I feel like this is an average YA thriller. I do really like the police interview media included; that gave it a little something different to read and think about. I would recommend this for YA readers.

This book had so much potential, but I feel like the format was pretty limiting. I liked the exploration of a bunch of unreliable narrators, but I feel like the payoff wasn't enough to warrant going through the whole book. The characters felt a little one-dimensional and the ending was a little anticlimactic. I thought it was well-written and pretty engaging, but it fell a little flat for me.

I loveddd the format of this book and found it so fun and exciting. The mystery kept me flying through the pages and the characters were so great! I really enjoyed this one and think it will be a huge hit!

1 - 2 star? I did not finish - as soon as Bigfoot was mentioned I knew this was not the book for me. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Let me just preface this review by saying, this wasn’t for me. I tried really hard to keep up with the format of the book. But I did struggle on trying to keep up with all the characters/information. I did find myself having to flip back every few pages to make sure I comprehended it. That being said, this wasn’t a bad read at all! I just don’t think I was the right fit for it. This book would be perfect for any teens/young adults who are interested in diving into thriller/mystery genre! The book was well paced, and the format was interesting. I would definitely still be open to reading more by this author in the future!

What I did enjoy:
- the format was unique! But I did struggle keeping up (that was probably just me though!)
- Fast paced read, I was able to finish it with in a day.
- Pretty twisty! A great book for someone just getting into the thriller genre.
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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! 3 stars out or 5!

I was so excited to get this arc since I love YA murder mysteries and it did not disappoint! I couldn’t put this book down, it kept me engaged from beginning to end. I really loved the interview format and hope to see more books like this in the future. The reason I gave it 4 stars and not 5 is I wasn’t a fan of the end, but regardless still enjoyed this book a lot! I’m definitely going to be recommending this book to clients looking for a good and fast paced YA murder mystery!

I had originally not planned on giving feedback and not finishing the book, but after reading several other reviews I decided to give it another try. I’m going to be honest I was not a fan of the format and I personally had a really hard time keeping everything straight. That being said it just may be my brain not comprehending things! I think it would have been less confusing if there were less characters and definitely think this would be a great audiobook! I’ve read some similar books in the past and the suspenseful buildup was amazing, however I was a little disappointed by the time I got to the end! It wasn’t a bad book in anyway, but I just don’t think it was for me!

his book was definitely a fun, page turner YA thriller. It had me hooked from the start and questioning everything everyone said. I really enjoyed the writing style and felt like it really added to the story. I loved being able to see everyone’s story and little differences here and there instantly. This book is just over 400 pages and with the short chapters and writing style it doesn’t feel like it. Some of the twists and turns I wasn’t expecting and others were easily guessed, but overall, it was fun finding them all out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this YA thriller and the unique writing style that it had!

This was a decent YA mystery. I liked the unique format, as I don’t always enjoy interview style books, but this one was done well. I also appreciated the fast-paced plot. I didn’t really like any of the characters. The missing character, Maylee, was a terrible person. Nolan’s rambling and obsessions got old pretty quickly. Petra was super annoying. John and Abigail were just okay. I felt like there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for guessing, as the book is very direct. I would have liked for there to be a bit more suspense so I could have had some theories as to what had happened as I was reading.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🩸 TELL ME WHAT REALLY HAPPENED by Chelsea Sedoti 🩸

★★★★☆

📖 About: "Tell Me What Really Happened" by Chelsea Sedoti - where secrets, truths, and unexpected revelations take center stage. When their friend goes missing during a seemingly innocent camping trip, the remaining four friends find themselves under intense scrutiny, each with a unique version of the events that transpired that fateful night.

🍹 Drink Pairing: Tea!!! (Because literally this entire book is the characters spilling each others secrets…) But honestly, whatever your cozy camping beverage of choice would be! I grabbed my thermos and made some hot tea to sip on while reading…☕

🌟 Review: I really do love a good YA mystery, so I was so excited to receive a copy of Chelsea Sedoti’s "Tell Me What Really Happened." The best part of the whole story was the writing style - the use of first-person police interviews adds an incredible layer to the book, making the story feel so immersive and also making it go by so fast! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and literally read it in one sitting.

There was some crazy claims, and very intertwined versions of the night in question - so I found myself really trying to untangle the mess to figure out what really happened. It was a solid quick mystery read, if you like creepy camping stories and unreliable narrators then this one is for you🌲🔍📚

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review!

This was a good mystery book. What I really enjoyed the most and thought was unique was the way the story was told - in police interview format. I think this helped with the pacing of the story. A group of five teens go camping for the weekend, but only four of them come out of the woods. We learn what really happened to Maylee through a series of police interviews of Petra, Nolan, Abigail, and John. The characters were mostly likeable although I didn't really care for Petra throughout the story. It was an entertaining YA mystery and one I've put on my list to purchase for my high school library.

