Thank you, NetGalley and Smith Publicity, for this advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I am not the right reader for this book. I wish I could leave you with a better statement but at 36% after two weeks of trying to push through this, I just have to confess I am really not enjoying it. I am a lover of thrillers but, admittedly, not all of them work for me.

I encourage others to take a look at this book if it piques your interest. You may find it works for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I was so hoping to read it, and I was previously denied on another site, so seeing it pop up on my Shelf was the highlight of my week. I finished it in one day because these are the kinds of stories I live for. Murder, mystery, and broken people putting themselves back together after tragedy strikes. There's just something so beautiful in knowing that no matter what happens to you, no matter how an experience may mark you forever, that there is such strength lying dormant in humans as a species to overcome.

Clara is someone well acquainted with pain. When we join her story, she is living in the aftermath of her sister going to jail for killing their next door neighbor. That next door neighbor was Griffin, Clara's childhood crush. She has cut off everyone who was close to her, including her best friend, Bex, and doesn't even go to the jail to visit Emily. She quit theatre at her high school, started hiding behind baggy clothes and a tight lip, and tries her hardest to just fade into the background.

All that changes when she meets Aniston, a perky journalist for her school's paper who is interested in her sister's story. Reluctantly, she joins forces with her and Griffin's best friend Kolby to uncover the mysteries of what really happened that night. I don't want to go into very much more detail, because there are so many intricate twists and turns in this novel that I really would hate to spoil. It's such an emotional and heavy book, and it brings to light so many real horrors in this world that do not get enough coverage. If you read it, you'll see what I mean, and I really recommend you do.

I commend the author for starting this book with a preface that if you need to put the book down, you most definitely should. There are experiences in this book that may be hard for some readers, but I think it is a worthwhile and necessary read. It is raw, but not unfeeling, and many scenes left me with a huge ache in my chest at this absolute devastation that I could never understand in full. The switches between past and present were so powerful and crushing, seeing the changes that time and devastation can make.

Deanna does a wonderful job creating characters that you can fall head over heels for, and the best part of it is that none of them are perfect. They are perfect examples of real human beings, and those same kind that I mentioned before who have shattered but by the end of the novel are on their way to placing the puzzle pieces of their identities back in place. The book is harrowing but heartening, and I'm glad I had the chance to read it.

3.5 stars

This book was good but really slow sometimes. I didn’t really understand the protagonist’s thinking sometimes when it came to her friends. She was a little harsh and closed off. Over all it was a good plot. I’m not sure if it was this version or not but it got a little confusing with the spacing in the book to figure out who was talking and how much time had passed. I would definitely try something else by this author.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my free arc.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of What Happened That Night by Deanna Cameron from NetGalley for review purposes.  Thank you to NetGalley, Wattpad Books and Smith Publicity for this opportunity.

What Happened That Night by Deanna Cameron is a YA Mystery/Thriller.  It is going to be published on September 17th, 2019.  I gave this book 4 stars.

Here is the summary from NetGalley:

Golden boy Griffin Tomlin is found dead, floating in his pool, the morning after his family’s Labor Day party, and neighbor Emily Porterfield is arrested for his murder. No one knows why she killed him, except for her younger sister, Clara. The secrets behind What Happened That Night unravel in dual timelines:

In the present, Clara struggles with the aftermath of the murder―questions and distrust from her friends, denial from her parents, and visits to her sister in jail. And amidst all of that, another body is discovered that could be connected.

In flashback, the events that brought Clara, Griffin, and Emily together and that led to his death are revealed―events that involve a crush, an obsession, and a shocking twist.

The title of What Happened That Night is what drew me to the book initially, and then I read the summary and it was an easy choice to choose to read the book.  I requested it, and I was excited when I found out that I was accepted.  I was quick to pick it up, and pretty quickly I was drawn in by the story.  The nice thing about this story was that it had a lot of layers, and just when you thought you had it figured out, something new and excited happened that made you realize there was more to the story.

I have to admit that when I read the summary, I thought I had a pretty good idea of what the story was about, and I should give a trigger warning for rape in this book, and I was right on one level.  But then there were way more layers to the story than I had expected, and I enjoyed that because it made the story unique and unpredictable.

