What We Did to Survive Audiobook By Megan Lally cover art

What We Did to Survive

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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? Action & Adventure Difficult Situations Family & Relationships Friendship Literature & Fiction Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Thrillers & Suspense Sailing Survival
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I truly enjoyed this book! I did not expect the ending but made it more realistic. I devoured this listen in a day and a half! I highly recommend.

Wonderful story!!

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Megan Lally is one of the best word builders in contemporary young adult literature. Even if I’m not 100% into the plot, just listening to the words and phrases she’s written entertains me.

Survive-the-elements stories aren’t my favorite, but because Lally wrote WHAT WE DID TO SURVIVE, I preordered. I enjoyed this novel as much as I would any in the genre.

Outstanding writing

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​If you think your senior year is stressful, try surviving a tropical storm on a private sailboat with a suspicious boyfriend and your long-term crush. What We Did to Survive takes the "vacation gone wrong" trope and dials the tension up to an uncomfortable—but highly addictive—level.
​The Breakdown:
Hannah is hitting Mexico for spring break with her best friend, Emmy, and Emmy’s older brother, Jackson. Everything is sun and surf until a wealthy new guy enters the picture, lures them onto a boat right as a literal storm is brewing, and things go from "third-wheel awkward" to "deadly real" very quickly.
​Why it works:
​Ageless Appeal: Even though this is technically YA, I never felt like I was stuck in a high school cafeteria. The characters are written with a maturity that makes the stakes feel heavy and the emotional weight genuine. As an adult reader, I was fully locked in.
​Deep Themes: This isn’t just a popcorn thriller. Lally weaves in some heavy-hitting themes: the blind spots of ignorance, the bitter taste of revenge, and the ultimate price of sacrifice.
​Relationship Goals (and Woes): The "coming of age" elements are handled beautifully. The loyalty between friends is fierce, but the conflicts regarding love and past crushes add a layer of drama that keeps the pages turning during the suspenseful build-up.
​The Audiobook: If you’re a listener, the narrator does a fantastic job of bringing these distinct personalities to life. The pacing of the narration perfectly matched the escalating dread of the plot.
​The Verdict:
A fast-paced, atmospheric thriller that balances high-seas danger with grounded, heartfelt character development. It’s a story about what we’re willing to do for the people we love—and how far we’ll go to make it back to shore.
​Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers who don't mind a bit of a "dark" edge to their beach reads!

Beach ⛱️ Vacation or nightmare?

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