Scan barcode
A review by liamunderwood
Fatal Secrets by Richie Tankersley Cusick
3.5
I asked my partner, Cat, to choose which Point Horror book I should read next. She chose Fatal Secrets because the blurb on the back mentions a Ryan and a Marissa (both female) and we're currently watching The O.C. (2003-2007). No other reason. So far I've rather enjoyed Richie Tankersley Cusick's Point Horror offerings - Trick or Treat and Teacher's Pet being particular highlights. Yet the Prologue and first chapter to Fatal Secrets left me feeling sceptical.
Thankfully I persevered. There were several occasions where I worried that Cusick was building up to something obvious, or throwing in an overly obvious red herring, and yet I found the conclusion delightfully surprising. There is also a rather sinister thread running through this book which is played pretty well. Our protagonist, Ryan, isn't always the smartest character, but she's placed in a situation where her actions are somewhat understandable. Best friend Phoebe takes a page from April Fools best friend character Hildy, although not quite as insufferable. And then there are the love interests, of which there are several.
Fatal Secrets ended up delivering a pretty solid Point Horror experience. Whilst I would've liked to have seen Cusick push some of the themes a little further, I think she ultimately achieved something quite interesting here and managed to avoid some of the more consistent Point Horror trends.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
3) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
4) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
5) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
6) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
7) April Fools - 3.5/5
8) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
9) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
10) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
11) The Accident - 3/5
12) Funhouse - 3/5
13) The Invitation - 2.5/5
14) The Snowman - 2.5/5
15) The Boyfriend - 2/5
16) Mother's Helper - 2/5
17) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
18) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
19) Beach Party - 1/5
Thankfully I persevered. There were several occasions where I worried that Cusick was building up to something obvious, or throwing in an overly obvious red herring, and yet I found the conclusion delightfully surprising. There is also a rather sinister thread running through this book which is played pretty well. Our protagonist, Ryan, isn't always the smartest character, but she's placed in a situation where her actions are somewhat understandable. Best friend Phoebe takes a page from April Fools best friend character Hildy, although not quite as insufferable. And then there are the love interests, of which there are several.
Fatal Secrets ended up delivering a pretty solid Point Horror experience. Whilst I would've liked to have seen Cusick push some of the themes a little further, I think she ultimately achieved something quite interesting here and managed to avoid some of the more consistent Point Horror trends.
3.5/5
Point Horror Ranked
1) The Girlfriend - 4/5
2) Trick or Treat - 3.5/5
3) Fatal Secrets - 3.5/5
4) Teacher's Pet - 3.5/5
5) The Baby-Sitter II - 3.5/5
6) The Cheerleader - 3.5/5
7) April Fools - 3.5/5
8) My Secret Admirer - 3.5/5
9) The Lifeguard - 3.5/5
10) Thirteen Tales of Horror - 3/5
11) The Accident - 3/5
12) Funhouse - 3/5
13) The Invitation - 2.5/5
14) The Snowman - 2.5/5
15) The Boyfriend - 2/5
16) Mother's Helper - 2/5
17) The Baby-Sitter - 1.5/5
18) The Return of the Vampire - 1/5
19) Beach Party - 1/5