That's Not What Happened Review

 

Title: That's Not What Happened

Author: Kody Keplinger

Publisher: Hodder Children's Books

Publication Date: 28 August 2018

Source: Pan Macmillan South Africa

Format: Paperback

Pages: 373

Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Synopsis:

It's been three years since the Virgil County High School shooting. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall. Everyone knows Sarah's story.

But it's not true. 

I know because I was there when she died. This might be my last chance to set the record straight... but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did - and didn't- happen that day. 

And the fake Sarah story is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. The more I learn, the less certain I am about what's worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up...

Book Review:

Pre-reading Thoughts: 

I am currently in the biggest thriller mood ever... for obvious reasons. But this book has been on my shelves for a hot minute and it is one of those that I don't know much about but I am keen to read it. I got this book back when I was working for Bargain Books and got to go to one of Pan Macmillan South Africa's bookseller meetings. 

Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for gifting me a copy of this book. Just a quick disclaimer for those who are reading this review, I have received this book for free. Please note that this does not affect my opinion in any way. All thoughts are my own. 

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this book definitely surprised me. I could not put it down. I managed to read it in one day because I just had to see what was going to happen next. The books actual plot does not focus too much on the actual events of the shooting but rather how it affected the survivors and how the story was no longer theirs but everyone else's as they never got the chance to tell their version of events. This book wasn't easy to read but it was even harder to put down. I would hands down recommend this book if someone is looking for a hard hitting book that leaves you thinking. Thank you so much to Pan Macmillan South Africa for providing me with a copy of this fantastic read!

Yours in Reading, 

Melleny