Megan Miranda is one of my favorite authors, so it’s no surprise I LOVE her newest release, You Belong Here. Dare I say it’s my new favorite? I didn’t think anything would ever top All the Missing Girls, but I was wrong. The setting, the characters, the plot…all SO good. The cherry on top is that I got to listen to Ms. Miranda speak at Foxtale Books in Woodstock, GA, with my sister last month. She’s delightful and scary smart.

Alison and me with Megan Miranda and Wanda Morris

Back to the book…here’s what Amazon has to say:

Beckett Bowery never thought she’d return to Wyatt Valley, a picturesque college town in the Virginia mountains steeped in tradition. Her roots there were strong: Beckett’s parents taught at the college, and she never even imagined studying anywhere else—until a tragedy her senior year ended with two local men dead, and her roommate on the run, never to be seen again…

For the last two decades, Beckett has done her best to keep her distance. Then her daughter, Delilah, secretly applies to Wyatt College and earns a full scholarship, and Beckett can only hope that her lingering fears are unfounded. But deep down she knows that Wyatt Valley has a long memory, and that the past isn’t the only dangerous thing in town…

You Belong Here

I think many college towns have a similar dynamic with students and locals. Megan Miranda does an excellent job portraying the complicated relationship between blue collar towns and the private universities that often keep their economy afloat. As a mother to a college age daughter herself, she creates realistic struggles between Delilah and Beckett.

This is not a book club selection, but it would make for a great discussion. I’m thankful my sister read it at the same time as me so we could discuss this suspenseful thriller. Purchase here: https://amzn.to/46cU3Z4