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bookph1le's review
2.0
I really like de Rosnay's vivid characterization and, while I found the family dynamic interesting, I just didn't think there was enough plot to sustain the novel. I found the ending to be disappointing, and I felt the book lacked a sense of resolution. It's not that I wanted everything to be tied up with a neat bow, just that I left feeling like I'd just been provided a very random snapshot of a family. I also found Mélanie's about-face to be pretty inexplicable.
As for the reading, it was pretty good. My husband and I were really entertained by the way Vance pronounced some of the words.
As for the reading, it was pretty good. My husband and I were really entertained by the way Vance pronounced some of the words.
sandiet's review
3.0
A Secret Kept is mired in death, secrets and checked emotions. A mortician has more sensitivity and emotions dealing with her dead clientele than most of the other characters in this novel. Everyone either has a secret, doesn't want to know a secret or knows someone else's secret. In my opinion it's certainly not as good as Sarah's Key and the author seems to have developed a morbid fascination with death in this one.
marlisphillips's review
3.0
I liked it, I didn’t love it. This was an entertaining read about a messed up family. I guess what I liked about it was that the messed up family at the center of the story seemed to come to some resolution and peace by the end. There were a lot of societal issues addressed in the book without much in the way of conclusions but I suppose that’s pretty true of real life. The main feeling I was left with was the dissatisfaction of loose ends. Having said that, it was very well written. Probably my favorite character was Angel, a woman with a strong personality in a non-traditional job who provided the wisdom in the story.
tildy08's review
3.0
Although I enjoyed this book, I can't say it's my favourite, nor that it's as gripping as Sarah's Key. I just didn't find the storyline as interesting. Although there was an internal struggle in the main character, honestly, I didn't find it as heart wrenching as her other novel. I'm not saying I hate it (as you can see from the rating I gave it, there were some redeeming qualities) I'm just saying it's not my favourite. I certainly didn't get bored with it, and I wanted to continue to read it, but I'm not sure if that was because I wanted to see if there was more depth to it, or if it was truly interesting for me.
This novel follows a man who had gotten into a terrible car accident with his sister when they were returning from celebrating her 40th birthday at their childhood vacation spot. His sister about to tell him a flashback she had encountered during their stay there when she veered off the road. During her recovery, she told him that she remembers going to their mother's room and seeing her laying there naked with another woman. Antoine then spent the rest of the novel determining who this woman was and why/how their mother died. There are other personal/familial events that occur that honestly confused me a bit as to why they were even in the novel, but I'm not going to mention them as I don't deem them important.
I believe this book is a meh read. You can read it if you like, but don't compare it to Sarah's Key as you will most likely be disappointed. I must say though, this won't stop me from reading more of her novels as they come out!
This novel follows a man who had gotten into a terrible car accident with his sister when they were returning from celebrating her 40th birthday at their childhood vacation spot. His sister about to tell him a flashback she had encountered during their stay there when she veered off the road. During her recovery, she told him that she remembers going to their mother's room and seeing her laying there naked with another woman. Antoine then spent the rest of the novel determining who this woman was and why/how their mother died. There are other personal/familial events that occur that honestly confused me a bit as to why they were even in the novel, but I'm not going to mention them as I don't deem them important.
I believe this book is a meh read. You can read it if you like, but don't compare it to Sarah's Key as you will most likely be disappointed. I must say though, this won't stop me from reading more of her novels as they come out!
jen_jacob's review
3.0
Was OK, not as good as Sarah's Key and that's what I was comparing it with. There was a twist that I hadn't expected but after that the story fell flat, in my opinion. Not a bad book but not the best I've ever read either.
alyson_m's review
1.0
I really enjoyed Sarah's key, and I thought that the writing would be the same in this one. Unfortunately this felt like a story that would never end. I found myself skipping paragraphs towards the end. Most of the book could have been cut out and still gotten to the same ending without losing any story line.
devansbooklife's review
3.0
I enjoyed this story but I think Sarah's Key was better. The book was myseterious, and kept me guessing. But in the end I wasn't very impressed with the secret. I wont ruin it for others by giving it away here.
I fee that Tatianna de Rosnay is an exceptional author. She has a wonderful way of bringing even the most dull characters to life. I had a hard time understanding the distance between Antoine and Melanie in the end. The ending felt rushed with many unanswered questions. But overall the book was enjoyable. Maybe the entire premise is around reviving lost life.
I fee that Tatianna de Rosnay is an exceptional author. She has a wonderful way of bringing even the most dull characters to life. I had a hard time understanding the distance between Antoine and Melanie in the end. The ending felt rushed with many unanswered questions. But overall the book was enjoyable. Maybe the entire premise is around reviving lost life.