I’m so excited to be part of the TBR & Beyond tour for this book. Find the full tour schedule here.
About the book
Only She Came Back by Margot Harrison
Genre: Young Adult Thriller
Publishing Date: November 14, 2023
Synopsis:
A chilling thriller about an unlikely friendship between a true-crime fan and a former high school classmate suspected of murdering her influencer boyfriend, perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Courtney Summers.
On July 28 at 6:30 p.m., Kiri Dunsmore walks out of the desert wearing her boyfriend’s sweatshirt, covered in his blood. Dazed and on the verge of unconsciousness, she tells a cashier that he’s still out there and most likely dead. The disappearance of Callum Massey, a “survival guru” with hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers, rocks the nation. And Kiri is a prime suspect.
Back in Kiri’s hometown, true-crime fanatic Sam is completely hooked on the case—especially now that she recognizes the suspect as shy Katie from high school. Although they didn’t know each other well, that doesn’t stop Sam from reaching out to befriend her old classmate.
But when Kiri starts to confide in her, Sam realizes there’s more to the story than she had imagined. Can she keep Kiri’s secrets even though revealing them could put her where she’s always longed to be—at the center of the story?
Content Warning: violence, emotional abuse and grooming, dieting, disordered eating and mentions of fatphobia, mentions of past domestic abuse, brief substance use, off-page animal death (chicken).
Book Review
An interesting, intense exploration of the true-crime podcast phenomenon and what happens when the lines blur between reality and entertainment.
A failed true-crime podcaster, when Sam recognizes the girl who used to sit behind her in English class drenched in blood in a viral video, she can’t help herself. She takes up running on the trail behind the girl’s house, trying to insert herself into the story. When Katie – now Kiri – comes across her and seems lonely, Sam gets her chance to make a connection.
But boundaries blur, and Sam quickly becomes part of the story instead of an observer. With everyone thinking Kiri killed her popular Insta-blogger boyfriend, is Sam even safe? Can she figure out the truth before she gets pulled in too deep?
Thanks to the Gabby Petito murder, this has a ripped from the headlines feel, though it’s gender-swapped. Kiri’s the one who comes home, not Callum, and whose stories make no sense. This story was told in an interesting format, using viral videos, internet commentary and Kiri’s journals to flesh out the story. It keeps the reader hooked as the lies stack up.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for the advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
About the author
Margot Harrison has a lifelong habit of creeping herself out and now attempts to creep out others via her fiction.
Her first YA novel, The Killer in Me (Little, Brown, 2016), was an Indies Introduce pick and a finalist for the Vermont Book Award and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly. Her second, The Glare (Little, Brown, 2020), received starred reviews from Kirkus Reviews and Booklist. Her third, We Made It All Up (Little, Brown, July 2022), is a Junior Library Guild selection and has appeared on “best of” or “most anticipated” lists on BuzzFeed, Teen Vogue, Book Riot and Lit Hub.
Need more to read? Find all of my young adult recommendations here.
