Wow! Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti is an absolutely brilliant book that goes beyond the YA categorization and is sure to be found riveting by adult readers as well.
Using the unique setting of interrogation rooms at a police station as its basis, Sedoti crafts a fascinating look at the events leading up to the disappearance of one of five teenagers who goes missing during a camping trip. But the mystery of what really happened that night, as told through first-person police interviews, shines a light on so many of the issues facing teenagers today.
Throughout the book we get a close-up look at the effects of social media, race relations, sexual identity, bullying, isolation, and relationships within families on young people; and we see the varied ways those young people respond.
Every conversation in the book carries weight, providing insight into how things at the campsite got so out of control. In the end, the truth of all of the various points in time where one small action could have changed the entire outcome hits home and leaves the reader pondering the book long after the story has concluded.
At times fun, at other times tragic, and throughout relatable, Sedoti's novel is a non-stop thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the very end.
Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TellMeWhatReallyHappened.

I love to pick up a YA novel now and then because they seem to be fast paced and quick to read. This book didn’t disappoint in that aspect, but it was even better than expected. I hardly wanted to put it down. The story was so engaging and I couldn’t wait to figure out, who did it…. What really happened. The authors way of writing out the kids reply’s to questions unseen was the best part for me. You don’t need to see the questions to understand what they were. Solid 4 Stars and can’t wait to read more for this author

3.75 What a ride! I love a good epistolary novel, they are honestly some of my favorite stories to read. In this story we are hearing from 4 high school students who went on a camping trip that went very very wrong and someone disappeared. I really enjoyed the back and forth of the different perspectives and how each character remembered things differently. I was genuinely scared at times and surprised by all the twists this took. This was a fast paced read and one I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the Arc

I liked all the good different characters and that I wanted to keep on reading to find out what happened to Maylee. The ending felt a little anticlimactic and I wanted more suspense or more drama? It was good, I’ll recommend it to others.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! I was happily surprised to have enjoyed this book so much! At one point I thought it might even get a 5 star rating. The story is told in an interview style with a police interrogation of four teenagers who were all on a camping trip together when something went wrong, leading to one of their friends going missing. We are following the events that led to this, trying to figure out what happened to the fifth member of their group. Telling it in this style was so fun! And all of the characters were unique and interesting and even relatable. I enjoyed the social commentary aspects. I think I wanted a little more of a punch from the ending but overall I was very pleased by this. It was also rather funny.

Fun read and will be popular with my students who are fans of a good mystery and teen drama. This was written in a way that they will be captivated and I think it will be a good, quick read for a lot of them. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

The story is told in first person POVs of the four characters while each is getting interviewed by detectives in the disappearance of their friend, Maylee. The book is divided into two parts. The first part each character starts telling their version of the story as to how they ended up deciding and going camping. The second part discuss how Mayleen disappeared and what happened afterwards.
Each character had a unique perspective and personality and none of them blended together, which I liked. Also, you could tell they were high school students.
It’s interesting how at the beginning everyone liked Maylee and she was great. The more you read you start to uncover that not everything is what it seems with each character and their relationship with Maylee. Everyone is hiding information and motivates are revealed.
Overall, I thought this was a great ya mystery thriller. Is very well written and keeps you guessing what really happened. It has some unexpected turns of events.

This was just.. okay. I had very high expectations because the synopsis sounded so good! I love books that aren’t just a straight forward story.. there’s things that make it unique; for example, writing a book with excerpts from a podcast.

This book was entirely written through police interviews and that’s what piqued Ky interest. It’s different.

With that being said, the first 25% was really boring to me. We have 4 different POVs, all different personalities.

I may first, none of them were likeable. Petra really grew on me as well as Abigail. John was just okay. Maylee… there aren’t enough words for how much I wanted to throttle her.

So you have 5 teens that go into the “cursed” woods to go camping and only 4 come back.

What happened in those woods?

The events leading up to it, I did not predict so I can give kudos to the author for shocking me.

I did start to predict the whodunit aspect towards the end. The whole obsession Nolan had with Bigfoot kindof turned me off of the story to be honest.

Overall, it was just okay. It was a quick and easy read. Easy to follow. But was it exciting? Did I enjoy trying to figure out the mystery? The answer is no.

Do I recommend? Possibly. If you’re into Karen McManus books, you will most likely like this. But if you were like me, hoping for something similar to Holly Jackson’s AGGTM, you’ll be sadly mistaken.

I loved the idea of how this story was told. The many different perspectives in an interview style. One thing I noticed about this book is that all of the "moms" are either non existent or not kind. The main character is not very likeable but I think that is the purpose of having an unreliable narrator. I would get my students to read this book if they want a plot twist, or an easy plot to follow where it is not always being told truthfully. This a great young adult novel, but very young.

