That’s Not My Name by Megan Lally
English | 2023 | Mystery & Thriller
She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. A gripping debut thriller perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph.
It was a mistake to trust him.
Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how she got there—or who she is. A passing officer takes her to the police station, and not long after, a frantic man arrives. He’s been searching for her for hours. He has her school ID, her birth certificate, and even family photos.
He is her father. Her name is Mary. Or so he says.
When Lola slammed the car door and stormed off into the night, Drew thought they just needed some time to cool off. Except Lola disappeared, and the sheriff, his friends, and the whole town are convinced Drew murdered his girlfriend. Forget proving his innocence, he needs to find her before it’s too late. The longer Lola is missing, the fewer leads there are to follow… and the more danger they both are in.
A lot of fiction book reviews have this annoying sentence in them, for example ” perfect for fans of Riley Sager, Mark Edwards, Ira Levin, and Stephen King”. I do not care one whit about these other authors.
It’s disheartening when a book review doesn’t focus on the actual author and their unique storytelling abilities, but instead draws comparisons to other authors in the same genre.
Every author brings their own unique voice and perspective to their work. While it’s understandable that comparisons are often made to help potential readers identify the genre or style they might expect, it’s essential to remember that each author deserves recognition for their individual creativity and contribution to literature. The phrase ‘perfect for fans of…’ may serve as a useful guide for some, but it can also detract from appreciating the author’s originality and distinctive narrative style. Let’s celebrate authors for their unique voices, rather than their similarities to others in their genre.