Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Easily, McKinnon’s most twisty work yet. I’m absolutely delighted with this one and would even read it again. That’s says a lot for a Psychological Thriller.
There was something so Crime & Punishment in this character work. It was very well executed, IMO.
In Only One Survives, we follow Vienna and Madison, long-time friends who end up following their childhood dreams and successfully create their own all-female rock band.
Unfortunately, just as the band, The Bittersweet, is gaining traction in the music scene, the van they’re traveling in on their way to an event, loses its traction and careens off a mountain road during a blizzard.
After the vehicle settles, they discover one bandmate dead and another severely injured. Luckily, the girls are able to locate an abandoned cabin nearby and take shelter there from the storm.
What should have been a safe haven though, ultimately results in even more death. The final shock is Madison actually disappearing into the night, her outcome unknown.
The trauma of that horrific night has messed with Vienna’s memories. She can hardly decipher the reality from her nightmares. Unsurprisingly, the tragedy of The Bittersweet becomes a bit of a legend in pop culture.
The Reader alternates back and forth through time and characters. There’s some interesting mixed media elements, with online platforms discussing the mystery behind what actually happened to The Bittersweet.
There are a lot of theories, of course, as there often are after a tragedy such as this, but no one really knows. Only the survivors would know, or would they?
I absolutely loved my time reading this book. It felt like an experience. I did end up listening to the audiobook and felt the narration was perfect for the story.
These characters were super engaging. I was hooked into Vienna and Madison’s friendship. We got a lot of details from their earlier lives and really got to see their relationship blossom and their reasons behind their sort of codependency. It was fascinating.
Additionally, I do tend to love stories featuring music, or musicians, so this definitely played right into those tastes.
I know there are a ton of wonderfully-talented individuals writing in the Adult Thriller space, but IMHO, Hannah Mary McKinnon is thus far underrated.
One of the things I love most about her work is that she’s constantly improving. Each book, she’s just crushing it, taking risks and doing different things. This one is a journey, and she def got me with some of the reveals.
I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!
Thank you to the publisher, MIRA, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
I would recommend this one to all the Thriller Readers out there who love the use of mixed media elements, strong character development and jaw-dropping twists!