Chelsea Sedoti takes readers on a thrilling journey of discovery. Through the eyes of her protagonist, we explore the complexities of truth and the power of secrets. With a captivating plot and vivid characters, Sedoti crafts a story that will keep readers guessing until the very end. This is a must-read for anyone looking for an exciting and thought-provoking read.

Tell Me What Really Happened is one of my favorite books of 2023. Five friends (some of whom only tolerate each other) go camping. Four of them end up in police interrogation. Each chapter begins with one question from a detective. The rest of the chapter is each teens' answers. Suspense! Creepy! Also a unique way to write a novel.

Murder...or is it? Friendship...or is it?

I kept reading this book long after midnight because I was asking myself, "What next? WHAT NEXT!" Full of surprises. A couple of the characters I kind of wished would be eaten by bears. They weren't. Maybe one of them was eaten by something big and hairy. Maybe not. A real "who done it." Or what done it.

Mystery. Action. Romance...or maybe not. Definitely death. But who, how, and why?

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read, review, and be frightened by Tell Me What Really Happened.

Tell Me What Really Happened takes you right into the police interview's after a group of friend's camping trip left one friend MIA. I absolutely love interview-style books. This style is so easy to read, and the reading time is much faster. Each chapter was a question from the police, and you would get each character's interview answer. The only thing I felt was lacking in those areas were you never got the police response; it would say (pause) if they were talking back and forth.

I thought I knew what would happen, and I had theories every time the characters mentioned vital details, but I was still surprised by the twist. I had to put my kindle down for a moment and collect my thoughts because it blindsided me. Although the twist took a turn I was not expecting, it felt underwhelming. It may be because I really wanted my theory to be correct, but something was missing, maybe more oomph.

It was an entertaining book, and I devoured it. Anyone who enjoys interview-style reads will enjoy this story.

Thank you, NetGalley, and SourceBooks Fire, for providing an eARC of Tell Me What Really Happened. This review is being left voluntarily, and all opinions are my own.

I want to thank Netgalley and Chelsea Sedoti for allowing me the opportunity to read this manuscript.

I really liked the new spin on a mystery. Five teenagers going on a camping trip and only four come back. It was an interesting concept. It gave me Holly Jackson vibes of Good girls this to murder. I found the characters to be so uniquely different. Petra I think was stuck up, John I felt like he was biased and felt targeted by his race, I won't go more into detail than that, Abigail and her rambling was so annoying and Nolan and his big foot was also very annoying and childish. I really disliked Nolan and John.
The Mystery of who didn't come back from camping and what happened was fantastic. I sure couldn't figure it out.

What I didn't like was the one sided questions. I liked the interview concept but I didn't like how we didn't catch all the questions the police were asking. it left a gap there. I felt lost in that aspect. I mean we read most of the questions but not all and that I think was a mistake. I also didn't like the big foot thing. It's a bit immature and and an eye roll. I couldn't stand it. Then there's John. I really didn't like John for various reasons.

I think the concept of the book was great, the mystery and the interview. It was a nice spin. I don't think I could read every book like this though. I think if we had more of a thorough interview it would have been better. That's why I have it as a four not a five star. It left a gap in my opinion. Besides that though, it was nicely written. Everything made sense. Good work.

I posted my review to Goodreads on March 1st, 2023. I have linked my Goodreads review below. I posted my review to Barnesandnoble.com on March 3rd, 2023. I have linked the Barnesandnoble.com link to my review below. I will submit my review to Amazon.com on the book’s release date, April 4th, 2023. I will include the link to my Amazon review below.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader’s copy of this book! It was truly a treat to read.

Hot damn! Tell Me What Really Happened is a masterfully-written novel with lovable, distinct characters and a unique format that makes the story completely captivating.

First of all, it was a fantastic idea to tell this story entirely through police interviews with the characters, and Chelsea Sedoti executed this idea impeccably. I loved how we only heard what the police officers were saying to the characters at the beginning of each chapter, so that when the main characters paused during their monologues, readers could get a sense of what the police officers might be saying to them without having to wade through trivial dialogue.

Also, Sedoti has created a cast of characters that is unforgettable. Each of the four protagonists had a distinct voice and a unique perspective on the world. They felt so real, and I feel that if the characters’ names weren’t written before their dialogue started, I still would’ve been able to differentiate between each of their voices. This quality is very rare in YA literature, especially in YA mysteries, and especially in YA mysteries with four perspectives.

These characters were not only memorable; they were also incredibly endearing. I cared about each of them so much (with the exception of Maylee, and even she was written with nuance and complexity) and I wanted everything to work out for all of them. They were all precious, and were made even more so by their flaws. The earnestness of their young voices as they spoke with the police and the distrust some of them had in the police was realistic, and their naivete and frankness made me laugh out loud.

I was surprised by how funny this book was. I was laughing it up when the characters stated the obvious or were being completely clueless. I loved spending time with Petra, John, Nolan, and Abigail so much that I want to read another book narrated by them right now. I hate that this book had to end, and I dearly miss the characters already.

