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Four Secrets
"To you the idea to kidnap Chase Dobson might seem like a mistake. But to us... we were just trying to stop him from being so...evil. We just...we had to stop him. No one helps kids like us. Not at my school. We aren't the important kids. We knew it wouldn't stop unless we stopped it ourselves."
Katie, Nate, and Renata had no farther to fall down the social ladder. But when they hit bottom, they found each other. Together, they wanted to change things. To stop the torment.
So they made a plan. One person seemed to have everyone's secrets—and all the power. If they could stop him...
But secrets are complicated, powerful things. They are hard to keep. And even a noble plan to stop a bully can go horribly wrong.
Katie, Nate, and Renata had no farther to fall down the social ladder. But when they hit bottom, they found each other. Together, they wanted to change things. To stop the torment.
So they made a plan. One person seemed to have everyone's secrets—and all the power. If they could stop him...
But secrets are complicated, powerful things. They are hard to keep. And even a noble plan to stop a bully can go horribly wrong.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2012
16 people are currently reading
509 people want to read
About the author
Margaret Willey
17 books17 followersI am the author of 9 Young Adult novels, 6 picture books & more on the way in both genres. I have also published reviews, essays and poetry. My best known books are the CLEVER BEATRICE picture books, for which I received many awards and prizes, including the CCBC Charlotte Zolotow award for best writing in a picture book. Recently, I was given the Gwen Frostic Award by the Michigan Reading Association for my contributions to literacy in my home state of Michigan. I have two grown children and live in Grand Haven with my husband Richard Joanisse.
I am the author of FOUR SECRETS,a book about the aftermath of a school bullying incident with graphic novel-inspired illustrations by Bill Hauser.
I am currently promoting my new title with Carolrhoda Lab, BEETLE BOY, about a different kind of bullying, the parental kind, and one boy's long journey out of childhood to escape it. Kirkus called the book "Disturbing and riveting" in a starred review. Starred review Publishers Weekly. Cited as a book of week for Sept 1 from PW.
I am the author of FOUR SECRETS,a book about the aftermath of a school bullying incident with graphic novel-inspired illustrations by Bill Hauser.
I am currently promoting my new title with Carolrhoda Lab, BEETLE BOY, about a different kind of bullying, the parental kind, and one boy's long journey out of childhood to escape it. Kirkus called the book "Disturbing and riveting" in a starred review. Starred review Publishers Weekly. Cited as a book of week for Sept 1 from PW.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
January 30, 2013
Check out this review and others like it at BadAssBookReviews
I feel so fortunate to have received a copy of Four Secrets from the publisher, otherwise this book may have passed me by. And this book should not pass readers by. Four Secrets is an interesting and gripping read that I was reluctant to put down. Honestly, it takes a lot for me to read a print book these days — pathetic, but yeah I need my ereader. I find myself not finishing print books that I start, but not with Four Secrets. The text of this book pulled me in. Ms. Willey tells the story through journal entries of three 8th grade children and from the point of view of a social worker trying to help them. Each character has a distinct voice; but each is interesting and easy to connect with. The setting of the story in the present is a juvenile detention center, but there are flash backs to the halls of the middle school, parties, children’s houses and encounters with parents. The subject matter? Bullying, secrets and friendship.
This is a book that I want my 7th grade daughter to read. Absolutely. It does, however, have appeal beyond middle schoolers. Parents, high school aged children, teachers, and fans of middle-grade and young adult books will enjoy Four Secrets. Four Secrets is a message book, but beyond that it is also enjoyable. The message is one that needs to be heard by parents, teachers and students (both victims and bullies) but I don’t think it is presented like an after-school special. Ms. Willey does a great job in moving beyond stereotypes of mean girls and negligent parents as the ones responsible for all the pain that kids go through. The tension in the book starts off right in the beginning and gradually readers learn the secrets lurking behind everyone’s story.
Three friends are bonded together because they have been rejected by the cool group in their 8th grade year. They have been slammed and ignored electronically and in real life. Their parents don’t understand or can’t relate — and in some ways are neglectful. Teachers pretend not to notice troublesome and scary behavior that happens on their watch. And each child — despite being just a child — brings to the story their own baggage and their own deep dark secrets. Because these kids feel like they can’t trust adults and they don’t know how to get help, they make some really bad decisions on how to deal with this problem on their own.
