I got this as an ARC from netgalley, all in exchange for an honest review of my thoughts. The format of this book was unique and I actually really enjoyed it, although it may not be up to everybody’s taste. It fully takes place through police interviews and I loved it. It’s a fast paced book, a page turner. I didn’t realize how much I had read in one sitting because I was so invested, that I just couldn’t stop reading it. However, the main problem I had with the format is that there wasn’t really a description of the characters and how they looked, or how old they were. Granted, I knew they were teenagers based on the description, but that was that. It was hard to picture the story taking place because I had no visions of the characters in my head. Overall though, I did really enjoy reading this book and highly recommend it.

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗗 𝗜𝗙 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗟𝗜𝗞𝗘
— short chapters
— fast paced novels
— mysteries

I really enjoyed this book. The writing style was different and I loved it! I’ve never read a book where it was strictly interview style. This book did it well!

This is not an appropriate book for my age group of students. The language and graphic nature will be allowed for a read aloud. I did like the book very much, but in my opinion it is more appropriate for high school students.

First- I’d like to start off by saying that I absolutely LOVED the way this book was organized. I loved the quick pace of the interrogations of each character, and how each question from the detectives drove the plot of the book. I will say, I was a little disappointed in how it ended, even though the characters were definitely typical teenagers focused on themselves and their own fate. I would have loved to see it wrap up with a final detective report of what actually happened, even though we get the general idea. I did not find it feasible that *spoiler* she would be found in the manner she was that quickly since it seems not even 24 hours have gone by in the book. I definitely think this is a great young adult mystery, thriller, and would definitely recommend to students.

Thank you Net Galley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for this early access to Chelsea Sedoti's Teens and YA, Mystery and Thrillers book.

Tell Me What Really Happened hooked me right away. This book is written in an interview process between four teen characters to find out what REALLY happened to their friend...or is it "friend"? This book is perfect at "Do you really know someone?" or "Can you ever know everything about someone?".

When these teens decide to go on a camping trip in the upcoming weekend, will everyone make it out alive? Will we finally find a Big Foot at Salvation Creek? Do plans work out the way these teens want?

Cannot say more, as I do not want to give any spoilers because YOU have to read this for yourself, it's worth it! This book will have you on the edge of your chair while you read through it until you finally get to the end. Don't make plans when you start this, because you will not be able to put it down. You do not want to miss out on this one if you love a good thrill and mystery!

#NetGalley #SOURCEBOOKSfire

Tell Me What Really Happened has an interesting twist on a new premise. A girl goes missing on a camping trip with friends in the woods- but the story is told through each person's first person POV during their police interview. Comprised of flashbacks told through each character in brief snippets of response to chapter headed interrogation questions we get each person's side of the story. Fast paced, entertaining, easy to read.

I received an ARC copy of Tell me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti.

I finished this book in practically one sitting! Is fame worth risking everything? When 5 teens go on a camping trip in the woods, only 4 return to find themselves in the middle of a police investigation to find out what really happened. Told from the perspective of four of the teens, we get to see just what the interrogation process was like. Each chapter delves into one question posed by the detectives, and we get to read the perspectives of each teen on what they believe has happened.

We have the boyfriend, the best friend, the weird girl, a conspiracy theorist, and a girl who wants the attention of the world. Set in the woods of Salvation Creek, we hear of tales of girls that have gone missing and possible bigfoot sightings. The five teens have been persuaded to go on a camping trip in the woods. They explore and find a mysterious cabin. Is someone staying there? Is someone coming for them? When they wake during the night, they find that one of them is missing, and it is a race against the clock to see what happened to them and who is responsible for it.

This book was fast-paced, and I loved getting everyone's perspective on how they believed the whole night played out and what they think happened.

Five friends go camping but four come out, What has happened to the missing ?
This story is told after the facts through the eyes of the survivors as they are being questioned by the police. As is often the case each teen has a different version of what has happened to their friend Maylee. I enjoyed this book because of the way it was written as well as this it was just an easy entertaining read. This book will appeal to fans of Natalie D Richards and Holly Jackson as well as Maureen Johnson. A quick read with good characters

Told entirely through police interview transcripts, this YA mystery thriller follows four friends as they recount an ill-fated camping trip. The fifth, common link friend, Maylee is missing and the others must face the reality of their relationships with her and how hidden secrets affected the tragedy of the weekend. The format keeps the pace moving, and it will certainly appeal to somewhat reluctant readers, but I found the solution to the mystery a little flat after the thrilling build.

This book was really cool! I liked how it was written in a police interrogation style with only the questions and answers. I typically prefer more exposition and less dialogue but it really worked for the story. I think this would make an awesome audiobook with different voice actors for all the characters! I also enjoyed that I genuinely couldn’t figure out the ending until it was almost over. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

A fast-paced YA thriller told entirely in police interviews. Entirely enjoyable and great for dragging me out of my reading lull.

