.
- I feel like a few of these characters were really smart! Way too smart for this entire situation to have happened to begin with.
- Why was Keith my favorite character, by far? I NEEDED MORE KEITH LORE!
- The problem-causing person in this story. What… was their plan exactly? Like, I am racking my brain trying to figure out how this was supposed to work out for them?
Overall, it’s good.
I liked the vibes, and it reaffirmed my decision to never get on a boat. Like, ever.
Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and author Megan Lally for providing me with the eARC of “What We Did to Survive”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: March 31, 2026
I like this plot.
I’ve always been a fan of the whole “stranded at sea” thing, particularly in movies. So I was pretty happy to read a book about it.
I just can’t help but love the imagery my brain creates from reading about big storms over the ocean.
(I know that it actually terrifying. But in my head, it looks cool.)
This is a young adult thriller, so I wouldn’t say there is anything overly crazy or dark.
But, I think it was pretty good for what it is. It gave me the vibes that I was looking for.
No spoilers, but there is a psychological twist.
Which is always my jam, but I particularly liked this one.
It actually did surprise me, which gets bonus points.
I think my only complaint is that it started to drag a bit at a certain point.
I feel like that is odd to say, since this is quite short. But, just reading about people trying to survive when there is no real action going on can get old a bit quickly.
Luckily, the low action scenes don’t last a super long time.
I have to comment on how seriously frustrating Emmy was.
She does get better as the story progresses, but for a while there…
I was totally not rooting for her.
I mean, trusting a guy you met like 2 seconds ago, instead of your best friend and your brother?
Come on girlie. Let the guy obsession REST.
Random notes:
- Infections don’t set in immediately after you get a wound.
- I feel like a few of these characters were really smart! Way too smart for this entire situation to have happened to begin with.
- Why was Keith my favorite character, by far? I NEEDED MORE KEITH LORE!
- The problem-causing person in this story. What… was their plan exactly? Like, I am racking my brain trying to figure out how this was supposed to work out for them?
Overall, it’s good.
I liked the vibes, and it reaffirmed my decision to never get on a boat. Like, ever.
Thank you to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Fire and author Megan Lally for providing me with the eARC of “What We Did to Survive”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: March 31, 2026
October 30, 2025
This was unexpectedly captivating, engaging, and fun. I never knew what was going to happen next. And while I was pretty sure, most of the time, what was happening towards the end, I wasn't completely sure, and I loved that. This had my heart racing, it had me wanting to reach through the pages and shake a couple of characters, and most of all, it had me turning the pages wanting to know how it all came together.
I loved this so much in fact, that I plan on looking up the author's other work and reading more from her.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
I loved this so much in fact, that I plan on looking up the author's other work and reading more from her.
*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
April 7, 2026
Heart was POUNDING.
November 24, 2025
"Unrequited love, thou art a bitch."
It took me a while before I actually read anything by Megan. Her books seemed too good to be true. Typically, I steer clear of books that generate a lot of hype because the ones that people rave about often aren't for someone like me. However, after reading her first novel, I was hooked and jumped at the chance to read all of her new works.
This particular book was heavy, and I felt like my heart was about to explode. It was intense and action-packed, leaving me unsure of what to believe or who to trust. My mind is still spinning after finishing it. There was no waiting for the story to gain momentum. It immediately became intense, and I wasn't prepared for how everything unfolded.
"What We Did to Survive' was one hell of a roller coaster ride. The writing was phenomenal and the characters were just what the story called for. It was an all around great read. It really showcases why she is one of my favorite authors. Not sure about you but I'm not one to typically trust people or boats, so I think I'm in the clear.
It took me a while before I actually read anything by Megan. Her books seemed too good to be true. Typically, I steer clear of books that generate a lot of hype because the ones that people rave about often aren't for someone like me. However, after reading her first novel, I was hooked and jumped at the chance to read all of her new works.