So read it, share it, encourage your child or students to read it – -and then discuss it! Because I think this story is so important.
I feel so fortunate to have received a copy of Four Secrets from the publisher, otherwise this book may have passed me by. And this book should not pass readers by. Four Secrets is an interesting and gripping read that I was reluctant to put down. Honestly, it takes a lot for me to read a print book these days — pathetic, but yeah I need my ereader. I find myself not finishing print books that I start, but not with Four Secrets. The text of this book pulled me in. Ms. Willey tells the story through journal entries of three 8th grade children and from the point of view of a social worker trying to help them. Each character has a distinct voice; but each is interesting and easy to connect with. The setting of the story in the present is a juvenile detention center, but there are flash backs to the halls of the middle school, parties, children’s houses and encounters with parents. The subject matter? Bullying, secrets and friendship.
This is a book that I want my 7th grade daughter to read. Absolutely. It does, however, have appeal beyond middle schoolers. Parents, high school aged children, teachers, and fans of middle-grade and young adult books will enjoy Four Secrets. Four Secrets is a message book, but beyond that it is also enjoyable. The message is one that needs to be heard by parents, teachers and students (both victims and bullies) but I don’t think it is presented like an after-school special. Ms. Willey does a great job in moving beyond stereotypes of mean girls and negligent parents as the ones responsible for all the pain that kids go through. The tension in the book starts off right in the beginning and gradually readers learn the secrets lurking behind everyone’s story.
Three friends are bonded together because they have been rejected by the cool group in their 8th grade year. They have been slammed and ignored electronically and in real life. Their parents don’t understand or can’t relate — and in some ways are neglectful. Teachers pretend not to notice troublesome and scary behavior that happens on their watch. And each child — despite being just a child — brings to the story their own baggage and their own deep dark secrets. Because these kids feel like they can’t trust adults and they don’t know how to get help, they make some really bad decisions on how to deal with this problem on their own.
So read it, share it, encourage your child or students to read it – -and then discuss it! Because I think this story is so important.
August 6, 2012
Katie, Nate and Renata are in deep trouble. SERIOUSLY deep trouble, not the kind you're in after you miss curfew or even cheat on a test. They're in juvenile detention, accused of kidnapping and drugging Chase Dobson. Chase is a bully, but he's also a big deal in town. His parents are rich and his grandfather was the mayor a while back.
What makes matters worse is that Katie, Nate and Renata won't stick up for themselves. They won't even tell you what happened or why. They made a pact, you see, and nothing can make them break it. Not even the fact that if they DO break it, they would be able to go home and back to their normal lives.
I hadn't heard anything about this book before I found it included in my pre-BEA breakfast "swag bag." I'm so glad it was in there! This is a quiet book, both in terms of content and in terms of publicity.
When I say that, I mean that this isn't one of those books that you're necessarily dying to read. And that's okay. A lot of the books I end up absolutely loving are books that slipped under my radar and ended up being books that just sort of quietly blew me away.
Each of the four major characters is hiding a secret (hence the title, obviously) and my favorite part is that I didn't guess any of the secrets. That's pretty rare and when a book can completely blindside me, I fall a little bit in love with it. There's a lot to love with this novel, too.
Highly recommended.
What makes matters worse is that Katie, Nate and Renata won't stick up for themselves. They won't even tell you what happened or why. They made a pact, you see, and nothing can make them break it. Not even the fact that if they DO break it, they would be able to go home and back to their normal lives.
I hadn't heard anything about this book before I found it included in my pre-BEA breakfast "swag bag." I'm so glad it was in there! This is a quiet book, both in terms of content and in terms of publicity.
When I say that, I mean that this isn't one of those books that you're necessarily dying to read. And that's okay. A lot of the books I end up absolutely loving are books that slipped under my radar and ended up being books that just sort of quietly blew me away.
Each of the four major characters is hiding a secret (hence the title, obviously) and my favorite part is that I didn't guess any of the secrets. That's pretty rare and when a book can completely blindside me, I fall a little bit in love with it. There's a lot to love with this novel, too.
Highly recommended.
