I really enjoyed the way this book went back and fourth between 4 different people but it would all be happening at the same time so when you went from one person to the next, you were able to use what you learned from the first person to understand what the next person was saying. It was really well done!

Looking for an intriguing fast-paced police procedural drama that combines missing persons, cryptozoology, coming-of-age, and who-done-it? Then, look no further than Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti!

This young adult mystery was a true page-turner! A group of five friends, who at times seem to be more "frenemies" than friends, go on a camping adventure, quickly finding themselves trying to unravel a missing person case. They've camped in a stretch of woods where several mysterious disappearances have taken place over the years. Several theories have floated around town, but none of which have been proven. Despite this knowledge, five teens go out, only four come back, and the four that remain each have their own story recalling what happened in those woods.

Tell Me What Really Happened is unique in the combination of themes woven seamlessly through the pages but also in the manner in which the story unfolds. The entire story is told in first-person, sharing conversations between the adventuring teens and police detectives, interviewing each in regard to their recollections of the events that unfolded during their camping trip.

This is the first time I have read a book told via first-person police interviews, so I went into this somewhat skeptical but I was thrilled with the outcome. This writing style really lends itself to how expertly the drama of the teenager's experiences was revealed, making this book quite the page-turner. My original concern was that this writing style would make it difficult to follow the storyline and I was pleased to find myself fully immersed in trying to figure out what actually happened before the truth was revealed.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy crime dramas, coming-of-age stories, solving mysteries, and adventure. While this is a young adult book, it can easily be enjoyed by adults and kept me intrigued along the way. There are romantic situations within the pages, but nothing graphic and I would say this book would be appropriate for most upper middle-grade and older audiences.

But, what REALLY happened in those woods during their camping trip?... You'll have to read this book to find out!

3 stars for Tell Me What Really Happened

This story is written in the first person point of view and told from the perspective of a few teenagers. The story is told via interrogations, and for this reason, I had difficulty getting into it. The back and forth of all the interrogations made the story seem very disjointed.

Overall, a good book with a good plot. The style of writing just may not be for everyone. I recommend you at least give it a chance though!

I didn't get into the book's format; it took me a bit to actually read this book. I kept putting it down and picking it back up again. Four teenagers, one integration room. The question is, who killed whom? Was it Bigfoot, or was it someone else? I really liked how the author built everything up, and then bam, it was like, oh snap, I didn't see that part coming.
Teenagers in the forest that is isolated, alcohol, you know it might not be a good combination. Something has to happen.
I think my students will like this. I would say it is better for maybe 8th grade and up. It was clean, nothing graphic, and so that was nice.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley!

Teens go camping in the woods. One doesn't return. This is told through multiple POVs of interrogations. I thought the story was fast paced and easy to read. Sometimes I got the characters confused, but everything wrapped up nicely. I really like the format!

This book was told in the first person in the form of an interrogation. I didn’t think I would enjoy that, but I did.

This was a really quick read and I read it in one sitting. It definitely kept me interested.

I didn’t really enjoy the ending and it felt very abrupt.

Only four teenagers return after five of them went camping in the woods. They each have a different perspective of things that happened that night, but who was guilty?

My favorite thing about the book was that it was written as an interrogation by the police with each character. You got to see each characters relationship and how those played into the night in the woods. This was a quick read for me, and I was surprised by the ending.

Such a clever premise! This YA thriller was told from the viewpoint of four teenagers in interview style format. Each of them has a different perception of how the events occurred. Each of them knows something the others don't. Each of them potentially has a motive. Yet each of them insists they didn't do it. And each of them is devastated by the disappearance of their friend.

The layout of this story was well-done. It felt like a fact finding mission but you still got insight to the emotions each of the teenagers was experiencing. It was easy to see how not only the secrets that crept out over the course of the evening impacted them all but also the creepy woodsy surroundings and noises had them all on alert. Then add in some booze and a gun and you had a recipe for disaster. This one keeps you guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to read and review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

Five teens go camping in the woods, only four survive. This YA thriller/mystery kept you guessing through the whole book. It was enjoyable. The characters were well written, but there were a few characters that were not my favorite (the issue was me, not the writing). All in all it was a good read. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced preview.

