On the surface, this novel had a lot of promise. The book revolves around the aftermath of a high school shooting, and given current events in America, it's a topic that is very much relevant.

Unfortunately, the story lacked depth of character and a compelling narrative. The narrator, Lee, was quite dull and not nearly interesting enough to carry the story. I found myself wishing one of the side characters would take over, such as Denny. He was a more vibrant character, and being blind and a survivor of the high school shooting, had a more fascinating story to tell.

I've seen the movie, The Duff, based on Kody Keplinger's novel, which I haven't read. But I enjoyed the film, so I decided to give this book a try. But it just wasn't for me.

An interesting read with Keplinger exploring a whole new side of the school shooting narrative, showing the survivors three years on, all with different versions and secrets about what happened that day in their school.

To start with, I don't think anyone has done a narrative about the survivors so long after the shooting. I found it really interesting to see how they'd got on with their lives and the coping strategies they had taken to help them get through the trauma of it all. It showed how long these things linger around, but also how the survivors have gotten on with their lives, finishing school and going to university. In a lot of stories, the narrative stops before this can really be shown, so you don't see much of the survivors going back to their lives and moving on.

I also really liked the fact that the name of the shooter was never stated. It was a powerful move and a powerful comment about how in this sort of situation, the shooter ends up getting talked about more than anyone else. How the victims are overshadowed by people trying to explain away the motives with stories of bullying. This is a story that puts the story into the survivors hands. It's told by them and either though they each have different truths, different recollections of the events, it is clear that it's their story.

It was a sad story in many ways, showing the trauma, the effect on the community and the grieving of the families, but it also is incredibly interesting and political, going deep into issues that I haven't ever seen addressed in fiction before. The way they've gone into the way the media can change what happens when it tells the story for various reasons and the effect that can have on the survivors who's voices have been taken away.

This is definitely a story that will give you a lot to think about.

I hadn’t read anything by this author but I have heard of her, and watched The DUFF recently, so was intrigued to see what her style was like.
That’s Not What Happened is an interesting read. It’s got good characters that you learn a lot about as you read further into the book, and of course, it’s got a highly emotive and distressing theme with the school shooting aspect.
I read this one in a couple of sittings. It was definitely a good read, and I liked how the characters were portrayed.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with access to this prior to publication. A story that deserves to be heard, though it’s not without issues in its current state.
There have, sadly, been too many high school shootings. You can’t help but be affected by TV footage of children outside a supposedly safe place crying as they try to understand why someone would want to do this. You can’t unsee the images of bodies being stretchered out, though nothing could help you understand what it would be like to witness such an event first hand. But what happens later?
In Kapplinger’s novel it’s three years since a shooter killed students in their high school. Our focus is on those who survived, and them trying to make sense of what happened. Leanne knows that the popular story about her best friend, Sarah, isn’t exactly true. But in their religious town, nobody thanks her for telling the truth. However, she’s determined that people need to understand what happened.
Through a series of letters from the survivors, and the story years on, we piece together the events. Due to it being an ARC there were some formatting issues, and sections appeared to be out of sync. This did make me feel that I might have missed some of the details. Kellie’s final comments strongly suggest Miles was the shooter, yet nobody makes any mention of this anywhere else in the book. His own letter hints at involvement, but surely this would not have gone unnoticed at the time? I may have to read this again once it’s published to be sure.

This book kept me gripped and intrigued all the way through. The letters which told each persons version of the events was really interesting and very emotive. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to other readers.

Leanne lost her friend Sarah at school during a massacre when a male sixteen year old opened fire killing nine students. Only now Leanne is setting the record straight and has discovered the truth about what happened by getting the survivors and her now friends to write their account of the day's events in letter form.



Eden a gay girl, Miles a troublemaker and Denny, a blind student with a guide dog Labrador called Glitter also witnessed the attack as well as Kellie a goth girl, from in the bathroom where Sarah the so called religious girl was killed too with Leanne her best friend witnessing it all happen.