January 4, 2015
This book explores the power that secrets have and the danger of sharing them with the wrong person. Katie, Nate, and Renata are all in juvenile detention for kidnapping the most popular boy in school, Chase Dobson. Their counselor wants to help them and prepare them for their upcoming trial, but the 3 friends have made a pact to never tell what really happened in the days that Chase was hidden in Renata’s basement room. Through the journals that the counselor gives each teen, the true story emerges, as well as the secrets that each has been desperately trying to hide. The different perspectives of the teens, as well as the counselor, made the book seem more fleshed out. The reader gets multiple sides of the story. One character’s contributions are almost entirely drawings, while another creates a fantasy life to distance himself from events in his life. Overall, a satisfying read that will hook teen readers from the start.
August 6, 2012
Interesting YA novel told from the point of view of three best friends who've just arrived at Juvenile Hall, and their newly assigned social worker. The counselor has asked each of them to keep a journal, in the hopes that she can learn the story that they have so far refused to tell about the crime they are accused of committing - the kidnapping and imprisonment of a classmate. The novel is made up primarily of their journal pages, and the social worker's reactions to their writings and the action she takes to try and help them as their court date approaches.
It was a very fast read, and the desire to know what happened and the secrets they are each keeping motivates one to rush through the book and find the answers.
It was a very fast read, and the desire to know what happened and the secrets they are each keeping motivates one to rush through the book and find the answers.
March 27, 2013
A compelling story of 3 teens who are in juvenile detention (“juvie”) for allegedly kidnapping a 4th teen. Told from four points of view (each of the 3 teens plus Mrs. Shield, the social worker assigned to counsel them prior to their court case), the book explores themes of bullying, friendship, shame and the high price of keeping secrets, while creating a great deal of suspense about what really happened the night Chase Dobson was kidnapped.
The teens’ personal stories are told through the journals they are assigned to keep by Mrs. Shield. Each teen has an extremely unique voice (one writes entirely in the style of a fantasy writer like J.R.R. Tolkien, one only draws pictures and one keeps two separate journals) and the reader comes to know all three well. I was very captivated and curious about the outcome – which unfortunately felt just a bit abrupt and less than completely satisfying. It’s probably best not to think too much about the convoluted plot, lest the holes and some unrealistic aspects become too apparent. Upper middle school and high school students who like realistic fiction and multiple points of view will breeze through this fast paced novel.
The teens’ personal stories are told through the journals they are assigned to keep by Mrs. Shield. Each teen has an extremely unique voice (one writes entirely in the style of a fantasy writer like J.R.R. Tolkien, one only draws pictures and one keeps two separate journals) and the reader comes to know all three well. I was very captivated and curious about the outcome – which unfortunately felt just a bit abrupt and less than completely satisfying. It’s probably best not to think too much about the convoluted plot, lest the holes and some unrealistic aspects become too apparent. Upper middle school and high school students who like realistic fiction and multiple points of view will breeze through this fast paced novel.
July 3, 2013
I don't know what I expected from a book called Four Secrets, but I have to admit that I really enjoyed how the author wrote the story, I just couldn't stand the characters. It had the stereotypical fantasist boy, the mysterious artist, and the stubbornly clueless girl. It had a typical plot with three middle school outcasts scared of the popular boy because they naturally assumed that if he shared their secrets everyone would care. I probably don't need to repeat this again, but that was extremely typical of a YA novel.It also had all the characters the average righteous social media blogger would love: a date rape victim, a transgendered character, the stereotyped religious person who seems to hate everyone, and the jock everyone is obsessed with (like seriously... who cares about a middle school athlete...). However, I did admire how Ms. Willey put in the juvie twist and I absolutely loved the way how she kept me in the dark with the social worker so that we were both trying to fit the puzzle together. It definitely wasn't my favorite book, but it wasn't that bad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2015
Secrets hold you prisoner. Guilty secrets hold an even tighter grip. Testing loyalties and friendships. Masterfully written by Margaret Willey. Three friends are in a juvenile detention center in deep trouble after 'kidnapping' the school frontman/bully Chase Dobson. Social worker, Greta, assigns all three to keep a journal. This expression helps each teen to come to grips, vent, and sort out what brought them here and yet, keep true to the pacts of secrecy they've promised each other. Devoted social worker, Greta, realistically puts her skills and compassion to the test. Satisfying and thoughtful.
October 2, 2012
FOUR SECRETS just received a starred review in Booklist, including this final zinger: "Willey's story masterfully teases out information until the final pages--and the ultimate revelations are well worth the torture."
Give it a read! Get into the mystery. What really happened? Why are these kids so afraid?
