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. ❞