Oh what a tangled web Deanna Cameron wove! I really enjoyed reading this psychological thriller. The story alternated between the past and present, and I’m so glad it did because it gave a lot insight into the person that Emily was before she was arrested for Griffin’s murder.

While Clara’s parents disagreed on whether or not Emily was guilty, Clara was convinced she was the reason Emily had done it in the first place, having given her sister a motive to kill Griffin. But as the story unfolded, it became apparent that all was not as it seemed. Everyone was developing their own theories, even Aniston, who had essentially helped Clara dig even deeper into Griffin’s murder. When the truth was finally revealed, I was beyond shocked!

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from reading this book, it’s that you never truly know someone. We all have secrets to hide, some are just better at it than others. Highly recommend!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2910022622

What a thriller. This book captured me from the beginning til the end. Every character was written beautifully and the story will leave you wanting more. Really great book.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Clara has a secret and has begun acting and dressing differently. The boy she has been madly in love with since she was 5 is no longer Prince Charming and she’s afraid of him. Embarrassed by what happened and afraid no one will believe her, she keeps silent until her older sister Emily guesses what happened. Clara confirms the worst and Emily kills the boy and is jailed. Clara feels guilty that one person is dead and her sister is jailed because she wanted to get revenge for Clara..or did she? Nobody is as they seem and a missing girl’ s body shows up in Clara’s garden. Clara’s character is an accurate portrayal of a victim! I received a free advanced copy of this book and am voluntarily reviewing it.

When golden boy Griffin Tomlin is found dead, the entire community is in shock. But his neighbor Clara knows that Griffin was not the all-around good boy that everyone else saw. When her sister, Emily, is charged in the death of Griffin, Clara is soon battling with guilt, isolation and grief until some unexpected friends decide to investigate for themselves. Did Emily really kill Griffin? Was Clara somehow to blame? What secrets was her sister hiding?
That synopsis does not even begin to describe the complexities and dynamics of this story. I thought I knew it all -- what happened, and why. While some events were predictable, some were not. Never in my life have I read a book that has left me with such intense feelings. This book had me feeling sad, mad, shocked, betrayed, happy, and everything in between. Here’s why:
Clara is the main character of the story, and it is told from her perspective. The story is told in two separate timelines--"the Before”, referring to before Griffin was murdered, and the present. Clara has been in love with neighbor Griffin Tomlin for a while. After a school performance of “Cinderella”, Griffin begins to see her in a new light and kisses her. This begins an infatuation with Clara that turns deadly. Griffin is not the golden boy that everyone thinks he is, and Clara knows this more than anyone.
When her sister Emily is arrested for his murder, Clara assumes she knows why. Emily was protecting her, however, as the story progresses, we find that there was more to the story than that. While dealing with the aftermath of being the sister of the girl who murdered someone, Clara finds friends in Aniston and Kolby. Aniston is writing a story about Emily and has theories about the case that she needs help proving. Kolby was Griffin’s best friend and has had a crush on Clara for a while, leading the two to develop a relationship that is tested when Kolby discovers who his best friend really was.
This book had it all -- love, murder, mystery, mental illness, bullying, sexual assault, sibling relationships, friendships. Just when I would think that I had it all figured out, the author shook things up by adding another layer that I would have never expected. I couldn’t stop reading, in the search for what really happened and why.
So, I loved the book. It is not my typical read, and I am surprised at how much I loved it. I would issue a warning though: This book has sexual assaults in it. The details provided of the events could be a trigger of someone who has been a victim.
I received an electronic advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This has in no way influenced my review.

I could not put down this book. It was so interesting and the writing was great. I will definitely be recommending this to customers at my work!

A fantastic psychological thriller! I couldn't put it down! The layers in the story are intricately woven together making this a fantastic read.

What Happened That Night by Deanna Cameron was a lot of firsts for me. It's the first book I've ever read electronically. It's the first book that I'm reviewing for NetGalley. I was so excited to begin reading What Happened That Night, and for my first ARC review, I'm excited to share my feelings about it with you all.

