It started off as just a fantasy story written between two girls who fantasized about the romance between two boys at their school... but one night after a drunken party one of those boys ends up dead and one of the girls who wrote the story has a blank memory of what happened that night... and she was the last one with him. Celeste is the new girl in town, she has just moved to Montana from Montreal. She only makes one friend, Vivvy, the heir to the town’s founder and a social pariah. When an incident in school inspires both girls to begin writing a love-story fanfic between the popular guy and the school stoner, it gradually begins to reveal Celeste’s own past and her own traumas. Yet the more they write the more Vivvy keeps trying to make Celeste turn the fantasy into reality. Throw in dark small town initiation rites, a cave, teen drama, revenge, and trauma and you get a mystery. Celeste is trying to recall the events of the night that have left her with an empty blank, she knows she’s the last person to be the popular boy who died... and as the police begin to question everyone Celeste begins to question who actually killed him and if she did it. But the more she prods into who did it the more things begin to unravel around her and she will soon have to ask herself who she can truly trust and if she can even trust her own mind. The story moves between past and present to draw a picture of the main event, the main character Celeste made me cringe, I’m not going to lie, and so did Vivvy, its one thing to write fanfic about strangers or fictional characters its a whole different thing to do it with actual people and then try and make those things real. The trauma that is dealt with in this story was handled in an interesting way, especially with how Celeste used the make believe story to tell her own story. I found the format to be quite interesting but the overall mystery was lacking for me. The resolution to the mystery and the killer was okay and I definitely think it would be appealing to young adult readers. Overall, it was an okay read that did have suspenseful moments and I would definitely tell people to give it a try.

*Thanks Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I would say this is a decent read. It had its parts that were interesting and kept you glued but other parts that felt weird and predictable. The story the characters start to write together was the best part of the book because of this intense connection they create between two of their classmates. But the actual characters themselves were so odd it felt like the sort of thing I often read about when it comes small towns with quirky people. So when it came time for the ending it wasn’t a surprise at all. My summary is struggling MC meets offbeat town characters who of course all have their own set of secrets. Boy dies. MC wants the truth and makes herself a target in the process. The story had its moments with the stories passed between the characters but other than that it was just ok. I would recommend it to others as an interesting read.

DNF at 23% - I think a lot of other YA readers will really enjoy this book, this unfortunately just wasn't for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We Made It All Up was surprisingly really good. Well, maybe I shouldn't say surprisingly but it was still really good. Set in a 'Then' and 'Now' storyline, it definitely takes a while to put the murder mystery puzzle pieces together. Or maybe that's just me because I was suspicious of almost every person. I'll admit that I was definitely suspicious of the wrong person in the beginning.

In this, you will meet Celeste. She's the new girl in town and already has a lot on her plate. While coping with her sexual assault trauma she tends to dive into fanfiction. Until she starts to make friends. Or at least she thinks they are her friends. It doesn't help that people are throwing her into the mix of potential suspects of the murder either.

While being suspicious of every person I met throughout this book, I honestly didn't think Celeste was the murderer. Doesn't mean I trusted the girl because I also didn't do that either. Mostly because we don't know the whole story and that's why the pieces of the puzzle took forever to find. Or maybe that's just me?

In the end, I was a little shocked by the big reveal. Then everything clicked into place for me, and I saw where I went wrong with the clues that were given. Definitely enjoyed the heck out of this book and can't wait for the next one Margot writes.

#WeMadeItAllUp #NetGalley
The book is really crafty and twisty on the plot. Some of the characters are just....unbalanced individuals. I would have to say it defiantly is a book to talk about. Young adults will eat it up.

before i start my review i just wanted to thank netgalley (@netgalley) and the publisher (@littlebrownyoungreaders) for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review

while reading i thought i knew who the killer was, i had everything figured out, but the author margot f. harrison (@margotfharrison) blindsided me multiple times lol. there were plot twists everywhere you turned.

although i liked the book, i did feel creeped out that the main character celeste, and her friend, vivvy wrote gay romance stories about their classmates, joss, and seth, which blurred the lines between reality and fiction for both celeste and vivvy. it gave off weird and creepy vibes

i recommend reading this, you won't be able to put down the book. we made it all up will be published on july 12, 2022, so make sure to preorder it 😉🔥

3.5 stars

This book starts off with the murder of a teen boy, then bounces between 'then' and 'now' to bring the plot full circle. I think it was a good writing choice and helped immediately bring the reader in, while giving pieces of information until the mystery comes together. Celeste is an interesting main character, she's the new girl in a small town where everyone knows each other and is navigating the aftermath of sexual assault at the same time. Celeste uses fan-fiction as a way of coping with her trauma and these darker and realistic elements gave the book the bump it needed to stand out.

The story only shows Celeste's side, so as she's starting to hear people talk about her and think she played a role in Joss's death, we as the reader aren't sure if we can trust her. That feeling of uncertainty makes the plot more exciting and I was rooting for Celeste to put everything together about what happened that night. I think the author did a good job making me question everyone and while the reveal wasn't totally shocking, it wasn't exactly what I thought either.

This is fast paced and effortless to fall into. There are some darker elements, the SA isn't explicit but check content warnings if you think there may be an issue for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Little, Brown and NetGalley for the copy

Celeste is the new drama student at a high school centered around golden boy, Joss.
So everyone is shocked when it's announced he's dead, especially Celeste since she was with him the night before.

Thank you Little, Brown Books and NetGalley for the wonderful digital review copy.