Give it a read! Get into the mystery. What really happened? Why are these kids so afraid?
February 7, 2018
I think the theme of the book is friendship and loyalty. Katie and Nate committed a crime just to save Renata from being bullied. Although they are revealed at the end, all 3 of them kept lots of secrets whilst in the juvenile detention center. Throughout the book, Katie and Nate mention in their diaries to "do it for Renata" as in keep the secrets for her. If that's not loyalty or true friendship, I don't know what is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2017
"Four Secrets" By Margaret Willey has a very interesting and unique plot. It is a mystery book and the author did a very good job of building suspense throughout the whole story.
This story takes place in a juvenile detention. It is a story told through the diary entries of three teenagers named Katie, Nate, and Renata. They were all previously bullied by a guy named Chase. One day, he took the bullying too far on Renata and Nate and Katie started to plot their revenge on him. Nate and Katie decided to kidnap him from a party that he was at. Chase is held hostage by the three teens until he escapes from them and ends up telling on them for what they did. Nate, Katie, and Renata have to serve a year in juvie and their social worker reads their diaries and learns that there is more secrets about the kidnapping than her and the police know. I think the theme of this story is that sometimes taking extremes to get revenge, isn't the best idea.
The title "Four Secrets" is a good title for this book because it relates to the plot where secrets are being unfolded as the story goes along. Some of the character's deepest, darkest secrets are revealed throughout the story which helps build suspense and makes the story compelling to the reader. A major symbol in this story would be the diaries because that is where the plot is basically told and it has all the unknown information of the kidnapping is told.
My overall opinion of this book is this book is that it is very realistic is the best way possible. The author does a very good job of drawing in the readers and makes them sort of feel like they're in the story too. This book is a good combination of action and mystery.
In conclusion, the book "Four Secrets" is one of the best mystery books I have read. I would rate it a 5/5 because it had plot twists I did not expect. I would recommend it to anyone who loves captivating mystery novels and loves feeling the emotion and intensity of the story they are reading.
This story takes place in a juvenile detention. It is a story told through the diary entries of three teenagers named Katie, Nate, and Renata. They were all previously bullied by a guy named Chase. One day, he took the bullying too far on Renata and Nate and Katie started to plot their revenge on him. Nate and Katie decided to kidnap him from a party that he was at. Chase is held hostage by the three teens until he escapes from them and ends up telling on them for what they did. Nate, Katie, and Renata have to serve a year in juvie and their social worker reads their diaries and learns that there is more secrets about the kidnapping than her and the police know. I think the theme of this story is that sometimes taking extremes to get revenge, isn't the best idea.
The title "Four Secrets" is a good title for this book because it relates to the plot where secrets are being unfolded as the story goes along. Some of the character's deepest, darkest secrets are revealed throughout the story which helps build suspense and makes the story compelling to the reader. A major symbol in this story would be the diaries because that is where the plot is basically told and it has all the unknown information of the kidnapping is told.
My overall opinion of this book is this book is that it is very realistic is the best way possible. The author does a very good job of drawing in the readers and makes them sort of feel like they're in the story too. This book is a good combination of action and mystery.
In conclusion, the book "Four Secrets" is one of the best mystery books I have read. I would rate it a 5/5 because it had plot twists I did not expect. I would recommend it to anyone who loves captivating mystery novels and loves feeling the emotion and intensity of the story they are reading.
January 11, 2013
Four Secrets by Margaret Willey is an incredible story to read. The story follows three kids with the names of Nate, Renata, and Katie who are in eighth grade that have each of their own secrets about their families that are being tormented by a bully. Their kidnapping resulted in a vacation in juvenile.
Katie and Nate have been the best of friends since the sixth grade when both of them got stung by their group of friends. Meaning they got ignored and totally pushed out of their friend group. Renata is a new girl that recently moved to the school in eighth grade. She was a little scrawny girl with black hair and unusual features. Katie and Nate became friends with her immediately. Because she was different, Chase Dobson, the school athlete, bullied her to the point where she would cry. The bullying became so bad that all the three kids plotted a plan to kidnap Chase and make him apologize for everything he has done. Chase's kidnapping didn't turn out as planned. It extended into a five day hostage negotiation. The three kids make a pact with Chase and get turned into the juvenile center in their town. Secrets are revealed on what really happened and the case is resolved.