This YA mystery is told entirely in interview style after 5 teenagers go into the woods for a camping trip and only 4 return, as police try to figure out what happened to Maylee, the missing teen and social media influencer-wannabe. I thought the interview format was really fun and made it a very fast read that went down easy and kept me turning the page.

This book seemed to me like the definition of a popcorn thriller — goes down easy, keeps you wanting more, plenty entertaining, but ultimately, was it satisfying? Not really. It wasn’t anything mind-blowing but it sure was a fun couple hours spent with this book.

All in all, don’t expect to be blown away but if you want a few hours of easy entertainment, and you enjoy a YA mystery, this book will probably hit the spot.

Five teens set out for a weekend camping trip at Salvation Creek, but only four returned from the woods. The area has been the site of a previous disappearance. What are the chances of it happening again? At least, that's what they told themselves.

This entire story is told from first person police interviews from each of the four remaining teens. It shows the reliability of witness testimony after an event transpired and what people are willing to convince themselves of. I loved the plotline. The overall story was well written. I don't think that the outline of how it was told was for me though. It felt more like I was reading a script than a story. The entire time I was thinking that it would be better as an audiobook or podcast with multiple voice actors.

"Tell Me What Really Happened" by Chelsea Sedoti is a compelling young adult novel that explores the themes of truth, lies, and the consequences of our actions. The story revolves around the main character, River, who is struggling to come to terms with the recent death of her sister and the aftermath of a traumatic event that occurred at a party she attended.

The author does an excellent job of delving into the complexities of teenage relationships and the emotional turmoil that can result from them. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles and motivations are relatable. River is a sympathetic protagonist, and her journey to uncover the truth about what happened at the party is both suspenseful and poignant.

Sedoti's writing is engaging and thought-provoking, and she tackles some difficult topics with sensitivity and nuance. The novel also includes some interesting commentary on social media and the ways in which it can shape our perceptions of ourselves and others.

Overall, "Tell Me What Really Happened" is a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant novel that will appeal to fans of contemporary YA fiction. While it may not be for everyone, those who appreciate complex characters and nuanced explorations of difficult topics will find much to enjoy in this book. I give it a solid 4-star rating.

This story is told through a series of interviews given by the police to a group of teens whose friend dies during an overnight camping trip in the woods. It's a very effective way to tell the story, especially as the author does a fantastic job of making each character's voice distinctive. Each character has a completely different perspective as to what happened and how the other characters are involved. I found myself reading faster and faster to get to the bottom of the mystery and I wasn't disappointed. It was a really entertaining read! The relationships between the characters were well developed but also provided some plot twists. I loved how the author addressed young adult social issues along with the pressures and allure of social media.

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti is a YA thriller novel. Five teenagers go into Salvation Creek for a fun night of s'mores and camping, but only 4 come out. This is a unique novel as it is told in interviews and police interviews. You learn the perspective of the different teens. Petra is an overachiever control freak. Bigfoot obsessed step brother Nolan, an outcast of school who lives in trailer park Abigail and person of interest- victim’s boyfriend John!

Each teen has a story to tell which keeps the novel moving along. Great book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for allowing me to read this work

First, this was my first book by Chelsea Sedoti. I really had high hopes for this book from the description - I love YA books and a good mystery. It started off great - 5 teens go into the woods and only 4 return. The whole story is told as the police are integrating them to find out what happened that night in the woods. You learn a lot about all five of these characters. Of course, you find out about Maylee mostly through her friends even though she keeps secrets from everyone. She only let each one see what she wanted them to see. So Maylee was the popular one and the leader. Even though Petra, Maylee's BFF, was bossy and knew more about camping and the woods. Abigail was the outcast and no one but Maylee and Abigail knew why she was there. John was Maylee's boyfriend and all around nice guy. Nolan was Petra's stepbrother, he was there because Petra felt sorry for him because all his friends were online and believed in conspiracy theories especially about Bigfoot. Which is what made up most of the middle of the book. It did however get back on track near the end and it returned to the mystery of Maylee and what happened. Her friends get some disturbing news and finally decide to tell the truth about what went on that night and the outcome that Maylee wanted. The camping trip was her way to become the person she always wanted to be. Now they are the ones to tell her story.
I enjoyed the mystery and the connection between all the characters. I understand the need for the story about the Bigfoot and the conspiracy theories but I wish it didn't talk so much about all the theories. I still enjoyed the book and would recommend it to YA mystery lovers.

