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    This is Our Story
    This is Our Story
    This is Our Story
    Audiobook8 hours

    This is Our Story

    Written by Ashley Elston

    Narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley and Eric Michael Summerer

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateNov 21, 2017
    ISBN9781541488465
    This is Our Story

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    Reviews for This is Our Story

    4/5

    135 ratings13 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I really liked this YA mystery! It was a good story of a group of uppity teen boys who are accused of murdering one of their own and a dedicated student photographer/reporter who helps with the case. While seeking justice for her soon to be boyfriend's murder, she stumbles upon the truth. Dun dun dun dunnnnn.....
      Love the twist early on, and I love how it all wrapped up nicely!
    • 5/5
      Honestly, I was only listening to this as a placeholder and figured I would just float through it. Boy, was I wrong! This book gripped my attention and I listened to it everywhere I could! I loved the characters, all the twists and turns, and I would have NEVER guessed the ending!
    • 4/5
      This is Our Story by Ashley Elston is a YA thriller that has five young men going into the woods to hunt but only four coming out. One of the five has been killed, and one of the remaining four is the killer. No one will admit to being the killer and as a group they stick together in their silence. But was this murder or an accident?The story is told by Kate, a high school senior, budding photographer and an intern at the District Attorney’s office. She becomes involved with one of the four and decides that in order to clear him, she needs to figure out which one is the real killer.I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the book. There were definitely slow patches in the story and I had to overcome my strong doubts that a seventeen year old girl could be working on a murder investigation, especially one that involved people that she knew. But I did think the concept was original and there was enough suspense and plot twists to keep the reader guessing. I’ve seen some complaints about the ending being too abrupt but I thought it seemed like the natural progression to the story.
    • 3/5
      I was torn about how to rate this book, and now I'm torn about how to review it.

      I loved the plot. Five boys go into the woods to hunt, and one of them is killed. At least one of the boys know who the killer is, but no one will admit it. They think that if they stick together, they're safe.

      Awesome premise, and very well done.

      HOWEVER. Something that will make me put down a book in about three seconds is a teenage character who knows EVERYTHING.

      There were so many things that happened in this book that Kate should have reported - to the DA, to the police, to her MOM, ffs. But she kept it secret because apparently a 16 (or whatever) year old knows better than adults. Kate was convinced of Shep's innocence after having vaguely known him for what, a couple of months or something? I so badly wanted that to backfire for her; I wanted Shep to be guilty just so dumbass Kate would learn a lesson.

      But she didn't, and that was why I only gave the book three stars.

      I know teenagers have feelings and emotions and all those things matter. But when you have evidence or things that might help a murder investigation, you SHARE THEM WITH THE POLICE, CHILD.
    • 3/5
      The plot was slow at times, but I always wanted to keep listening to try to figure out who the killer was. Most of the book is told from Kate's point of view with periodic sections from the POV of the killer (without giving away who it is). I enjoyed hearing what the killer was thinking and planning. I had a hard time keeping the names of the boys straight but that may have been a factor of listening to the audiobook. There are two narrators and they both did a great job. The plot twists, including one that reminds us how technology can hide the truth, make up for the slow parts of the book. Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to YA mystery fans.
    • 4/5
      Kate tells the story of the River Point Boys, a tight group of privileged friends who have an incident while hunting and one of their group ends up dead. They agree on their story and stick to it without flipping on their group, but this decision has a cost of further fracturing their relationships. Kate interns for the prosecutor assigned to the case and for her own reasons wants the truth. One of the boys is also a narrator, and although it is clear he is in the know about what really happened his identity is not revealed! A story that hooked me and had me engrossed.
    • 5/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      I quite enjoyed this YA murder mystery, and found myself quickly turning the pages trying to work out who the killer was . . . but I didn't. The plot was addictive and had so many twists and turns I was forever changing my mind.Kate, the narrator, was a likeable character although I wanted to shake some sense into her at times as she could be rather dumb. However, I admired her determination to uncover the truth, the fact that she worked as an intern at the DA's office, and how she took her photography so seriously. I also enjoyed the various text messages at the start of each chapter, the narratives from the killer (which created atmosphere and a feeling of dread) and the police interviews of the suspects and eyewitnesses. Kate's friend, Reagan, was terrific character. She was funny and was always there to support Kate. Their friendship was portrayed beautifully. However, I would have liked to have known the River Point boys better. As the reader, I learnt a bit about them through their interviews and short conversations during the killer's narratives, but I wanted to understand them on a deeper level. Maybe, then, I could have guessed which of them was the killer. What spoilt the book for me, however, was the overuse of "y'all", which I hate at the best of times. Every time I read it, I felt my teeth grinding together in frustration. Then there was the ending - what a disappointment that was! It just came to a finish so suddenly. This really surprised me considering the detail that the author had put into the rest of the book. Everything was wrapped up too quickly and too neatly that I felt let down. Despite the ending, overall, I did find "This is Our Story" an entertaining read and a solid mystery.
    • 5/5
      Grant Perkins was one of the five River Point Boys, best friends and inseparable for years. All five come from wealthy families and go to private school. They love expensive toys, drugs, drinks and hunting, and throw parties around these activities every weekend. One weekend, following one of the parties, the five boys go hunting. By the end of the day, Grant is dead. The boys decide to stick together and claim none of them knows who is responsible.

