Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown

13 reviews

secre's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

This is one of those books that is beautifully written, thought provoking and haunting. It heavily focuses in on how grief affects different people and the different coping mechanisms everybody has to find their way through it. At the same time it touches on common YA themes such as sexual orientation, bullying, and unhealthy coping strategies. It's raw and poignant and caught my attention from the very first pages.

It's billed as a high school thriller, but I honestly don't think it is. There is a mystery of sorts, but it's less about the mystery and more about the exploration of grief, of relationships and of finding a new place in the world when everything you thought you had crumbles around you. If you go in expecting a thriller, you may well be disappointed. But if you take it for what it is, you will find a stunning and beautifully written piece.

Losing a parent is ground shattering at any age. Losing a parent as a teenager is world altering, as Sydney is finding out. One freak accident and her dad is gone. Her world will never be the same again and yet her friends lives go on unchanged. The world keeps moving and yet she is standing still. Her hyper-fixation on solving the mystery of her dad's death is more of a symptom of her own state of mind than anything else.

This is a powerful and compelling novel that strikes deep at the fear, the loss, the anxiety and the uncertainty surrounding death and grief. It's one of those books that will stay with me for a long time to come, I suspect. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia and Car accident

Minor: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

mjwilliamson's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

This book was a conflicting read. Although I’m not someone who usually enjoys slow-paced books, I found that I couldn’t put this one down. There was something raw but comforting in Sydney’s narration. Even though it was such heavy content. The emotion and grief that was able to be conveyed was so honest and there were some beautiful analogies in there also. I did find myself being bored a little at times. I kept questioning when the story might come to a conclusion because the “mystery” I’d been drawn in by — if Sydney’s dad’s death was foul play — didn’t seem to connect to it all. Still I stayed for the emotion and my investment in Sydney and wanting her to feel better. 

I guessed the twist a mile off. I’ve watched enough criminal minds and seen enough awful situations to know an abusive relationship when I see it. Once we got to know a little bit about Heath and June’s relationship it became very clear to me. But I wasn’t let down when it came to it. There was enough personal connection in the story for me not to care about twists, only the characters

If I knew what I was in for, I don’t think I would have started this book, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I would think very carefully about who I recommend it to. Trigger warnings most definitely apply. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Outing, Gaslighting, Car accident, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Stalking, and Mental illness

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, Alcohol, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual assault

zazzyzizi's review

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

I really liked this book, I liked the mystery element but what I liked most was the fact that even though it was a ya book, it dealt with themes of death and mental illness in a mature way. the way she was grieving wasn't glorified. idk what else to say, I read it really fast and enjoyed it too, I just saw the plot twists coming, like I already knew who was sending those texts so that's why it's not 5 stars lmao

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia

Moderate: Death of parent and Grief

Minor: Sexual assault and Suicidal thoughts

amelia_22's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault

lilliansbooks's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

ok, so. j gonna sum this up w a few bullet points because overall i enjoyed, but it wasn't the most incredible work of literature i've read in my life. also, definitely agree with the reviews saying that this was much more of a contemporary young adult novel than a mystery or thriller, but i still thought it was pretty decent.

i liked:
- the main relationship!
- the lesbian rep
- the mental health rep

i disliked:
- the writing style
- the fact that i called the ending on like page 2

again, not a groundbreaking read, but definitely enjoyable + would recommend if you can look past the almost fanfiction-esque writing style! sydney + june >>>

EDIT: i'm calling this a 3.75 rounded down because i've gone back a couple times just for the main relationship, but it just wasn't good enough to reach that next level imo. would recommend though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Outing and Toxic relationship

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Sexual assault

anniereads221's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Car accident, Violence, Alcohol, Homophobia, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

pastelkerstin's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Lesbophobia, Self harm, Vomit, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Outing, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide, Eating disorder, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Sexual assault, Racism, and Sexual content

idunnoknow's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

couldn't put it down which has been more unusual for me in recent years. really connected with the protagonist and her struggle felt real and not at all performative just for the sake of this story. I'm sure I'll revisit this book 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship

brye_wheels's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Rape, Physical abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Child abuse

oneinamili's review

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual assault