Book Review: "That's Not My Name" by Megan Lally

Oh boy… where do I even start? This book is an emotional rollercoaster!

From the very first page, That’s Not My Name grabs hold of you and refuses to let go. The details, the timing, the emotions—it all pulls you in and keeps you guessing right up until the last word. Just when you think you’ve got the ending all figured out, bam—you're questioning everything.

Okay, spoiler alert ahead:

The story is told from two perspectives—Girl (later referred to as "Mary") and Drew. Now, I’ve got a personal preference here: I usually don’t love dual perspectives in books. There, I said it. Maybe it’s just me, but following two different people, their emotions, and their storylines can be tough. I tend to prefer a single character's narrative. But despite that, this book does a good job of balancing both perspectives.

So, let’s dive in. The book opens with Girl waking up in a ditch, alone, unconscious, and with no memory of how she got there. Naturally, she does what anyone in her situation would do—she starts walking. It’s late at night, and luckily, a police officer finds her. He’s determined to get her home safely, but there’s just one small problem:

"What’s your name?"

She doesn’t know. Yep, she has no memory of her name. And this, my friends, is where the mystery begins.

Meanwhile, we’re introduced to Drew, who is desperately searching for a missing person—Lola. She's gone, vanished. Drew’s story runs parallel to Girl's as the mystery starts to unravel.

Back at the police station, the Girl is being questioned for identification, but she still can't remember anything. Suddenly, a man bursts through the doors, frantic and shouting for his daughter, "Mary!" He explains that his daughter, Mary, went missing while driving to their temporary cabin. Hours have passed since they were supposed to meet, and she never showed up.

And then it happens—the girl sitting in the back of the police station, covered in bruises, sees the man. He takes one look at her and shouts, "Mary!" He’s convinced this girl—who doesn’t remember her own name—is his daughter. And just like that, Girl has a name… or does she?

And that, dear readers, is all I’ll spoil for now. Let’s just say, things get a whole lot twistier from there.

That’s Not My Name had me on edge the entire time. I’m usually pretty good at predicting the endings of thrillers, but this one threw me for a loop—more than once! If you think you know where it’s heading, trust me, you don’t.

This is just the beginning of the story, and I highly recommend you check it out for yourself. If you're into suspenseful twists that will keep you guessing (and second-guessing), That’s Not My Name is definitely a must-read.

All of the above is my opinion, okay? Thanks for reading, byeeee!

— Thrill that Talks aka ThrillTalk