The Telling was a thrilling YA murder mystery that will keep you turning pages long into the night. The Telling has been re-released with updated text and an amazing new cover. This is the perfect read for summer.

The book follows Lana McBrook as she deals with the death of her step brother Ben. Ben was Lana’s best friend, and without him she has to rediscover herself. She starts hanging out with the popular kids and is more daring than she used to be. Even though most of her new group has accepted her, Lana still feels like an outsider.

When Ben’s ex-girlfriend, and Lana’s prime suspect in his death, ends up dead it brings back some old memories. Especially since the death is similar to one of Ben’s creepy fairy tales that he used to share with Lana. Soon more murders start happening, and they each have a connection to Ben’s stories. Lana begins to question if Ben is back from the dead committing these crimes, or if there is a flesh and blood killer on the loose.

I love how this book keeps you guessing as to whether there is a supernatural element at play, or a real life killer. I also enjoyed the world building and tone of this book. This book reads like a teen slasher film. The twists and turns were great and definitely kept me hooked.

Spooky and chilling! This one kept me at the edge of my seat! The book begins with a slower pace, but quickly picks up the closer it gets towards the end. There were a lot of unexpected moments. I was shocked to learn more about the past of some of the characters.

For the most part, the characters were all unlikeable to me. I felt a lot of suspicion surrounding each and every character. I think this lured me even farther into the book, as I could never quite anticipate what someone would do next. The ending was completely unexpected!

I do want to put a content warning for this book. There was a f slur dropped in this book. While the author used it as a device to cast a negative light on one of the characters, the usage was still entirely unnecessary and potentially harmful. I think there are many other things that could have been used instead.

Overall, this was an interesting, haunting read! It probably didn’t need to be quite as long as it was. But ultimately, I did enjoy the book!

The Telling is a pretty decent thriller. I thought the plot was good and the overall story was entertaining, but I wasn’t on the edge of my seat like I am for most thrillers. I liked the plot twist and didn’t see it coming.

Lana’s life seems to be broken into two parts, the before and the after. The before.. when her stepbrother, Ben, was still alive. The after.. after he was murdered. After he was murdered when “the core” started talking to her and hanging out with her – Becca, Carolynn, Josh, and the others. While swimming in the spring, they found Maggie dead. The police suspected all of them, especially Lana. Desperate to figure out what was going on, Lana began to look into things. Then others were murdered. The murders mirrored stories that Ben had told her. Is Lana safe?

I really struggled with this book. I read the synopsis and couldn’t wait to read it, but alas, it just wasn’t for me. I never felt any suspense, I was never on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. The writing felt really all over the place. One of the things that bothered me the most was that Lana would go into these flashbacks midchapter but there wasn’t a break to differentiate that a flashback was happening. So sometimes, I was really confused.

While I did not guess the twists, I also wasn’t surprised by the twists either. By that point, I kind of just wanted the book to end. It was hard to like any of the characters, and with all of this going on, why was her dad not present more?! Josh seemed to be the only redeemable character here.

I did see reviews where others have loved it. I have enjoyed other YA reads, so I really think this one just wasn’t for me, so don’t hesitate to check it out!

Characters: 3.50⭐️
Setting: 4.00⭐️
Plot: 3.75⭐️
Themes: 3.75⭐️
Personal enjoyment: 4.00⭐️
Emotional Impact: 3.50⭐️
Overall rating: 3.75⭐️

Lana is a high school student who is enjoying summer before her senior year with a group of popular kids. A few months prior, her step-brother, Ben, was brutally murdered, so she lives in a world where it was before his death and after his death. After she thought she could move on, but horrors and more death begins to surround her. She needs to figure out why this is happening before more of her new friends are killed.

There were many things I liked about this book including the summer horror movie vibes it gave, the atmospheric island off the coast of Washington where they live and the idea of Ben's stories coming to life in a horrific way. There were also a lot of aspects I did not like some tying directly into spoilers of the book which I will not get into right away. I think the backstory of Ben made sense, but his shift in personality really didn't.

For a YA thriller, I think this was a good fast paced read, though there were parts that didn't seem to fit the overall story.

Would I recommend this book? Maybe.

Thank you to Simon Teen for sending me an ARC of this book to read before the reissue in exchange for an honest review.

