That's Not My Name: A Pulse-Pounding YA Thriller of Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal

was one of those books where so many things are missed in the best way — and that’s exactly why it works so well. Nothing is overexplained. Nothing is spoon-fed. The story trusts you to stay engaged, to notice what feels off, and to sit with unanswered questions until they matter. The core is an amnesia + kidnapping thriller, but the structure is what really shines. The way information is withheld feels intentional, not sloppy. There are gaps — but they’re purposeful gaps. Moments where you think something might be a plot hole, only to realize later that it was a choice. And yes… I absolutely missed some things on the first pass, which only made the payoff better. The FMC was strong and kind, even while questioning everything around her. That balance mattered. She never felt passive — just human. The MMC, though? Easily one of the best parts of the book. Honest, steady, and clearly in love with Lola in a way that felt grounded and earned. No ego, no games — just sincerity. Pacing was perfect. It hooked me fast and never let go. I flew through it because it kept rewarding attention rather than relying on shock. Every reveal felt earned, and the story absolutely stuck the landing. I might’ve cried if I hadn’t been racing the clock at the end of the night. ⭐ Final Rating: 5 stars Best part: the intentional restraint — the way the author respects the reader’s intelligence Re-read potential: probably not, but I’ll definitely recommend Who should read/listen: If you love smart, quietly tense thrillers that trust you to think, notice patterns, and connect dots without being guided every step of the way, this is absolutely worth your time. Especially good for readers who appreciate craft and restraint over nonstop action.

This is a really entertaining yet twisted book, that I easily guessed from the first few chapters. I am rarely shocked anymore, but it was still a great read if you enjoy mystery thrillers. It felt a little young (but the story is about high school students lol), yet it was written really well and not your typical ending.

I thought this was a very good book and I loved the ending. It was very engaging and held my attention. I didn’t like the fact that the main character had two dads. I almost stopped reading it here. As others have said, the author is very liberal. But I forgave her for that and enjoyed the book. I bought this book several months ago and didn’t remember it was for young adults so even though I am old, I still enjoyed it. The book needed better proofreaders, as other have mentioned but overall, I would definitely recommend it.

Book was great with plenty of suspense. I personally did not like the ending was disappointed and kinda ruined the book for me

This was a very exciting, fast piece novel with a humongous twist at the end. This was my first novel by Megan Lilly and I really enjoyed it. The protagonist Drew is very like-able and the supporting cast is developed very nicely. At the beginning of the story, a young lady is wandering a lonely road, unsure of where she is. When a deputy spots her, he brings her to the station where he learns she has no memory of who she is, or what she was doing in the woods. Soon, her father shows up to the station, explaining how he was looking for her. He cannot explain what may have happened to her memory, but shows various photos of her as his daughter. The deputy is still somewhat unsure, so he agrees to follow the father to their cabin where he has more identification information (birth certificate, etc). The young girl is a little skeptical herself The same time acknowledges that her “father” is very kind to her, but she decides to call him by his name, Wayne. Then we hear from Drew. Drew is the boyfriend. He’s also the main suspect in his girlfriend’s Lola’s disappearance. The town sheriff who is also the father of one of Lola‘s best friends is sure Drew is behind the disappearance. The story then alternate chapters between Drew and the girlfriend being held captive. But there is a twist. A doozy of a twist… This book is definitely worth reading by anyone who enjoys psychological suspense, thrillers, mysteries, or just a good fast-paced story.

This book was so good. It’s been a while since I’ve read a book in a day (I’ve listened to plenty in a day). This story was written where once you finish a chapter, you have to keep going. This story is told from Mary’s POV and Drew’s POV. We meet Mary first who has no memory of who she is or where she is from. But this man says he’s her father. He has pictures and a birth certificate. The police officer that finds her checks everything out and it seems ok and safe. Soon Mary realizes that things are not as they seem. My heart hurt so much for Drew, because he was doing everything he could as a 17 year old boy to find out what happened to Lola, his girlfriend. But almost the entire town thought he was the one that killed her. They never even thought something more sinister could have happened to her. This story is a crazy and intriguing journey. I’ll be honest that it didn’t end the way I had hoped but it was still a somewhat of a happy and satisfying ending. This is my first book by this author but I would definitely be interested in reading more.

Just finished "that's not my name" by Megan Lally. Here's what I thought of this book. First off all, it was hyped up on a Facebook group where people said this was an absolute 5 star read, after reading I get why they said it, but it's not a 5 star for me. That's not my name all but suggest what the book is about now doesn't it. We have a teen girl named Lola missing, we have a girl that can't remember a thing, found, and a boy named Drew who has been pointed out as a suspect in the disappearance of Lola. A girl in a ditch wakes up but doesn't remember how she got there, and why does everything hurt so much? She has to move, a feeling of dread has her somewhat alert. After walking for a bit, a police cruiser passes and stops. At the police station she can't tell much, she just doesn't know. She doesn't even remember her name. That's when they hear a knock on the door.. "thank god! You found her! You found my Mary" The man, named Wayne claims he is the father of this girl, Mary? So.. That's her name? The police has been right to be hesitant, but after showing her birth certificate and documents he places her in his care. But, was that the right choice? Is Mary really, Mary? Lola has been missing for 5 weeks now, there is no sign of her, it's like she vanished into thin air. Drew, her boyfriend has been the main suspect and the sheriff is closing in. Drew on the other hand, has been spending all his money on printing fliers, missing person fliers. He's the only one that doesn't give up. She has to be somewhere, right? After a bit of investigating with Max and Autumn they have a lead, only no one seems to listen. So they chose to check it out themselves. What will they find? That's for you to find out. 4 star read! The end had my heart in pieces.

It was great!!

I don’t read much YA but I had seen lots of good reviews for this one, and I was not disappointed. There’s dual POV. There one from Drew and one from Mary. The disappearance of Lola shook everyone, but Drew has so much guilt. Not only does he think it’s his fault but everyone thinks it’s his fault. Her parents. His classmates. His friends. He’s the only still trying to find out where she is. In another county, a girl wakes up in a ditch and has no memories of why she is there or who she is. Luckily, a police office finds her and shortly after, her dad comes to the police stations looking for her. He says that she’s Mary but it doesn’t seem right to her. But he has proof that it’s her. Maybe it’s just because she has amnesia? She finally goes with the stranger after the police officer made a check around the property and verified more proof that she’s in fact Mary. Is Drew going to find Lola again? How far is he willing to go to find her? Is Mary going to remember who she is and why she was in the ditch? This thriller was great! I recommend even if YA is not your usual go-to!

Absolutely cracking debut from Megan Lally, I could not put this down. Whilst it's billed as a YA novel due to the fact that the main characters are high-school age, any fan of psychological thrillers with a serial killer twist would enjoy this book. Well observed characters, written with Sass, and keeps you guessing in all the best ways. Superb book!

روايه ممتعه وتخلصها بسرعه من الحماس