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islesbiyana's review
1.0
boring, contrived, and with characters i didn't care about and will never think about again. the secrets were some of the most underwhelming ideas too. the only things i liked were the discussions around the mc's trauma from being a child star and the relationships he had with each member of his family.
miss_snek's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
all_things_books21's review against another edition
5.0
I am so happy I picked this book up at Barns and Nobles. This book is a perfect read for October! It starts out on Halloween night, and the main character is getting ready for a Halloween party. At the party, the main character asking along with a few select friends, sneak out of the party and into the woods. From that point of, creepy things start to happen that leave the high schoolers freaked out. At first, they assume it’s some Halloween prank, but as weird things continue, they realize it’s bigger than that. Crazy things continue to happen and their darkest secrets start to haunt them. While trying to solve their new problems, they uncover secrets that are much bigger than they are.
This was such a quick and easy read, and the chapters are short, making the story fly by. Not only that, but the plot twist kept me reading. I really liked this book, and highly recommend.
This was such a quick and easy read, and the chapters are short, making the story fly by. Not only that, but the plot twist kept me reading. I really liked this book, and highly recommend.
destinae's review against another edition
3.0
Almost dnf’d at the twist villain reveal. I now understand why this was being sold for $5 at the barnes and noble cafe.
Firstly, this is a well-written book. Vincent has a strong grasp of tone, and manages to create a sustained feeling of suspense as the characters are tormented by the mysterious Sasha Craven.
Additionally, i admire the passive and visible LGBT representation. Lauren’s ex is non-binary and Haran is bisexual. Both are aspects of the characters, but not central features of the narrative.
Unfortunately that’s about all the kind words i have for this novel. The twist villain is lame and the whole “this story was never about us” thing doesnt play as well as it could have been. The motivation for Kat is that the main character’s parents ding dong ditched her dad, who (checks notes) lived in a hut surrounded by doll heads. He is grievously injured in pursuit of the main character’s dad, and his injury and disability is apparently the reason she wants to ruin the main characters’ lives with these terrible secrets.
The problem is… most of their secrets were inconsequential. One character didnt tell her dad that her mom was cheating on him. The other sold a picture of his child celebrity friend because his dad was facing foreclosure. These secrets, while embarrassing, feel shallow given the buildup they were given. Maybe thats part of the story, but its hard to see such excellent maintenance of a suspenseful tone be wasted on totally understandable behavior from children.
Minus two stars for an ultimately shallow plot.
Firstly, this is a well-written book. Vincent has a strong grasp of tone, and manages to create a sustained feeling of suspense as the characters are tormented by the mysterious Sasha Craven.
Additionally, i admire the passive and visible LGBT representation. Lauren’s ex is non-binary and Haran is bisexual. Both are aspects of the characters, but not central features of the narrative.
Unfortunately that’s about all the kind words i have for this novel. The twist villain is lame and the whole “this story was never about us” thing doesnt play as well as it could have been. The motivation for Kat is that the main character’s parents ding dong ditched her dad, who (checks notes) lived in a hut surrounded by doll heads. He is grievously injured in pursuit of the main character’s dad, and his injury and disability is apparently the reason she wants to ruin the main characters’ lives with these terrible secrets.
The problem is… most of their secrets were inconsequential. One character didnt tell her dad that her mom was cheating on him. The other sold a picture of his child celebrity friend because his dad was facing foreclosure. These secrets, while embarrassing, feel shallow given the buildup they were given. Maybe thats part of the story, but its hard to see such excellent maintenance of a suspenseful tone be wasted on totally understandable behavior from children.
Minus two stars for an ultimately shallow plot.
sam556889's review against another edition
4.0
I wanted to thank St.Martin's Publishing Group/ Wednesday's Books for sending me this book as well as Goodreads for hosting the giveaway for this great read!
Probably one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. I thought that the age group this book is targeted towards fit the book extremely well. Language and topic coverage really solidified my appreciation for this story. While I didn't rate it a five-star read it definitely was a quick enjoyable book that I would suggest for younger readers who are just getting into suspenseful stories as well as those who are no strangers to mysteries and are just looking for their next fix.
My own enjoyment of the book was closer to a 3.5 in rating just due to the language being for a younger audience BUT that was also the reason I put the book at 4 for my actual rating because the writing fit the age group so well.
Probably one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not disappoint. I thought that the age group this book is targeted towards fit the book extremely well. Language and topic coverage really solidified my appreciation for this story. While I didn't rate it a five-star read it definitely was a quick enjoyable book that I would suggest for younger readers who are just getting into suspenseful stories as well as those who are no strangers to mysteries and are just looking for their next fix.
My own enjoyment of the book was closer to a 3.5 in rating just due to the language being for a younger audience BUT that was also the reason I put the book at 4 for my actual rating because the writing fit the age group so well.
rebelkiss's review against another edition
4.0
Never saw the end coming so that’s a plus.
Sam and his friends tell their secrets every Halloween. But this Halloween….something goes horribly wrong. Sam and his friends work to solve the mystery. And I was pleasantly surprised with the twist.
Sam and his friends tell their secrets every Halloween. But this Halloween….something goes horribly wrong. Sam and his friends work to solve the mystery. And I was pleasantly surprised with the twist.
abunger22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
ercksn's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
brittdiprete's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Secrets Never Die is a book I would have loved in middle school. It was marginally scary, relatively low stakes, and had a pinch of pop culture. The characters were a little bit flat but not boring. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a 90's horror vibe, then this would be a good fit.