      Meanwhile, Kate Marino is spending her senior year interning at the District Attorney’s Office. She's disappointed to find out that the Chief DA, who has accepted many donations from the boys' families, wants the boys’ case to quietly go away. Kate wants the group prosecuted, especially since she had a texting relationship with Grant. She convinces her boss to go after the case himself, and fully prosecute the boys. Kate is filled with plenty of flaws, and at times I just wanted to smack her, but I still couldn't stop reading this story.

      This book was full of surprises and I couldn't put it down. The novel is delivered in a unique way that intensified the reading experience for me. A majority of the narrative comes from Kate's viewpoint, including her texts back and forth to Grant. It's often broken up with one of the River Point Boys’ narration. Despite the four boys claiming they don't know who was responsible, we know that the one we are hearing from is the killer. I don't read a lot of YA genre books but this is one of the best I've read in quite some time. I expect it to be high on my Top Ten list at the end of the year.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed that!! With strong, suspenseful language, sympathetic, fleshed-out characters, & a well-paced mystery, this book had it all. Props to the writer for actually speaking to adults that work in high schools to make sure the setting was fully-realized & realistic (BIG pet peeve of mine when it isn't). That, combined with everything else, made this a thrilling, romantic mystery I couldn't stop. ★★★★☆.
    • 4/5
      In This Is Our Story, Elston spins a tangled, eerie web of a story about secrets, lies, and the ties that bind us.Everyone has heard about the River Point Boys. The five friends went into the woods to hunt, and when the hunt was finished, one of their own lay dead.Kate is a high school student who works in the district attorney's office. She's already emotionally involved in this case for reasons she doesn't want to discuss with anyone, let alone her mother and her boss. Determined to get to the bottom of what truly happened, Kate starts digging deep, with possibly dangerous results.I had been wanting to read this book since I first heard about it, and Elston did not disappoint. The book is nicely layered, with twists and turns I did not see coming. The characters are complex, and Kate is a character I definitely found myself cheering for. Elston's use of interview transcripts, and missives from a mysterious second narrator, make the story even more interesting.This is a young adult mystery done right. I definitely recommend this read.
    • 5/5
      [This is Our Story] by Ashley Elston5 starsFrom 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:The book begins with the narration of what took place in the woods on the Sunday morning that five friends go out shooting in the woods. This is a normal activity for them to do...but this time, only four came back. The book then begins to revolve around the premise that Grant Perkins was shot by one of his friends...but which one and was it intentional or was it an accident?We are taken through many different theories and possible scenarios as we get to know the friends. Kate Marino of the DA's office is in charge of Grant's case and she personally knows one of the boys but as she questions and digs for answers... she soon finds there are things coming to light that changes everything not only for her but for the four boys and the small town of River Pointe. Loved all the twists and turns that the plot took on the way to discovering the truth of just what did happen on that fateful Sunday morning.
    • 5/5
      Gripping court-room drama of 4 prep-school boys accused of killing their 5th friend. Was it a hunting accident or was it murder? The twist is that narrator Kate must be the eyes and ears of the prosecutor (who has macular degeneration and is aged) In addition, Kate had been secretly texting the dead boy -- Grant -- in a developing crush. But he is not who he appears to be and more to the story than first imagined. The plot takes some satisfying twists and turns and it is nicely paced. (For what it's worth: I hate the cover, sorry!)