The revelation of the killer's indentity completely took me aback. I absolutely did not expect it. To say that it is a surprise is an understatement. I could name several suspects but never, did I consider one of the characters as a suspect. He completely escaped my radar.

So I stayed dumbfounded. Unable to understand or accept. It was surreal.

The final impression that this novel leaves me is very positive. There were many twists but the final one is huge. The end of the story satisfies me but at the same time, I am puzzled because I feel that it does not cover everything.

I really liked the writing style of this book, but felt that the ending was rushed! I look forward to reading other books by this author.

The novel, Confessions About Colton, rotates around the murder of Colton Crest. Found by his best friend, Elliot (Protagonist), in the lake, Colton Crest was murdered the night before graduation.

This story is marvelous. Throughout the book, it has a dark and ominous theme around it. The author has beautifully weaved the words in a web that traps you in with the very first page.

The characters are strong, and quite well written, Elliot especially. The psychological aspect of his character throughout the hunt just adds to the thrill of the book. All the characters, no matter how small, are composed beautifully. This book is all about the finer details.

No matter what the scene it might be, the book never loses the mysterious vibes. Keeping the reader entranced with every word.

You might feel like you have cracked the mystery, but in the end, the most unexpected thing happens. This book knows how to keep you on toes and keep you guessing. So, ‘expect the unexpected’ is quite apt to describe the book.

The plot has been so well planned and penned with such a merit that finding a plot hope is impossible. It was witty with intelligent misguides.

The story is easy to understand and easy to connect too. There are no forms of gore, even with the mystery-thriller genre, is safe for teenagers and people with light-hearts. (So, no nightmares. Yay!)

One of the biggest drop of this book was its ending. The ending, even though unexpected, was not well defined as rest of the book. The vendetta of the killer was unclear, leaving a gaping hole in the story. But since, it is close to the end, it is easy to put it aside when compared to rest of the book.

So, in conclusion, I would say that if you want a book that you are not able to put down once you start reading, then this is just the book for you. This book is specially designed for keeping you engaged and breathless (not literally or you’ll never reach the end) till the end.

Honest review written in exchange for ARC from netgalley.

I gave up on this book 1/3 into it. I just could not get into it.

Maybe because I’m from Australia, it did not feel like an Australian book with Australian surroundings, the characters were unlike able and try as I might, I could not find myself seeing enough to push through to find out who killed Colton 1/3 into the book.

10 Word Review: Kid is murdered, friend receives letters that lead to killer!

Spoiler Free Review: Full disclosure: I received this as an ebook for free from NetGalley in return for my honest and unbiased review.

This was a solid read for me. It definitely held my interest, despite a bit of a slow start, but at one point I was unable to put it down because I needed to know what happened. That being said, there were definitely some things I didn’t love about it. The author tended to tell you everything instead of showing you things, in other words over explaining every look, emotion, etc.

I also felt like the book was a bit disjointed at times. Sections ended very abruptly and new ones started just as abruptly. It jumped around from place and time without any real transition. Basically, I feel like this book could definitely have benefited from some more editing.

I will say that I was genuinely shocked by the ending, which doesn’t happen very much, but I was also disappointed by it. Also, as in a lot of mysteries, things just seem to fall into place a little too conveniently. Overall, it was an enjoyable, solid read, but it could have been a lot better!

Emoji Review: 👨👨👩💀✉️ 🏃🕵️😮

Confessions About Colton is a mystery set on the grounds of a high school teenager falling into an endless web to figure out who murdered his best friend. A killer who sets up exciting clues and families who have secrets buried deep, this thriller keeps the readers by the edge. The atmospheric setting, constant surprises, and unexpected twists make this one a hard to miss cotemporary.

If you like young adult murder mysteries, friendship feels, big secrets and a protagonist who can really pull you into the story, then you'll like this one.

Elliot's best friend has been murdered. And Elliot is the one that discovered his body laying in the lake. Elliot can't figure out why someone would want to murder someone who was as loved as Colton was. While at Colton's funeral, Elliot dips into his pocket to pull out his speech, but instead finds a note that says, "I'll leave you with the first confession: I killed Colton Crest." Elliot continues to search for clues and confessions in the hopes of finding his best friend's killer. But while searching, he learns that his best friend has secrets of another identity.