This was a quick read!
I enjoyed it for the most part, but it took a bit for me to really get into it. It’s about a camping trip and then something goes wrong and they are in a police station. It was fun and quick. But nothing spectacular. Thank you

I really enjoyed the way the story was told completely through first person police interviews. It made for a quick, engaging read. The author did a great job keeping me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see where the story went. Sadly though, the ending completely fizzled out. So much tension and build up and I felt like the ending did not match that buildup of anticipation at all. The ending was so anticlimactic.

This book had so much potential. The setting was creepy and isolated. The characters were all unreliable and self centered. The pacing was perfect. For those reasons It would have been a four star, but that ending made it barely a three star.

✨Book Review - Tell Me What Really Happened✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌑🌑

*I was provided this book free of charge by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

The first time I tried to read this book, I couldn’t. But then I felt bad and figured it’s short, let’s just give it another go. So I did. I powered through it. And yet I could still only get into it enough to rate it two stars and that’s only because the writing was well done and I enjoyed the style of partially audible (or readable) interview.

Overall, I felt the characters were insufferable. None of them were honest and they all acted like they were entitled, spoiled teenagers that had a “woe is me” mentality while also somehow acting like victims the whole time. The only character that had a single redeeming quality, in my opinion, was Petra. She knew what she wanted, was honest, and even though she was convinced she was always right, you have to admit most of the time she was.

I could not stand John for his constant self victimization, Nolan for his irritating Bigfoot rants, Abigail for her pining, or Maylee for just being so manipulative. I feel like maybe if we could have gotten a better picture of what Maylee’s life was like, I could have sympathized with her a little bit, but she just seemed like your average spoiled, popular kid who gets everything she wants but is never happy and, as Petra said, doesn’t want to put in the work to get anywhere.

Overall, three stars because I wouldn’t read this again, but I might be interested to read something else by this author.

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I loved reading the transcription format of this book. The mystery was really good and I never quite saw where it was going.

Really interesting and fun layout. Would be a great audiobook. Like listening to a podcast. Would definitely recommend.

Solid thriller. I liked the characters and the creepy aspect of the book, even though it was a YA.

I ended up listening to the audio, and that was done well.

Thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire for the digital review copy of this book!

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti is a YA mystery/thriller with an interesting twist. The story is laid out as a police interrogate a group of friends after a camping trip goes awry; five teenagers enter the woods and only 4 come out alive. This book is a twisty brain scratcher of a story in which no one can be trusted.

The central figure in Tell Me What Really Happened is Maylee, a high schooler who aches to make influencing her career. She's dating John, who has his own demons he's dealing with after the fallout from a car accident had him being racially profiled by the entire community. Siblings Petra and Nolan are in the mix, the former being Maylee's best friend (seemingly) and the latter a nerdy outsider with a bigfoot obsession. Lastly is Abigail who's presence is puzzling to most but she and Maylee's past quickly comes to light. Maylee practically forces the group on a weekend camping trip but her disappearance has her friends concerned and the police looking for answers.

Tell Me What Really Happened had me hooked right from the start. The way the narrative is structured makes the mystery of what happened to Maylee unfold in real time in a way that kept me guessing. Each friend has reason to be under suspicion and as chapters unfold, layers are continually revealed (as is the truth). I will say that the plot almost becomes too twisty for its own good at points, but Sedoti manages to unravel it all by the end and while things may wrap up a little too quickly for my taste, readers won't be left hanging in regards to the truth.

If you're looking for a quick read that'll keep you on your toes (and you can tolerate the presence of an entire cast made up of Gen Z-ers) I recommend Tell Me What Really Happened.

This fast-paced YA mystery takes readers on a thrilling ride through police interviews, unfolding the events surrounding a mysterious disappearance in the woods around Salvation Creek. The story begins with the idea of a weekend camping trip, filled with smores, stolen kisses, and shared secrets. However, as midnight approaches, one of them vanishes, setting off a chain of suspicions and secrets among the remaining friends.

The unique narrative style of first-person police interviews adds an intriguing layer to the storytelling, allowing each character to share their perspective and version of events. The suspense builds as the clock ticks, and the reader is left questioning what really happened that night.

The author skillfully explores the complexities of friendship, trust, and the dark truths that must be uncovered for their missing friend to be found. A riveting mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end.

While I loved the way the book was written from four different views while the interview was going on, I was left wanting so much more. There was too much Bigfoot talk to keep me interested during Nolan’s narrative. I also was a little confused at the end and left a little disappointed with the overall outcome of the mystery. To be fair though I went into thinking this was an adult mystery/thriller when it was much more along the lines of a young adult read.