I can see how a complicated novel like this one would be difficult to plot out, but the plotting of this book was great. The easter eggs that Chelsea Sedoti weaved throughout the story foreshadowed each plot twist perfectly, and the discrepancies in the stories being told by our narrators made me anxious to find out who was telling the truth. The pace of the plot was perfect; I was not bored at any point while reading. I did predict almost all of the plot twists in this book, but I believe that if I had been a younger reader who had not read as many mysteries, I would’ve been shocked by the reveals. However, I do think this novel could have benefited from one extra twist at the end (I have one in mind, and I think the fact that I’m ready to write fanfiction about this book says something about how invested I was while reading it). I love the characters in this story so much that it was enough for me to just enjoy being taken on a ride with them; at a certain point, the plot didn’t even matter to me, if I’m honest.

If you are looking for a funny, compelling mystery with characters whom you will adore, this is the perfect choice for you.

This a great who done it mystery. Maylee organized a camping trip trying to boost her status as an influencer. She has a plan but it goes terrible wrong.

I liked the unique group of diverse characters. Each one has their own issues that they are dealing with. Nolan is big foot obsessed. Petra is a control freak. John is trying to over come rumors and be good son. Abigail is trying to get close to Maylee again and make friends. Abigail is the only one who actually is comfortable being in the woods.

I liked how at times you weren’t sure what was real or what was imagined. It made me laugh with all the conspiracy theories on Big Foot being real. This was very entertaining and fun read.

Let me first say thank you NetGalley for this chance to review this book. This book is a YA thriller that i found was riveting and I was not able to put it down. The book is about a group of five high schoolers who go camping down at Salvation Creek for a weekend. The trip was about making memories, but instead during the night Maylee disappears.

I found the book to be well written as a series of mini interviews with each character. Starting off, I was not sure how this format would go but i really enjoyed it! This is a very fast paced story with lots of plot twists and turns with an ending that comes out of nowhere. Definitely recommend this book to everyone.

This was a first for me! This book was told entirely through police interviews. I've never read anything like it before! Super unique! I have to admit, as much as I didn't want to put the book down, I had to... reading a book about a girl going missing in the woods as you're reading in a camping trailer at night... creepy!!! I'm entirely going to have to look at Chelsea Sedoti's library and try something else. I immensely enjoyed this book and recommended it to a bunch of my coworkers!!!

Thank you, NetGalley!

Told solely in police interviews, Tell Me What Really Happened is the fast-paced, compelling story of a teenage girl's disappearance.

It's her idea - a weekend camping trip so they can get away from it all. Salvation Creek has long been a mysterious place. They've heard stories of missing people, Bigfoot sightings, the danger of the remote campsites; but Maylee is very convincing. Petra, her best friend; John, the boyfriend; Abigail, the friend; and Nolan, Petra's brother; are along for the wild adventure, each carrying their own baggage, hurts, and understanding of both Maylee and the world they live in. Then, Maylee is gone. The four returning teens are quickly deemed parties of interest. The stories they tell don't make much sense, but there's got to be more to the story. Time is running out for Maylee. What's the truth?

I devoured this story. The characters were intriguing, the setting was expertly revealed, and my need to know the truth had me reading at what felt like breakneck speeds.

As a fan of The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett, I knew what I was in for when I saw Tell Me What Really Happened. I was not disappointed. Chelsea Sedoti is an expert at creating complex characters, particularly misunderstood teenage girls. I highly recommend this book for YA readers, particularly those who love stories of unreality, secrets and lies, and the complexity of humanity.

As a guidance counselor and working with high school level students, I love reading Young Adult novels to see what is out there for our students. The latest YA I read was the new thriller Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti and this is the first novel I have read by the author.
This book is unique in that it is told through a police interview/interrogation format. It is about 5 high school students who go away for the weekend on a camping trip and female character, Maylee, then becomes missing. The story is told through police interviewing the teens and from many points of view. Even though there were many characters, I thought it would be confusing to keep track of each character and their relationship to each other. The author did a GREAT job of making it not confusing and subtly reminding you which each character is. I do not want to give too much of the plot away because of spoilers, but the story navigates what really happened to Maylee that night, and the twists and turns from each teen's point of view.
I really enjoyed the interview format and switching POVS. It made it such a quick read and kept me really engaged, which is great for teens. If you do not like switching POV then this may not be the book for you. Even though this was a quick read and entertaining, I did not really enjoy any of the characters and did not feel a connection. I also was waiting for a big bang of ending and felt that it was lack luster to compared to what I was expecting. I do think this is a great thriller for young adults starting out in the thriller genre and has some great concepts that teens can relate to. Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti was a fun book and will be out in bookstores April 4th. 3.5 out of 5 stars!

This book has a unique layout in that it’s done as an interview after some events take place. Basically you’re hearing a story unravel from multiple points of view. It was a fun way to share the story and I enjoyed the quirky characters.