I think this book was really interesting, with a premise that makes the genre feel fresh.
Often times, mysteries and thrillers feel over done.
This book is so weird, but in a good way.
I mean we have secrets, dark parts and fan fiction. The fan fiction was both embarrassing, but so relatable — i mean i’m sure we’ve all had some history with fan fiction at some point.
when I first started reading it, I thought it was going to be a very cheesy young adult thriller, but it actually turned out to be very deep and complex.
margot harrison really developed this story and knew where her story was going and how her story was going to end.
the characters were all so different, but perfectly depicted teenagers. they were all so suspicious but it made that much more creepier
the plot twist were perfectly set up and the ending was tragic.
overall, it was a good YA thriller !

Wow. Finished reading 2 days ago and I'm still in the world of the book. Not only have I found my FIRST 5 star read of 2022, I have also found a new author to change to my list of favorites! This was a fun, fast, and exciting read, I finished the book in 2 sittings. I was enjoying the book so much I didn't want it to end. The characters? Realistic and relatable. The situation? Interesting and different. The writing style of the author was smooth, easy to read, and I found myself submerging myself into this world and not wanting to leave. If you find yourself wanting a book to enjoy, please take a risk and try this book!!

#WEMADEITALLUP #NETGALLEYREVIEW #5STARREAD

I had to DNF this at 30%. No shade to the author, this book just wasn’t for me. I couldn’t connect with the plot or the characters in any way. I’m giving it the average rating on NetGalley in fairness.

This was a B I Z A R R E read. There wasn't really a deep connection with any of the characters. I found that I disliked most of them. With that said, this story had a lot of twists and turns. Usually I'm not this surprised at turn of events!

I don't know if I liked this book or not.

I know thats weird but some chapters were engrossing and others gave me the feeling that the events were too much over the top and it made reading this book difficult. I cannot count how many times I rolled my eyes.

Barely hung in there.

This was SO. MUCH. FUN.

I guess I should clarify, because don't get me wrong, this book contains many things that are decidedly *not* fun. There are content warnings for abuse, stalking, and self harm, amongst other things. Like many thrillers, WE MADE IT ALL UP gets dark and uncomfortable and morally ambiguous.

But I enjoyed every simmering second.

Margot Harrison's novel follows Celeste, a Montreal transplant in a small Montana town, who writes fanfiction of two classmates along with her best friend, Vivvy. But when one of those classmates ends up dead -- and Celeste ends up with a black hole in her memory -- suspicion descends on the town and dark secrets begin to unearth themselves.

I've found that many thrillers end up being "okay" IMO, each one feeling too similar to the last. But WE MADE IT ALL UP is absolutely electric, mostly thanks to Harrison's incredibly sharp, evocative writing. Short chapters and an alternating timeline left me BREATHLESS, and I found I couldn't read fast enough. The twists kept me guessing, the ending was *chef's kiss*, and despite the awkwardness of ... y'know, writing fanfic about your classmates, Celeste's complexity made her a standout protagonist.

Verdict: If you're a fan of YA thrillers, this is an absolutely must-read. I'll be thinking about caves, bonfires, and the visceral claustrophobia of this book for a long time.

I really wanted to like this book. The writing was good, but I felt confused by what was happening throughout the book. I wasn’t sure if I missed something half of the time. Everything was too mysterious without enough context for my liking.

So I was honestly thrilled when I seen I was approved for this title.
The Synopsis instantly had me intrigued and needed to read more!

We Made It All Up was so good!! I couldn’t get enough of this mystery. I really liked Celeste and Vivvy's characters, and I was completely hooked on the story, which had lots of twists and turns.
The mystery elements were great. And had me flipping the pages quickly to see how this all played out. I thought the mystery developed at a good pace also.
Filled with complex twists and turns as you learn more and more about the secrets in this town.
Harrison's writing was very well done. I never lost interest in the story which honestly had me up past 12am finishing the book.
I really enjoyed this YA/mystery/fantasy novel and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

We Made It All Up by Margot Harrison is a YA mystery thriller centered around new girl in town Celeste and the sudden death of the most popular guy in school. After moving to Montana due to her parent's divorce and trauma in her past, Celeste makes friends with Vivvy, a member of the family that founded the small town and an outcast among their fellow students. After an emotionally charged scene in an English class, Vivvy and Celeste start writing a fan fiction romance starring the school drug dealer Seth and popular athlete Joss. But as their story is written, Celeste also develops relationships with her subjects, leading to the night when Joss mysteriously dies, with Celeste being the last person to see him and her memories of the night blacked out. Trying to solve the secret of Joss's death will unveil secrets about that night, her friends, and the history of the town.

I really enjoyed the pacing and plot of this book. Told in a "now" and "then" format, I liked the way the two timelines flowed together to provide backstory while moving along the investigation into Joss's death and Celeste's struggle to remember what her role might have been. There are many heavy themes in the book (sexual abuse, stalking, self harm) and even the romantic fan fiction that Vivvy and Celeste write can be uncomfortable, but Harrison writes these scenes in a way that adds to the overall feel of the book and makes it feel true to the character experience. I do wish there had been resolution or examination of Celeste's past trauma, that part felt a little disjointed from the rest of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review. If you are a fan of YA thrillers and small town mysteries, I recommend picking up We Made It All Up when it's published in July 2022.

***/5

I quite enjoyed this book. More so than I thought. Normally I am not into YA titles but lately I have been on a kick. And this one was nice. When this comes out I will deff buy it to put with my collection. I am very grateful for the advanced readers copy of this book. And glad I got to enjoy it.

We Made It All Up by Margot Harrison was a phenomenal read. The way the plot is structured was a great choice. I believe this book can be enjoyed by both teenagers and adults. I highly recommend that on July 12th 2022 people go out and purchase this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this advanced copy.

I wasn't sure how to feel when reading this book. The two main girls were writing a story about their classmates and it gave off really weird vibes. I really like that the story alternated from past to present and did it well. I didn't know who to trust in the book and kept me engaged.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this.