However, it still wasn't my favourite thing I've ever read.  The way that the story was formatted, which is something that I hope will be fixed in the final copy, was occasionally jarring.  The transitions between time and locations jumps were often incredibly abrupt with no formatting clues to help you understand that there was a bit of a jump that just happened, and occasionally I had to re-read to make sure that I fully understood what had happened and how Clara had gone from point A to point B.  Additionally, some of the writing felt a bit cliche in places.  There were a few points where I noticed that sort of cliche "I let go of a breath I didn't know I was holding" type moments, and I had to roll my eyes at that.  I also felt that some of the dialogue was a bit awkward.

Ultimately, the story kept me reading.  I wanted to know what happened.  You know the basics of it, that Emily killed Griffin and that Clara knew why she did it, but you don't know the exact circumstances.  Those details are revealed gradually throughout the story by reading about what is happening Clara's life in the current timeline, starting four months after Emily murdered Griffin and was arrested, and from the time before the murder.  The switching back and forth between the two timelines was a really great way to tell the story.  Deanna Cameron revealed information when I needed it, and teased just enough to make me want to keep reading.

As a character, Clara is really interesting and relatable.  Her motivations and reasons for acting the way she does were really easy to understand.  However, some of the other characters fell a little flat.  Emily, the sister/murderer, had a lot of potential but I wished that Cameron had done a little more with her and maybe dropped a few more hints.  Or maybe they were there and I just didn't pick up on it.  Griffin was an intensely disturbing character, and I was impressed with his characterization.  I also really loved Kolby as a character.  He had a certain unexpected depths.  I was less keen on Aniston.

I feel the need to come back to the trigger warning.  There is a fairly detailed rape scene in this book, and it is revisited several times in the character's memories.  It's not something that triggers me normally, but this scene was very detailed and I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending it, until I acknowledged that it has this major part of the story that could potentially really hurt someone.  So if rape and sexual assault is something that bothers you, I would really suggest skipping this one.  There are so many books out there, please find one that isn't going to harm you.

That being said, I do recommend this book.  Yes, the writing wasn't my favourite, but I found the story compelling and I really wanted to know what happened and how it was going to play out.  The story felt original and interesting, and it played with some cool ideas.  It's not without problems, but it's definitely worth giving a try.

Thank you again to the publishers and NetGalley for this opportunity.

The plot to this book makes it seem like everything is black and white. Emily killed Griffin and her sister Clara feels responsible. I thought, ok where can this go if we know who the killer is and why at almost the very beginning of the book? Well dear reader, whatever you think you know, gets turned into a twisted mess of deception! There are secrets coming out in every direction from everyone who Clara knows and trusts. I urge you to read this book as it deals with a sensitive subject not often talked about in books or movies(I’ll save you from the spoilers on that!) But I enjoyed this book very much. I couldn’t put it down and that’s always a good sign to me! Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an advanced ebook in exchange for an honest review!

4/5 ⭐️
This was super good! From the first chapter I was definitely wanting to know what happens next. It definitely has a Trigger Warning for rape and abuse. I love it as well that there was a thriller inside a thriller.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me with this complementary copy!

This type of story is not one that I am usually drawn to as a read for light hearted YA fantasy or romance, but the twists and turns of this book were able to keep me interested. Anytime I thought I knew were the direction of the plot was headed I inevitably was wrong and I truly enjoyed being wrong since it kept me interested in the tale. I loved Clara and being able to experience her journey even if it was truly heartbreaking even if I felt that her character wasn't presenting as completely as it could have been.

Overall, this YA thriller kept me focused and wondering what was going to happen next. So much so I couldn't put it down even when I should have!

