Never to be Told

by Becky Citra

"A faint sound brushed her ear, and she heard a voice whisper death. She glanced around, astonished. A gentle breeze had picked up, rippling the long grass in the meadows. She frowned. There was no one else there except Ira and Maddy, and the only sound was the rustling of the aspen leaves by the creek."

Asia has lived with elderly Ira and his wife Maddy for as long as she can remember. She loves their farm at Cold Creek, but when Ira has a heart attack Asia's world is turned upside down. Distraught at the possibility of losing the only family she has ever known, Asia is firghtened but fascinated by the appearance of a ghost at an abandoned farm - a ghost only Asia can see and hear.

Genres: Canada, Young Adult

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Kylie for TeensReadToo.com

Asia, twelve, loves living on the farm in Cold Creek with Ira and Maddy. But when Ira suddenly has a heart attack, her whole world is turned upside down. Asia also doesn't know what to think about the ghost, Miranda, who lives at the old abandoned farm next door.

Now, though, she'll have to leave the only family she's ever known and move to West Vancouver, to the home of her long-lost grandmother.

In West Vancouver, Asia finds out that she has aunts, uncles, and last but not least, annoying cousins named Sierra and Ben. The cousins, of course, want to spend all of their time with their "new" cousin. But one day, while leaving the library with Sierra, Asia finds herself looking for the diary of an elderly woman named Mary Wintergreen.

Will the diary reveal a connection between Mary Wintergreen and the ghost, Miranda?

What will happen to Ira, who is still in the hospital?

NEVER TO BE TOLD is an outstanding book! This is a great mystery story with lots of twists and turns. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in ghosts or mysteries, because this novel sure does take you on a windy roller-coaster ride!

[Koala · Rating 5 out of 5]

best book I've ever read. hands down. It's such a good book I love it sm. I've never ever been a fan of ghost stories but this book is absolutely incredible.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for the first time over 10 years ago and I think about it from time to time. I couldn't remember what it was called for YEARS so had to give it another read when I found it again. Still such a great book

[Queen_Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is literally one of my favourite books ever. Tbh I don’t really like ghost stories and when my friend suggested this book to me I wasn’t planning on reading but once I started there were so many plot twists and I just love it so much.

[Stephanie A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping ghost story.

[Rhiannon's Reading Corner · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as Asia back can remember, she has lived with elderly Ira and Maddy on their farm in Cold Creek. Though she knows they aren't her parents, Asia's never had reason to wish for anything different. When Asia's sighting of a mysterious ghost coincides with Ira suffering a heart attack, though, Asia's world is turned upside down. Will she lose the only family she has?

Interest Level: ages 10+
Reading Level: ages 8+

Never to be Told is a breathtaking story for young readers, perfectly combining elements of mystery and realistic fiction. Asia's emotions and actions feel real, and would be relatable to many young readers. I love the way this book does not shy away from difficult topics, but it always stays age-appropriate. I would highly recommend this book!

[Ms. Leigh-Reavis · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is one small part that bothers me, or I would have given this 5 stars. So I really rate this as a 4 1/2 star book. Excellent story, descriptions of settings, characterization.

[Ralph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never to be Told is a mystery and fiction novel by Becky Citra. Asia is the protagonist in the book. She is a young girl who lives with an elderly couple, at a farm in Cold Creek. Asia has a mysterious gift that only runs in her biological family. When one of her elderly guardians has a heart attack, Asia’s life is transformed into a world of confusion. When an unfamiliar person named Harry (antagonist) comes to visit, Asia is forced to leave her beloved home at Cold Creek: “ He was going to send her away to live with strangers.” (pg. 41)

This very descriptive book is thrilling at most points in the novel, as shown on pg. 211: “ The celebration of life for Ira was over,” and on Pg. 91: “Ira had moved back into intensive care for one day.” This outstanding novel is recommended for mystery lovers and those who want to cuddle up with a good book.

Becky Citra, the author of Never to be told lacks in age appropriate vocabulary, and in our opinion, the book has a rapid storyline. Our group of professional young adults recommend this book for ages 10-12.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read. It comes across as a sort of mystery/ghost story and is a bit of a page turner. I'd say it is good for intermediate readers, probably female, as one male student informed me that, "It's a girl book." It takes place in Vancouver and Northern BC so it has a bit of a connection for local readers.

[Preethy · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was awesome it was heart touching and emotional i would read it again

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a YA book with a supernatural/historical twist to it and I really liked it. I'll be curious to check out some of this author's other books. I liked all the characters a lot.

[Ellie Bierd · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay, honestly I started to get a little bored of the book but I kept reading because I knew I wasn't to the part where Asia saw the ghost and started to have little experiences with the ghost. But I really liked the part how she visited at the elderly place and she got to talk to the old woman and try to figure things out. Another favorite part that I had was when the neighbor walked into the house and asked what she was doing there and everything she saw before just suddenly disappeared and Asia was very confused on what was happening.