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thesammylife's review against another edition
4.0
This was good. A bit more YA'y than I thought it would be, but otherwise good. Broaches a topic which needs a lot more general discussion and attention.
leona_amp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
this kind of felt like a mix between i kissed shara wheeler and perfectly preventable deaths (in the best way) i dont think i really knew where the story was going until 2/3 of the book, but i really liked that
pommederinette's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ttucker's review against another edition
5.0
So I went into this book expecting a quick and fun murder mystery type of story. Turns out, I'd blindly managed to pick a book that depicted the exact same terror I've been experiencing the past year. On its face, this is a book about a girl who has lost her father and thinks there might be something more sinister behind it. Really, it's a raw story about grief and dealing with the fear of death.
I've never quite related to a character so much, and that's probably why this book left me a crying mess multiple times and on the brink of an existential crisis that I hadn't planned for a Tuesday night. Sydney's internal monologue and her reluctance to accept the love offered to her, and the frustration when you struggle to grasp any real 'why' for things... it all felt so genuine.
It wasn't all sadness and pain, don't get me wrong. This book was Funny. If I wasn't tearing up and getting my heart ripped out, I was laughing along with the banter between the characters and Sydney's blunt humour.
I absolutely adored the amount of time we got to spend with Sydney and June, building their connection. I think I could probably have read 500 pages of them just talking. Seeing Sydney in this place of absolute darkness and then finding someone who makes all of it a little bit better, and seeing how she started to rely on that little moment each day. That feeling of desperately grasping for someone just to keep yourself in place. Ugh. I'm just rambling now but man... Been There. All of the characters in this book popped to life, really. They felt real and flawed and like people you have known.
Other than Sydney's bond with June, her stories with Olivia and Leo also hit me hard. The best friend who you no longer know is in your life for any reason other than you've known each other forever, and the slow acceptance of letting go. The complete and utter joy of meeting a new friend who fits with the person you've become and reminds you that you're not as alone as you might have thought.
Anyway, I think this book was just a perfect mix of everything I needed to read right now. So thank you, Savannah Brown, for making me feel a little bit less insane for spending my nights googling what comes after death.
(teats are not forever)
I've never quite related to a character so much, and that's probably why this book left me a crying mess multiple times and on the brink of an existential crisis that I hadn't planned for a Tuesday night. Sydney's internal monologue and her reluctance to accept the love offered to her, and the frustration when you struggle to grasp any real 'why' for things... it all felt so genuine.
It wasn't all sadness and pain, don't get me wrong. This book was Funny. If I wasn't tearing up and getting my heart ripped out, I was laughing along with the banter between the characters and Sydney's blunt humour.
I absolutely adored the amount of time we got to spend with Sydney and June, building their connection. I think I could probably have read 500 pages of them just talking. Seeing Sydney in this place of absolute darkness and then finding someone who makes all of it a little bit better, and seeing how she started to rely on that little moment each day. That feeling of desperately grasping for someone just to keep yourself in place. Ugh. I'm just rambling now but man... Been There. All of the characters in this book popped to life, really. They felt real and flawed and like people you have known.
Other than Sydney's bond with June, her stories with Olivia and Leo also hit me hard. The best friend who you no longer know is in your life for any reason other than you've known each other forever, and the slow acceptance of letting go. The complete and utter joy of meeting a new friend who fits with the person you've become and reminds you that you're not as alone as you might have thought.
Anyway, I think this book was just a perfect mix of everything I needed to read right now. So thank you, Savannah Brown, for making me feel a little bit less insane for spending my nights googling what comes after death.
(teats are not forever)
idiomrat's review against another edition
5.0
this book was genuinely amazing
thank you for writing this
thank you for writing this
bluubleuu's review against another edition
3.0
➸ 3.5 stars
Pros
* The writing really suits the storyline (especially the first part of this book which explores about Sydney's feeling after she lost her dad)
* Sydney voice really seems real with the description of her emotions and dialogues.
* Lesbian protagonist
* Good side character (Leo)
Cons
* Really predictable
* Slow pace
* The mystery aspect of this book was weak.
(i really disappointed of the friendship with sydney and leo because *I want more*.sadly, it mainly focused on sydney's romance;()
Pros
* The writing really suits the storyline (especially the first part of this book which explores about Sydney's feeling after she lost her dad)
* Sydney voice really seems real with the description of her emotions and dialogues.
