Review: The Safest Lies by Megan Miranda

Title: The Safest Lies 

Author:  Megan Miranda
Publisher: Crown Books For Young Readers

Publishing Date:  May 24th, 2016

Pages: 357
Genre: YA Thriller-Suspense

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

Can fear be inherited?

Kelsey has lived most of her life in a shadow of fear, raised to see danger everywhere. Her mother hasn’t set foot outside their front door in seventeen years, since she escaped from her kidnappers with nothing but her attacker’s baby growing inside her—Kelsey.

Kelsey knows she’s supposed to keep a low profile for their own protection, but that plan is shattered when she drives off a cliff and is rescued by volunteer firefighter and classmate Ryan Baker.

A few days later, she arrives home to face her greatest fear: her mother is missing. She and her mother have drilled for all contingencies—except this one. Luckily, Ryan is as skilled at emergency rescues as Kelsey is at escape and evasion.

To have a chance at a future, Kelsey will have to face all her darkest fears. Because someone is coming for her.

And the truth about the past may end up being the most dangerous thing of all.

I am a such a fan of Megan Miranda. I am always excited to see a new book of hers come out and for some reason, I missed this one when it came out. I am not sure why but I found this hanging out on audible, added it, listened to it! It was so so good. I loved this book to pieces guys. It was heart pounding, palm sweating, fingernail biting GOOD. I had a hard time concentrating on life until this book was finished. 

Kesley has had a very sheltered life. Her mother was kidnapped at a young age, escaped while she was pregnant, and then built a life of paranoia. Her mother never leaves the house and Kelsey's every move is accounted for. Kelsey knows all the escape routes, safest roads home, and how to detect even the smallest of shadows. Kelsey doesn't understand all the paranoia but she does understand her mother's fears, she has fears too. After Kelsey gets into a wreck, her name and place of living made public, her life gets turned upside down and Kelsey finds out why her mother is so careful. She also discovers some secrets, and lies, and some truths, and a whole lot of danger.

Okay, so it has been a very long time since a book has made me react as this one did. I was in full panic mode for half of this book. It is a very fast paced, heart pounding read. I mean I was going crazy, at least my breathing and heart rate was. The entire book is not this intense but there are some very intense parts... especially at the beginning. It was freaky. I don't normally get this out of books and this one did me one good. It was wonderful.

So there is a high level of intensity and suspense and thrills for sure, but there is also a very well done mystery about the book. A psychological mind boggles too. I didn't know what was going on and I was so into finding out. Now I did figure out some of it ahead of time... but not the details, just the gist. The details weren't given until the very end. 

I really liked Kelsey as a character. She was a smart one. She had lots of fears, some for a reason, some not so much. Some learned some came naturally to her from experiences. She was ingrained from the moment she was born to fear. She didn't let it control her like her mother does though. She fights it, she has a therapist. She tries. Then when the crap hits the fan, she is able to remain pretty calm and think through things. She goes into this survivalist mode that is unreal. OF course, her mother has trained her for this and it is clear the training was a good idea. 

There are other characters in this book. There are three others besides Kelsey. I loved who these were in Kelsey's life and how they all came together.... even though it was in some pretty dangerous situations. There her best friend and neighbor. She is a hoot and she is so freaking adorable... not as good under stress as Kelsey. There is the boy she grew up with but drifted from.... which sounded like a jerk at first but I came to love him. Then there is the boy who she has known for a bit but only as someone at school until fate throws them together. He is sweet and charming and I kind of really liked him. 

All their personalities and quirks really mesh well together but what I loved most was the relationships they each had with Kelsey and watching as the love and devotion they had for her came out in their own personal ways. The relationships were a big one in this book for me. 

Now there is romance and I can't say that it's my favorite.I mean its sweet and all but its kind of a little fast as it is in most thrillers. I am okay with fast romance if it's not all I love you and I have known you for a week. There is such thing as strongly like and strongly attracted too and I won't leave you out to dry or die kind of romance. It doesn't always have to be such an intense love. SO, even though it was sweet, it was a little too much at times. 

Really though, this book had me at the thrills and chills. Those were so good and so well done, the rest was just the icing on the cake. 

Oh, my goodness a for sure favorite... Loved it, I am obsessed with it!

Megan Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of ALL THE MISSING GIRLS. She has also written several books for young adults, including FRACTURE, HYSTERIA, VENGEANCE, SOULPRINT, and THE SAFEST LIES. She grew up in New Jersey, graduated from MIT, and lives in North Carolina with her husband and two children. THE PERFECT STRANGER (4/11/17) is her second novel of psychological suspense.
Follow @MeganLMiranda on Twitter and Instagram, or @AuthorMeganMiranda on Facebook.
www.meganmiranda.com