The Secret Within

by Theresa Martin Golding

Carly Chambers has a secret. With her family constantly on the move and father's harsh rules keeping her close to home, it had been an easy secret to keep. Until now. This summer in a beach town on the Jersey coast everything is unraveling. Slipping out of her bedroom window each night, Carly only wants to steal a few hours of freedom on the boardwalk. Then comes the night when she discovers that a stranger has been watching her every move and asking questions about her. Carly is caught in a dangerous game of hiding from the stranger and dodging her abusive father. In this compelling novel by Theresa Martin Golding, Carly Chambers discovers that sometimes the only thing worse than revealing a painful secret--is keeping it.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2002

Reviews

[Hermela Tefera · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret Within by Theresa Golding is a great book that I really enjoyed reading. This book was about a teenage girl who lives with her abusive father and scared mother. The girl has kept a deep secret all her life but as she ventures out into the world on her own she starts questioning her life and fights for what is right. This story is truly inspiring because it shows how a young girl overcomes her abusive father through love, adventure, and pain. I really liked this book because it was very intriguing and mysterious. I also enjoyed this book because I felt that I could relate to the main character at many parts of the story. Some things I didn't like about this book is the terrible cover and that the book was very predictable at times. Despite the few flaws of this book, I think this was an amazing book and I recommend it to others for its love and adventure that it conveys throughout the book.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a really lame cover, but it was actually very suspenseful and engrossing. Carly deals with abuse from her father and trouble fitting in with other kids, so teens can relate to her story.

[oli marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

found this at a book sale a local library did over a decade ago, and it’s still one of my top favorite books after all these years.
it’s a hidden gem i struck when i least expected it.
i find myself picking it up to reread it whenever i find it tucked away in a box or hidden on a shelf. it holds such a special little place in my heart. i’m so glad little 12 year old me picked up this book thinking the cover was cute

[Arti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book the secret within is about a girl named Carly Chambers who reveals secrets of her life that she doesn't even know about. She is kept close to to her house because of her abusive father. She later on finds that she has a stalker who has been asking questions and following her around.
In this book my favorite character was Carly because it was interesting to see the way of how she looked at things and how she dealt with them. The book felt like very realistic and kept me guessing it made me want to read the book even more.
I didn't enjoy how they went into depth a lot about small events or parts of the book and how they took a long time to get to the point. Overall this book was definitely interesting and fun to read. I would recommend this book to readers who like being on the edge of their seat and reading about many plot twists.

[Madbutmagic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mad But Magic YA Blog

Carly sneaks out each night to find solace from her controlling and overbearing father on the empty boardwalk during the summer her family spends on the Jersey Shore. There’s no comfort like the sound of the waves on a night so dark you can’t even see the water-- or an unexpected friend to share it with.