The Secrets We Keep
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Sexual Abuse
5
Cassie Gustafson
“Visceral…a vital, heart-wrenching account of one teen’s harrowing experience.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) In the vein of The Way I Used to Be and Kelly Loy Gilbert’s Conviction, this “exceedingly well-written, powerful, and suspenseful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) young adult novel follows a girl’s struggle to reconcile friendship, sexual abuse, and the secrets we bury deep down inside to survive.High school freshman Emma Clark harbors a secret—a secret so vile it could implode her whole world, a secret she’s managed to keep buried…until the day her best friend, Hannah, accuses Emma’s father of a heinous crime. Following her father’s arrest and torn between loyalty to Hannah and to her family, Emma is devastated to learn she must testify against Hannah’s word in order to keep her family together. As Emma wrestles with this impossible decision, her fractured past begins to resurface piece by painful piece—causing the line to blur between her present-day reality and the dark fairy tales she writes to survive, all of which threaten to expose Emma’s long-buried truths. The Secrets We Keep explores the complex, powerful bonds of friendship and family, asking the difficult question: At what point does Emma’s loyalty to another become a betrayal of herself? And perhaps the toughest question of all: Can Emma find the strength to finally unbury her secret?
Tearjerkers
AD
Buy now:
More Details:
Author
Cassie Gustafson
Pages
352
Publisher
Simon and Schuster
Published Date
2022-11-08
ISBN
1665906960 9781665906968
Community ReviewsSee all
"Summary: We are quickly immersed into the seemingly perfect life of Emma and her best friend Hannah. This utopia is disrupted by her friend, Hannah, not meeting up after school like she promised. Emma then is sent through a worlwind upon the news of her father's arrest in a child molestation case. Emma and her family head home to a rude awakening that the life they had will never be quite the same again. <br/><br/><br/>Review: This book was an unexpected and much needed journey for me. The Secrets We Keep hit quite close to home for me as a survivor of familial sexual assault. Emma and Hannah's story in no way painted them out to be victims of their situation, but survivors coming to the realization of the reality of the situation. As children it is a hard subject to understand and deal with as you grow older. The bonds of friendship between the pair were put to the test and made this wrapped this story together perfectly. My overall rating for this book is 4.5/5. <br/><br/><br/>Extended Breakdown: <br/><br/>Story: 4.5/5<br/><br/>Characters: 5/5<br/><br/>Pace: 4/5<br/><br/>Blog: http://wvbookwitch.blogspot.com/<br/>TikTok: @wvbookwitch"