Without spoiling, I found some of the character motives in here a bit silly and far-fetched, and it didn't feel as haunting or dark as some other YA thrillers I've read, but it was fun enough and had me guessing throughout about what happened. The interview style was okay--it definitely made the read fast--but obviously the author wanted to incorporate some description which had me questioning how realistic this dialogue was for teens. I can't be too mad about that, though, because the description was entirely necessary for immersion into the scene.

Especially recommend for anyone into the supernatural or conspiracy theories!

Well this wasn’t what I was expecting ag all. I went on expecting a ya thriller, felt a found footage horro film for most of it and ended back on the expected ya thriller category. I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. It definitely an interesting format and story.

Five friends go camping, four come back.

I wasn’t sure I’d like the style, told from the perspective of interviews, but it was done so well. The story was seamless, each interviewee’s response fed into the next one and each person had a unique voice.

Honestly Petra alone made it worth the read, loved her voice.

This is one of those books with a unique format that you will either love or hate. Unfortunately for me this one was a miss.

This story is told entirely though first-person police interviews. I cannot stress this enough. Be prepared. I found the format to be too choppy for my liking. It also skipped around way too rapidly from character to character and that hindered my ability to follow the plot. I wish it would have been larger chunks with one character because if the police are interviewing these kids, then they’re doing so individually not in a large group like the book suggests. I found this hard to deal with. I also found this one to be very long for the story and the twist at the end fell flat for me. I don’t like to be completely blindsided and in this case I was.

However, I can see why some people will like this one and I see the potential in this book. If you can get past the rapid switching of characters and believability issues, then the story is good. I would say if you were a fan of A Good Girls Guide to Murder then you will potentially love this one. This is also a very atmospheric read so if that’s what you enjoy, you might also like this one.

Thank you so Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for my e-arc in exchange for this honest review.

I got through this book in 1 day!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Usually I don't like the format that it was written in but I felt like in this case it actually made it less predictable in my opinion. I didn't guess that Nolan was going to be the one to shoot Maylee. Personally, I thought her bestie Petra. It was fun and fast and had a great story line.

4.5 rounded up
A thrilling mystery about a girl who got lost in the woods while going on a camping trip with her friends. I loved the format of this book told entirely through police interviews about what occurred that night. Each chapter is a different question from the police and we get to see the story from everyone's point of view by their answer to the questions. It's interesting to get to know the teenagers better and you can see how each of them have their flaws and can hopefully relate to some of them.
A captivating mystery with intriguing twists and turns, I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoyed Five Survive, Truly Devious, and One of Us Is Lying.

We all know I love a good mystery/thriller, especially YA ones. Well believe me when I say Tell Me What Really Happened is a good one. A really good one. In fact, it is done in a really neat format – it is all interviews with the victim’s friends. Intrigued? Read on for my review.

CW: Death, Guns, Shooting, Murder, Blood

Tell Me What Really Happened: Characters
In Tell Me What Really Happened we have five characters to go with – the victim and her four friends. Let’s start with our victim.

Maylee
We don’t actually get to meet the real Maylee. She only speaks when one of her friends tells about something she said. From what I could gather, she’s kind of a pain in the ass. She can be rude and abrasive, manipulating and cold. But she can also be warm and loving as well. She’s definitely a dichotomy. I’m not overly fond of her, which is kind of sad, but I have to be honest.

Petra
Petra is Maylee’s best friend. She is absolutely a control freak. She’s obnoxious, abrasive, rude, and feels like she has to make sure that every little detail is scheduled. She made me want to reach through the screen and slap her more than once. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing to be honest.

Nolan
Nolan is Petra’s stepbrother. They love each other despite not being blood related. Nolan doesn’t care much for people, except for his online friends. Most of the other characters don’t believe he has real-life friends, although Nolan swears he does. He’s a bit of an odd duck. I don’t particularly like Nolan, but I don’t dislike him either. I know, that doesn’t make sense, but there it is.

John
John is Maylee’s boyfriend. There’s a lot of commentary from him and a bit from Petra, regarding the fact that he’s Black1. Of course, the interviews are being conducted by unseen, unnamed police officers. However, since it seems that all four friends were being just as scrutinized as he was, it didn’t make sense to have the constant reminders of his race. He was a character that, like Nolan, I didn’t like but didn’t dislike either.

Abigail
If I had to pick a favorite character, it would be Abigail. She’s a lot like me – gets talking and gets off the subject, then has to be brought back to the subject. I do that all the time. There’s also the fact that she just seems to have a decent life but others don’t want to believe it because of who her dad is and where she lives. I admit, I really do like Abigail.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Atmosphere
The atmosphere in Tell Me What Really Happened is hard to pin down. The characters are sitting in interview rooms at the police station, that much is clear, but the rooms are never described to us. Instead, all of the atmosphere ends up being the woods in which Maylee disappeared.

