Audiobook Review: We’ll Never Tell by Wendy Heard
Author: Wendy Heard
Edition: ALC
Publisher: Hachette Audio (May 16, 2023)
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery, LGBTQIA+
Synopsis
No one at Hollywood High knows who’s behind We’ll Never Tell—a viral YouTube channel where the anonymous creators trespass behind the scenes of LA’s most intriguing locales. The team includes Casey, quiet researcher and trivia champ; Jacob, voice narrator and video editor, who is secretly dating Eddie, aspiring filmmaker; and Zoe, coder and breaking-and-entering extraordinaire.
Now senior year is winding down, and with their lives heading in different directions, the YouTubers vow to go out with a bang. Their last episode will be filmed at the infamous Valentini “murder house,” which has been left abandoned, bloodstained, and untouched since a shocking murder/suicide in 1972. When the teens break in, they capture epic footage. But someone trips an alarm, and it’s a mad dash to get out before the police arrive—at which point they realize only three of them escaped instead of four. Jacob is still inside, slain and bleeding out. Is his attack connected to the historic murder, or is one of their crew responsible?
A week of suspicions and cover-ups unfolds as Casey and her remaining friends try to stay alive long enough to solve murder mysteries past and present. If they do, their friendship may not survive. If they don’t, the house will claim more victims.
My review of We’ll Never Tell
We’ll Never Tell is a gripping YA mystery filled with twisted Hollywood charm and complex characters navigating friendship, betrayal, and murder.
I received a free digital ALC from Hachette Audio in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
A Book to Devour
I would have devoured this in one sitting if I hadn’t been interrupted by such things as adult responsibilities and sleep. If “compulsively readable” was a book, it would be We’ll Never Tell. It’s a true page-turner!
Seriously, if you’re looking for a YA mystery to take with you on holiday, make it this one. Wendy Heard has done it again, this book was so delicious and suspenseful and I loved every minute of it. It’s tightly plotted, fast-paced, and just so immersive and twisty, absolutely a book to read in one afternoon.
A Mystery to Uncover
The backdrop to this mystery is the Hollywood setting that oscillates between the glamour and drama of Old Hollywood and the decidedly less shiny lives of our present-day main characters. With the infamous Valentini murder mansion as a central location tying past and present mysteries together, We’ll Never Tell delivers an atmosphere that’s eerie and intriguing at the same time.
Personally, I adored the inclusion of old newspaper reports about the Valentini case! The insight into this old tragedy and all the drama surrounding it constantly had me searching for clues to what’s going on in the present.
However, I think it’s important to note that this is not exactly a mystery with multiple timelines! While the original Valentini murder is clearly connected to the events in the present, We’ll Never Tell is not really about solving both cases. Rather, the past informs the present and expands the story in unexpected ways.
One of the many strengths of this book is the way information is gradually revealed. The glimpses into the past aren’t just fun and a little creepy, they also hint at the larger forces at play in this story. Chapter by chapter, we as the readers gather more information alongside Casey but also, thanks to the second perspective and newspaper reports, get to know more than Casey. Personally, I love reading mysteries and having slightly more information than the main character. It’s just so fun to try and fit all the puzzle pieces together and Wendy Heard certainly knows how to build an entertaining puzzle! This is one of the main reasons I can’t wait to reread this book. I’m incredibly excited to so all the clues and breadcrumbs come together, now that I know the ending.
A Cast of Characters You’ll Love
I love an ensemble cast of friends with secrets and We’ll Never Tell absolutely delivers on that front!
All of the characters were interesting and lovable…and ultimately suspicious! I found it both tense and also sometimes funny to watch these teens trying to climb out of the hole they accidentally dug themselves into. In particular, I also appreciated how real and messy Wendy Heard’s characters are always allowed to be. They get to make bad choices, say the wrong things, and stumble from one mistake to another. This leads to incredible tension and stakes while also making the characters relatable and worthy of rooting for them.
Additionally, I quickly want to talk about the way this book approaches true crime! I could probably write a whole essay about this but I’ll keep it short. In summary, We’ll Never Tell presents us with a protagonist with a mother who was murdered. Having that backstory and being suddenly involved in the entanglement of a past and current crime, a positive true crime obsession would seem reasonable. However, Casey is critical of true crime as a genre, especially when it comes to the commodification of trauma and pain. I think this is incredibly important, particularly in a YA thriller! Personally, I am very critical of true crime content, and meeting a YA protagonist who voiced my criticisms and had a plot-relevant reason for doing so made my heart sing.
Finally, I would like to briefly sing the praises of the casual queer representation in this book! I love that Wendy Heard’s characters always feel so real and their queerness has a casual, lived-in feel that firmly weaves it into the fabric of the story. The romantic subplots were sweet and surprised me with how much tension and movement in the plot they created. I love when character relationships truly drive the story forward! Of course, I will always love a sapphic accidental teen detective like Casey but I was also really fond of the way Jacob and Eddie’s relationship progressed throughout the book.
Ultimately, I feel like all of Wendy Heard’s books I’ve read so far fit into the “be gay, do crime” category in some shape and I’m obsessed!
An Audiobook Performance to Draw You In
If you looked at the list of narrators and expected a full cast or different POVs for each main character, you are mistaken. However, We’ll Never Tell technically covers two perspectives! While we follow Casey in the present and have the media reports from the 70s, the connecting piece between them is a few chapters from Jacob’s perspective, leading up to the fateful night in the mansion. These chapters added so much tension and really kept me on my toes, questioning and rethinking what I thought I knew about both the characters and the mystery.
Having multiple narrators made this a truly immersive audiobook! Eliana Marianes, Devon Hales, Hallie Ricardo, Goble Trevor, and Brian Troxell each delivered delightful individual performances that seamlessly wove together into a rich tapestry, bringing We’ll Never Tell alive around me.
Overall…
…Old Hollywood drama and creepy mansions, queer romance, a critical perspective on true crime and so many twists, this one was just a true delight for me as a YA mystery fan and I can’t wait to reread it already!
This book is for you if…
…you like YA thrillers with delicious twists and a critical take on true crime.
…you are looking for YA mystery that will keep you reading way past midnight.
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One Comment
dbsguidetothegalaxy
I really enjoyed the book and I would want to pick up the audio. I’m not really a big fan of multiple narrators but I think because I liked the book/have read it before, it’ll be easier. Glad you liked it!