Murder!! This is Our Story by Ashley Elston is a solid YA mystery that I really enjoyed, especially since the author threw in just enough romance to keep my romance-loving heart happy. The mystery had so many layers to it, and I loved unfolding everything and trying to figure out what happened. There was a really awesome twist that happened, which blew my mind. After that twist, however, things started to drag a bit. By the end I felt pretty meh about my reading experience as a whole. The legal side was interesting, but I felt like Kate was a little young to be playing detective to the extent that she was. It just didn't seem realistic.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of This is Our Story by Ashley Elston.

When a teen boy is shot an killed on a hunting accident with his four friends, the town desperately wants to believe that it was an accident. But as people whisper, and the local law enforcement investigates, it turns out that just about every boy that went hunting has a past, and secrets.

This was a fun and fast paced YA book, a great listen. It got a little slow in the middle, but overall I really enjoyed it.

Five best friends go into the woods to hunt the morning after a night of partying and one friend ends up dead- the four survivors are united in their story, nobody knows what really happened. Kate is an intern for an aging attorney who is assigned the case, one he is just suppose to brush under the table since the boys families run the town. But Kate refuses to back down, and some truths she never saw coming.

I will say that I was a little surprised to find that this was at least 50% a romance story. Don't get me wrong, I love a good romance and this was as swoony and as true as you would find in any YA contemporary book- but I was expecting a twisty murder mystery/suspense. I had a hard time switching gears between all encompassing love to murder motives, but I did really like the romantic partner- even if I had my doubts about his character in the beginning.

And speaking of mystery/suspense, I liked that we have four suspects at the beginning of the novel and they are the only suspects throughout the whole story. We know one of them is responsible for the death of their friend while out hunting, just not who, or why, which the pieces start to come together as the book progresses. My favorite part of the story was the ins and outs of the court stuff, especially the interviews. With the police interviews and then the added body language commentary from the main character Kate added in, it really helped to get a full picture of each boy and what makes them tick. I was sucked into the logistics and drama of the investigation and court stuff, making me feel like I was watching an episode of Law & Order.

I feel a little like the end wrapped up too fast for my liking, but all loose ends were covered which is really all that matters. This was overall a very fast, interesting read and I would love to see what else Ashley wants to write.
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THIS IS OUR STORY by Ashley Elston is a gripping, young adult novel exploring friendship, grief, and a search for the truth behind a death.

After a teen is killed while hunting with friends, it’s unclear whether the death was an accident or murder. As an intern in the District Attorney’s Office digs deeper into the investigation, she uncovers evidence leading to the novel’s shocking conclusion. The author does an exceptional job building tension and using changing narrators to keep readers in the dark until the intriguing conclusion.

Librarians will find this powerful suspense to be popular with mystery fans. Addressing a variety of social issues, this work of contemporary, realistic fiction would be a good choice for a book club discussion.

Published by Disney-Hyperion on November 15, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher.

I enjoyed this book, and I sped through it to see who the killer was. I was surprised, but mostly because I expected <spoiler>the typical twist of the good guy is secretly a bad guy. Also, I felt like the real killer was never given enough attention for me to care if he was the killer. </spoiler> (I really didn't give away much, but I know some people like absolutely no hints!)

I can definitely see this being the start to a series with the main character Kate solving cases she learns about through her work at the DA office.

I would not recommend this to my middle-grade students because of the mature situations.

First there were 5 boys who were best friends. They were privileged kids who partied hard and lived recklessly. At least they did until one of them was killed in a hunting accident. After a night of partying with drugs and alcohol, the 5 had decided to go hunting in the morning, but it ended up with one of them dead from a gunshot wound to the chest. Immediately the boys band together and decide to plead ignorance of who shot the gun that killed their friend. Kate is not part of the boys’ social circle. She had recently started texting one of the boys before the incident, and was falling for the guy – until he’s killed. Kate is devastated and wants justice for the boy she was getting to know. When the boys show up at her public school after getting kicked out of their private school, she becomes even more determined to learn the truth. Adding further complications, there’s a mix-up and Kate is forced to re-think her animosity toward all of the boys.
When her powers of observation and her photography skills are recruited to help her internship boss in the DA’s office, she is drawn even deeper into the case and becomes more concerned about what the boys were really doing. Readers are sucked in to the story that builds in intensity as more details emerge and threats are made. Alston cleverly inserts anonymous commentary from the shooter, heightening the suspense and adding an element of creepiness. This is a real page-turner, filled with drama. Kate is a strong character who is perceptive and smart. The boys are not all stereotypical bad rich kids and their allegiance to each other is not surprising. But Kate’s growing relationship with one of the boys becomes a dominating factor in her pursuit of the truth. The book is riveting and gripping.

I cannot say enough good things about this book! It has a fantastic story line with unique and memorable characters and a pretty great element of suspense. Ashley Elston drew me in with her elegant writing and the mystery that surrounded the characters and I found myself flying through the book because I could not get enough! I've become an instant fan and am eager to read any and everything that this author puts out in the future!

I was so excited for a new book by Ashley Elston because I loved her debut duology THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING and THE RULES FOR BREAKING! I’m always looking for more YA mysteries and thrillers because there weren’t a lot for a very long time and the insurgence of them now is so exciting! When I heard about THIS IS OUR STORY, it immediately went on my list of books I added to get my hands on!

One thing I really loved about this book is how well it was set from a teenager’s perspective. I think the hardest thing about YA mysteries is making a believable reason for why a teen is involved in the case and why they wouldn’t go to an adult or the police. In the case of THIS IS OUR STORY, main character Kate works for the district attorney’s office (as does her mother) and she assists her boss by dictating and spotting details for him, as he has failing eyesight and isn’t ready to step down from his job yet. Kate acts as an extra pair of eyes for him throughout his investigation of the River Point Boys, a group of kids involved in the murder of one of their best friends. I really loved how well this concept worked because it allowed Kate to have access to the case and obtain more details than a normal kid or outsider.

The book was interesting from start to finish but I didn’t get quite as into the story as I had hoped. I’ve gotten sucked in to quite a few mystery/thrillers and I did enjoy the whole book but it wasn’t as gripping as some other books I’ve read. The story was still very well put-together and carefully crafted. Ashley Elston did a great job with the character relationships, keeping identities secret, and weaving in doubt and suspicion.

I would say her first books/series were my favorite so far but THIS IS OUR STORY was also a very solid read! I wished I had been able to get into it a bit more, but I’ve had such limited reading time lately and a lot going on that it could always be situational and not the book. It was a very good mystery still and I really did enjoy it! It didn’t stand out as much as I had hoped but a wonderfully solid book and one I’d recommend!

Very suspenseful murder mystery! Lots of twists and turns that make it more interesting. Love the first person writing! Highly recommended!

I don't read a lot of thriller/mystery so I was really hoping to find something new to enjoy when I received This Is Our Story. Unfortunately it didn't live up to the hype and my expectations. I've never read anything by Ashley Elston but I can tell she is a great writer. I just couldn't connect with the story and characters and although I wanted to know what happened I kept putting down this book over and over to read something else. I know a lot of other people enjoyed this so I'm hoping if you enjoy mysteries you will like this but it just was not for me.