This particular book was heavy, and I felt like my heart was about to explode. It was intense and action-packed, leaving me unsure of what to believe or who to trust. My mind is still spinning after finishing it. There was no waiting for the story to gain momentum. It immediately became intense, and I wasn't prepared for how everything unfolded.
"What We Did to Survive' was one hell of a roller coaster ride. The writing was phenomenal and the characters were just what the story called for. It was an all around great read. It really showcases why she is one of my favorite authors. Not sure about you but I'm not one to typically trust people or boats, so I think I'm in the clear.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to netgalley, Megan Lally, and Sourcebook fire for providing me with this arc
3.75☆ rounded up
okay, this is my second time trying to upload this, but anyway, this book was really intriguing and kept my interest the whole time
-plot
the beginning and the ending were a bit too fast-paced, and I wish they were slower so we could properly see what happened, but the rest of the book kept me soo hooked. The ending was diabolically crazy like what the actual hell?!
-hannah
she was such a good, strong character, and she would definitely survive a horror movie. She was such a good friend like Emmy did not deserve her at all
-Emmy
she was such a bad friend to Hannah throughout the book, and her redemption arc wasn't even that great. She is also pretty strong but stupid at the same time
-jackson
all I can say is sorry
-ben
this man pmo throughout the whole story. I just can't understand how someone could be so annoying.
-overall
this book was super and would definitely be a good beach read during the summer
3.75☆ rounded up
okay, this is my second time trying to upload this, but anyway, this book was really intriguing and kept my interest the whole time
-plot
the beginning and the ending were a bit too fast-paced, and I wish they were slower so we could properly see what happened, but the rest of the book kept me soo hooked. The ending was diabolically crazy like what the actual hell?!
-hannah
she was such a good, strong character, and she would definitely survive a horror movie. She was such a good friend like Emmy did not deserve her at all
-Emmy
she was such a bad friend to Hannah throughout the book, and her redemption arc wasn't even that great. She is also pretty strong but stupid at the same time
-jackson
all I can say is sorry
-ben
this man pmo throughout the whole story. I just can't understand how someone could be so annoying.
-overall
this book was super and would definitely be a good beach read during the summer
December 9, 2025
I received a free copy of, What We Did to Survive, by Megan Lally, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Hannah is a teenager on vacation with her best friend, Emmy and her family, and she even meets a cute boy. This read was a little anxiety inducing, these kids needed to stay out of the water and alive, a bit of a crazy read.
April 5, 2026
3.5 Stars
Love Megan Lally but this wasn't a favourite for me.
If you love survival stories its right up your alley because its just that.
Emmy and a guy she just met at her hotel charter a boat while on vacation in Mexico.
Emmys brother Jackson and her best friend Hannah had their doubts about him and ended up going with Emmy just in case.
They end up sailing right into a storm and you can guess what happens from there.
The writing was good. All told in Hannahs pov.
Ben, the guy who invited Emmy wasn't that believable to me but fit the narrative I guess.
If you love MLs writing read it. Everyone reads books differently.
Love Megan Lally but this wasn't a favourite for me.
If you love survival stories its right up your alley because its just that.
Emmy and a guy she just met at her hotel charter a boat while on vacation in Mexico.
Emmys brother Jackson and her best friend Hannah had their doubts about him and ended up going with Emmy just in case.
They end up sailing right into a storm and you can guess what happens from there.
The writing was good. All told in Hannahs pov.
Ben, the guy who invited Emmy wasn't that believable to me but fit the narrative I guess.
If you love MLs writing read it. Everyone reads books differently.
April 21, 2026
3⭐️
ARC Review
Publication Date: 03/31/26
The way this book intensified my anxiety…
I went into What We Did To Survive with extremely low expectations. After DNFing both That's Not My Name and No Place Left to Hide, I came to the conclusion that Megan Lally is capable of writing books with interesting storylines, but often creates them with some of the most annoying characters. Truthfully, I was prepared to spend this entire book rolling my eyes, constantly feeling annoyed, and silently regretting my decision on requesting this book as an ARC. Surprisingly, I was proven wrong and yes, I do enjoy being wrong about books.