A shocking story, second in a series that is full of twists! The ending was a complete shock and thats what I LOVE about good books, When things happen that you don't expect!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2866112192
#WhatHappenedThatNight
#DeannaCameron
#Netgalley

** spoiler alert ** *Trigger warning--rape*

A good mystery; who killed the neighbor who was well-liked in the town? When her neighbor Griffin is found dead, Clara can't believe that someone actually killed him. Sure, Clara had been in love with Griffin since she was a kid, but then things happened earlier that year and she sure didn't feel that way about him anymore. But did she hate him enough to kill him? At first, I wasn't sure if Clara would be an unreliable narrator or not. This book definitly kept me reading to figure it all out.

I was frustrated throughout this book because of the narrator's unwillingness to go to the police and/or hospital to report her rape in the first place, but then that's all she focused on throughout the story. However, I think many teens will enjoy the story and understand some of the decisions made by the narrator (even though, as we all know from watching Law & Order SVU, one needs to report rape ASAP when there is ample evidence to support a claim).

Thank you to NetGalley and Wattpad Books for providing me with an e-Copy for an honest review.

When I first read this book on Wattpad, it stole my breath. I began to fall for Griffin through the flashbacks, which I know the writer did intentionally. Still, it was interesting to see the way Cameron soon changed the readers perspective on all of the characters. Clara is a pretty unreliable character, so I found it interesting to try and figure out how to feel about the other characters on my own terms. I loved Kolby and I loved the slow-burn of their relationship. Anniston was one of my favourite characters for sure.

I started to dislike Emily from all the things we began to find out about her and the way, we come to learn, she treated her boyfriend. She was vindictive, conniving and sly, and an almost perfect killer. However I feel like this book didn’t give me as much of a thrill and the rush of excitement to find out what happened exactly and why, as other mystery books often do. Because of this, I give this book a 4.5 stars out of 5.

Still, I do recommend it and I am definitely going to get myself a paperback copy when it comes out. Deanna is a wonderful writer and I know that over the years of reading her work on wattpad, it has improved my own. I can’t wait to see how this book succeeds and see her, hopefully, publish more books.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC if this book in exchange for a review. This was a very interesting story that was well written and thought out. Such a sad situation, but the world can be an ugly place. Would definitely buy this book.

If I could, I would give this book 3 1/2 stars because it was actually a pretty good mystery. Lots of suspense but unfortunately it was pretty predictable. I also wish we were able to learn more about the characters. They all felt very flat.

This was a roller coaster of a ride. It had many twists and turns. It was not a surprise what exactly happened but more why is happened. The characters were well written especially Clara. The perspective was through her eyes and before and after the crime. I enjoyed this novel. Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The story is very nicely written. The division of the story into the present and past is not an annoying split. It ensures that you gradually learn more about what is going on without immediately giving away too much.

The writer has kept the mystery element in it in a good way. A number of times there was a twist in the story that I didn’t see coming, but unfortunately a lot of “discoveries” were reasonably predictable.

The characters are well described and you soon feel as if you know these people. Clara does not behave like a typical teenager. This is fine, but not entirely realistic on some points.

All in all it was a very enjoyable book that I went through very quickly and easily. And for thriller / mystery fans, I would definitely recommend it.

First, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this for review. I will provide an unbiased opinion in return. I believe this book was released in French last year and has now been translated.

Secondly, this cover pulled me in along with the synopsis. This follows Clara. Her next door neighbor, Griffin, has been found murdered in his own backyard. And now her sister, Emily, has been accused of the murder. But did Emily do it and why? It just so happens, Clara knows why. And she's here to tell us a story.

Next, this has very graphic content, so if you are at all opposed to that, this is not the book for you. However, I don't have any aversion to it so this didn't sway my view.

If we want to get technical, I DNF'd this book at 20%. I quit reading word for word. I skimmed the rest of the book. I read all the dialogue, and a lot of the important tidbits. I don't think I missed much by not reading word for word.

This seems like a book a high schooler would write. It doesn't have the fine tunings of an adult writing. It just seemed very immature. The writing was terrible. One minute we were at school, and then the very next sentence we were 1.5 years back in time. It was highly confusing. It was very choppy. It was all over the place. I can't say much without giving a ton of spoilers. It reminded me of reading terrible fanfiction back in my teenage years. It was very dramatic and highly unbelievable. The plot would have been okay if the writing wasn't so immature. If we got more in depth look at the characters, if we explored more about why these incidents occurred, it may have been better.

