This was a book I was both excited and nervous about reading. Fully excited, as it's Megan Miranda, and I have read and loved her books for so many years now. Nervous, because the main character of the book is forty years. Which is over twice the age of what I'm used to reading. Yet I knew I would enjoy this story.
And I did. I had some issues, but for the most part this book was exciting and thrilling and full of suspense and mystery. Ended up being a four star for me. Not perfect, but such a great story. And I'm so glad that I read this, despite being nervous at first. As the writing was good and the setting of this book was great as well.
Although at first I did have some issues with the setting. As the beginning of this book was pretty boring. As I don't actually like school books. But this focused less on that and more on what was going on, which I liked. But yes, the beginning was slow. It starts with Beckett, who is taking her eighteen-year-old daughter Delilah to college. We get to meet her parents, whom seemed a little bit weird. I did not like them much. We learn that Beckett is not together with Delilah's dad, Trevor. Though Delilah spends every summer with him. But Beckett does not. I did like learning about their history, to know when they were together and how it ended. I wish they had stayed together, though. Hmph. As they seemed to have been great together. I did like him a bunch.
Beckett grew up in the small town that her daughter is now going to college to. Her parents are still living there. But she left, years ago, before finishing college herself. There was a fire. Two men died. Her best friend was accused of the crime and went missing. And everyone else thought Beckett had something to do with it too. And so she was kicked out of the college and had to travel elsewhere. Which is where she met Trevor and got Delilah. She's spent the past eighteen years with her daughter, just the two of them.
And so she was a little bit too overprotective, I think. A little paranoid at times. Yet I fully understood her too. She just wanted her daughter to be safe. And then Delilah applies for her old college, without Beckett knowing about it. And so she is now forced back to the town she has left behind. And all of the memories. The beginning was slow, with her just getting Delilah there for her first day. Then some weeks pass while she is back home. Until she gets a weird dropped call from Delilah in the night and can't reach her again.
This makes Beckett drive all the way to her hometown in the night. Her parents are not home, they are on a work trip to Peru. And she has no one else to look for Delilah. This book is about Delilah being missing. About Beckett going a little crazy trying to search for her. Catching up with school friends and not. I did like reading about it all, as it was fascinating. I both liked and hated Cliff. He was interesting. I wish that Beckett had been a better friend to Maggie, as she seemed like such a sweet and caring person. Rude.
There is a lot going on in this book. I shall not write too much about it. Just that the book is about Delilah being missing. With Beckett doing everything to find her. Making a whole lot of bad choices as well. Then there is another twist near the middle of the book. Then someone is found dead. And there is very much happening after that. Many secrets are revealed and it was all pretty exciting to read about. It was almost perfect. I just wanted there to be more danger, and maybe romance. Still. It was mysterious and thrilling.
I liked reading about the past in this book. There were a few short moments from before, back when the fire happened. I loved learning all the secrets and the twists. And the truth about what actually happened that night, all those years ago. I loved reading about Beckett and Adalyn together. They seemed to have been such great friends. And it broke my heart that all that just went away. Adalyn had a whole bunch of secrets to uncover. Which I really enjoyed. I liked some of the other characters, like the older neighbor.
I will admit that I did have an issue with Beckett's age. I would have liked her to be twenty years younger, haha. And yet I very much loved reading about her too. Beckett was pretty awesome. A little crazy. Yet I grew to adore her. And I loved reading her story. So yes. I had some issues with her age, but in the end it did not matter much. Her story was still thrilling and exciting. I just wish it had been a little bit more. Still. It was a great mystery. I liked her relationship with her daughter, sometimes. They were so very much alike.
You Belong Here was such a thrilling story. The writing was excellent and the family relationships were so great. I loved the mystery of it all and the twists and all the secrets that came out at the end. I did find the ending to be a little depressing, yet it was also fully fair, which I liked. Though I wish that one person had not died, to be honest. And I do wish the book had been a little more brutal, a little more dangerous. It felt pretty tame. Yet I loved it that way too. This book was more of a quiet terror. And I enjoyed it a whole lot.
Thank you so much to Ali at Marysue Rucci Books for sending me an invite to read and review this book early via Edelweiss. I'm so happy that I was able to read this book right now. And I cannot wait to own the gorgeous hardcover when it comes out at the end of July. This is a book that you all must read. Megan is the best at writing suspense. And her writing is just stunning. I have read all of her books, except for one older sequel. And her books have all been amazing. I cannot wait to read even more by her in the future.
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