Survival horror/thriller is slowly becoming a new favorite sub-genre for me. What We Did To Survive marks my second read in this sub-genre. We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall marks my first. Like most horror/thriller books and movies, both books are flawed, but I still found myself thoroughly entertained. Similar to We Won’t All Survive, 50% of my entertainment with What We Did To Survive had to do with the entire story itself. The other 50 % had to do with the audiobook companion. Being able to participate in an immersive read not only helped bring the premise of this story to life, but also the characters. And boy oooh boy were these 2 out the 4 of these individuals severely flawed.
The FMC, Hannah, was the best thing about this book. From the beginning, a reader can tell that Hannah is the cautious and constantly thinking type of friend. She wants to make sure that all activities, decisions, and ideas will make sure that everyone involved will come home safely and alive. She is often called “boring,” “overly protective,” or “the girl who likes to ruin other people’s fun time.” During this book, Hannah was a badass. She was smart, focused, and remained as calm as possible given her and her two friends’ circumstances. Reading this book from Hannah’s POV helped this story out a lot.
On the other hand, if Hannah’s best friend, Emmy, was the FMC of this book, I probably would’ve DNF’ed this 3 chapters in. See, Emmy is the type of girl who jumped into any situation heart first consequences second. Literally all of her common sense went out of the window during several moments within this story. It wasn’t long before all Emmy became good at was whining and complaining. Reading about Hannah and Emmy’s friendship give me a huge headache. These girls were definitely in an opposite attracts type of friendship and the more this story went on, the more I struggled to see how their friendship lasted this long. Adding Bennett Mulholland into the mix only caused things to get worse. Without spoiling too much, Bennett annoyed the crap out of me. He became a typical classic cliche very early on. While Hannah saw his red flags during every interaction with him, Emmy kept making excuses for his behavior. By Chapter 5, I was ready to throw both Emmy and Bennett overboard.
Things eventually calmed down with the help of Jackson, Emmy’s one and only brother. Though there was A LOT of arguing between him and Emmy, I still managed to enjoy Jackson’s presence. His relationship with Hannah, though, was one of both beauty and heartbreak. I could truly see why Hannah would fall in love with guy like Jackson and why Jackson would fall in love with a girl like Hannah. Sub-plot or not, the romance between Hannah and Jackson honestly increased my level of enjoyment.
I cannot say 100% that I will pick up another book written by Megan Lally. I can say, however, I will be picking up another book within the survival horror/thriller sub-genre within the next few months. Anyone who dare to pick up What We Did To Survive BETTER prepare themselves for interesting time. It took me a total of 4hrs and 48 minutes (2hrs and 24 minutes on Tuesday and 2hr and 24 minutes on Wednesday) to finish this entire book. The only reason I even took the breaks that I did was because I had to eat and sleep. But, boy oooh boy did I wake up early on Wednesday morning to finish this. Again, add this book your 2026 reading goals and challenges. One will most DEFINITELY not be disappointed!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
ARC Review
Publication Date: 03/31/26
The way this book intensified my anxiety…
I went into What We Did To Survive with extremely low expectations. After DNFing both That's Not My Name and No Place Left to Hide, I came to the conclusion that Megan Lally is capable of writing books with interesting storylines, but often creates them with some of the most annoying characters. Truthfully, I was prepared to spend this entire book rolling my eyes, constantly feeling annoyed, and silently regretting my decision on requesting this book as an ARC. Surprisingly, I was proven wrong and yes, I do enjoy being wrong about books.
