5 teens go on a camping trip and one ends up missing.
Loved the interesting 1st person interview style of the book, makes it go much faster but also kind of makes it hard to keep up with the timeline through the end.
3.5 stars

Tell Me What Really Happened is a multi-perspective ya mystery about 5 friends who go camping and one turns up missing. The story unfolds in the format of police interviews from the perspective of the 4 remaining friends. The story was predictable, but the perspectives of the characters were unique and the police interviews added to the mystery as their stories didn't exactly line up. However, the characters fell flat for me and I was not invested in figuring out the mystery. The ending was was disappointing, bigfoot was too much a part of the story and a lot of pieces just didn't come together. The idea of the book sounds great but overall I did not enjoy this as much as I thought I would.

Thank you to NetGalley for a ARC of Tell Me What Really Happened.

This was so fun!! I don't read alot of YA these days but the mystery books like this one, I will make exceptions for. The YA mysteries tend to be fast paced with great characters and dialogue and not too heavy and this book was all of that and more! I loved the characters. I felt they they were very relatable and I was able to easily relate to their stories. I loved the concept of having a different character walk us through their interpretation of the events that happened by answering the police questions as the beginning of the chapters. I had a great time reading this and highly recommend it. I will definitely be looking for more by this author!

I wanted to love this book because I’m in my YA mystery/thriller era but I just finished it and I’m so disappointed. I LOVE the way it’s told (interview reports) but the whole plot was so obvious it was painful. Like yes it was compelling but the obviousness ruined it for me. I don’t even know how to review this book without spoiling it. But if you’ve ever been drunk, and I mean really drunk, you know this doe not make any sense. Also it featured one of the worst trope in existence.

(spoiler: I really don’t get it when people don’t check if someone is actually dead before living their body behind, like why would you do that???)

*Potential spoiler* This book is told with a unique format, which I appreciated. However, because it is told in a mostly one-sided interrogation/interview style, some of it comes off as unrealistic. In order to get all the details across, more is stated than would have been realistic to verbally share in an interview. Most of the characters are unlikeable to some degree, some more than others, and there was really too much emphasis on Big Foot. Although the reasoning behind this is evident and obvious eventually, it was a lot and it felt like too much for someone who has zero interest in that particular myth. It was an interesting way of storytelling though and it did keep me guessing, so it is worth at least a solid 3 stars. Thank you so much to the author, publisher, and Netgalley!

Five teens go into the woods for a camping trip. The next morning, only four of them come back out. This story is told entirely through police interviews of the four teenagers.

I found the format really compelling and the short chapters kept me hooked and wanting to keep turning the pages to see what would happen next. I would recommend this if you’re looking for a quick read to draw you in. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the advance reading copy.

#netgalleyar I’ve read a lot of Ya mystery/suspense/thrillers lately and this one did not disappoint. I really like how the story was told from various points of view, the author made it very easy to follow. I enjoyed the writing and the characters and will definitely purchase it for my HS library.

This novel did not work at all for me. On paper it should have been right in my wheelhouse but I struggled from nearly the beginning.

Sedoti used a different story telling device - teens related the mystery through a police interrogation. There was very little police questioning or interaction. It was mainly jumping around from one character response to another. I had the most trouble with the fact that nothing felt real or authentic. It would be highly unlikely that 5 teens would talk so conversationally to the police. The author needed to get the background and story out but this all felt forced.

I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read the Kindle ARC edition in exchange for an honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this super unique YA mystery. Each chapter, instead of a title, had a police interrogation question followed by the 4 POV characters answering it. I’ve never read anything quite like it, and I think by setting it up in this format and allowing all 4 characters to narrate first person (and in some cases blather on and on about random things) it gave each character a strong and developed personality. Each person had their own preconceived notion of what happened and as they learned new information, they were reacting as I feel like a real person would. I really enjoyed this and read it almost non stop!

Fast fun young adult read with good characters. This book kept me guessing throughout with a good layout for each chapter

I was extremely impressed by the twists and turns of the story. I enjoyed the perspectives changing between the main characters. It truly kept me guessing, and changing my mind from chapter to chapter. This is a great book for people who like authors, such as Karen McManus or April Henry.

this was super interesting! it made me think of the ttyl books growing up.

it starts off a little slow, but as it progresses you won’t be able to put it down!

"Tell Me What Really Happened" by Chelsea Sedoti is a gripping YA novel that explores the power of storytelling, the consequences of secrets, and the blurred lines between truth and lies.

The story is set in the small town of Madison, where the local high school is rocked by a tragedy. A popular student, Juniper Torres, dies in a car crash, and everyone is left wondering what really happened that night. The story is told from the perspective of Juniper's best friend, River, who is haunted by guilt and grief over her friend's death.

As the investigation unfolds, River discovers that there is more to the accident than meets the eye. She realizes that Juniper's story is not what everyone thinks it is, and that the truth could have devastating consequences for everyone involved.

Sedoti's writing is immersive and compelling, drawing the reader into the world of Madison and its inhabitants. The characters are well-drawn and complex, and their relationships with each other are explored with sensitivity and depth. The novel raises important questions about the nature of truth and the impact of storytelling on our lives, while also being a gripping and suspenseful read.

Overall, "Tell Me What Really Happened" is a thought-provoking and engaging novel that will keep readers on the edge of their seats. It is a must-read for anyone who loves YA fiction, mystery, and drama. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I started this book as I was getting out of a reading slump and it was the perfect fit. It made me think and try to piece together the story, while also keeping me consistently entertained. I fell in love with some of the characters in the first few chapters, and learned to enjoy the stories that each one was telling by the end.

