kbranfield's review against another edition
4.0
My Secret to Tell by Natalie D. Richards is a very intriguing young adult mystery. With just a hint of romance, this suspense-laden novel is sure to be a hit with teen readers.
Emerson "Emmie" May is a good girl who does everything right but even she is feeling the strain of her parents' expectations for her future. Ever since her older brother Landon crashed and burned during his first year of college, all of her parents' dreams are resting on her shoulders. However, even her fear of disappointing them cannot withstand her loyalty to the Westfield family and despite their pleas to stay away from them after their father is brutally attacked, Emmie cannot abandon her friend Chelsea and her brother (and Emmie's secret crush), Deacon.
Emmie and Chelsea have been best friends for years and the two share everything. So when Chelsea's father is assaulted in their home, Emmie is the first person she calls. Emmie is shocked to learn that Deacon is the prime suspect in the attack due to their tempestuous relationship. But when she returns home to find him waiting in her bathroom covered in blood, Emmie does what she does best: she cleans him up and offers her support. However, even she begins to doubt his innocence in the days after the attack once Deacon goes into hiding. Although Emmie remains unsure of his guilt, one thing is absolutely certain: both Chelsea and Deacon are keeping secrets from her. But do these secrets have anything to do with the attack on their father?
Emmie and Deacon are well-developed, multi-faceted characters. Emmie is caught between her loyalty to her friends and her need to please her parents (which is something teens will definitely relate to). The issues she is dealing with are pretty straight forward but it is only a matter of time before she has to decide whether to follow her heart regardless of her parents' expectations.
On the surface, Deacon certainly seems troubled but he is also a caring and compassionate young man. He has had a few scrapes here and there but there is no denying his relationship with his father is deeply troubled. Although the police have good reason to suspect he has something to do with his father's assault, it soon becomes obvious the police have focused exclusively on him. Deacon is not just avoiding the police; he is conducting an investigation of his own. He uncovers some puzzling clues, but, to his frustration, this new information does little to help him figure out the identity of his father's attacker.
My Secret to Tell is a clever whodunit with a fabulous cast of characters and an alluring romance that will appeal to teens. The mystery element is interesting and full of unexpected twists and turns. The motive for the crime remains elusive and Natalie B. Richards skillfully utilizes numerous red herrings to keep readers guessing the perpetrator's identity right up until the novel's rather dramatic and pulse pounding conclusion.
Emerson "Emmie" May is a good girl who does everything right but even she is feeling the strain of her parents' expectations for her future. Ever since her older brother Landon crashed and burned during his first year of college, all of her parents' dreams are resting on her shoulders. However, even her fear of disappointing them cannot withstand her loyalty to the Westfield family and despite their pleas to stay away from them after their father is brutally attacked, Emmie cannot abandon her friend Chelsea and her brother (and Emmie's secret crush), Deacon.
Emmie and Chelsea have been best friends for years and the two share everything. So when Chelsea's father is assaulted in their home, Emmie is the first person she calls. Emmie is shocked to learn that Deacon is the prime suspect in the attack due to their tempestuous relationship. But when she returns home to find him waiting in her bathroom covered in blood, Emmie does what she does best: she cleans him up and offers her support. However, even she begins to doubt his innocence in the days after the attack once Deacon goes into hiding. Although Emmie remains unsure of his guilt, one thing is absolutely certain: both Chelsea and Deacon are keeping secrets from her. But do these secrets have anything to do with the attack on their father?
Emmie and Deacon are well-developed, multi-faceted characters. Emmie is caught between her loyalty to her friends and her need to please her parents (which is something teens will definitely relate to). The issues she is dealing with are pretty straight forward but it is only a matter of time before she has to decide whether to follow her heart regardless of her parents' expectations.
On the surface, Deacon certainly seems troubled but he is also a caring and compassionate young man. He has had a few scrapes here and there but there is no denying his relationship with his father is deeply troubled. Although the police have good reason to suspect he has something to do with his father's assault, it soon becomes obvious the police have focused exclusively on him. Deacon is not just avoiding the police; he is conducting an investigation of his own. He uncovers some puzzling clues, but, to his frustration, this new information does little to help him figure out the identity of his father's attacker.
My Secret to Tell is a clever whodunit with a fabulous cast of characters and an alluring romance that will appeal to teens. The mystery element is interesting and full of unexpected twists and turns. The motive for the crime remains elusive and Natalie B. Richards skillfully utilizes numerous red herrings to keep readers guessing the perpetrator's identity right up until the novel's rather dramatic and pulse pounding conclusion.
toodoorcc's review against another edition
5.0
I love this book. It kept me on suspense the whole time I was reading it. I've never been disappointed by any of Natalie Richards books. Although this book still won't let you down!