Survival horror/thriller is slowly becoming a new favorite sub-genre for me. What We Did To Survive marks my second read in this sub-genre. We Won't All Survive by Kate Alice Marshall marks my first. Like most horror/thriller books and movies, both books are flawed, but I still found myself thoroughly entertained. Similar to We Won’t All Survive, 50% of my entertainment with What We Did To Survive had to do with the entire story itself. The other 50 % had to do with the audiobook companion. Being able to participate in an immersive read not only helped bring the premise of this story to life, but also the characters. And boy oooh boy were these 2 out the 4 of these individuals severely flawed.
The FMC, Hannah, was the best thing about this book. From the beginning, a reader can tell that Hannah is the cautious and constantly thinking type of friend. She wants to make sure that all activities, decisions, and ideas will make sure that everyone involved will come home safely and alive. She is often called “boring,” “overly protective,” or “the girl who likes to ruin other people’s fun time.” During this book, Hannah was a badass. She was smart, focused, and remained as calm as possible given her and her two friends’ circumstances. Reading this book from Hannah’s POV helped this story out a lot.
On the other hand, if Hannah’s best friend, Emmy, was the FMC of this book, I probably would’ve DNF’ed this 3 chapters in. See, Emmy is the type of girl who jumped into any situation heart first consequences second. Literally all of her common sense went out of the window during several moments within this story. It wasn’t long before all Emmy became good at was whining and complaining. Reading about Hannah and Emmy’s friendship give me a huge headache. These girls were definitely in an opposite attracts type of friendship and the more this story went on, the more I struggled to see how their friendship lasted this long. Adding Bennett Mulholland into the mix only caused things to get worse. Without spoiling too much, Bennett annoyed the crap out of me. He became a typical classic cliche very early on. While Hannah saw his red flags during every interaction with him, Emmy kept making excuses for his behavior. By Chapter 5, I was ready to throw both Emmy and Bennett overboard.
Things eventually calmed down with the help of Jackson, Emmy’s one and only brother. Though there was A LOT of arguing between him and Emmy, I still managed to enjoy Jackson’s presence. His relationship with Hannah, though, was one of both beauty and heartbreak. I could truly see why Hannah would fall in love with guy like Jackson and why Jackson would fall in love with a girl like Hannah. Sub-plot or not, the romance between Hannah and Jackson honestly increased my level of enjoyment.
I cannot say 100% that I will pick up another book written by Megan Lally. I can say, however, I will be picking up another book within the survival horror/thriller sub-genre within the next few months. Anyone who dare to pick up What We Did To Survive BETTER prepare themselves for interesting time. It took me a total of 4hrs and 48 minutes (2hrs and 24 minutes on Tuesday and 2hr and 24 minutes on Wednesday) to finish this entire book. The only reason I even took the breaks that I did was because I had to eat and sleep. But, boy oooh boy did I wake up early on Wednesday morning to finish this. Again, add this book your 2026 reading goals and challenges. One will most DEFINITELY not be disappointed!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for granting my request for an Advance Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest and personal opinion!!!
March 18, 2026
You go on spring break with the goal of having fun and it turns into your worst nightmare. You and your best friend and her brother , who is forever your crush go together on spring break in Mexico.
Your best friend meets a guy who she falls for right away and decides that all four of you should go take a boat tour, the problem starts here because this is where it all goes down.
Eventually, you start questioning what’s real and what’s not. I could not put this book down. It was just that good !! Castaway meets horror.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the Author for providing this ARC. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for this book to come out.
Your best friend meets a guy who she falls for right away and decides that all four of you should go take a boat tour, the problem starts here because this is where it all goes down.
Eventually, you start questioning what’s real and what’s not. I could not put this book down. It was just that good !! Castaway meets horror.
Thank you so much NetGalley and the Author for providing this ARC. I really enjoyed it and I can’t wait for this book to come out.
