THAT’S NOT MY NAME

Release Date : 2023-12-26

Duration : 9 Hours 1 Min

Publisher : Recorded Books

SYNOPSIS

This is the debut novel by writer Megan Lally, a professional book coach who loves writing dark and twisty YA stories.

When a teenage girl wakes up at the side of the road, shivering and bruised, she has no recollection of how she got there or who she is. Luckily, she is soon spotted by the police and taken into the station. While there, a frantic man arrives, claiming to be looking for his missing daughter, and identifies the girl as his child. The girl has no memory of him, but he claims that her name is Mary and that he has a school ID and birth certificate, along with many pictures of her throughout her youth, to prove it. After seeing the documentation, the police officers agreed to let the man take the girl home. In a parallel storyline, Drew has been frantically searching for his girlfriend, Lola, since her disappearance several weeks ago. She was last seen slamming the door in his face after a heated argument in his car just before midnight. Now the whole town of Washington City is convinced that Drew is responsible for her murder, but he’s determined to prove his innocence. After secretly intercepting a lead from the local police’s tip line, Drew is convinced that his girlfriend is still alive after being spotted with a creepy older man. The two storylines soon come crashing together, and both Drew and the teenage girl are in more danger than they ever imagined.

REVIEW

The story is captivating and unputdownable from the very first chapter, and it is a book you can easily devour in one sitting. Although it’s clearly marketed as a YA thriller, the book has several more sophisticated elements that you’d expect in an adult thriller and thus will likely be enjoyed by a wide audience. The story is fast-paced and suspenseful throughout, culminating with a few clever twists at the end.

Narrators Sophie Amoss and Robb Moreira both deliver edge-of-your-seat, captivating performances. Amoss’ portrayal of the amnesiac teenager is both convincing and thrilling as she takes listeners through the inner monologues of the frightened girl and the revelations and unfolding drama she experiences throughout the book. Moreira’s portrayal of Drew is equally authentic and full of drama and emotion, especially as Drew becomes increasingly reckless about finding his girlfriend alive. Anyone looking for a well-paced, suspenseful listen with top-notch narration should definitely give this one a listen!