Anyone who likes mysteries will enjoy this mystery filling book. The story starts right when the kids are in juvenile, and that makes you want to read more on why they are there. Anyone from all ages would enjoy it. It is not too kiddish or too hard to understand. The parts I liked best about the book were the fact that after each journal entry, it left you hanging wanting to read more; and that it was in journal entry form. The one part I disliked about the book is that Nate's journal entries were hard to understand because he was this fiction writer and he wrote like it in his entries. All in all the book was great, and I highly recommend it.
Katie and Nate have been the best of friends since the sixth grade when both of them got stung by their group of friends. Meaning they got ignored and totally pushed out of their friend group. Renata is a new girl that recently moved to the school in eighth grade. She was a little scrawny girl with black hair and unusual features. Katie and Nate became friends with her immediately. Because she was different, Chase Dobson, the school athlete, bullied her to the point where she would cry. The bullying became so bad that all the three kids plotted a plan to kidnap Chase and make him apologize for everything he has done. Chase's kidnapping didn't turn out as planned. It extended into a five day hostage negotiation. The three kids make a pact with Chase and get turned into the juvenile center in their town. Secrets are revealed on what really happened and the case is resolved.
Anyone who likes mysteries will enjoy this mystery filling book. The story starts right when the kids are in juvenile, and that makes you want to read more on why they are there. Anyone from all ages would enjoy it. It is not too kiddish or too hard to understand. The parts I liked best about the book were the fact that after each journal entry, it left you hanging wanting to read more; and that it was in journal entry form. The one part I disliked about the book is that Nate's journal entries were hard to understand because he was this fiction writer and he wrote like it in his entries. All in all the book was great, and I highly recommend it.
August 4, 2016
This book was very hot and cold. It tells the story of an event from the POV of three participants, and the Social Worker trying to help them. The journal writings of Katie and Nate are amazing; although the ideas communicated in Renata's drawings are unique and intricate interpretations of her viewpoint, the actual artwork isn't nearly as 'gifted' as described by various characters, whether peers or adults. This part of the story is quite engrossing.
When the POV of the story switches to the Social Worker, however, the quality of the writing and the believability of her actions go right out the window. They are not authentic to her profession, and could be considered downright malpractice or criminal. Yes, I understand that the character is described as 'too involved in the case', but that doesn't excuse the behavior. Interactions with other adults are also stilted.
I think Ms. Willey is much better being the 'voice' of her young teen characters than the adults in their lives.
When the POV of the story switches to the Social Worker, however, the quality of the writing and the believability of her actions go right out the window. They are not authentic to her profession, and could be considered downright malpractice or criminal. Yes, I understand that the character is described as 'too involved in the case', but that doesn't excuse the behavior. Interactions with other adults are also stilted.
I think Ms. Willey is much better being the 'voice' of her young teen characters than the adults in their lives.
December 3, 2012
The author did a capable job of characterizing her disparate characters through the use of fantasy language and images. Neither was my cup of tea, but then I'm not the target audience.
So I was making my way through this story perhaps too slowly to really care about the four secrets. And the secrets were worth saving. Until I got to Nate's, which really ticked me off. His father moved to the big city and had a sex change. Yes, worth the secrecy but really?
How many 12 and 13 year old readers do you hope to touch with this story? Like I said, ticked me off.
So I was making my way through this story perhaps too slowly to really care about the four secrets. And the secrets were worth saving. Until I got to Nate's, which really ticked me off. His father moved to the big city and had a sex change. Yes, worth the secrecy but really?
How many 12 and 13 year old readers do you hope to touch with this story? Like I said, ticked me off.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2014
There were some parts in this book that were pretty good--particularly the alternating viewpoints in the different "voice," including the drawings. But...I can't rate this higher because it was so confusing for most of the book, and I didn't really feel satisfied or like my questions were answered at the end. And did we really need the swearing? No, I think not.
June 24, 2017
Meh. This was recommended on a list of the best YA mystery novels in the last 10 years. There was very little mystery (the kids each have a secret, but that's really about it; other questions go unanswered), the ending was completely anticlimactic, and the characters were really annoying. I'm not sure how this made the list, unless narrowing YA down to just mysteries really lowers the bar.
June 19, 2020
The beginning was rather slow, if I'm being honest. It felt like I was reading about some 6th graders, not rising 9th graders. But as I kept reading, I felt as if the book grew up more and more with each chapter. I read this all in a day and found it to be an easy and interesting read, I just think I was too old for it when I read it. I would recommend it to older middle schoolers.