I had such high hopes for this book. I mean missing girl and a story told through witness testimonials? Sign me up. However, the story itself ended up being fairly disappointing. I think I wanted more of a bang when it came to the climax and all I got was a whimper. I don't understand why the author talked so much about how many people went missing in the woods, only to have absolutely nothing to come of it. It felt like a huge tease in the fact that it leads the reader to believe that Maylee disappearing is part of a huge conspiracy, and not some random coincidence.

I did like how she incorporated some of Petra's survival knowledge in Maylee's death and disappearance, but overall the story just fell flat. The earlier actions amped up the story way too much for it to end in such an underwhelming conclusion.

This was a riveting and fast-paced YA mystery that had me hooked from the very first page. The story is told entirely through first-person police interviews of four teens who went camping by Salvation Creek and returned without their friend, who has gone missing. Each character is telling their side of the story about what really happened in the woods, and the story is thrilling and complex from the first page.

The author did an excellent job of creating a sense of urgency and tension as the clock ticks down and the police race to uncover the truth. The pacing of the novel was just right, with each interview shedding new light on what happened in the woods and keeping me guessing until the very end. I truly loved the writing style in this story because I felt that the interview-setting made it feel real. It was also a very quick read, not only because the story is very engaging but the format made it easier to get into the story. It was so fun to be able to read the book from the perspective of the detective trying to figure out what really happened based only on the POV of these four teenagers who, at times, are not really sure of their own perspectives. I also liked the inclusion of LGBTQAI+ characters as well as the young Black-teenager who felt profiled and unsure of the police's intentions. It felt very realistic and based on real-life accounts and interactions.

What I appreciated most about this novel was the way in which the author tackled complex themes such as friendship, loyalty, and trust. The four teenagers all have their own secrets and motivations, and the author did an excellent job of showing how these can impact their perceptions and memories of events. I really enjoyed the conspiracy-theory aspect of the novel as well, and found so realistic how a young person can get truly immersed in online groups discussions that reinforce their bias.

As a YA novel, the characters felt authentic and relatable, and the author did an excellent job of capturing the complexities of teenage relationships and emotions. The use of police interviews to tell the story was a unique and effective narrative device that added to the overall sense of suspense and mystery.

4+ stars
Told in a multi-person police investigation format, Tell Me What Really Happened is the story of a group of friends who go camping together and one of their number has vanished by morning. I liked the way we got the story told through everyone’s perspectives. It’s always interesting to see how the same events can be described so differently by the people who were there. The pacing is the book was good— it was never obvious how things would turn out so it kept my interest from start to finish!
*Thanks to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for this advance copy for review.

TELL ME WHAT REALLY HAPPENED by Chelsea Sedoti is a Super-Wow novel, YA Horror/Thriller/Psychological Thriller, which figuratively glued me to my seat while gluing my eyes open. I couldn't stop reading, and I'm still thinking about it, asking myself, "Well, do we REALLY KNOW the entire story yet?"

The novel is entirely contained in the format of police interrogation interviews (mainly responses)! So right away you realize, "Ohoh! Something really bad's happened here!" Just as Science and Sociology and Psychology has taught us that eyewitness accounts aren't always accurate: people see what they want to see, or what fits their conditioned perspective, plus the human brain automatically slides stimulus input into a framework, because it can't abide a puzzle: everything has to fit. Add in several individuals with their own disparate agendas, acting out of Character, all afraid to reveal the "truth," and the consequence is a hot mess of personality clashes, danger, wild arguments, and of course, two major themes: Internet Influencers...and Bigfoot. Yes, this is the Pacific Northwest, this is camping in a very scary woods, over the century-plus there's been lots of disappearances and deaths.

I appreciate the author's inclusion of both LGBT rep and the viewpoint of an adolescent Black male living in a small, predominantly Caucasian, community. These themes distinctly improved and intensified the story.

This thriller YA book I found interesting, but it did seem true "YA." Told from numerous teen points of view, it definitely has the feel of young teen attitude and voice. I had a little trouble getting into this book, but I found the form and tone fascinating.