Overall, I had to give this 1 star. I was lenient even giving it that in my honest opinion.

I usually don’t read many mystery books because I usually figure out the ending right from the start. But What Happened That Night was a wild ride that I didn’t see coming. The twist at the end was shocking I still can't believe it. This book had me up late flipping through each chapter to find out what would happen next Great book I would recommend to teens and adults.

It was a good old fashioned mystery. At first it was hard to understand how Emily knew her sister had been attacked. Aniston is great character and she really made the box for me as she played detective. A great YA summer read!

Clara Porterfield knows suffering like no other. Her older sister, Emily, was arrested for the murder of Clara's childhood crush--their neighbor and city golden boy--Griffin Tomlin. Griffin was found floating face down in his family's back yard pool after a Labor Day party. Clara and her family suffer through the aftermath of Emily's decision and only one person knows the reason behind Emily's choice--Clara. Emily's dad refuses to believe Emily killed Griffin, but Emily's mother believes she did it and wants to brush it under the rug. Emily and Clara's parent's were close friends with Griffin's parents. After Emily is gone and her parents split views, Clara finds refuge with Griffin's best friend, Kolby, and a girl that wears too much pink, Aniston. "Like Jennifer Aniston." The story unravels through the present and the past, a dual timeline. The events that led up to what really happened that night is dark, twisted, sinister, and heart wrenching.

When I first started to read this story, I knew I would be hooked. The story line was complex and it kept me guessing. I couldn't put it down. Every time I had thought I figured it out--why Emily did it--there was another small detail that would come up and throw a small wrench in it. I say "small" because it wasn't overdone. Cameron didn't keep throwing things in just to prolong the story. These little details piled into the bigger story and made sense.

Most of the characters were well put together, but a few had a couple flaws. Clara, the main protagonist, was a well put character. She had gone through something dark and it reflected. She had gone from a carefree teenager pining for her neighbor, into a reclusive shut in. Many people had seen the change but never asked what had happened. No one had gotten close enough to figure out why Clare had gone from outspoken to barely speaking. She quit drama and her job at a local ice cream shop. Her best friend became a stranger.

Kolby was supposed to be a bigger character in the story. For the most part, he was a great supporting character. I wish there was a little more to him. Kolby had been Griffin's best friend throughout the entire book. Even Kolby mentioned that he didn't know how he had become friends with Griffin. In a sense, Kolby reminded me of Bex. Bex had been Clara's best friend and she seemed to have some bigger roles in the story, but there wasn't much to her.

Griffin was what you could expect from the attractive, popular boy. He had girls falling at his feet and guys trying to become his friend. He had his parents and his brother, Brandon. Griffin had a very dark side that reflected through the story. He thought he could get away with anything he wanted because everyone loved him. Those that knew his dark side were scared of him.

Emily, Clara's sister, didn't have much background to her. I enjoyed that the author had glimpses of memories between Clara and her sister. Emily is a character you want to feel bad. As the story progresses, the more you find out about the beloved sister, Emily.

Throughout this story, there are so many troubling subjects brushed up against. The story was deep and believable. Most of the subjects are situations that actually happen. The story brushes upon rape, popularity, secrets, love, hate, and the aftermath of other people's decisions, as well as the twisted work of some. Every time a killer comes out, there's always someone swearing up and down that the person accused(or guilty) could never be capable of doing such twisted things. This story takes you into the mind of someone that had believed that. Not only about one person, but two.

Verdict: Overall, I liked this book. It was compelling. I would suggest reading this book. But please be advised, this can be a trigger. Read the Author's Note before you dive into the book!

Thank you @netgalley and #wattpad for providing me with an advanced copy of What Happened That Night in return for an honest review.
Pub Date - 9/17/19
This book was intriguing and definitely a page turner! For a teen Y/A i wasn't expecting it to be as in depth, plot wise!
Page turner for sure. Finished this in 24 hours which is always a good sign! I thought i knew why Emily did it but no! The plot twist got me. Creepy provoking read and I'm so glad i got the chance to review!
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5