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A review by emily_mh
The Truth About Keeping Secrets by Savannah Brown
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
This book has been undoubtedly marketed as a mystery/thriller (see the cover and synopsis), and the beginning of the story also frames the book as a mystery/thriller, but it completely fails to meet these genre expectations. The synopsis implies a self-led investigation into the death of Sydney’s father, but this investigation doesn’t begin until page 193. And I am being generous with the word “investigation” here; hardly anything happens along that plot line. Furthermore, even though I criticise adults who call YA mysteries predictable (we’re not the target audience!), I think teens will actually find this predictable as there is literally only one option as to who the texter could be. So instead of a mystery/thriller, this book is romance drama. One that doesn’t really adequately address the unhealthy obsessiveness of the romance in question on MC Sydney’s part.
Instead of one star, I decided to give this book two due to the way in which grief is depicted. The discussion of this topic was done in a very raw way and had so much depth to it. It seemed so realistic. If this book had been a contemporary/realistic fic focussed on grief where the romance wasn’t so unhealthy, and if it were marketed as such, it would have been a winner.
Rep: lesbian (word not used, lesbian only used once in a disparaging context) MC, white/Brown (ethnicity completely unclear) SC, East Asian SC, gay Black SC
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Stalking, and Bullying
Moderate: Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Cursing, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Blood, Ableism, Confinement, Vomit, Gun violence, Alcohol, Rape, Gaslighting, Medical content, Suicide, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Animal death, Outing, Drug abuse, and Racism
Major: six uses of the lesbophobic d-slur
Minor: self-injury, divorce, one use of the homophobic f-slur