This book had me infatuated from the first page. From Elliot's journey trying to find the murderer, to the confessions themselves, this book had me in awe. Twists and turns came so frequently that I was always on my toes. I am an avid reader of adult thrillers, and I have found that when I read teen thrillers, they don't hold my attention as well. However, this book is by far one of the best thrillers I have ever read. I was so sure that I knew who the killer was, and I had another character as my back-up killer, but WOW, was I wrong. This book is worth every star, and I am definitely recommending this in reader's advisory.

Very fast paced mystery that unfolds nicely and cleverly to keep me on my toes and guessing while also hungry to turn the pages. I enjoyed trying to figure out who did it along with the MC. I enjoyed the suspense factor and the end.
The clue aspect of it was interesting.
Enjoyable and not too long.

This was a fast paced, well written book, which gave me a few good twists. I felt that most of the book kept me on the edge and needing to know more, but towards the end that started to fade and confusion sort of set in. Overall, it’s a good read with some good twists and turns.
I’ll make sure to buzz it up on different platforms!

I first read this book when it was just published on Wattpad! It's crazy how far Olivia Harvard has come, and well-deservedly so. My original review was 5 stars when I first read it in 2016, but I've edited it to 3 stars now because my standards and baselines when it comes to reviewing books have changed these last few years.

It was interesting to reread it, having a vague idea of what the reveals would be like but also not completely sure about a lot of the specifics that led to the climax. I think the biggest appeal of this book is Harvard's writing and knack for the mystery/thriller genre. Her style is very well suited in its matter-of-fact but also eerily descriptive nature.

I don't think there are any specific moments that I could point out as an example, but the vibe of the book was very consistent in its urgency because of her writing style. However, I do think that everything was maybe too smooth in terms of the progression of the clue-finding.

The process was very straightforward. Read a letter. Find a letter. Keep a secret. Very systematic in the revelations, which might not have worked all too well with the murder mystery, "let's question everything" theme. The ending was also not as satisfying as it could have been, just because we sort of just find out who the perpetrator was, but the explanation wasn't necessarily clear or logical. It didn't click in my head.

Overall, I'm really grateful to Netgalley and Wattpad Books for the ARC! It's so nice to reread this book and time travel in that sense, and it was as interesting of a read as I remember it being!

Another one of my wattpad favorites. And I am so glad this is going to get published and so many out there will finally be able to read this gem of a book. A fantastic thriller with numerous twists and turns to keep you hooked throughout.

The feels you get reading it for the first time is unparalleled. Heartbreaking and an emotional roller-coaster.

To avoid giving out spoilers, I'm going to keep this review short. It was a great read fill of unexpected twists for the most part. The end, however, was a huge letdown. I have an issue understanding the "why" behind it all.

If you like mysteries you'll probably enjoy this one, just don't go into it expecting a super shocking ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Confessions About Colton by Olivia Harvard—Lots of mystery and intrigue, lots of twists and turns. Overall an enjoyable read.
Elliot’s best friend Colton disappears without a trace and it seems no one is really worried about it, not his teachers, his parents, no one except Elliot. Two months later he suddenly re-appears without any explanation, like nothing ever happened; his lips are sealed. Elliot is concerned, but ultimately is glad to have his best friend back. Then tragedy strikes-Elliot finds Colton’s dead body face down in a lake. Someone murdered him, but who would want the town’s favorite son dead? Elliot becomes a play toy for the killer who sends him on a scavenger hunt. If Elliot can find the seven letters, he will know who killed his best friend. If he doesn’t, he’ll end up just like Colton.
Highly suspenseful and well-written. The ending wraps up a little too quickly and neatly for me, but overall, I enjoyed the ride. #ConfessionsAboutColton. #OliviaHarvard #netgalley

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.

Confessions about Colton is an intense thriller, full of twists and discoveries.
Elliott's life changes abrubtly when he found his best friend Colton dead, murdered. Colton, who disappeared from school for a sudden and mysterious trip, without telling Elliott and his girlfriend Lydia anything, was killed and the day of the funeral Colton finds in his pocket a letter from the killer.
The killer taunts him, forcing Elliott in this sick game. First alone, but then, when Elliott finds his path crossed with his sister Cass while investigating, he discovers he's not the only one the killer is haunting and with Cass and Lydia they decided to follow the killer's scavenger hunt. Piece by piece, mystery by mystery, they find the other letters, each one with a confession about Colton, revealing new informations about him and his past.
Who was Colton? Why he disappeared? Where he went? Why he was killed?
While battling with grief, going through the five stages,denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, Elliott has to undergo the killer's sick mind games and battling his feeling for his estranged mother who's come back to town to help him through his grief. But Elliott isn't ready to give up or tell everything to the police. The killer contacted him and his friends and he wants to discover the truth about his best friend, even risking his life. Until the shocking ending.