April 9, 2013
Totally amazing! Brilliantly written and has very unique characters. When it gets to Nate's journal its rather confusing at first, but you get used to it. Very good, I would recommend this to everyone.
March 13, 2015
I have finally finished four secrets and unfortunately, it was a VERY boring book. My favorite part of this book was probably the ending when all the kids got out of the juvenile detention place. Overall, this book is an okay book. I didn't really like it so I wouldn't reccomend it to anyone.
June 18, 2017
Not quite what I was expecting. Spoilers behind the tag.
Boo!
Boo!
June 4, 2022
When I picked up this book from the library I had very high hopes for the plot. I always love when books switch perspectives. I found the dialogue and diction of the book to be very confusing as one of the main perspectives spoke mainly in a medieval dialect, and there were references to a character called "the Great She" that I didn't figure out either. The characters were very disturbing and morbid, "To you the idea to kidnap Chase Dobson might seem like a mistake. But to us... we were just trying to stop him from being so...evil. We just...we had to stop him. No one helps kids like us. Not at my school. We aren't the important kids. We knew it wouldn't stop unless we stopped it ourselves"(Willey 32). Overall, I would not recommend this mystery, it was not as satisfying as I thought it would be.
February 14, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very interesting. The author did a good job in describing the plot in the detention center and the story in general. I loved how you have a clear image on what’s going on and you’re able to visualize how the characters reacted to the situation they were in. In/Addition the bound that the three kids had was irreplaceable, the way the author describe them and their loyalty towards one another. I recommend this book to people who enjoy mysteries.
February 24, 2019
This book was such an enjoyable read. I really enjoyed the different perspectives of the characters, especially N̶a̶t̶e̶'̶s̶ Nathaniel's perspectives. It teaches us that secrets hold power, and to diminish this power you must accept the secret for what it is, and come to terms with it. However, it might get confusing at times and also have to check back on what was mentioned before. Overall a good read :)
February 7, 2023
I couldn’t get past the first chapter or two. I didn’t finish it and it just wasn’t gripping. I was jumped right into a plot without understanding who the characters were or when time changed if it did. 0/10 stars. I only picked it up since I saw the cover and thought the cursive four was love and I enjoy lovey stories. I thought the title was love secrets. sorely disappointed.
May 5, 2023
I have read this book once before, but I think its definitely meant for a younger audience. Its an interesting book no doubt, but certain points are just lost on me, and I think they would be more appreciated by someone the age of the kids of the book. Would reccomend for late middle school kids though, very interesting and enticing.
August 27, 2017
A great read about kids with secrets and a social worker trying to figure out the events that led to them being in juvie. I really loved how the author used the journal entries they had to do and how each kid had a very distinct style -- especially the illustrations for Renata's entries.
October 16, 2022
I feel like Nate's secret really hasn't aged well, like I really don't think it's scandalous to have a parent who transitioned. I don't know; something about it left kind of a bad taste in my mouth. Other than that, this was a fun book to read.
March 1, 2019
Katie and Nate and trying to figure things out. But little do they know their friend goes missing and they have to figure out the puzzle to him.
July 15, 2023
It was an interesting read. A quick read.
October 10, 2012
The most prominent issue I had with FOUR SECRETS was the age of the three protagonists and the talked-about antagonist. They're all supposed to be in eighth grade but I kept finding that I had to remind myself that these weren't kids in high school. Just the extent of the issues they were having, how they spoke about it, how they carried it out it, just seemed so far beyond someone still in middle school.
Granted have it set their freshman year in high school and I probably wouldn't have batted an eye. Not much of a difference age-wise in the slightest but the association is different. In my mind there's a pretty big gap between middle school and high school and the voices I kept reading, at least to me, were high school age. I just wasn't convinced they were middle school, especially when body sizes came into play. All except Renata were described as large, either in stature or bulk (and by bulk I mean muscle). It just didn't fit for me and it was a point of contention throughout and every time I was reminded of their ages it wrenched me out of the story a little bit.
But other than that it was a really good, pretty fast, read told from the perspectives of four different people, Chase excluded. I could wholly empathize with the feelings of the social worker whose job it was to get to the bottom of why these kids kidnapped their classmate. Because they entered into some kind of pact they wouldn't talk and she ended up getting the creative runaround from all three of them.