October 31, 2025
- I did not enjoy this
- Emmy is being added to the list of characters I cannot stand
- Very much a YA book
- Sometimes it’s okay for characters in a “thriller” to have a little common sense
- Emmy is being added to the list of characters I cannot stand
- Very much a YA book
- Sometimes it’s okay for characters in a “thriller” to have a little common sense
March 29, 2026
“𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯?”
3.5 ★
｛spoiler free﹜
𓇼⋆.˚⚓︎𓆝🌧️⋆.˚𓇼
⌯⌲ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: thriller
⌯⌲ 𝐩𝐨𝐯: first person, present tense
⌯⌲ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: -
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ the to-the-point writing style
⤷ super quick and easy read
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ I thought that the story stopped kinda abruptly before the epilogue
⤷ I couldn’t picture the scene very well in my head as there wasn’t much imagery
⤷ some parts of the story were a bit too unrealistic
⤷ it got a little slow near the middle of the book
⤷ I hated the last plot twist, it made me dock a star from the book I hated it so much
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ It’s the last day of the vacation, and Hannah and her friends want to make the most of it. They sail out to sea as dark clouds are rolling in, and it takes a turn for the worst. Who will make it back to shore alive?
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ takes place off the coast of Mexico
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ Hannah: one of the few female main characters that I actually liked! She was super smart and had great survival instincts
⤷ Emmy: she annoyed me sooo much, she made really bad decisions throughout the entire book and fits the dumb blonde stereotype perfectly
⤷ Jackson: I really liked him, he does not deserve what he got
⤷ Ben: I might have just found a character that I hate more than Max Hastings.
⤷ Captain Keith: he doesn’t deserve what he got at all. I mean, he was pretty dumb, but I thought he was kinda funny
⌯⌲ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 15+
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 ✽ ♡ ✽
➔ 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: drunken brawls, murder, drowning, a lot of talk about death
➔ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: none
➔ 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: mentions of side characters making out, a couple of semi descriptive kisses
➔ 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬/𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: side characters drink tequila, a side character gets drunk
➔ 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: 80 f**k, 32 sh*t, 5 d*ck, 1 pr*ck, 6 b*tch, 11 a**hole, 17 a**, 65 hell, 1 godd*mn, 23 damn, 8 piss, 38 uses of the Lord’s name in vain (g in “God” is lowercase)
➔ 𝐥𝐠𝐛𝐭𝐪+ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: none
➔ 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: none
➔ 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜: none
➔ 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: murder, drowning, grief
𓇼⋆.˚⚓︎𓆝🌧️⋆.˚𓇼
⌯⌲ Publish date: 31-March-2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 ★
｛spoiler free﹜
𓇼⋆.˚⚓︎𓆝🌧️⋆.˚𓇼
⌯⌲ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: thriller
⌯⌲ 𝐩𝐨𝐯: first person, present tense
⌯⌲ 𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: -
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ the to-the-point writing style
⤷ super quick and easy read
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ I thought that the story stopped kinda abruptly before the epilogue
⤷ I couldn’t picture the scene very well in my head as there wasn’t much imagery
⤷ some parts of the story were a bit too unrealistic
⤷ it got a little slow near the middle of the book
⤷ I hated the last plot twist, it made me dock a star from the book I hated it so much
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ It’s the last day of the vacation, and Hannah and her friends want to make the most of it. They sail out to sea as dark clouds are rolling in, and it takes a turn for the worst. Who will make it back to shore alive?
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ takes place off the coast of Mexico
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ✽ ♡ ✽
⤷ Hannah: one of the few female main characters that I actually liked! She was super smart and had great survival instincts
⤷ Emmy: she annoyed me sooo much, she made really bad decisions throughout the entire book and fits the dumb blonde stereotype perfectly
⤷ Jackson: I really liked him, he does not deserve what he got
⤷ Ben: I might have just found a character that I hate more than Max Hastings.
