Book Review - That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

Title: That’s Not My Name
Author: Megan Lally
Genre: Mystery/ Young Adult/ Thriller
Published: 2023
 
Description: Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of the a dirt road with no memory of how she got there – or who she is. A passing officer takes her to the police station, and not long after, a frantic man arrives. He’s been searching for her for hours. He has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos. He is her father. Her name is Mary. Or so he says.
 
When Lola slammed the car door and stormed off into the night, drew thought they just needed some time to cool off. Except Lola disappeared, and the sheriff, his friends, and the whole town are convinced Drew murdered his girlfriend. Forget proving his innocence, he needs to find her before it’s too late. The longer Lola is missing, the fewer leads there are to follow… and the more danger they both are in.
 
Review: “That’s Not My Name” is a young adult mystery thriller, perfect if you’re looking for a blood-curdling thriller with an exciting plot. In this YA thriller, a girl wakes up confused on the side of the road. She has no idea what happened, where she is, or who she even is. Officer Bowman finds her and takes her to the local police station in Alton. It doesn’t take long before her father walks into the station asking if a girl with short brown hair and green eyes has been found; he has apparently been looking for his daughter for hours. The officer takes the man to the girl, and they turn out to be related. The girl’s name is Mary Boone, and the man proves to be her father by showing the officer her birth certificate and family photos. Mary goes home with her father.
 
In another town, a girl names Lola has been missing for some time. Her boyfriend Drew was the last person to see her the night before she disappeared. The local sheriff suspects that Drew may have something to do with her disappearance or may even have killed her. Drew insists that he had nothing to do with is and is doing his best to find Lola. However, he is keeping secret what exactly happened the night before she went missing.
 
The book is divided into chapters from the perspective of Mary and Drew from the beginning, you naturally get the idea that the two storylines must be related, but author Megan Lally manages to keep the dénouement a surprise until the very end. It has both predictable and unpredictable plot points, but in all it’s a very surprising story.
 
If you’re a fan of Holly Jackson’s YA thrillers, you will probably enjoy “That’s Not May Name” as well. Lally’s writing style is pleasant and very accessible and it will appeal to younger readers. But even if you’re not a young adult anymore, like I am, you will enjoy it. Because it doesn’t scream YA.
 
“That’s Not My Name” is an excellent debut novel for Megan Lally and I would read more of her work in the future. Strong YA thriller, enjoyable for not only young adults.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5