3.5 stars rounded up!

Tell Me What Really Happened is a fast-paced, easy YA read. It follows five...friends? (I hesitate to call them that because none of them really knew each other beyond acquaintanceship. John, Petra, and Abigail all know Maylee, and Nolan is Petra's stepbrother) as they take a last minute camping trip in the local woods with a storied past.

A key theme in this book is motivation. Why do all these characters do what they do? How does this create a domino effect that leads to one of the group disappearing? And how does it affect their reactions to her disappearance?

This book is especially tricky to read as someone in their twenties, because I'm far enough removed from being a teenager to see exactly how self centered and flawed each of these characters can be, but also close enough to my teens to remember being that way. I sure saw more of myself in Petra than I cared to admit. By the end, I just felt bad for all of these characters.

Definitely felt like there were some loose ends or plot holes, especially as certain things that occurred made it seem like they were under the influence of psychotics, not alcohol. I also felt like certain characters didn't receive the balance of personality that others did, mainly Nolan. His only personality trait was his obsession with bigfoots. And none of the characters came off as particularly likeable at most points in the book. This book definitely fell prey to a few stereotypes, but it was still generally well written and an interesting story!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Chelsea Sedoti for the ARC of Tell Me What Really Happened. Tell Me What Really Happened is out now!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was a pretty good mystery! I enjoyed the story line and thought it was well developed. Normally, I have trouble picking out twists and turns and didn't see all the ones in this. It was good! I enjoyed it!

Told in the style of a police interview/transcript, this story follows 5 teenagers who go on a camping trip that goes completely wrong when bad things start happening. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti.

First off, this is one that I highly recommend listening to. It has multiple narrators who all add a ton of emotion and animation to the story.

This is a story about a girl who went missing during a camping trip. She went with four peers from HS, one of them her boyfriend, and after a few drinks, and a tense moments, disappeared. And now through interviews, these four teens have to walk the police through what happened that caused her to disappear. Was she abducted, did she runaway, or did some paranormal creature find her?

This is a fun fast read. I admit that it doesn't stand out from many of it's kind, but like I said, I enjoyed the listen for the great voice acting, so it wasn't a bad way to pass the time. There are plenty of YA thrillers that stand out more though, IMO.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for allowing me to read and review an early copy of this book!

Tell Me What Really Happened revolves around a group of five friends, they go out for a camping trip and only four return from that trip. I really enjoyed this book, it was perfectly paced, it was one of those books that I had a hard time putting down once I started. I loved the unique style of the different POV of each character/witness - I haven’t quite read something written like that and enjoyed it!

It was Maylee’s idea. She invited her boyfriend, John. Then Petra invited herself and her stepbrother along, despite Nolan’s protests. He had no interest in camping or spending time with the selfish, manipulative Maylee. Somehow Abigail got tagged on and there they all were. All driving into the woods, hiking to the river, feeling eyes on them, chasing something (or someone) through the woods to a decrepit but strangely well-stocked cabin. Nolan, whose life has been shaped by a childhood trauma thinks there’s a bigfoot out there. John, who’s watched one too many horror movies is convinced it’s not an animal but a person with ill intent. Petra is confident that the only danger they face is from nature itself and Abigail’s only uncertainty comes from whether she can trust John. And Maylee? She’s having a ball egging the two scaredy-boys on.

Told entirely from compiled police interviews, Tell Us What Really Happened is written from the perspectives (statements) of John, Nolan, Petra, and Abigail. The author begins each chapter with a question the police have asked one or more of the witnesses followed by their responses. The statements overlap, sometimes filling in each other’s gaps, sometimes contradicting one another, sometimes serving almost as a conversation between them. While each change in speaker is headed by their name, the teenagers’ distinct personalities make it easy to recognize who’s talking. Nolan goes on and on about bigfoots; Petra is commanding, abrasive, arrogant and the most likely to misinterpret the others’ reactions; Abigail is awkward and chatty; and John keeps his answers short and always defers to his lawyer.

While the story technically takes place in a police station, you are as much in the woods witnessing the teens running around after dark looking for each other, arguing and getting lost as you are in the interrogation rooms sitting beside Nolan while he drinks his soda and defends bigfeet, watching John confer with his lawyer and Abigail maybe fidgeting with her hands or clothes while she overshares, and hearing Petra fiercely demand the police do something more useful than asking her questions.

Their individual tales are puzzle pieces that fit together to shape the whole picture. And everyone involved played a key role in how the night before unfolded. Even the missing Maylee. There are little mysteries within the big mystery: Why is Abigail even there? How are she and Maylee connected? What happened with John and the police last year? What happened to Nolan as a child? You need to understand these to understand what happened and, more importantly, why.

I love how Sedoti put Tell Us What Really Happened together. It is creative and has so much background that had to be firmly established before even starting the final product we get to read.

The story is fast paced, in part because we’re jumping from one perspective to the next but also because the characters are all so distinct. It’s fun to see the differences in how they perceive the night and each other. Their memories don’t always match up and how they interpret what they see is coloured by their own ideas and experiences. It’s fascinating.

A great thriller/mystery that I couldn’t put it down. Tragic and messy and suspenseful! I highly, highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley and SourceBooks Fire for a copy of Tell Us What Really Happened for an honest review.