* Lesbian protagonist
* Good side character (Leo)
Cons
* Really predictable
* Slow pace
* The mystery aspect of this book was weak.
(i really disappointed of the friendship with sydney and leo because *I want more*.sadly, it mainly focused on sydney's romance;()
silly_snail's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexual harassment
megsbookishtwins's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I received a copy free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Sydney’s dad is a psychiatrist, and he’s also suddenly dead. Everyone around her keeps telling her it was just an accident. Sydney believes that there is more to it than that – he was a man that knew everyone’s secrets, so isn’t it weird that he crashed alone with no explanation? Then Sydney starts getting these creepy and mysterious texts, and it all seems linked to her dad. Is she seeing connections that aren’t really there, or is there really something more sinister going on?
I’ve been really excited about The Truth About Keeping Secrets for a while now, especially after hearing it was a queer mystery/thriller. I’m not going to lie, I struggled with it a little at first, it was very character driven and almost nothing happened, which is why I dropped a star and it is definitely a slow paced book that focuses more on characters and their relationships. But, I did really grow to love it and the main protagonist, Sydney.
Sydney is a brilliant, albeit a little disturbed, character. After her father died, she has this acute fear of death and she kind of has this morbid fascination with it. She’s struggling with how to cope with her father’s death and what it all means in the grand scheme of things. She feels guilty for living while he doesn’t. She’s angry, confused, and scared about the world around her. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is less about the mystery and more about character study.
The Truth About Keeping Secrets mainly explores the many facets of grief and how some coping mechanisms aren’t always healthy. I think it did it really well. Grief isn’t the only topic it explores as it does highlight some other really important and difficult topics too such as abusive relationships. I do want to give some trigger warnings though for anxiety, PTSD, depression, self-harm, suicide, death, homophobia, forced coming-out, and sexual and emotional abuse.
Another prominent aspect of The Truth About Keeping Secrets is the relationship between Sydney and Jude, who is a girl that comes into Sydney’s life after her father’s death. Jude is a mystery, and their relationship is complicated but also really great. It is a romantic relationship but it did explore the unrequited crush thing really well.
The Truth About Keeping Secrets is an atmospheric, addictive, intense, and emotional book with a large focus on characters but also with a slow burn mystery, and a book that I would highly recommend.
Sydney’s dad is a psychiatrist, and he’s also suddenly dead. Everyone around her keeps telling her it was just an accident. Sydney believes that there is more to it than that – he was a man that knew everyone’s secrets, so isn’t it weird that he crashed alone with no explanation? Then Sydney starts getting these creepy and mysterious texts, and it all seems linked to her dad. Is she seeing connections that aren’t really there, or is there really something more sinister going on?
I’ve been really excited about The Truth About Keeping Secrets for a while now, especially after hearing it was a queer mystery/thriller. I’m not going to lie, I struggled with it a little at first, it was very character driven and almost nothing happened, which is why I dropped a star and it is definitely a slow paced book that focuses more on characters and their relationships. But, I did really grow to love it and the main protagonist, Sydney.
Sydney is a brilliant, albeit a little disturbed, character. After her father died, she has this acute fear of death and she kind of has this morbid fascination with it. She’s struggling with how to cope with her father’s death and what it all means in the grand scheme of things. She feels guilty for living while he doesn’t. She’s angry, confused, and scared about the world around her. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is less about the mystery and more about character study.
The Truth About Keeping Secrets mainly explores the many facets of grief and how some coping mechanisms aren’t always healthy. I think it did it really well. Grief isn’t the only topic it explores as it does highlight some other really important and difficult topics too such as abusive relationships. I do want to give some trigger warnings though for anxiety, PTSD, depression, self-harm, suicide, death, homophobia, forced coming-out, and sexual and emotional abuse.
Another prominent aspect of The Truth About Keeping Secrets is the relationship between Sydney and Jude, who is a girl that comes into Sydney’s life after her father’s death. Jude is a mystery, and their relationship is complicated but also really great. It is a romantic relationship but it did explore the unrequited crush thing really well.
The Truth About Keeping Secrets is an atmospheric, addictive, intense, and emotional book with a large focus on characters but also with a slow burn mystery, and a book that I would highly recommend.
roz1ta's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0