That's Not My Name Review

After reading A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I’ve been on a serious YA thriller kick. There’s something about reading a book that makes your heart race. If you’re left feeling just a little jumpy? Even better. I’m not a fan of horror, nor do I like to be terrified, but I do enjoy feeling a bit spooked. It’s the balance between occasionally checking behind the shower curtain and sleeping with the lights on. I’ve found that YA thrillers offer the perfect sweet spot when it comes to spooky reading. I’m always left feeling a little wary of the shadows, but still fully capable of sleeping in the dark. Like I said, balance.

After the joyride that was A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, I was looking for another YA thriller that had a different premise but similar vibe. That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally delivered on both fronts, and I knew when I finished that I’d have to write a review.

The Plot

A teenage girl wakes up in a ditch bruised and covered in dirt. She can’t remember her name, where she’s from, or how she got there. When her worried father arrives to bring her home, she’s relieved she has a clue into her identity. However, as time progresses, her father’s behavior becomes more and more erratic, and she begins to wonder if anything he’s told her is true.

Meanwhile, in a nearby town, a teenage girl has gone missing and her boyfriend is the number one suspect. Desperate to clear his name and bring her home, Drew decides to take matters into his own hands. But everything is not as it seems and the more time passes, the more dangerous the investigation becomes.

Review

I devoured this book in two days and I don’t think my heart rate relaxed until the final page. Whenever I pick up a thriller, I always hope for a well written plot that isn’t easy for me to immediately solve. Surprisingly, it’s usually YA where I find the more complex and twisty plots. I love YA thrillers, and I genuinely believe that some of the best novels in the genre come from the YA section.

That’s Not My Name was no exception. This is one of those rare books that grabs your attention from the first page and does not let go. I was overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding from the very beginning, and that feeling lingered until I finished the very last page. There was so much tension, stress, and suspense! It truly was an emotional rollercoaster.

The reveal of information was evenly spaced out and created a steady build that kept me hooked. I would commit to reading a couple of chapters, but every time I finished one, the reveal of a clue kept me reading long into the night.

This book also has one of my favorite uses of the dual perspective narrative. We know from the start that something isn’t right with Mary, and we know that Drew is innocent, but we’re left wondering how the two storylines are connected. Drew also harbors a lot of guilt from the night Lola went missing, and Lally uses that guilt to make us question every new piece of information.

This is a wonderfully written novel full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. If you’re looking for a spooky YA thriller, That’s Not My Name is the perfect read. Just be sure to carve out your afternoon because you won’t be able to put it down!

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