I liked this book. Actually, I was really hooked by it and it was fun and thrilling following Elliott, Cass and Lydia while they pieced the clues together, searching for anwers and more letters and confessions. Through flashbacks and memories, bit by bit Elliott, and the reader with him, discovers more and more things about his best friend . Colton, the golden boy, the brilliant best friend and boyfriend, obessed with mysteries, able to reading people and their intentions, a young Sherlock with a golden future. His presence is very strong in the book and the reader can't help but grieve him, too.
Elliott finds himself at a loss, he's upset, angry and he's grieving. Discovering things he didn't know about his best friend leaves him full of questions and pain. He's driven by the need to find justice and answers for Colton.

I liked how the author wrote about the grief stages, while inserting in it the killer's sick game and his hunt. I like how Elliott was written, as a young man determined to find the truth, shell-shocked and angry by Colton's dead. How Lydia was written, too, not like Colton's girlfriend only, but like Elliott's best friend, Cass' friend and a young woman smart and resolute. I like her relationship with Elliott.
Cass is another well written character, so strong and protective and so invested in discover the truth and protect his brother and family. I appreciated a lot how the writer talked about Colton's family, their grief and pain, so genuine. It was believable, too, Lydia's parents's suspicions about Colton while he was away and their protectiveness, how they were trying to prevent thei daughter from suffering more. Amazing and moving how Elliott, Lydia and Cass were close to the Coltons in their pain, how the families supported each other.

But the thing I didn't like about the book was the truth about the killer. I was shocked by the revelation and not in a good way. For me, it lowered my stars. I found the ending too rushed and the murderer's motives flat. I felt like there were too many coincidences, too many "Of course he saw that" and "Obviously it ended this way".
The letters, the hunt, the sick game reached an high level and then all of it came crushing down leaving me a bit disappointed.
It wasn't a big reveation, not because I didn't see it coming, but because the motives were a "WAIT, WHAT? ARE YOU FOR REAL?"
It was like "Ok, we need a suspect. Oh, there is one right there. Let's put a convoluted story to explain why he's dead." I found a bit unbelievable none knew about the killer's handwriting, too.

I didn't like the ending so much, but the book was really a good one and I liked how it was written and how the author built the tension and the discoveries. The characters are believable and well written and the reader can't help but being hooked and yearning for answers and more.
If you are looking for a good thriller and a killer's sick mind game, this book is perfect.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

I read the original Confessions about Colton a long, long time ago on Wattpad and while I remember nothing from it, I remember enjoying so the title peaked my interesting. It had me hooked and wanting more this time, just like it did last time.

I read it so long ago that I didn't even remember who the murderer of the story was and once the revel happened, it wasn't who I expected it to. Though I don't remember it well, I don't think that it's very different from the original one that was on Wattpad.

I liked the characters and the mystery well enough. Elliot, who is trying to solve his best friends murder while grieving, his sister Cass and Colton's girlfriend, Lydia. The only negative thing that I have to say is that I often found myself wondering why the murderer was leaving hints behind? Wouldn't you want to try to keep yourself as discrete as possible? Though, I guess that is explained later on.

Overall, I enjoyed this! I also really like the cover!

I liked how mysterious it was, the twists and turns kept you on your toes. However, I felt like the ending was a bit of a let down. I was expecting something more.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved all of the unexpected events that happened throughout the book, and especially the ending. My mind was completely blown.

This book is so hard to rate because I was loving it up until the reveal.

“Confessions About Colton” weaves together a story that fans of Pretty Little Liars can enjoy as Elliot finds himself on a scavenger hunt to uncover his best friend’s killer and with each new letter he finds himself questioning everything and with the killer inching closer to home he has to unravel the mystery before it’s too late.

Okay so this book had a lot of fun elements like clever misdirects and an intriguing way of dealing with the grief of losing someone only to realize they weren’t who you thought they were and the fallout of that but once we got to the big moment I couldn’t help but deflate which was only made worse by the fact that everything that followed was well written enough to tie everything up in a satisfying way.

I just genuinely do not understand the motive. The whole argument seems pointless when the person who was supposed to be in the dark was the one who has known the truth for years and it didn’t make sense that the threat of it coming out would push the killer to those extremes. It’s hard not to spoil to fully go into my problems with that decision but there were way too many for it to work for me.

This is a book that manages to be a good mystery but just falls short on delivering the final blow to make it something great.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review!**