Hannah Mary Mckinnon: Only One Survives

Hannah Mary McKinnon is back and questions how well do you know your friends:

All Vienna Taylor wanted was to make music as a drummer, it was part of her, her escape and when all the hard work pays off, along with her best friend Madison, they form an all female group, The Bittersweet. They are just starting to find a following, getting recognition when the unforeseeable happens, an icy road sends them on the fight for their lives. They take shelter in an abandoned cabin hoping to outlast the winter storm. But one by one Vienna's friends and bandmates meet a gruesome end and her best friend Madison disappeared into the night and Vienna struggles to come to terms with it and the end of the Bittersweet. What happened to the Bittersweet? Is Madison still out there? But do guilty people run?

Wow, this book really surprised me. I have read a few books by McKinnon and I have learned that she does not always take the road most traveled with her books and the twists that she employs along the way are amazing. Only One Survives is no exception. I really enjoyed this book and it kept me really entertained in wanting to know what happened to the band that night as well as what is going to happen to Vienna in the present.

I loved that McKinnon had two timelines in this book, I felt that it help keep the reader on their toes as we go back and forth to discover how the band came together but also what happened the night of the tragic accident.

With two timelines, I was surprised that we only got Vienna's POV, I thought that McKinnon would have more than one band member have a POV but it really worked in McKinnon's favour. The reader is really able to see the progression of Vienna through her story, of being a girl who loved drumming for the escape it provided her to the (almost) rockstar she wanted to be and the changes in her personality along the way and the way she interacts with the people around her. There were many times when I wanted Vienna to say something and stick up for herself, but it was just who she was. You will feel sorry for Vienna in both timelines with her different struggles.

I will say that the book felt a little long winded by the end as I knew how it was going to play out, but everything up to that point was really well done. Plus that ending was everything I wanted it to be.

I think this is now my favourite book by McKinnon so far. I was glued to my seat in both timelines to see how everything was going to unfold, highly recommended book if you are looking for one with suspense (I would say domestic suspense type book) or a music related book of the coming of age of a band.

Enjoy!!!!

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