This Is Our Story

This Is Our Story is a young adult thriller from author Ashley Elston. Published in 2016, it follows a teenage girl, Kate Marino, who is determined to uncover the truth behind a deadly hunting accident in her hometown. The incident involved the death of Grant Perkins, one of a group of five prep school boys, known as the River Point Boys. Kate developed romantic feelings for Grant through text messages before his death. Her personal connection to the incident, coupled with her role as an intern for the Assistant District Attorney handling the case, inspires her to become a detective in pursuit of the truth behind the killing.

This Is Our Story was nominated for the 2019 Rhode Island Teen Book Award. Elston worked as a professional photographer before becoming a full-time writer. Her experience with this medium is reflected in the book, as the protagonist Kate is an avid photographer and uses her skills to solve the mystery of Grant’s death.

Plot Summary

The book centers around the murder of Grant, one of the so-called “River Point Boys.” The other four boys are John Michael Forres, Henry Carlisle, Shepherd Moore (Shep), and Logan McCullar. They are all privileged high school seniors—white, male, wealthy—who attend an elite private school, St. Bartholomew’s or St. Bart’s, in the small Louisiana town of Belle Terre. River Point is the estate of John Michael’s parents, a massive property where the boys throw wild parties and go hunting.

The story opens with a brief narrative from the murderer. He does not reveal his identity and tells the story of Grant’s killing in ambiguous terms. After a long night of partying at River Point, the five boys went hunting. Grant was shot and killed with his own gun, a Remington. All of the boys’ fingerprints were on the gun. Even if it was an accident, the person who shot Grant could be charged with a serious crime. The murderer convinces the boys that they should stand together in silence. It’s the only way none of them will get in trouble for Grant’s death. The murderer will continue to provide secondary narration throughout the book, anonymously.

The point of view then shifts to that of the book’s primary protagonist and main narrator, who tells the bulk of the story. Kate is a high school senior at William B. Marshall public school. She loves photography and plans to study photojournalism. In addition to school, she’s also interning at the district attorney’s office, working for the assistant district attorney, George Stone. Her best friend, Reagan, is also interning at the DA’s office. Mr. Stone is assigned to the River Point Boys case. He must figure out which of the four surviving boys shot Grant. Because Mr. Stone has an eye condition, macular degeneration, he must rely on Kate and her skilled photographer’s eye to help throughout the investigation.

Kate has a hidden, personal connection to the case. She had a text-based flirtation with Grant in the weeks leading up to his death. Kate is generally driven to pursue justice and hates when people get away with wrongdoings because of their privilege. She’s thus intensely driven to find Grant’s killer, for both personal and moral reasons. Convinced that the River Point Boys will leverage their wealth and family connections for an acquittal, Kate starts her own investigation into the murder, putting her internship and her life at risk. She follows the boys and takes photos of them secretly. Eventually, Shep approaches her. He reveals that he is the one she was texting, not Grant. Grant switched the boys’ numbers in Kate’s phone. Kate and Shep continue their romantic relationship.

As the investigation progresses, Kate learns that Grant was abusive, arrogant, and mean. Many of his fellow students, including each of the River Point Boys, had recently had altercations with him. Various red herrings—false clues—lead Kate’s suspicions in different directions. Kate solves the case when she uncovers evidence from a wildlife camera hidden on the River Point property. Kate solves the case just in time to save Shep from a wrongful accusation for Grant’s murder. Once the truth is unveiled, the reader learns that the murderer—and the book’s second, anonymous narrator—was John Michael.