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Thank you so much to Simon Teen for sending me an eARC of The Telling! I'm so happy that this book has been rereleased. This book is perfect for fans of Gone Girl, We Were Liars and I Know What You Did Last Summer. This high stakes murder mystery will get you hooked and leave you questioning everyone. Land is a 17 year old girl who is trying to recover after witnessing the brutal murder of her stepbrother.
Through her grief she makes new friends and during one of their outings they find a dead body. More and more gruesome attacks happen and the group of teens take it upon themselves to prove what's really happening.
There were so many twists and turns throughout the story, I couldn't predict what would happen next!
While I really enjoyed this book I do think you need to check potential triggers. This book contains many themes that are scary/disturbing if you are not prepared for them!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Incest(between step siblings), Violence, Murder
Moderate: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicide

The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy is a haunting tale of love, loss, and suspense. It follows Lana, a young woman who has experienced the horrific death of the person closest to her, Ben, who she loved dearly. Although the circumstances of Ben’s death indicate a crime gone awry, she cannot shake the feeling that it was something far more sinister. She can’t help but feel that his ex-girlfriend, Maggie, played a hand in his murder.

One thing that is clear is that someone is targeting the people Lana is closest to, but why? It is up to her to take the lead, with the help of her new, surprising companions, and figure out who is behind the death toll.

#TheTelling is a very good thriller and I recommend that you read it yourself. I also recommend the author, #AlexandraSirowy. The Telling is one of two books she has written.


Thank you to #Netgalley for the chance to read #TheTelling by #AlexandraSirowy in return for a fair and honest review.

3.25 Why did no one tell me this was set in Washington.

Lana lived for her step-brother’s grim stories. Filled with tales of revenge, bravery, and the classic good over evil, she felt herself being drawn into the world her brother crafted for her. With that, she loved him more than anyone else, but when he was suddenly murdered, Lana’s whole world changed. The Lana who let herself be walked over ceased to exist. Now Lana’s friends with the popular friend group, going to parties, and changing everything about herself to fill the hole her brother’s death left in her. One day, as Lana’s hanging out with her new friend group, they stumble upon the body of the girl believed to be behind her brother’s murder. With this strange death, the case starts back up again, only this time, Lana starts finding connections between her brother’s death and the stories he always told her.

This was not at all what I expected. I went into this book thinking there was going to be a paranormal element to it, but it ended up being very different. Despite the change, I still thought the story was intriguing, and the plot engaging. I do have one complaint though- it being that the characters fell a little flat. The friend group that Lana is with this book was shown as one unit multiple times, but I wish there was a little more depth to each individual character. Thankfully, this didn’t apply to Ben- Lana’s step-brother. Despite him being dead, his character had many layers, which I think became my favorite part of this story. The dynamic between Lana and her brother was so incredibly unexpected, and I still don’t know how I feel about it. I also don’t know how I feel about the plot twist. It was shocking to me, yet apart of me saw it coming.(?) Overall, I would try this out if you’re tired of classic murder mysteries, and instead want something a little more tricky.

This book started off so so strong & throughout the read the creepy feelings did in fact continue! I was held on to the edge of my seat on what was going to happen next. The setting was portrayed so well - it made me feel as if I was actually there, especially the summer nostalgic feelings.

However, it was difficult trying to connect to these characters, especially the FMC Lana & one of the MMC’s, her stepbrother, Ben. There were a lot of flashbacks which I typically don’t mind every so often, but there were so many that it kind of took away from the plot. It would’ve been nice to have a deeper dive into Lana’s relationships that she has, rather than just the outside of things - such as more of a background with them along with Ben, rather than having them mainly be about Ben at so many different points in time.

Overall, parts of this read were really good, it just fell a bit flat for me & the reading felt a bit slow! The premise was good, so if you like a bit of teen drama & horror it seems like it would be a great read for the fall season or even summerween!

"A "haunting...addictive" (Publishers Weekly) novel about a teen who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when murders eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown - now with updated text and a brand-new look!

You swore on summer.

Ben was Lana's world. He was her big brother, her best friend, her summer. And then he was murdered in a grisly carjacking, and her world ended.

Now, six months after Ben's death, Lana is trying to reinvent herself. She's found her way into the inner circle of popular kids, and the Lana she is now - bold, daring, brash, adventurous - barely resembles the shy, unpopular Lana she used to be.

And then a body turns up. At first, everyone thinks it's just a horrible accident. But when more corpses are discovered, Lana realizes the details of the murders eerily match the dark fairy tales Ben used to tell her - stories that only she and Ben knew.

Is Ben seeking vengeance from the grave? Or has a darker phantom from their past come to haunt Lana's present?"

It's gotta be a darker phantom!

