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- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (November 15, 2016)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1484730895
- ISBN-13: 978-1484730898
About the Book:
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, Grant; 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 personal 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.
My Thoughts:
If you read anything on my blog over the last few days, you'll remember me sharing that I love young adult fiction in both the inspirational and the general market. I also told you that I would begin sharing about some of my favorites, and sharing my 'uh-oh' list, ranking sexual content, violence, language and inappropriate behavior with no realistic consequences
Ashley Elston is my debut general fiction young adult debut author! Her novel "This is Our Story" is a stellar book to kick of what promises to be an outstanding career as an author. The book is published under the Disney Book imprint, and the majority of their fiction has a very low uh-oh rating.
So why did I absolutely adore this book? For one, Kate is so easy to connect with. I'm 53 years old, and I completely got her, what she was going through, and her hopes for that one cute guy to call. Unfortunately for Kate, she quickly learns that handsome is as handsome does--which makes Grant one ugly and privileged dude!
The reader will want to like Shep from the moment you meet him, but he has 'buyer beware' all over him. He's one of the gang of five from St. Bart's, a hoity-toity school for the wealthy and snobby. Oh, actually, it's a gang of four.
Because one of them killed the fifth member of the pack. And good luck figuring out who the killer is before the final pages. Before Elston is done with you, you will have suspected every single guy in the group, and even be suspicious of Kate (she wasn't there--but that's how good the suspense is).
Twists, turns, turning the entire story on its head--that's what Ashley Elston does in "This is Our Story", and she does it with skill and finesse. I even loaned my bought-with-my-own-money copy to my 23 year old son.
He hates me now.
Or at least he did until he finally finished the book. His exact words were, "Hey, Mom, if she writes anything else, make sure you let me know. She's really, really good!" Two stamps of approval for "This is Our Story."
One note of caution: near the finale, one of the characters becomes rather fond of the f-bomb.
One note of caution: near the finale, one of the characters becomes rather fond of the f-bomb.
I'm giving "This is Our Story" my 'yes, buy it' rating, with the following cautions:
Language: four uh-oh's
Sexual content: one uh-oh
Violence: three uh-oh's
IBWNRC: no uh-oh's
To see my 'uh-oh' rating system, click here.
To see my overall rating system for general market fiction, click here.
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