Now if you’ve ever been camping you know that the woods can be pretty darned creepy at night, especially if you’re not used to going camping very much. The woods in Tell Me What Really Happened are just as creepy as you’d expect. There’s a sinister vibe to the woods that is only elevated by the stories being told by the four surviving friends. All in all, it’s a great atmosphere and a perfect setting for a disappearance.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Writing
The writing style Chelsea Sedoti used for Tell Me What Really Happened was very interesting. Have I read books where a victim’s friends/family are being interviewed? Yes, I absolutely have. But have I ever read a book in which the entire book is nothing but those interviews? No, I have not. This was a great way to handle the book. The writing is easy to read and easy to follow – at least as much as it can be. After all, these are “witness” interviews and so can be a bit – messy at times.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Plot
Ok, so here’s the thing – the plot for this book is hard to pin down at first. We know there’s a missing girl and we’re getting what her friends are saying happened. Then you realize that the plot is exactly that – the differing, mixed-up stories of the surviving friends! It’s actually brilliant because the plot is so well hidden, you don’t realize you’re in the thick of it from the beginning. Well done!

Tell Me What Really Happened: Intrigue
A mystery/thriller has to have intrigue or it wouldn’t be a mystery/thriller. This one has plenty of it. From Nolan’s cryptozoological conspiracy theories to Petra’s constant complaining about everyone and every thing, I found myself wanting to know what was going to be said next. The twists and turns and backtracking in the interviews is amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tell Me What Really Happened has some amazing intrigue – and you’ll never guess what’s happening next.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Logic
Ok, so with this particular story and plot, logic goes straight out the window. This isn’t a bad thing – it just means that with four different people telling four stories and contradicting each other one moment and agreeing the next, logic doesn’t play a huge part in Tell Me What Really Happened.

Tell Me What Really Happened: Ending
Ok, the ending to this book may be polarizing. Some people will love it, others will hate it. There are parts of the story and information revealed that will make no sense. There are also parts of the story and information revealed that will make all the sense in the world. The problem is… how will the story actually end? That my friends is the best part… because the ending is absolutely unexpected. I loved it.

Conclusion
I gave this book 5 stars because I was captivated. I didn’t want to put this book down. It was so good and I just kept wanting to see what the friends would say next. If you love mystery/thriller books, you should pick this one up. Even though it’s a YA novel, trust me, you’ll love it.

A huge thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks fire for an e-arc in exchange of an honest review.
2./5
The premise of this book was really good. I liked the unique interview style format which made it easier for me to finish this book in 2-3 sittings. However, I didn't really like any of the characters (especially Maylee) and didn't connect with or care for any of them. Nolan's obsession with Bigfoot was EXTREMELY ANNOYING and I found myself rolling my eyes whenever he said something related to that. Most of all, the conclusion was very underwhelming and just.........dumb, when this book had so much potential.
I personally didn't really like this book, but would recommend it for those who like a fast-paced YA mystery that you can finish in one day.

ARC review through Netgalley, here is the honest review.

2.5 out of 5 stars, rounding down to 2 ⭐️⭐️.

This book starts off with an interesting plot that had potential to set up the whole story with dramatic reveals. Told as interrogation tapes(think epilogue from Until Dawn video game)from the four surviving teenagers from a camping excursion where Maylee’s death has lead to many questions.

Pros: The premise is good, even great, for a YA “who done it” type novel. The book was very fast paced and all the revelations made sense. Unreliable narrators are one of my favorite book tropes!

Cons: The interview format lead to bouncing from character to character within the same chapter. I would have preferred to read one chapter about one character. In the same breath, we don’t get any back and forth with the interviewer just “pause” and “long pause”… like teenagers would NEVER give themselves up (@ Petra who rambled forever) with some prolonged silence. I felt like we were missing some discussion and potential discourse that could have came with the interview format.

Also, I didn’t really like any of the characters. My empathy for any of the 4 or Maylee was non-existent and ESPECIALLY at the conclusion. Maybe we weren’t supposed to like them, but an unreliable narrator is so much better when I’m emotionally invested in the lie. It makes the reveal THAT much better.

Biggest con of all: how Maylee died. No spoilers but we had a whole book about this investigation and we are going to get

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The VERY minor charge of criminal negligence?! Like all this and she was just a *bit* too chilly?!

This had potential, but it did not live up to it.

Four friends go on a camping trip and three come back. They're all convinced their friend is missing but they're wrong she's dead and one of them is the suspect.
I really loved that this book was an interview style, and it really kept me intrigued. I just felt like the ending could've been better, it was a fun read for sure but not a favorite of mine!