I liked the book featuring a mix of disabled and asexual characters as it's against the normal seen in young adult never too often. The aspect of a shooter as a sixteen year old in a place of legal gun use too was interesting and showed a further element of mystery about the shooter into the mix though I was disappointed in how little we see his story and whether he was known to all the group. It felt truly authentic and horrific alike when a real American shooting has taken place sadly and I'm glad it was fiction and not fact for once. It was a greatly emotional and moving story especially in a time where acts like this can be committed at any time it seems.

This book just wasn’t for me. I enjoyed the concept, however found the characters, particularly the main character to be unkikeable and the reveal of what really happened was not interesting enough to grip me.

Three years after the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since Lee’s best friend Sarah was killed in a bathroom stall. A story that gripped the nation. Sarah died proclaiming her faith. Spoke to the killer when no one else did. Except she didn’t. And three years later, only two people know the truth. Lee didn’t say anything then, and now even more people are going to get hurt. This is Lee’s final chance to set the record straight on everything.

School shooting survivor Lee begins to collect the stories of what happened that day. Letters by the very people who suffered. And slowly she realises that what everyone thought happened that day didn’t. Each new letter reveals something new, telling what the headlines didn’t show. And the survivors must come to terms with what they did or didn’t do.

I very much loved the concept of this book. The emotional backstory of how it reveals how school violence impacted each life. We witness what happened to each character that day and how its affected them three years down the line. Lee struggles with her mistake of her revealing the truth sooner. Ashley who struggles to accept anything but the reported story. Eden and her relationship with her deceased cousin who excelled in many ways. Miles is quiet and withdrawn while Denny, whose entrance letter inspires Lee to begin her search, is trying to change how he’s defined.

All of their lives are impacted by the truth. And how media reporting twist what was said and how things are circulated but have zero ounces of fact to them. It questions how its remembered and never corrected. It’s a shame that I struggled with this book. The situation is absolutely terrifying and saddening. Keplinger fails to bring out any emotional care for these kids. The lead characters had little to none depth throughout the novel. And the mystery plot felt very exaggerated.  I enjoy the characters though, they were all very different, and it was interesting to see the difference in how they were all impacted. Lee was tough to like further down the line, especially the way she forces to other survivors to share their truth because she wanted everyone in this project she was doing. She doesn’t really take into the account that maybe not everyone was ready to talk or just wanted to move on.

Overall, I appreciate the job Keplinger has done with this story. That’s Not What Happened is a story of recovery and truth, it may not have gripped me, but I see the impact it could have on other readers who might appreciate it better than I have.

There seem to be quite a few books about school shootings at the moment but this is probably the first one I've been tempted to read. It's such a difficult topic and I really didn't want to read a book that was going to deal with such a heavy or emotionally charged subject. This however appealed to me firstly because of the author but mostly because this book focuses on the survivors and how they're coping (or not) three years down the line.

Mass shootings and gun control are very topical at the moment and this story does cover a lot of the arguments and some scenes which will be very familiar to anyone who's watched the news recently. What I liked about it though is rather than necessarily putting across a specific argument or trying to explain the why behind the shooting or how it could have been prevented this looks at the effect of media coverage and all of this arguing on the victims and survivors. News coverage and social media put stories out there instantly and once a particular version of events is out there it often becomes the accepted story. The victims and survivors are often pushed into roles they may not necessarily want, courageous hero, martyr, spokesperson, face of a campaign or if they're really unlucky, coward or liar. The story becomes twisted to fit the agenda of the various lobbying groups and the truth and more importantly the impact on the survivors and the families of the victims is forgotten.

This book demonstrates very effectively just what it's like for those to survive this type of ordeal. The story is told from the pov of Lee who was one of six survivors of a mass shooting in her school and was with her best friend Sarah when she was killed. When Sarah's parents decide to publish a book about their daughter who has become a bit of a martyr as the girl who died for her faith, Lee decides the truth has to come out. She begins collecting the real stories of the survivors and the victims but is she doing it for the right reason and what impact could telling the truth have on her life and the life of those around her.