A new addition into my thriller library, What Happened That Night introduces you to Clara, a girl who's life has been flipped upside down by the sudden murder of her neighbor, Griffin. Told in intervals from before and after the murder, you follow as Clara tries to put two and two together on how her life became intertwined with Griffin Tomlins. You meet a variety of characters along the way, my personal favorite being Kolby, the best friend of the victim and love interest for Clara. He was so gentle and kind as she went through the events that lead to her sister killing Griffin, and at the end, I feel like he has shown the most throughout the entire novel. 

You, also, meet Aniston, the junior detective that seems to always be one step ahead of Clara in her journey. I enjoyed Aniston, but not to the extent that I enjoyed Kolby. I felt like she was there to fill in the exposition for the reader that they could've and should've been able to fill in on their own. Then, there are the secondary characters, like Clara and Griffin's parents, Emily, Bex, and Wilson, who were there to help put the pieces together in Clara's story. I do wish we had more physical interactions with Emily, with the only one truly being the one time Clara visits her in jail. I would've loved to see how truly mental she was first hand, rather than it being explained to me through the ending narration.

I loved the storyline of trying to figure out why Emily did what she did. There were a lot of motivators for her, especially (TRIGGER WARNING) one of them being Clara's rape by Griffin. The rape follows Clara through all of her actions, and it truly represents how the victim's life completely changes after something so horrific happens. However, I do feel the sexual sadist angle was a bit forced at the end. We didn't know Emily well enough, and I felt that they were throwing that in there to be like she did it for this reason done and done. Like I said before, more Emily would've made the whole investigation seem more fluid and organic than the exposition at the end of the novel.

Overall, I think that What Happened That Night was a good novel. It dealt with some continuity issues, or more repetitive issues. But, it kept me on my toes at points that made me truly enjoy the thrill of it. Again, I loved Kolby as a character, and I feel that he's the strongest character in the novel. I respect the care that Cameron put into recording the parts about Clara's rape and the sensitivity she included. 

What Happened That Night comes out September 17th, 2019 from Wattpad Books. Check it out when it comes around.

3/5

What a thrill ride of a book! So twisty and utterly unputdownable! I felt like I was whiplashed after every chapter revealed more and more aspects to the mystery. A multiple narrative between murder victim Griffin, suspect Emily and her little sister Clara just really gave you an amazing perspective on all aspects of the mystery behind Griffin's death. The mystery was so well thought out and plotted I couldn't get enough. I need more thriller books like this! It has definitely became a favorite

A perfect reminder to the Teenage/YA group that everything (or everyone) is not always as it seems.

Griffin, the "Golden Boy" of high school, who Clara has had a crush on "forever", is found dead. Being as his family lives across the street from Clara and her family, word spreads quickly.

Within 3 months, Clara's older sister, Emily, is arrested for Griffin's murder.

Clara begins a friendship with Kolby (Griffin's best friend) and a new girl at school (who is a detective wannabe),
Aniston.

We see, through intertwining "before" and "now', how relationships develop and how relationships are lost. Emily tells Clara that she is responsible for Griffin's death but the reader is taken through a maze that somehow doesn't always add up. Just when you think you have figured it all out - a wrench is thrown into the works. A fine read.

A great, fast-paced thriller! Highly recommend!

Many Thanks to Wattpad Books and NetGallery for a great read!

I read this entire novel in one sitting. Initially, I thought it was a simple, straightforward YA mystery---like many I've read before---and it very much was not what I thought it would be. I don't want to spoil this for other readers, but Cameron outdid herself with this story.

Beginning with the investigation of the murder of a neighbor and the arrest of the protagonist's sister as a suspect, the assumptions you might make about this story could be right. Mine definitely were, and I found a soul-sister in Clara and her experiences, feeling her emotions as if they were my own, as her story unraveled. However, underneath the expected layers of horrifying trauma and fraught relationships, new layers emerged that were completely unexpected. Riddled with twists that you don't see coming and complex, unexpected relationships and connections, What Happened That Night had me hooked until the very end. This dark and horrifying novel explored a different angle on the typical murder-mystery that isn't often seen, and I most definitely appreciated it.

I know it is unlikely, but if there were ever a novel exploring the aftermath of this story, how it impacts the characters far in the future, I would love to read it. I feel like this story has even more potential now that it has been told.

