What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally - Book Review
Release: 31/03/2026
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Amazon
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Synopsis: 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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Amazon
About the Author Megan Lally: 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.
Claustrophobic Survival Thriller with Heart
After loving That's Not My Name a few years back, I was eager to dive into Megan Lally's latest. This young adult survival thriller delivers solid tension and emotional investment, even if it occasionally stumbles.
What Works:The tight character focus serves the story beautifully. With only three to four central figures, you genuinely care about their fates. Lally writes them with real emotional depth! I admired Hannah immediately for taking charge and refusing to play damsel; she actively strategizes rather than waiting for rescue. Emmy frustrated me intensely, particularly her alignment with Ben's questionable choices, but that reaction speaks to how effectively Lally draws these characters. Similarly, Jackson provides welcome balance as the level-headed voice of reason, complicated nicely by Hannah's growing feelings for him.
Once the group boards the boat, the intensity spikes dramatically. Lally creates genuine claustrophobia. You feel trapped alongside them, uncertain how they'll endure each escalating crisis. The pacing rarely lets up, maintaining high-adrenaline momentum throughout. I also appreciated the author's research; her acknowledgments mention learning sailboat mechanics specifically for this book, yet the nautical details feel authentic and immersive.
Moreover, the twist in the end genuinely blindsided me, delivering emotional impact that elevated the entire experience. These moments of surprise and genuine feeling make the novel memorable beyond its genre conventions.
What Falls Short:The romantic thread between Jackson and Hannah occasionally undercuts the tension. For example, Hannah would be facing life-or-death situations and pause to admire Jackson without a shirt. These beats feel jarringly out of place when survival should dominate every thought. Additionally, beyond that one twist, the climax grows predictable and somewhat cartoonish. The villain's identity and motivations become transparent, diminishing the impact of what should be the most harrowing sequences.
Verdict:What We Did to Survive succeeds as a young adult survival thriller despite its flaws. Strong character work, relentless pacing, and genuine emotional stakes outweigh the occasional misstep in romance and predictability. Not quite top-tier, but thoroughly engaging and worth the read for fans of claustrophobic tension.
Perfect for: Fans of survival stories, character-driven thrillers, and readers who appreciate competent female protagonists.
If you enjoyed this, check out my review of Master of Murder by Christopher Pike.
What We Did to Survive
by Megan Lally
Synopsis
"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?"
Release
31/03/2026
Format
Paperback
Publisher
Sourcebooks Fire
Source
Amazon
About the Author
Megan Lally
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.
My Review
Claustrophobic Survival Thriller with Heart
After loving That’s Not My Name a few years back, I was eager to dive into Megan Lally’s latest. This young adult survival thriller delivers solid tension and emotional investment, even if it occasionally stumbles.
What Works:
The tight character focus serves the story beautifully. With only three to four central figures, you genuinely care about their fates. Lally writes them with real emotional depth! I admired Hannah immediately for taking charge and refusing to play damsel; she actively strategizes rather than waiting for rescue. Emmy frustrated me intensely, particularly her alignment with Ben’s questionable choices, but that reaction speaks to how effectively Lally draws these characters. Similarly, Jackson provides welcome balance as the level-headed voice of reason, complicated nicely by Hannah’s growing feelings for him.
Once the group boards the boat, the intensity spikes dramatically. Lally creates genuine claustrophobia. You feel trapped alongside them, uncertain how they’ll endure each escalating crisis. The pacing rarely lets up, maintaining high-adrenaline momentum throughout. I also appreciated the author’s research; her acknowledgments mention learning sailboat mechanics specifically for this book, yet the nautical details feel authentic and immersive.
Moreover, the twist in the end genuinely blindsided me, delivering emotional impact that elevated the entire experience. These moments of surprise and genuine feeling make the novel memorable beyond its genre conventions.
What Falls Short:
The romantic thread between Jackson and Hannah occasionally undercuts the tension. For example, Hannah would be facing life-or-death situations and pause to admire Jackson without a shirt. These beats feel jarringly out of place when survival should dominate every thought. Additionally, beyond that one twist, the climax grows predictable and somewhat cartoonish. The villain’s identity and motivations become transparent, diminishing the impact of what should be the most harrowing sequences.
Verdict:
What We Did to Survive succeeds as a young adult survival thriller despite its flaws. Strong character work, relentless pacing, and genuine emotional stakes outweigh the occasional misstep in romance and predictability. Not quite top-tier, but thoroughly engaging and worth the read for fans of claustrophobic tension.
Perfect for: Fans of survival stories, character-driven thrillers, and readers who appreciate competent female protagonists.
If you enjoyed this, check out my review of Master of Murder by Christopher Pike.