I thought the author did a wonderful job of portraying what kind of impact this type of ordeal would have on someone and the different ways the survivors have found to cope (or are still struggling). It may be three years later but they're still grieving, they feel guilty, suffer from flashbacks and panic attacks but with the media attention and the whole community watching them they're trapped into specific roles.

I loved how this story revealed more about each of the survivors and victims. Lee sets out to show the world that they are more than what happened to them. They were not all heroes and or saints. They were regular people, flaws and all and they were in a terrifying situation. They shouldn't have to do or be anything and they shouldn't have to carry the weight or attention of the media or whatever lobbying group. That being said, it also raises the issue of whether it's okay to put the truth out there when it could upset the families of the victims.

One other thing I have to say I loved about this story was how diverse it was. Lee the main character is on the asexual spectrum (something I don't think I've ever really come across before), there are two characters with physical disabilities, different races represented but also different religious beliefs. I'm not sure I would necessarily say that I particularly loved or connected to any one character but I was invested in their stories.

This really was a brilliantly written story and I loved how sensitive the author was in dealing with such a difficult topic. I do get the impression some serious research has gone into this but if I had one criticism it's that I wish there was some acknowledgement of this or some details at the back. I was however reading an ARC though so perhaps that will pop up in the final version.

Lee is a survivor of a high school shooting and 3 years on she decides that the truth about her best friend Sarah needs to be told. So she decides to get other survivors to write letters about their stories.
I just couldn't warm to Lee as a character and the truth wasn't that interesting either.
A good idea for a novel that could have been so much more

This book deals with a very sensitive subject that I knew would be difficult to read from the very first page. Despite this book being told from Lee's point of view, you get to read a lot of other perspectives besides hers. This book really does demonstrate the emotion and slow healing of a person after a school shooting. Even though this is set a few years after the shooting it is still very raw for some, especially Leanne who is struggling with a secret she has been keeping. I found it very hard to relate to Leanne because I couldn't sympathise with the reasons why she had kept this secret for so long if she felt that strongly about suddenly sharing it when people who knew Sarah had started to heal. The only reason why I agreed with Lee telling the truth was for Kellie's sake, because she is still alive and suffering because nobody believed her. If it wasn't for Kellie's situation then I would have said it was best that this secret was kept because it seemed to do more harm than good for Sarah's parents and the people who saw her as brave. The writing was easy to follow and I was interested in the story from the very beginning, despite reading through difficult situations and experiences. The characters are developed well and there is a valid reason behind everything they do. This is a story that focuses on characters and their relationships, which works really well. It's the first book I've read about a school shooting and I think something like this is sadly relevant. As someone who works in a school I found it a very emotional read and I do recommend this book.

What a fantastic read based around a very difficult subject. Kody has done her usual wonderful work, bringing up different points of view without demonizing anyone. A gripping story. I'll really enjoy selling this to people, and I think they'll enjoy reading it.


I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have not read any of Kody Keplinger's previous novels but I've heard good things and when this one appeared on Netgalley and sounded so interesting I requested it. And I am so, so glad that I did. I loved it.

This book follows five students several years after the shooting at their school. All of them were involved in some way. Some were shot. Some were inches away as their friends were killed. But all five share a bond that no one else quite understands. They all suffer from nightmares, PTSD and the grief and guilt that comes with it.

It is a really great school shooting story: obviously with it being so relevant there are a lot of these about right now. I love this one because it barely mentions the shooter at all. He's not relevant, he's not part of it. It's about them and how they're trying to move past this huge event that completely changed their lives.

This is also a very diverse book with a variety of races, disabilities and sexuality. It has asexual rep which I love as it's hardly ever seen in YA. And I loved all of the characters - they all had their own stories and arcs. The shooting might have changed them but so did the letters, somehow helping each of them to learn or accept what happened to them.

