Perplexing, exhilarating, emotional, captivating; these elements are incorporated into the realistic-fiction novel: “This is Our Story” by Ashley Elston.

Once this book hit the shelves on Nov. 5, they were out of copies within the same week. This novel is like a young adult Sherlock Holmes, with constant clue discoveries and puzzling attributes.

In this 320 page book, the plot takes place in a small shanty town that drastically needs remodeling, and is desperate for enthralling situations.

So, when five wealthy boys go hunting one morning, and four come back alive, this eats up everyone’s attention in town. The boys refuse to say who shot Grant yet, all the evidence shows it could be any one of them.

The district attorney decides to drops this sticky case to high school senior, Kate Marino’s Boss. In doing this, it’s a clear sign that the district attorney wants it to be filed an accident and swept under the rug.

However, Kate refuses to let that happen, after uncovering some clues about the case, she believes it wasn’t an accident after all.

Page after page this book will leave behind dangerous questions and scenarios in your head. Every chapter brought down a crashing revelation and you would have wished you could have prepared yourself in some way before reaching the end.

I personally had loved the touch of cruel reality that was bestowed upon the novel. Forget sugar-coating things, this book gave cold hard facts.

There were points when I’d have to jump around my room to release all the adrenaline and anxiety this book cost me.

Not to mention, giving the skin-crawling point of view of the killer without even giving out the name was a smart touch.

By the end of the book I felt the need to say ‘I knew it!’, but for the first time in a long time I was caught completely off guard by the end results.

Most of the time my reaction was flabbergasted, I couldn’t believe that such events could be possible! The turning events helped display a realistic manner of life. Which was a great set-up for the final results.

By the last three chapters I was so filled with anticipation that I didn’t know with just skipping to find out the murder or just reading quickly up to the events.

The end was satisfying enough for the previous leading events, but it could have been improved by giving an epilogue of 10 years later and seeing where everyone end up.

It was a wonderful experience to endure, the fast speed pace, and impeccable plot-twisters. I hope to try to some day forget the book to feel and relive the experience all over again. Yet, I somehow doubt it will ever beat the first time I read it.

by ELIZABETH HERNANDEZ