I usually read fantasy but I started to read this book and could not put it down. I feel so bad for Clara holding onto a secret like that and then when she finally comes out with it alot of people don't believe her. She wants to believe her sister Emily did this to protecter her but later plot twist her sister didnt it for other reason. Never heard of this author but I'll be looking for more

Clara’s sister Emily has been charged with the murder of their neighbor, a boy who was Clara’s crush. But golden boy Griffin is not all that golden, and when he begins to terrorize Clara, Emily takes action. This novel, initially presented on Wattpad, is told in two parts with Clara as the narrator. TW for graphic sexual assault and murder. I am grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

OH WOW!
This book!! I don't know where to start!

Deanna Cameron really knows how to suck you in to a story! I was hooked!
Despite the heavy content, I found this book such a quick, easy read! I really enjoyed the authors writing style.

So, this book does get quite heavy. Clara's sister, Emily, is arrested for the murder of Griffin, their neighbour and Clara's lifelong crush. There are also sexual assault scenes/ themes throughout the story. This is a really heavy and emotional book, but, I highly recommend it to everyone!

I adored most of the characters in this book. Clara and Aniston were definitely my favourites. I wasn't sure about Aniston to begin with, she's perky, full on and researching why Emily killed Griffin. I loved watching their friendship develop. I was also happy to see Clara's personal growth throughout the book.

I would have loved to learnt more about Emily and Griffin, they are such intriguing characters! To begin with, I adored Emily, even though she was arrested for murder. However, as the layers of the story are peeled back it is truly terrifying to realise how you can know someone well, but not really know them at all. That is all I am going to say because I don't want to give anything away!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for sending me a copy of this book. This has in no way affected my views or opinions of the book or the content of my review

"I knew why she'd done it. I knew that Emily hated Griffin Tomlin the moment I'd told her something I never should have".

Clara's sister Emily murdered the boy next door, and only Clara knows why she did it.

This is a multilayered and complex story that takes some time to come together. Too much time in fact. The story is very longwinded. It easily felt like double its 300 pages. I know I am a reader who likes slow pacing, but this was borderline frustrating, with a lot of telling and explaining instead of showing. The writing is quite juvenile in that sense.

However, despite my problems with the telling, the actual story was interesting and did keep me guessing. I thought I had it all figured out early on, but there was always more to know. To the point it was quite unbelievable at times.

For a book tackling such sensitive issues as rape and assault, I would expect to feel some strong emotions. I didn't cry once (and I'm a crier trust me), but I did feel quite uncomfortable with the vivid description of some of the most horrific scenes.

The main character is a normal, pleasant girl whom a lot of people will relate to. She has gone through trauma that has changed her entire being and turned her whole world upside down.

“I almost wanted to tell him why she'd taken Griffin away from him and his parents. But I knew none of them would believe me about what happened between Griffin and me".

Probably my biggest gripe through most of the book was Clara's lack of understanding and forgiveness for people around her, for not reacting to things exactly how she wanted them to in the first instance. Sometimes people need a minute. And you should offer them the same understanding you expect to receive. I suppose this is something she had to learn.

I liked the dual perspectives of the book, present and past. I generally love that way of storytelling in any book. The information from the past was fed to us in just the right dose.

However, another issue I had was with the formatting of the book (at least I think that was the issue and assume it will be fixed) which made the story hard to follow. There was sometimes no indication that the story had moved on to another time or place. Not even a line between paragraphs. I often had to reread bits to figure out that the narrative had jumped ahead to another place from one line to the next. Very confusing.

I did enjoy this book, I was gripped by the plot and needed to know how it ended. But my overall impression is that it needs some serious editing to make it a more concise and appealing novel.

Wow wow wow! This book is intense. Date rape is emotional and traumatizing especially when you’re a teenage girl and think you’re in love. This book is very relatable to a large portion of the female population. It touches on very heavy duty topics but doesn’t overwhelm and burden you with them. You want to turn the page, you must know what happens and when you find out it’s not what you expected at all. I enjoyed the twists and turns in this book and did not want to put it down. Although a tough subject matter well written and a really great book. Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion and review. This story takes you on a wild roller coaster ride. It was incredible. I loved how I did not see any of that coming. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in thrillers/mysteries. Everyone should read this book!

This was a great YA mystery that’s packed with drama, twists and a little bit of romance. The mystery isn’t quite what you might think when you first pick up the book. Right from page one, we know that Clara’s neighbor, Griffin has been killed. Shortly after that ominous night… we find out that Clara’s older sister, Emily has been charged with Griffin’s murder.

