Monday, November 21, 2016

This is Our Story by Ashley Elston-- 50% ADDICTION, 50% YAWN

This is Our Story

After a night of partying, five popular, private-school boys go hunting.  Only four come back alive.

Whoever killed Grant isn't talking.  The four River Point boys, as the media is calling them, are sticking together and not talking.  Without knowing who pulled the trigger, the D.A. seems to have his hands tied.

Kate is doing a school-to-work job for the prosecutor on the River Point case and she's determined to help solve it.  She's been mourning Grant for her own reasons, and wants someone punished for what happened to him.  As the investigation continues, she finds out that Grant isn't exactly the guy she thought he was.  And when a main suspect is isolated, Kate can't help but want to prove her own boss wrong.










My feelings for this book are so divided.  Part of me loved the mystery and was HOOKED by the whole premise of rich boys who might get away with murder.  But the other part of me thought this book was a little draggy and Kate got a little too "Junior Detective" at times.

Basically, it was FIRST HALF = LOVED!!  Second half = EHHHH.

I'll explain.  At first it was super interesting that Kate was hiding that she was texting with Grant for weeks before he died.  She was supposed to meet up with him on the night he died, but there was a misunderstanding and she didn't go to the party he invited her to.  She was majorly struggling with guilt because she never let him explain himself and now he'll never be able to.  Also, I was FEELING the mystery.  I was thinking "how in the hell would you figure out which one did it without a confession?"  I was completely fascinated and wanted to read this book straight through.

But THEN.... well there was this big twist and OMG I LOVED IT.  I didn't see it coming at all and I kind of wish it was saved for the end of the book.  Because the book immediately went into a downward spiral from there.  It became draggy-- the main character just going over and over and over information that we already knew.  It became unbelievable-- would a high school student be asked to do all the things Kate was being asked to do??  Wouldn't they have law students to do it at least??  Then Kate became annoyingly Ms. Nancy Drew.  She was always trying to be Jr. Detective, but she took it to a whole new level towards the end of the book and I just wasn't feeling it.

There's a romance in this book and I did like it.  I thought it was cute and I know that it wouldn't have happened without the twist--- but I would have been okay with that.  It was a sweet romance, but it didn't make the book what it was.  The book was exciting because of the whodunit element.

OVERALL:  I loved parts of this book as much as my favorite books of the year-- but I equally didn't love parts of this book as much as books that I've DNF'd.  It's a weird duality, but I think I would recommend it.  There was enough of the ADDICTING parts to override the DRAGGY-NESS.

Date Published: 11/15/2016
How I got this book: Thanks to Netgalley and Disney-Hyperion for allowing me to read and honestly review this book.
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion


Add it to your To-Read List!!

This Book Contains:
  • Southern dialect
  • Halloween
  • Louisiana setting
  • Rich boys
  • School journalism
  • Court
  • Interview transcripts
  • A "secret" narrator
  • Mystery
  • Forbidden romance
  • Murder

My Rating: 3.5/5











Character: Shepherd Moore
Book: Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

  • Paper Covers Rock is about a boy whose friend dies in an accident-- and all the boys involved decide to lie and cover for each other so they don't get in trouble.  Sound familiar Shep??




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12 comments:

  1. Ohh I might read this one just for the twist! Seems interesting :)

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  2. That's a shame, I hate when a book switches on you like that! But the premise intrigues me and sounds really twisty. I do like a good mystery here and there!

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  3. These are the hardest books to review. The ones you loved and also hated! I sometimes find that if they reveal things too early it makes the rest of the book drag. Like, keep some mystery until the end. I want to read it to see if I can solve the twist because I love a good mystery and plot twist. Great review!

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    1. I didn't realize how much I didn't like a too early reveal until I read this one!! I think unless there's another even bigger one (which there wasn't in this one) the author should save it for the end,

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  4. lol - today we both reviewed books that were somewhat meh with a twist. I may request this at the library and take a peek. I like to know the twists :)
    Thanks so much for stopping by! Jen @ YA Romantics

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  5. Oo I love a good twist! Sounds like a good one to me. 😊

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  6. I've been hearing good things about this one. I'm sad to see that it wasn't all amazing. I hope to read it at some point!

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    1. I think it's definitely worth reading, I just wish the end was as good as the beginning!

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  7. I am curious about this one. I think I am going to read it. I love thrillers/mysteries. I am also super curious about that twist.

    Thanks for the review.

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    1. I LOVE Mysteries and Thrillers also!! I'm always looking for good ones. I hope you do read and like this one.

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  8. Books like this are hard because it's like...what do you rate it? But I'm definitely curious and intrigued about that cover, too...

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