Review: This Is Our Story by Ashley Elston

Title: This Is Our Story

Author: Ashley Elston
Publisher: Disyney-Hyperion

Publishing Date: November 15th 2016

Pages: 320
Genre: YA Mystery, Psychological Drama

Series:  Stand Alone
Source: Audio

 

Five went in. Four came out.

No one knows what happened that morning at River Point. Five boys went hunting. Four came back. The boys won’t say who fired the shot that killed their friend; the evidence shows it could have been any one of them.

Kate Marino’s senior year internship at the district attorney’s office isn’t exactly glamorous—more like an excuse to leave school early that looks good on college applications. Then the DA hands her boss, Mr. Stone, the biggest case her small town of Belle Terre has ever seen. The River Point Boys are all anyone can talk about. Despite their damning toxicology reports the morning of the accident, the DA wants the boys’ case swept under the rug. He owes his political office to their powerful families.

Kate won’t let that happen. Digging up secrets without revealing her own is a dangerous line to walk; Kate has her own reasons for seeking justice for Grant. As she investigates with Stone, the aging prosecutor relying on Kate to see and hear what he cannot, she realizes that nothing about the case—or the boys—is what it seems. Grant wasn’t who she thought he was, and neither is Stone’s prime suspect. As Kate gets dangerously close to the truth, it becomes clear that the early morning accident might not have been an accident at all—and if Kate doesn’t uncover the true killer, more than one life could be on the line…including her own.

This was one my anticipated reads for 2016 but I wasn't able to get to it when I wanted. Luckily by the time I was able to read the book, it was on audible.  This was a very fast listen and it had me hooked from beginning to end. It was a great mystery, the pacing was really well done, the character development was spot on, and the suspense and psychological aspect of the book was perfect. 

Five friends went hunting one early morning. One was shot and no one confesses to the killing. No one knows if it was murder or an accident. The four boys are not speaking any details. The four boys are sticking together. If no one knows who did it, no one can be found guilty. 

Kate works for the DA's office. She is working with the DA that was assigned to the case. She is working hard to find evidence of murder and who did it. Kate has a secret of her own. Trying to keep her own secrets she reveals so much about the case and the boys and more. She must help the DA solve the case and put the right boy behind bars for the crime of murder. It's not that easy when you live in a small town where the rich and powerful sweep everything under the rug. 

I so totally enjoyed this read. The narrators were so perfect. The book alternates between Kate's point of view and the killer's point of view. Although we don't know who the killer is and we don't know if the killing was murder or an accident we do know the killer is hiding things. 

What I love the most about this book was the fact we had no idea what happened. Not even little bits till the very end. We were discovering things as Kate discovered them. I love stories like this. I  love the mystery and the intrigue. 

The feel, the tone, and the setting were just spectacular in this book too. A real small town, everyone knows everyone kind of feels... but not always in a good way. The tone set the story for eerie and secretive. The author did a wonderful job completing the picture with her words. It was all there. Everything I want in a small town murder mystery. I was in awe from beginning to end. 

Kate was a great character. I loved her intelligence and her drive. She was determined to find the boy responsible and what really happened. She didn't want the boys to get off when they someone or all of them committed such a horrible act. Even if it was an accident, they were high and drunk and should pay for their actions. She would now allow this incident to be swept under the rug. Complications do arise and she must make some decisions and find where her loyalty really lies. It's hard for her. Even though I didn't always agree with her choices, I understood them and feel real life teenagers (if the story could really happen) would make the same choices that Kate was making.... well most of them. 

The ending was good. There was one point close to the ending I didn't like where the story was headed and just wanted to throw my phone. I won't say what happens or how it happened but I didn't throw my phone and I finished the book. The ending did surprise me. I never figured out which boy was responsible or why or how it all happened. I had my thoughts throughout the book and which boy and the reasons changed all the time. The author was very good at keeping it under wraps... but still had enough there where I felt I could make reasonable guesses. 

Love his page-turner. It was awesome to the max! 

Ashley Elston lives is North Louisiana with her husband and three sons. She worked as a wedding and portrait photographer for ten years until she decided to pursue writing full time. Ashley is also a certified landscape horticulturist and loves digging in the dirt. Her debut novel, THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING was published by Disney Hyperion in 2013 and was a finalist in the Best Young Adult category of the International Thriller Writers Awards.
Out now: THIS IS OUR STORYComing Soon: THE PREACHER WOODS (Nov 2018)TEN BLIND DATES (Nov 2019)