The mystery of the novel is the answer to the question why did Emily kill Griffin? And that story unravels slowly throughout this novel. Cameron has written a fast-paced story that still keeps the reader hooked by not revealing everything too quickly.

Clara is a complex character. She was fairly close to her older sister before she was arrested, but afterward, she is clearly struggling with the weight of the entire situation. When she befriends Kolby (Griffin’s best friend) Clara’s story becomes ever more complex. How can she be friends with Griffen’s best friend after what happened? The reality is that Kolby is one of the only people at school that will even speak to Clara.

Nothing is what it seems in this story and that’s what makes it such an interesting read. I highly recommend this novel… with the caveat that it’s mature subject matter.

Trigger warning: This book contains sexual assault and psychological manipulation. Some early readers found this book difficult to read due to past experiences.

What Happened That Night is a very intense read! Once I started reading, I could not put it down. I had to know how it ended. The dual timelines give it that extra "can't stop reading" element. As the reader, you already know that Emily is in jail for Griffin's murder, and that she's confessed. You also know that Clara blames herself for Griffin's murder since she told her sister what Griffin did to her. However, Clara won't tell her parents or the police why she thinks Emily killed Griffin.

Of course, we're not told right away what Griffin did to Clara, but we can easily guess. And it's not just the one act. It is many instances of psychological manipulation. It's knowing that Clara is truly afraid of Griffin. Knowing this sort of makes what Emily did almost forgivable. She was protecting her little sister from getting hurt again. It's the premise of the whole story of "what happened that night."

These characters, though not completely fleshed out, are believable. Also, Clara is not quite a reliable character since she is hiding so much. It's been a long time since I've been in high school. However, I remember enough to know that once rumors get started, they're difficult to stop. And if you've had a traumatic event happen, not too many people are going to be there for you.

Clara makes a couple of new friends through this horrible ordeal. Aniston reminds me a little of Paris on Gilmore Girls. If you don't watch, then you'll find out what she's like by observing Aniston's refusal to let a news story slip away. Clara also becomes friends with the last person at school she would expect to treat her well: Griffin's best friend Kolby.

What Happened That Night threw me for a loop. I don't want to give you any spoilers, but expect to be surprised!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. What Happened That Night is a hard hitting book. It could definite a trigger for anyone who has been assaulted or abused during a relationship or just in life. It was a good read, with plenty of intrigue and a good twist.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
(“What Happened That Night” has some intense sexual assault scenes that may be triggering for some readers. My review, however, does not).
Oh Deanna Cameron, where you have been all my life? “What Happened That Night” has everything I didn’t know I was missing. Female psychopaths, murder, sibling relationships and sexual assault are just some of the topics in Cameron’s gritty, intense and powerful new novel.
When golden boy Griffin Tomlin is found dead, the entire community is in shock. But his neighbour Clara knows that Griffin was not the all-around good boy that everyone else saw. When her sister, Emily, is charged in the death of Griffin, Clara is soon battling with guilt, isolation and grief until some unexpected friends decide to investigate for themselves. Did Emily really kill Griffin? Was Clara somehow to blame? What secrets was her sister hiding?
“What Happened That Night” is told in two different timelines, alternating between “before” Griffin was killed, and the aftermath. The story is told from Clara’s perspective exclusively, and although the shocking twists are kept secret until the end, most of the novel’s storyline is revealed in a slow release of suspense and tension that will keep you turning the pages. Although graphic, the plot has some very powerful and thought-provoking themes that, as mentioned above, may be triggering for some, however they are so important to the plot, and they will stick with you.
This is one of those novels that actually keeps you guessing, and I ran through various alternatives before the true ending was revealed. The ending was well developed and even had some plausibility in it, which made the outcome satisfying and reassuring.
Personally, I wanted more Emily. I wanted more of her thought process, both before, during and after the trial, but that is just due to my personal obsession with psychopathology. “What Happened That Night” still provided the addicting thrill ride that I so desperately needed.
Cameron started this novel on the novel-sharing site, Wattpad, and I am beyond thrilled that she brought it into the world. This novel was so unexpected for me as I did not anticipate enjoying this novel so much. Now, I cannot wait to enjoy more of Cameron’s novels, and I highly encourage her to release some of her others into the world.