Tell Me What Really Happened was told in such a unique and interesting way. The way it was told hooked me from the start. Each character was so well written and had depth. My favorite character was Petra. Her attitude, which is definitely sassy, made reading her parts so much fun. I found myself reading faster just to get to her dialogue. Nolan’s Bigfoot obsession, even though far fetched, was a clever storyline. I really admired this authors creative and fun writing style. I would read other books by her in the future.

5 teens go into the woods to camp, only 4 come out. Told from the perspective of the 4 campers who made it out being questioned by the police, we get each different version of events a the same time in order to get the final answer to ''what happened to Maylee'.

Wow, ok. Add this book to your "want to read" immediately! I need more stories told this way, ASAP. There's something so fresh and exciting hearing each perspective being told exactly as they saw it at the same time. And because they are being questioned by the police and are under pressure you get the added complexity of if each answer is a little different because of that added pressure, or because someone is hiding something. And I think it is absolutely fascinating seeing how each person reads a series of events totally differently. Each little moment is a clue mine. Sedoti does a fantastic job of really finding the voice of each character and switching back and forth so easily. You feel you know the characters by the end.

Suspense: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Creativity: 5/5

And while I know that not everyone may be happy with the resolution, it felt right to me, earned. I cannot wait to see what Sedoti does next.

A huge thank you to thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this ARC with me in exchange my honest opinions. Tell Me What Really Happened is set to be published 4 April 2023.

I'm always on the lookout for books written in unusual styles (in this case through police interviews), I was very intrigued with the idea behind Tell Me What Really Happened, but it fell a little flat for my personal tastes.

Overall, I thought the plot was interesting--but there was just something missing. I feel like a little more fleshing out was needed for certain characters. I adored Nolan (really the most interesting character to me). As for Maylee, I... was not a fan.

I wish the ending told us what happened to the group/certain characters, considering the murkiness of what actually occurred that night.

This would make for a good movie though.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an unbiased review.
I sped through this book in less than a day--the format was absolutely addicting and I loved the way each character moved the story along. Sedoti provided a great blend of backstory and forward plot movement. I found that the story dragged the teensiest little bit towards the end, but overall, a five-star read all the way with lots of fun twists and turns throughout! I finished wanting more from Nolan, Petra, Abigail, John and Maylee. Another hit from Chelsea Sedoti. I would 100% recommend reading this!

Thanks so much to SourceBooks Fire and NetGalley for the eARC!

So this book is written and told in the format of a police interview. That and the way it was described as The Breakfast Club meets The Usual Suspects drew me right in. I the characters were written in a way that made them feel distinct compared to each other. Even in interview format, you still felt the atmosphere of driving into the woods and camping out. You could feel the fear these kids felt in the woods.

I finished it in one day as it was pretty quick read for me. It was fun trying to figure out what actually happened to Maylee. There were definitely some twists that actually surprised me. I personally felt that the reveal of what had actually happened to her was kind of anti climatic. All in all, It was a fun read. I think anyone who likes this genre or writing style would enjoy it.

3.75 Stars

Ignoring the editing issues, this book started out strong. Very similar vibes to "One of Us is Lying". You have 5 "Friends" (I air quote this, when you read the book you'll see why immediately) heading out on a camping trip, only something goes terribly wrong.
You will find characters that just irk you, ones you sympathize with, and an interesting plot twist at the end. It ends abruptly (hence the 3.75 rating) and I wish there was a bit more fill, like what happens to the kids after the big reveal, but maybe the author is leaving it open for a sequel. The layout is unique, and while the arc was 500+ pages, it's because of the layout, not the actual content.

If you are looking for a quick thrill read, this is it


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61153530-tell-me-what-really-happened

Sometimes I think it would be good to be hated. Hated or loved. Nothing in between.

3.5 ⭐

This was fun for the most part. The plot was interesting, distinctive characters, I liked the mystery, and the format helped get through the book quicker.

I liked trying to guess what happened. Though I got a part of it early on, there were things I didn't expect. I also liked the feeling of isolation in the forest, it set an unsettling atmosphere that kept me on the edge of my seat.

