A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens’ sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally!
Hannah is having an incredible spring break. A week at a resort in Mexico with her best friend Emmy and her family is perfect for de-stressing from senior year, even if it’s awkward being around Emmy’s older brother, Jackson, who she’s had a crush on for as long as she can remember.
Still, the beach is gorgeous. So is the guy they meet in the surf. Except Hannah is now the third wheel in Emmy’s vacation romance.
Eager to impress Emmy, her wealthy new boyfriend charters a private sailboat to make the most of their last day in paradise, and Hannah and Jackson are invited along. As the clouds roll in and the skies darken, their boat is the only one leaving the marina. And the further they get into open water, the more unsettled Hannah becomes. A storm is brewing onboard that’s as deadly as the one racing toward them. Forget surviving graduation. Who will make it back to land alive?
- Title: What We Did to Survive
- Author: Megan Lally
- Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
- Publication Date: March 31, 2026
- Genre: Thriller
- Source: Digital ARC via Netgalley
- Targeted Age Range: YA
- Content Warnings: death (on page), murder, fire, blackmail, underaged drinking, injury/injury detail, physical violence, vomit, blood
- Rating: ★★★★
Oh, Megan Lally, you have done it again!
While I love the ocean, I am also so scared of it. So the thought of being stranded out to sea is absolutely terrifying to me, which means that What We Did to Survive definitely had me on the edge of my seat and very anxious while reading, which is exactly what I want in a thriller. It’s also something that I can count on with Megan Lally’s work.
The atmosphere was fantastic; I could visualize the storm and feel the water on my skin. The writing felt so immersive, and I was able to easily picture every single dramatic situation (especially the injuries, sometimes I wish my imagination wasn’t as vivid as it is 🤣). I think that Megan Lally is such a brilliant writer and really knows how to draw you into a story. I really felt like I was on that boat with them, which really heightened my emotions while reading.
I really liked following Hannah as our main character. I thought that she was very intelligent and resourceful, and easy to root for. I could understand her motivations and thought process throughout the story.
Honestly, I did not see that last twist coming! I had a different theory for what was going on, and then when the truth was revealed I just went, “No way!” I thought it was a good twist and looking back makes a lot of sense, which are my favorite kinds of twists. It also added an emotional weight that felt very realistic.
I think that What We Did to Survive is another hit for Megan Lally. She’s definitely found her niche within the YA Thriller space, and I’ll continue to excitedly read anything and everything that she writes. I definitely recommend checking out not only What We Did to Survive, but her other novels as well!
Links for What We Did to Survive: Goodreads | TheStoryGraph | Bookshop
Megan Lally is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of That’s Not My Name.
When she’s not writing dark and twisty young adult novels you might find her barefoot at the ocean, drinking one too many lavender lattes, or arguing about the validity of glitter as a favorite color. (It’s absolutely a color, and it’s the best one.)
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family and four chaotic animals.
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