Thank you Simon teen for the earc. I enjoyed this book overall but felt like it had a lot of potential still. Definitely a great YA horror novel. And can’t wait to see what else this author does.

There wasn’t enough suspense for me. It had a lot of fluff and for a book that had been meant to be suspenseful it simply fell flat. The mystery could've been better and the characters themselves needed more depth.
It wasn’t a bad read, it just wasn’t great

This book was a fun read but some pieces did not connect for me. First, I found the plot and the plot twists to be really interesting but the final reveal was pretty predictable. The book gives you other pieces to enjoy or try to throw you off but you still see where it's going.

The biggest piece was the dialogue felt clunky. I looked it up and it appears this is a rerelease of an older book and the dialogue feels dated. But plotwise I think it's enjoyable!

A chilling YA thriller that blurs the line between reality and imagination! Atmospheric, unsettling, and packed with psychological twists, this book is perfect for fans of dark mysteries that keep you guessing until the very end.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“The Telling” by Alexandra Sirowy is a solid YA thriller with beautiful writing, authentic emotions, and a compelling premise. This book is being re-released this year with an absolutely beautiful cover, and I had the wonderful opportunity to read this book for the first time.

After the brutal murder of her beloved stepbrother Ben, Lana is left hollowed out by grief and guilt. Struggling to rebuild her life, she unexpectedly finds herself welcomed into the "Core," the cool crowd she never belonged to before. But when Lana discovers the body of Ben’s ex-girlfriend, Maggie, floating in a spring—and more bodies start turning up—the lines between Lana’s grief, her imagination, and her reality begin to blur. The chilling murders seem eerily tied to the make-believe stories Ben used to tell her, and soon Lana must ask herself: Is she being framed, is she losing her mind, or is something more sinister at work?

Set on an isolated island near Seattle, the moody, misty setting is a major strength of “The Telling.” Sirowy captures a rich sense of place that lends a spooky, almost ethereal quality to Lana’s journey. Lana herself is an unreliable narrator in the best way. Her grief, guilt, and slow unraveling make her a fascinating (if sometimes frustrating) character. The way her memories of Ben’s childhood stories start blending into real-world horrors adds a layer of psychological complexity.

Sirowy’s prose is slightly poetic, at times haunting. You might have to get used to her storytelling at first, but I thought it fit perfectly with the story. She paints vivid emotional landscapes, and her thematic focus on how messy and complicated teenage girls can be feels authentic and refreshing. While the "whodunit" aspect isn’t exactly groundbreaking, the real heart of “The Telling” is Lana’s internal journey—coming to terms with loss, betrayal, and who she wants to be. The ending, while a bit predictable, manages to tie the emotional arc together with enough intensity to leave a lingering impact.

The biggest flaw was how easily the mystery unraveled. I spotted the twist from early on, which dulled the tension that should have carried the story’s suspense, though younger readers may not notice the twist right away. Still, I found the story and characters interesting enough to overcome this flaw.

“The Telling” often felt a bit bloated. There are long stretches where the narrative spins its wheels, bogged down by unnecessary scenes and repetition that could have been trimmed without losing any emotional or plot substance. Lana's personality in the beginning is a bit dull, which makes it difficult to invest in her journey until the story’s stakes climb higher.

Overall, I enjoyed reading “The Telling,” especially with the unique narrator. Alexandra Sirowy shows a lot of promise, and her knack for atmosphere and psychological depth suggests that readers who appreciate character-driven mysteries will still find much to enjoy here.

🖤 Content Warnings: murder, grief, underage drinking, emotional trauma.
📚 Verdict: A well-crafted, atmospheric read that's better savored for its haunting mood and emotional layers than for its mystery-solving thrills.

1.5 ⭐️

Normally I really enjoy mystery/thriller books but this one just fell a bit flat for me. There was a lot of telling rather than showing, it all felt like a summary of what was happening rather than a full on book. It was frankly predictable with the mystery moments, the air of suspense just wasn’t there either. My biggest issue was that some of the characters just felt one dimensional and fake. I just couldn’t feel anything for them. Also the main character being so obsessed with her step-brother just made me uncomfortable especially with the comments in school.

There were a few things like the general setting that I liked, the blurb sounded interesting and the cover is absolutely amazing!

Plot: 3/10
Pace: 1/10
Ending: 3/10
Characters: 3/10
Enjoyability: 4/10
Writing Style: 2/10
Would I Recommend? No
Favorite Character: n/a

Favorite Quote: ❝Life is biting into a cupcake and finding an eyeball at its center. ❞