What We Did to Survive: A heart-stopping YA Vacation Thriller
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?
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Community Reviews
Megan Lally.
We need to talk.
I picked up What We Did to Survive expecting a sun-soaked, high-stakes, “someone is definitely not making it off this boat” thriller… and WOW did she deliver. The tension? Enough to raise your blood pressure.
We’ve got:
🌴 Spring break in paradise
⛵ A private sailboat (already a red flag)
⚡ A storm rolling in—emotionally AND meteorologically
😬 And a group dynamic that is… let’s just say “concerning”
From the moment they leave the marina, I was like:
“oh this is a terrible idea”
and then continued reading at full speed anyway like I have no survival instincts.
Now listen—
I did figure out part of the twist. I had my little detective moment. I was feeling smug. I was like, “wow, look at me, solving things.”
And then Megan Lally said:
“That’s cute. But what if I emotionally ruin you instead?”
Because HOW did I not connect the why??
The WHY. The part that takes this from “fun twisty thriller” to “excuse me while I stare at a wall and process my feelings.”
Rude. Honestly rude.
Would I trust Megan Lally again? Absolutely not.
Would I recommend it? Absolutely.
WARNING: Just like her other novels, be prepared to read it in one sitting or plan to call in sick.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for this review copy!
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