It's a 4.5 at least from me. I will buy the paperback when it comes out and I definitely want to try more of Kody's books.

I've seen other novels by Kody Keplinger; The DUFF, Shut Out. I've always thought they looked interesting, but I've never gotten around to reading them. I'll be changing that at my first opportunity. Kody is amazing.

It's a sadly current book, the story of a school shooting from the point of view of the survivors. As I write this, the Texas shooting is still in the news. By the time the book publishes, it'll be some other shooting.

The book is mostly from the POV of Lee, a teenager who was shot at, but not physically injured, during a shooting rampage in her school. A legend has built up around one particular victim, Lee's best friend, causing townsfolk to harass and abuse another survivor who tried to correct it. Lee knows the truth and is finally ready to come forward, but it's not going to be as simple as she thinks.

I started crying within a few chapters and never really stopped. This is an incredible book, heartfelt and real, showing a range of coping mechanisms used by the six survivors - forgetting, faith, happiness, ignoring, medication and alcohol. Each choice is treated and right for that person, although the alcohol user stops during the course of the novel, and no one is demonised for how they cope.

My only tiny problem, and it's very common across a lot of media, is that while initially a couple of the survivors were against Lee's plan, in the end they all came around and agreed it was for the best. Why couldn't they have dissenting opinions that were right for them? However, I see this a lot and it's not by any means a deal breaker.

I also loved that Lee is asexual. It's comparatively rare still, but gaining ground and it's nice to see. It's great to have books to recommend to people, especially like this when it's not a major focus, just a part of who she is.

A fantastic read. I'll definitely be trying more by this author.


Receiving an ARC did not affect my review in any way

I massively enjoyed this look at a school shooting three years down the line. Lee, our main character, was only fourteen when a lone gunman razed her school, killing nine, including two teachers and her best friend, Sarah McHale, as they held hands and hid in a bathroom. I've read a lot of school shooting books, and this one took a really interesting approach. Not only did it have next to no details about the shooter (not even his name), the actual plot of the book is set three years after the shooting occurred.
Based somewhat on the story of Cassie Bernall, who was mistakenly identified as having declared her faith before her death in the Columbine massacre, this book focuses on Lee's search for the truth, and for healing, three years on from the events that changed her life.
It's told as a giant letter to an unnamed reader, incorporating stories of the other survivors, the victims, and their stories in the years after the shooting. It's really delicately drawn, with each of the survivors changed in both huge and tiny ways, and strong bonds forged between many of them who went through this thing together.
The focus of the book is on Lee's attempts to set the record straight about what actually happened, and who the Cross Necklace belonged to. Commonly attributed to Sarah, who was then killed, Lee knows that's not how it happened, but hasn't told anyone. When Sarah's parents plan to publish a book, Lee feels compelled to get the truth out there. This book then looks at what the truth is, the impact of telling the truth, whether truths can be individual, and lots of other really interesting stuff around that.
I also loved that this book had plenty of representation. Lee, the main character, is ace, and several of the other victims are repping in their own ways. Denny is blind and Black, Ashley is a wheelchair user, Eden is a latina lesbian (shades of This is Where it Ends there), and Miles is in a non-traditional family setup. What's really lovely is that none of these things are the defining parts of these characters' stories. Not even the shooting is. They're all more than the sum of their parts.
There was probably space to investigate more how Kellie was affected, and I would have loved more from Denny. Overall, this book was compelling, touching, and really sensitively written. I stayed up late to finish it, and don't regret it at all!