⤷ Captain Keith: he doesn’t deserve what he got at all. I mean, he was pretty dumb, but I thought he was kinda funny
⌯⌲ 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 15+
✽ ♡ ✽ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 ✽ ♡ ✽
➔ 𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: drunken brawls, murder, drowning, a lot of talk about death
➔ 𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: none
➔ 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞: mentions of side characters making out, a couple of semi descriptive kisses
➔ 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐬/𝐬𝐦𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: side characters drink tequila, a side character gets drunk
➔ 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: 80 f**k, 32 sh*t, 5 d*ck, 1 pr*ck, 6 b*tch, 11 a**hole, 17 a**, 65 hell, 1 godd*mn, 23 damn, 8 piss, 38 uses of the Lord’s name in vain (g in “God” is lowercase)
➔ 𝐥𝐠𝐛𝐭𝐪+ 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: none
➔ 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭: none
➔ 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜: none
➔ 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: murder, drowning, grief
𓇼⋆.˚⚓︎𓆝🌧️⋆.˚𓇼
⌯⌲ Publish date: 31-March-2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for providing an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 17, 2026
Ah Megan I love you! She truly is soooo good. I enjoyed this book immensely and devoured it in two days and I was soooo excited for it! I loved Hannah as she actually had some common sense and Emmy, who I really hated in the beginning with her boy-centric attitude, grew on me a bit in the duration of the book. I am VERY afraid of the deep sea already so the whole thing was scary af for me, but such a good thrill. I really enjoyed the middle section of the book actually, with them trying to make it work on the boat, I felt right there on board. Also f u, Ben, what a psycho.
I'm only giving it 4 stars because I figured out the Jackson twist immediately - I guess it's not just me, but when I saw it coming it made the reveal not so surprising, still, oh my, the dread of it. I got very emotional nonetheless towards the end. Megan, please, write more. You are a genuine talent 🫶
I'm only giving it 4 stars because I figured out the Jackson twist immediately - I guess it's not just me, but when I saw it coming it made the reveal not so surprising, still, oh my, the dread of it. I got very emotional nonetheless towards the end. Megan, please, write more. You are a genuine talent 🫶
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2026
This is my second book by this author and boy does she know how to pack an emotional punch in a thrilling story.
Overall, I liked the book and finished it in less than a day. It kept me interested enough that I did not want to put it down. I felt it could have been a bit more thrilling / mysterious but it was a YA thriller so maybe I was expecting more of an adult thriller? I don’t know. I ended up feeling emotional by the end with how I felt about certain characters and their relationship with one another. I will definitely read more of this author’s work.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for my gifted copy and be on the lookout to add this one to your 2026 tbr as it releases in March.
Overall, I liked the book and finished it in less than a day. It kept me interested enough that I did not want to put it down. I felt it could have been a bit more thrilling / mysterious but it was a YA thriller so maybe I was expecting more of an adult thriller? I don’t know. I ended up feeling emotional by the end with how I felt about certain characters and their relationship with one another. I will definitely read more of this author’s work.
Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for my gifted copy and be on the lookout to add this one to your 2026 tbr as it releases in March.
May 5, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
So intense and crazy and emotional. Megan Lally is just so freaking good at writing YA thrillers. That ending 😭😭😭 I will read anything she puts out. Such an addictive book.
So intense and crazy and emotional. Megan Lally is just so freaking good at writing YA thrillers. That ending 😭😭😭 I will read anything she puts out. Such an addictive book.
April 16, 2026
THE TWIST?? EXCUSE ME??
April 6, 2026
4.5 🌟
you haven't known pain until you read mystery books like this one that make you feel like you're dying along with them. genuinely wouldn't change a thing about this book except for the ending. I love it with my whole heart. 0.5 stars subtracted because of how much I sobbed and now my chest aches. yay. 💔
you haven't known pain until you read mystery books like this one that make you feel like you're dying along with them. genuinely wouldn't change a thing about this book except for the ending. I love it with my whole heart. 0.5 stars subtracted because of how much I sobbed and now my chest aches. yay. 💔
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,763 reviews