Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - Little Secrets

What a read - for such an intense topic, the writing was beautifully heartbreaking. For the first half, you question where the book is going since the FMC’s grief is all consuming, but then…THEN part two completely changes the feeling, tone and direction of the book. I couldn’t put the book down after I hit the 2nd half of the book. Once the pieces started to fall together, the ending was somewhat predictable but still worth it. Highly recommend you read the content warnings for this book though, there’s a lot to unpack.

Content Warnings

bek_p87's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book was absolutely nuts. At no point did I know where it was going or how it would end. Ultimately I enjoyed it - I was shocked by all the twists, and found the ending satisfying.

Content Warnings

tnybo's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.5

Content Warnings

ivirtue's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Content Warnings

isaaamaarr's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

jazzijessi's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

Content Warnings

bookishmillennial's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

Before I go on about the good, I want to talk about what bugged me — Kenzie Li, a mixed-race AAPI woman, is described by the main character Marin, as exotic. As Kenzie (slide 8) thinks about herself, she refers to herself as exotic as well, insinuating that it is “the only thing she has going for her.” I recognize the author is Filipino & has probably been told that she “looks exotic,” so it’s not off-base for another character to show their covert racism this way. However, for the character to have that internalized racism towards themselves as a throwaway line is frustrating & exhausting. I also recognize that Kenzie was young, immature & likely unable to confront this internalized racism yet (thx to my buddy reader, Diamond @thediamondfore for pointing this out!)

This is something I’ve been asked my entire life tho— “where are you from? No, where are you REALLY from?” Meanwhile, I was born & raised in the SF Bay Area, only speak English (have been told “wow, your English is great!”) & have never been to the Philippines or China, where my parents & grandparents are from. Did I *let* these two throwaway lines get in the way of enjoying this book? No but it still triggered me :/

However, it just goes to show you the power of harmful representation & the way it can take a reader allllll the way out of a book. I don’t think the author meant harm but I’m sick of AAPI women *especially* being fetishized & oversexualized. I literally have had people PROUDLY AND UNIRONICALLY tell me “you were my first Asian” & “I’ve always wondered what it would be like with an Asian girl.” Those lines were gross & I’m so tired of this narrative.

Anyway, besides that, I didn’t see the twists & turns coming in this book at all! I felt for Marin— I felt her despair for her missing child, her rage at her unfaithful husband, & her messy unraveling. I read this in one sitting because I HAD to know what happened!

P.S. I am 32 & I’ll say bae (like they mention in the book that old people shouldn't lol) until I’m old & grey hahaha.

Overall, I will definitely try some of the author’s other works because this is one of the best thrillers I’ve read recently!!!

Content Warnings

More...