Lee experienced a school mass shooting and survived. She has to deal with the aftermath which is traumatic itself and lasts longer. She feels guilty that she did not stop a rumour about the crime immediately afterwards, but let it slip for good reasons. But now she feels the need to correct that. She wants other survivors to write their accounts to demonstrate the truth. But not everyone feels the same.
Considering the author (as far as I know) has not experienced such a situation, this book reaches into survivors' minds and offers different perspectives on life because of their experiences. Many have turned around a judgement on other people, Lee herself lost a best friend but gains another she had previously ignored. Some used the chance of life as a new start, knowing others saw them differently, some did not like how they were now seen and did their best to get away.
Although an American novel, the difference in culture is only noticeable once the 'right to bear arms' is raised. This does make a good discussion point, especially with the back stories of all the central characters and I guess will still have supporters on both sides, but that's the part I found most shocking, but perhaps that's my culture and an American would not feel the same way.
The characters were all realistic, well drawn and fleshed out and the book stood up on these excellent portraits of young adults finding their way in the world even without the huge plot of gun crime.
This was a book I read swiftly as I needed to know the outcome and I'd highly recommend it.

Oh my gosh this book blew me away. I honestly still can't form words because of how much I loved it. The writing style was perfect and the story itself was so emotional and so hard hitting, it was exactly what people needed to read. The truth needs to be heard, and this proves it.

This is not a book you want in your life. This is a book you need in your life.
Gun crime is not just isolated to the schools of the US. While admittedly it is much more common, the UK have had experiences; from Dunblane in 1996 to the collateral damage of Rhys Jones a mere 5 minute drive from my house in Liverpool in 2007. I'm also a teacher who has seen the introduction of government imposed lock down drills. This is not just a story close to home for America, its one that unifies us all. This story gave me chills, it put my maternal instincts into over drive and boy, the way in which the town acted as a society reduced me to tears.

The structure of the storytelling draws parallels with last year's best seller One of Us in Lying, this year's The Truth About Alice and I would not be surprised if the rights are already being negotiated for a limited series along the style of the popular, yet contentious, 13 Reasons Why. It's what will engage every single reader; the mystery waiting to be pieced together.

The sign of a good writer is that you aren't blindsided by the final picture and you certainly won't feel short changed by having a suspicion of how the events played out. While there may be calls of 'predictability' when this book is released, I'd question what you want from 14 year olds faced with the prospect of imminent death or PTSD. What is revealed is not so much predictable, but a commentary of human nature.

What struck me most of all was what I feel is the underlying message and semi sub-plot of the novel. Having been painted as a liar rather than someone facing a harsh truth, the concept of telling the truth really pulled me into this novel. How people turned on characters so quickly to maintain a fantasy was all too shockingly real for me. The commentary about how much the truth matters is something I feel will haunt me for a long while. I'm still not sure of the answer, especially when you consider the follow up question; what IS truth?!

That's Not What Happened is a powerful and relevant YA novel about the aftermath of a school shooting. Lee is one of the survivors of the Virgil County High School Massacre, but her best friend Sarah was killed. The story is famous: Sarah died with a cross necklace, proclaiming her faith. But Lee knows that this isn't the truth, and she realises that she wants to set the record straight. As she talks to her fellow survivors, she sees that everyone saw different things on that day and maybe telling the truth isn't as simple as it sounds.

It isn't difficult to tell that this is a hard-hitting novel that looks at trauma and how people react to traumatic events differently, as well as how a small town might deal with a terrible event. That's Not What Happened is also a story about characters: a diverse group of people and their lives, not only in relation to the shooting. There is also a fair amount of emphasis on their stories before the shooting, showing how the media image is often slanted or wrong. An important element of the novel is the fact that it never names the shooter, in contrast to real life media reports which often fixate on the personal details of the shooter. As Lee points out in her first person narrative, people often focus on the shooter, particularly those who become obsessed with the events. By resolutely making the focus on the survivors and the victims, Keplinger challenges this, focusing on how the stories of the people caught up in the tragedy aren't always as simple as the media presents them.

This is a novel that represents a school shooting and the PTSD and other issues caused by surviving one in a powerful way, but also in a way that focuses on people and their lives and quirks. It is another young adult book that actively engages with the modern world, touching not only on the major topics around the shooting, but also on alcohol abuse, sexuality, disability, and family issues.