Tell Me When You Feel Something by Vicki Grant

What happened to Vivienne Braithwaite? That’s the question without an answer.

Viv is an all-star teen—popular girl with an athletic boyfriend and a podcast in the works, who volunteers for the local medical school’s Simulated Patient program. So where did it all go wrong? Viv’s friends Davida and Tim, along with local police, search for answers since Viv can’t give them any. She’s in a coma after a party took a dark turn.

Told in alternating points of view before and after the party, Tell Me When You Feel Something is a contemporary YA thriller that moves inward, zeroing in on the big reveal. The premise is a captivating one, with the unique Simulated Patient program setting. This program recruits volunteers to pretend they have ailments and to be interviewed by medical students. It means there’s a lot of people to get to know, and to suspect.

Grant’s talent lies in her impressive cast of characters, and the quirky details thrown in to accentuate their eccentricities. There’s a police officer nicknamed Pidge, a nosy neighbour watering her garden in a Montréal Canadiens nightie, and a teen with a love for taxidermy. I enjoy when books are written in multiple formats, which is something that lends itself to mysteries very well. Tell Me When You Feel Something is no exception, being told through police interviews, newspaper articles, and personal accounts.

This is a book that will fill you with dread and worry for Viv. It’s dizzying in its puzzle of possible suspects and poor decisions, all culminating in a satisfying reveal. Fans of Holly Jackson and E. Lockhart will enjoy Tell Me When You Feel Something.


Vicki Grant is the author of seventeen books including 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You (which has sold to seventeen countries and has been optioned for film), The Puppet WranglerQuid Pro Quo, Dead-End Job and Not Suitable for Family Viewing. Her books have consistently garnered her recognition from the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and the Canadian Children’s Book Centre.

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Teen (June 15 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0735270090
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0735270091

*The Miramichi Reader encourages you to shop independent! However, shopping at a bookstore is not always possible, so we are supplying an Amazon.ca link. Please note if you choose to purchase this book (or Kindle version) through Amazon using the link below we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. If you cannot see the Amazon ad below (if you are using an ad blocker, for instance) here is the link: https://amzn.to/3xQQ1Bj Thanks! 


Claire Bennet is a writer based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Dalhousie University and is currently completing a Certificate in Publishing through Ryerson University.