What I didn’t like was that because each of the character was giving their own view of every single detail, sometimes the narration felt a bit repetitive. But it wasn't bad at all for the most part.

But then... Well, the ending did feel quite anticlimactic. It was a solid four stars for me until then, but now - I’m not so sure. I think it's closer to 3.5.

A huge thank you to Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti in exchange for an honest review.

I read a physical galley of this and the premise of this defines the book exactly. This was totally a teen thriller meets Breakfast Club. It brought me back to those 80s and 90s movies I loved so much. The characters were also a highlight.

Five friends, Nolan, Petra, Abigail, John and Maylee head off to Salvation Creek for a camping trip. Only four come back, which puts all of them under suspicion. Each one of them who returns, has a secret, and which one will tell the truth regarding what happened.

This is the first book I’ve read from Chelsea Sedoti. However, the idea of “The Breakfast Club” meets the” Usual Suspects” was just to much of a hook to pass up. The entire story is framed as police interviews. Each chapter starts with a question, and four of the five answering, so the POV switches up as each one gives a frame of reference to the goings on at camp. I wasn’t sure I was going to like this writing style, but I got hooked,

The characters are well developed and carry their own baggage and secrets. Petra, the perfect one, who needs to control her surroundings and everyone. John, the requisite athletic and good looking one, with trouble already. Nolan, who I did not, like, he was whiny, but he is an introvert and conspiracy theorist who doesn’t belong in the woods camping. He is better served sitting behind a computer. Abigail, who’s sole purpose being there was because she is Maylee’s BFF. And Maylee, the beautiful, popular, social media star, who wants nothing more than to be famous.

The five all have issues, of course. As they sit in the interrogation room, and share their POV, we see their take on the events and their own issues come to light.

This is a quick read, given the format. I finished in just an afternoon. I was definitely hooked, and ended up loving the style and the story. My only complaint, and I wouldn’t even call it that, is the posed question from the police at the beginning of each chapter, perhaps it could be put in quotation marks? Or something.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire I received this book in return for a review. All views are my own.

Salvation Creek doesn’t seem like the ideal place for a camping trip, but Petra, Nolan, Abigail, John, and Maylee are determined to have a good time. When one of them goes missing, it throws the four that came home under suspicion. Everyone has their secrets to keep, but who’s telling the truth?

I just want to start off by saying I wasn’t sure how I was going to like this book when I started reading. The book is framed as a police interrogation, and each chapter is a question asked by the police, with the point of view switching between the four kids who came back throughout the chapter.

I gotta say though, it definitely hooked me. Each character has their issues and their secrets.

Petra is the goody-two-shoes control freak. She tries to make sure everyone sticks to the schedule and that everything goes according to plan. Nolan is the conspiracy theorist. A nerd who usually keeps to himself and is happier to spend his time talking to friends online. Abigail is the one who doesn’t really fit in. Unsure as to why she’s been invited, she’s just happy to be there with her best friend Maylee. John is the good-looking one. The athlete, the not quite top-tier popular kid. With a recent accident looming over him, should he be a person of interest? Maylee is the beautiful one. A wannabe influencer who is all about a photo-op.

Throughout the story we’re introduced to their struggles, and we see the story from four different angles. What happened in the woods? Was it something sinister? Was it an accident?

I devoured this book, reading it in one night. Once the story picked up I just couldn’t put the book down.

There were a few downsides to the book, in my opinion - there are no quotation marks so at first I wasn’t aware that someone was talking. The ending is a little abrupt, it kind of came out of nowhere for me. It was a good place to end, but I just wanted the story to keep going.

Overall I’d give the book 5 stars. If you’re a fan of thrillers or conspiracies, this may just be what you’re looking for.

Sorry this book was all over the place for me especially the format and it’s just weird with the characters, they seem to have no personality and this book personally feels like it’s not edited and the characters are talking to themselves. I wish it was more fleshed out personally but that’s just my opinion. It wasn’t satisfying .. 2 stars for me only because I did constantly fly through it

I love stories about creepy camping trips, This story is told in alternative first person by several characters, each narrative provides a clue in the overall mystery. Highly enjoyed this winner!!!