Full review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 1/18/17: I was so excited for a new book by Ashley Elston because I loved her debut duology THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING and THE RULES FOR BREAKING! I'm always looking for more YA mysteries and thrillers because there weren't a lot for a very long time and the insurgence of them now is so exciting! When I heard about THIS IS OUR STORY, it immediately went on my list of books I added to get my hands on! 
 One thing I really loved about this book is how well it was set from a teenager's perspective. I think the hardest thing about YA mysteries is making a believable reason for why a teen is involved in the case and why they wouldn't go to an adult or the police. In the case of THIS IS OUR STORY, main character Kate works for the district attorney's office (as does her mother) and she assists her boss by dictating and spotting details for him, as he has failing eyesight and isn't ready to step down from his job yet. Kate acts as an extra pair of eyes for him throughout his investigation of the River Point Boys, a group of kids involved in the murder of one of their best friends. I really loved how well this concept worked because it allowed Kate to have access to the case and obtain more details than a normal kid or outsider. 
 The book was interesting from start to finish but I didn't get quite as into the story as I had hoped. I've gotten sucked in to quite a few mystery/thrillers and I did enjoy the whole book but it wasn't as gripping as some other books I've read. The story was still very well put-together and carefully crafted. Ashley Elston did a great job with the character relationships, keeping identities secret, and weaving in doubt and suspicion. 
 I would say her first books/series were my favorite so far but THIS IS OUR STORY was also a very solid read! I wished I had been able to get into it a bit more, but I've had such limited reading time lately and a lot going on that it could always be situational and not the book. It was a very good mystery still and I really did enjoy it! It didn't stand out as much as I had hoped but a wonderfully solid book and one I'd recommend!