I wanted to like this book more than I did, but it is still a good book. The format of how the story is told is interesting and I enjoyed it. I just feel a bit disconnected from the characters, but that’s okay. Overall, the book is really good and the story is compelling.

I’m starting to lose faith in Ya thriller books,this one was just not it for me so I DNF.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for giving me this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Tell Me What Really Happened
by Chelsea Sedoti

Felt this was such a neat YA Thriller, with a clever plot, highly recommend this for teens. This whodunnit & unreliable narratives really is a hit for me. I’ll be picking this up for my teen when it’s released.

📚 Expected release date April 2, 2024📚
❤️ Thank you Sourcebooks Fire, NetGalley, & the brilliant author Chelsea Sedoti. I’m super appreciative & gave my honest opinion❤️

I needed a break from the holiday books, and yet I knew I wasn't going to feel bad for these kids. The token Black kid gets racially profiled. The weird kid is weird. Alternatively, this is a story about the consequences white girls get for lying. Which, there are basically none.

Not bad. It was kind of refreshing to read a YA book that was written like an actual YA book. I think the format was interesting, with each chapter essentially being a question that is answered. I was slightly disappointed by the ending, but this was a quick and easy read, so I had a fun ride with it.

This was a good afternoon read for me! The formatting and the way the story was written was enticing! I loved how the characters were each telling different aspects of the story and you are piecing the puzzle of what really happened on this trip!
Maylee and her four friends are on a camping trip and Maylee disappears. Her four friends suspect foul play right off the bat and when the police separate them and get them to each tell them what happened that night each has a different story. It seems like each of the characters has some form of motive for Maylee disappearing. It was really innovative the way the author wrote this story, each chapter was a question in the interrogation and included each of the character's answers to that question. That was really neat. The characters were dynamic including one character who was obsessed with the possibility of seeing Big Foot and another character having the control aspect.
Now here comes what I did not like. I did not like that it seemed like the story lacked substance, like what adult mystery books contain and it seemed like it would be more enjoyed by young adults. I usually read both adult fiction and young adult fiction and this story just didn't do it for me in that aspect. However, it is intriguingly addictive towards the end and you are glued to your Kindle to find out what happened. The shocking twist at the end was kinda crazy! Innovative and different which is definitely a plus! I would definitively recommend it to more Young Adult readers but still a good story. Thank you Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read and review this book!

The only likable characters were John and Abigail. The rest deserved a slap at various points in the book.

Okay, so I'll admit I'm not the target audience for this one but I believe my middle schoolers would eat this one up! The plot was fast-paced and easy to follow - the characters were a little flat and there wasn't as much of a twist as I was expecting, but I think that's mostly because it was directed at a younger audience than I expected (probably better for middle schoolers vs. high schoolers). That being said, I think this one would be pretty popular in my classroom library - thanks so much for the ARC!

This was a fun read in an interesting format; hard to put down! Really enjoyed the unreliability of all the characters and their various misperceptions and mistakes - it snowballs into a growing certainty that whatever really happened here was a WHOLE MESS...but even then you gotta keep reading to find out the details!

A group of friends goes on a camping trip--one of them disappears. Now the police are asking them to "Tell me what REALLY happened." Told through a non-traditional format meant to mirror police interviews, this realistic fiction YA book will keep you guessing until the end (and maybe then some.) I loved trying to piece together the events of the trip that lead to the disappearance, trying to figure out who might have been involved, what might have happened. The characters are spot on to teenagers of 2023, which will make this very relatable to teens. I was in a reading slump before I started reading this, but I devoured this book in just two days. If you like mystery books, you will most likely enjoy this one. Don't miss your chance to find out what really happened.

Rounded up to 2.5 ⭐️

I really liked the way this was written - told from the POV of four characters in the first person through police interviews. It was different (in a good way) and I found it extremely easy to follow and I read it very quickly. I didn’t feel that there was any twist that shocked me but have to keep in mind that this is a YA book. I’ve read quite a few YA and enjoyed them but this may have been too juvenile for my taste. That being said, I think this definitely targets a younger audience and would be enjoyed by that age range. It was very well written, just not my cup of tea.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A solid four. I love the format. Police questioning, we hear the entire story directly from the characters. It’s awesome. But, like any other group, what each has to say is influenced and changed by perception and experience. I spent most of the book sorting out who was telling the truth. I have to admit I did not expect the ending, at all! Everyone was telling the truth, but no one was. I know my students who are into mysteries are going to love this. The reading is easy because chapters are each one police question long. So it moves quickly. Definitely going on the classroom shelf. Would also be a fun one to read as part of a book club or literature circle. I’m going to add this one to my authors to watch list. Only drawback, sometimes it gets a little confusing as to who says what.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti.

Wow! This multi-perspective interview style was fast-paced and thrilling. Each character was well developed and this had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

➼ Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti - out on 04 Apr 2023.


One camping trip: five teenagers.
One interrogation room: four only remain.

Told in the format of police interviews, this story follows Petra, Nolan, John and Abigail as they recount what happened the night before at Salvation Creek.

Forced by their common friend Maylee to go on a camping trip, little does the group know nothing will ever be the same again - Maylee disappears.

All four of them recount the events to the cops, but none of them match the other. Our narrators are emotional and wholly unreliable, which I loved!

I inhaled this book in two sittings, and although the ending let me down a bit, I totally enjoyed this read!

This book was honestly just a big miss for me. The book was written as the interviews from each of the friends on the trip which I thought was a neat twist but unfortunately that was the biggest appeal for me.

The book was slow over all but I pushed forward thinking it would eventually pick up as I got further into it and it never really did. The reveal was also lackluster. 2 stars because I did finish it but wouldn't be a book I'd recommend.

This was a decent YA mystery that kept me guessing! Perfect vibe for spooky season but when all was said and done I wasn’t a huge fan of the conclusion.

Five teens head into the woods for a camping trip, only four came back...what really happened? An interrogation of the survivors tells the story and allows readers to piece together the truth. There are secrets being kept, grudges being held, and lots of initial assumptions about the characters on face value. Sedoti keeps the pace exciting and twists galore!

A decent Young Adult mystery novel. If you liked Five Survive or A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder then you should read this next!

Five friends go out camping for a weekend and only four come back. An interesting format as well!

this book was super fast paced! i read it in 2 days! the plot was awesome, even though i guessed the plot twists. i would recommend this to anyone looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller! thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me review this book!