Spoiler
one of the 'bad' characters was very very obviouschelsea_jack's review against another edition
4.0
I really loved this book when I read it last year--so why I didn't immediately review it is beyond me.
What I liked about the story was the sense of precariousness that I felt around Emmie. She trusts Deacon, but is under so much pressure not to believe he's innocent. There's incredible tension around whether or not she will stick to her guns or if she's going to cave to everyone else's opinion.
There are some great twists in the plot, and while I found one of the biggest ones to be pretty predictable, I still really enjoyed reading the book.
I'd call this one YA romantic-suspense, even though it was romance-lite. I would have loved a bit more on the romance front - the draw between Emmie and Deacon provides a significant emotional connection point for the reader. More payoff on that front would have been nice.
Still, I was entertained by this book, and ultimately, that's what I ask for in my fiction.
Recommended read for YA fans, particularly if you like mystery/suspense in your stories.
4/5 stars
Received in exchange for an honest review.
What I liked about the story was the sense of precariousness that I felt around Emmie. She trusts Deacon, but is under so much pressure not to believe he's innocent. There's incredible tension around whether or not she will stick to her guns or if she's going to cave to everyone else's opinion.
There are some great twists in the plot, and while I found one of the biggest ones to be pretty predictable, I still really enjoyed reading the book.
I'd call this one YA romantic-suspense, even though it was romance-lite. I would have loved a bit more on the romance front - the draw between Emmie and Deacon provides a significant emotional connection point for the reader. More payoff on that front would have been nice.
Still, I was entertained by this book, and ultimately, that's what I ask for in my fiction.
Recommended read for YA fans, particularly if you like mystery/suspense in your stories.
4/5 stars
Received in exchange for an honest review.
mtayl341's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kaylakaotik's review against another edition
2.0
My Secret to Tell was okay. It wasn't any less and it, unfortunately, wasn't any more.
Sadly, I never felt drawn into the story. I didn't feel like the book was hard to put down. I wasn't really interested in what was happening. The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know who assaulted Mr. Westfield (more on that later).
If I had to pinpoint my lack of interest in the story, I think it would have to do with the characters. I didn't find any of them to be unique or interesting. I felt like they could have been switched out with practically any other YA character and the story would be exactly the same. Some background, some depth, for these characters could have brought this book to another level.
The romance was boring. Yes, Deacon and Emmie had been friends for many years. Her crush wasn't anything new, but that doesn't really tell me why she liked him. I have no idea what drew her to him other than he was attractive. And, truthfully, other than Emmie being there for him, I don't really know why he wanted to be with her. "Oh, no one else is around? Guess I'll take you?" Yeah, that kind of sucks.
The mystery of the story wasn't exactly compelling either. I had a pretty solid idea of who was behind everything (and I was right) pretty early on in the story. It just felt a little too obvious, so when the big reveal happened it was pretty disappointing.
* This book was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
Sadly, I never felt drawn into the story. I didn't feel like the book was hard to put down. I wasn't really interested in what was happening. The only reason I kept reading was because I wanted to know who assaulted Mr. Westfield (more on that later).
If I had to pinpoint my lack of interest in the story, I think it would have to do with the characters. I didn't find any of them to be unique or interesting. I felt like they could have been switched out with practically any other YA character and the story would be exactly the same. Some background, some depth, for these characters could have brought this book to another level.
The romance was boring. Yes, Deacon and Emmie had been friends for many years. Her crush wasn't anything new, but that doesn't really tell me why she liked him. I have no idea what drew her to him other than he was attractive. And, truthfully, other than Emmie being there for him, I don't really know why he wanted to be with her. "Oh, no one else is around? Guess I'll take you?" Yeah, that kind of sucks.
The mystery of the story wasn't exactly compelling either. I had a pretty solid idea of who was behind everything (and I was right) pretty early on in the story. It just felt a little too obvious, so when the big reveal happened it was pretty disappointing.
* This book was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. *
carleyreis's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
glew8's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
agxxo's review
5.0
Uh, for some reason when I scanned this, it put the wrong book in, but uh, anyways.
Didn’t expect it to be Joel— or whatever is name was.
Also, cue “Best Friend’s Brother” now.
(My best friend’s brother is the one for me, BFB)
I was rooting for Emmie and Deacon.
Didn’t expect it to be Joel— or whatever is name was.
Also, cue “Best Friend’s Brother” now.
(My best friend’s brother is the one for me, BFB)
I was rooting for Emmie and Deacon.
emmyclute's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5