The One With All The Secrets

 

Each of these books has a secret central to the story, some unpredictable and some you’ll know at the start of the story. It’s a mix of contemporary, thriller and historical fiction and includes one of my favourite 5-star reads.

No spoilers here, you’ll have to read them to find out what the secret is!

 

Gray Wolf Island by Tracey Neithercott

Although pacing was patchy and there were some parts in the build-up that I thought was over-explained, the storyline is solid with a slightly dark, sinister edge and a couple of unexpected twists.

The characters, an eclectic group of friends, are so believable. Their character development throughout the story, as their individuality is revealed and accepted, was so natural it was streamless. I’m not sure how to put into words that I found their presence comforting, and it’s this feeling that makes the book so captivating.

My full review

Published: 27 November 2017   Read:  10 November 2017

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Right before Sadie died, she begged her sister, Ruby, to do the one thing she could never do herself: Find the treasure on Gray Wolf Island.

With just a mysterious treasure map as a guide, Ruby reluctantly allows some friends to join her on the hunt, each of whom is touched by magic: a boy allegedly born to a virgin, a girl who never sleeps, a boy who can foresee his own death, and a boy with deep ties to the island. Each of them is also keeping a secret—something they’ll have to reveal in order to reach the treasure.

As the secrets come to light, Ruby will have to decide: Can she make peace with her friends’ troubled pasts and continue to trust them? Can she forgive herself for doing the unspeakable? Deep in the wilderness of Gray Wolf Island, Ruby’s choices will determine if they make it out with the treasure—or merely with their lives.  — Abstract from Goodreads.com

 

Suffer Love by Ashley Herring Blake

Suffer Love follows a scripted storyline of forbidden love, a secret big enough to kill any hope of a future.

My first impression was that this was going to be good but it was just a bit bland, the story lacking the depth and substance to bump it up to great. But, an unpredictable twist near the end makes it worth the read.

Published: 23 May 2016    Read: 27 April 2016

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“Just let it go.” That’s what everyone keeps telling Hadley St. Clair after she learns that her father cheated on her mother. But Hadley doesn’t want to let it go. She wants to be angry and she wants everyone in her life—her dad most of all—to leave her alone.

Sam Bennett and his family have had their share of drama too. Still reeling from a move to a new town and his parents’ recent divorce, Sam is hoping that he can coast through senior year and then move on to hassle-free, parent-free life in college. He isn’t looking for a relationship…that is, until he sees Hadley for the first time.

Hadley and Sam’s connection is undeniable, but Sam has a secret that could ruin everything. Should he follow his heart or tell the truth? – Abstract from Goodreads

 

 

Unnatural Deeds by Cyn Balog

Unnatural Deeds totally blew me over with its mind-blowing twists. The characters revealed themselves slowly and just when you think you know them, everything swivels again.

Published: 21 November 2016     Read: 14 March 2017

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Secrets. Obsession. Murder. Victoria is about to discover just how dangerous it can be to lose yourself.

Victoria Zell doesn’t fit in, but she’s okay with that. All she needs is the company of her equally oddball boyfriend, Andrew. She doesn’t care what anyone else thinks…until magnetic, charming, mysterious Z comes into her life, and she starts lying to everyone she knows in an effort to unravel his secrets.

And then something terrible happens. Someone is dead and it’s time for Victoria to come clean. Interspersed with news clippings and police interviews, Victoria tells her story to Andrew, revealing her dark, horrible secrets…secrets that have finally come back to haunt her.  — Abstract from Goodreads.com

 

 

Echoes in the Glass by Cheri Lasota

This was not a book I would have picked up myself and to be honest I am not sure I would have persevered through the print edition as the story had some slow moments. However, I received the audio version as a gift and I found myself entranced by the characters, the ghosts and the mystery that linked the story from the past to the present.

Published: 1 December 2013     Read: 25 April 2017

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Finnian bears the scar of an unspeakable crime. Tiria hides the pain of a terrible betrayal. When all their secrets are laid bare, will the truth rip them apart or forever silence the echoes of the past?

Seventeen-year-old Finnian Bell has been on the run for years, but he finally has a chance to rebuild his life while restoring an abandoned lighthouse on the Oregon Coast.

Tiria Vaughn, the lightkeeper’s daughter, is still reeling from the pain of an event that has shattered her innocence. Fear and bitterness have turned her heart from Finnian, but he is determined not to let her go.

The lighthouse harbors dark secrets of its own…

When Finnian and Tiria uncover the story of two teens hidden in the tower back in 1934, they discover a shocking connection that bridges time and death. – Abstract from Goodreads

 

The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

The Husband’s Secret is packed full of heartbreaking events, characters so real they could be your neighbours, secrets, lies and unpredictable twists.

Published: 30 July 2013      Read: 8 March 2018

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Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the potential to destroy not just the life you built together, but the lives of others as well. Imagine, then, that you stumble across that letter while your husband is still very much alive. . . .

Cecilia Fitzpatrick has achieved it all—she’s an incredibly successful businesswoman, a pillar of her small community, and a devoted wife and mother. Her life is as orderly and spotless as her home. But that letter is about to change everything, and not just for her: Rachel and Tess barely know Cecilia—or each other—but they too are about to feel the earth-shattering repercussions of her husband’s secret. – Abstract from Goodreads

 

Miss E. by Brian Herberger

This story held great potential, with a time period seldom covered in YA. Unfortunately, the story was dry, and the message punted came across as preachy. In addition, the narrator had an extremely mature viewpoint which didn’t match her age.

Published: 9 May 2016     Read: 16 February 2017

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Being the new kid in town is a way of life for Bets, but moving to California in 1967 is different. Her father leaves for the war in Vietnam, her history teacher gives an assignment that has the whole school searching for clues, and the town’s most mysterious resident shares a secret with Bets that has been hidden away for decades. When a peaceful protest spins out of control, Bets is forced to reconsider how she feels about the war her father is fighting and her own role in events taking place much closer to home.- Abstract from Goodreads

 

 

 

 

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus

One of Us is Lying has a brilliantly thought-out, well-planned storyline. Every one of the protagonists is under suspicion and my theories followed wherever Ms. McManus led. At one point or another, I thought they were all guilty.

The twists are very clever and the final outcome unpredictable, but I don’t think the story has enough depth. It lacks the intense, dark, formidable atmosphere I was hoping for and which would have taken the book to the next level.

My Full Review

Published: 30 May 2017    Read: 25 August 2017

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Pay close attention and you might solve this.

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention.
Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule.
Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess.
Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing.
Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher.
And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app.

Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention, Simon’s dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose?
Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them.” – Abstract from Goodreads