Secret Me

by Angel Jendrick

Charlottetown teen Tage seems to have it  she hangs out with the school’s most popular clique and has a handsome boyfriend. She’s also living a lie about her sexuality. Wren, a nonbinary schoolmate, has been the victim of bullying by Tage’s clique, which leaves Tage racked by guilt because she’s always been drawn to Wren. When Tage picks up Wren during a snowstorm and they are forced to spend a night together, their true feelings emerge. With  Wren’s support,  Tage had to decide whether to come out to celebrate herself and her new relationship. This novel deals with the place of sexual and gender identify in a contemporary high school setting. The role of bullying in female peer groups is explored, and so is how bullying can become a dysfunctional habit to repress a person’s true feelings.

176 pages, Paperback

Published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[Kelly Hunter-Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet, simple YA coming of age romance made more interesting by featuring a queer protagonist and a non-binary love interest. In an age where people are leaning in to the fact that representation matters, being able to offer my queer preteen a book that features LGBTQ characters feels like a big win.

Tage’s story feels approachable but not oversimplified. She deals with small minded people and problematic family, and not everything is happily ever after, but she still finds the courage to step forward to be her true self. She learns in doing so she can be a happier, healthier person not just for herself but also for those around her who really matter, and that those who matter most in the long run will stick around. The story is made even more accessible by the fact that it takes place in the small city of Charlottetown, PEI, reminding the reader that queer folk have to come out in all places, not just large metropolises where they may be more readily accepted.

[Samy Mitchell]

Well written, but a bit uneventful. I love the LGBTQ2S+ representation, however, I didn't like the main characters or much of what they represented. Tage, throughout the story, was rude, spoiled, entitled, snobby, and a cruel bully, which she claims to act as in order to hide her sexuality as she is insecure about being queer. I liked Wren's character-honest, true to themself, unashamed of who they are, but way too forgiving of Tage, who consistently (up until the very end), pushes them away, is cruel to them, and humiliates them. While the book ended in a way which shows Tage standing up for Wren, publicly coming out, and starting to become a better person (she showed some bravery in moments of importance), for me, the ending didn't make up for the entirety of the book which shows very little personal growth from Tage, who consistently shows that she is not only, not a nice person but is constantly aware of this and almost accepting of it. She refuses to do anything to change, makes excuses for her actions, and even becomes resigned in her ways (that this is the way she needs to act so people don't know she is gay). Not a recommendation for either list as I felt the characters did not show any growth throughout the novel and there was not much of a storyline to follow.

[Allena Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Secret Me By Ange Jendrick is about a Girl named Tage who struggles with who she really is and meets someone who helps her to push through those struggles. Secret Me is a book for mature readers that talks about the struggle of a teen not knowing who she really is and who she loves. Secret Me also shows the struggles of high school and having toxic relationships. But over all Secret Me is a good book that I would recommend to mature readers that want to better understand how tough high school can be.

[Alex Jes Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little YA romance novella. I kind of wish that it was novel length to get a fuller feeling and aftermath to everything. With the limited length there, it was hard to really get into how characters felt deep in side, leaving mainly surface level stuff, a little bit like an old TV movie or after school special. But taking that into account, what was there was great, and Tage and Wren, when they finally got together, made for a very cute couple. Definitely glad I read it.

[Andrea Keefe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a captivating book. Right from the first page I was hooked. I'm not much of a reader but I'm so glad I picked this one up.

The details in the books had me feeling as though I was in the story myself. I found myself so invested in what was going to happen next.

A must read 100%.

Love this author! Always bringing such creativity to their readers.

[Ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book so much, the characters were very well portrayed and just like in the real world, they were perfectly imperfect. It felt like I was really part of the experience through reading this book, and can't wait to read some of this author's other work. Would definitely recommend!

[Jaclyn Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully written novella had me hooked from the very first page. I loved Tage’s character and her growth throughout the book. Her and Wren have such a special connection and I was routing for them the entire time. The storyline touches on important issues such as bullying and the every day struggles youth face in school and at home. I loved every page and I believe everyone would benefit from reading it not just YA. 5 stars from me!