Nate told his view in story form, referring to the people involved by assigned fantastical names and set in a scene that only vaguely alludes to what actually happened. Yeah you can get what he's saying but his was the portion of the book I liked the least. I was over his method of storytelling pretty quickly and while I'm sure it helped him to cope with the situation he was seeking solace in a fantasy world instead of coming to terms with what happened. He frustrated me the most.
Renata you see very little of within her own viewpoint, told, or rather shown, through her drawings. Otherwise you get a picture of who Renata is by the way Nate and Katie describe and talk about her. That would have been annoying to me if it weren't such a perfect way to get across Renata's personality. She is very much a background girl that doesn't speak very often but when she does, whether it's actually with her vocal chords or with her drawings, it's so poignant you can't help but listen. She's described as incredibly small and for most of the book that's the image I had in my mind: someone who was frail, tiny and needed rescuing when in fact she was exactly the opposite. Next to the social worker I think I liked Renata the most.
Katie is the most prominent voice in the story aside from the social worker and its through her you learn the most information in a manner that won't have you trying to put puzzle pieces together. Her method is very straight forward and when she started the second "rouse" journal I grunted in agitation. I WANTED her to reveal what happened because I knew it wasn't what the situation looked like. I think that was pretty evident from the beginning. But there wouldn't be a story if that happened so I bided my time reading Katie's story broken up by lunches and homework and recreation time. She was the most readable in terms of figuring everything out.
All three were hard-set in their ways when it came to not breaking this pact. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why and while it worked out in the end I don't feel there was proper punishment doled out for the responsible parties. The story resolved itself nicely enough but it was a little on the abrupt side and lacking in satisfaction. I wanted more. Comeuppance, maybe. A knock off one's high horse, if you will. The story resolved itself within one book which is a plus all around but there's a little bit more there, even if it's just ten or twenty pages.
While not my favorite Carolrhoda Lab book that's not to say it wasn't a good read. FOUR SECRETS has points of view for every type of reader of a multitude of ages telling a story about bullying and how NOT to go about remedying it. I don't want to give away the ending but through the eyes of the social worker you can see just how hard the gears are grinding, what's up against these kids and just how thin of a wire they're all walking on. Bullying sucks, sure, but there are ways to go about fixing it that won't land someone in jail. There's an air of noble cause and valiance in the book as well that may sway towards, in my eyes, the wrong way of fixing things but there is a balance there and Willey does a good job of playing both sides of the game. It also goes to show that everyone has secrets, even the most perfect of people, and sometimes they're far darker than bad hair days.
Granted have it set their freshman year in high school and I probably wouldn't have batted an eye. Not much of a difference age-wise in the slightest but the association is different. In my mind there's a pretty big gap between middle school and high school and the voices I kept reading, at least to me, were high school age. I just wasn't convinced they were middle school, especially when body sizes came into play. All except Renata were described as large, either in stature or bulk (and by bulk I mean muscle). It just didn't fit for me and it was a point of contention throughout and every time I was reminded of their ages it wrenched me out of the story a little bit.
But other than that it was a really good, pretty fast, read told from the perspectives of four different people, Chase excluded. I could wholly empathize with the feelings of the social worker whose job it was to get to the bottom of why these kids kidnapped their classmate. Because they entered into some kind of pact they wouldn't talk and she ended up getting the creative runaround from all three of them.
Nate told his view in story form, referring to the people involved by assigned fantastical names and set in a scene that only vaguely alludes to what actually happened. Yeah you can get what he's saying but his was the portion of the book I liked the least. I was over his method of storytelling pretty quickly and while I'm sure it helped him to cope with the situation he was seeking solace in a fantasy world instead of coming to terms with what happened. He frustrated me the most.
Renata you see very little of within her own viewpoint, told, or rather shown, through her drawings. Otherwise you get a picture of who Renata is by the way Nate and Katie describe and talk about her. That would have been annoying to me if it weren't such a perfect way to get across Renata's personality. She is very much a background girl that doesn't speak very often but when she does, whether it's actually with her vocal chords or with her drawings, it's so poignant you can't help but listen. She's described as incredibly small and for most of the book that's the image I had in my mind: someone who was frail, tiny and needed rescuing when in fact she was exactly the opposite. Next to the social worker I think I liked Renata the most.
Katie is the most prominent voice in the story aside from the social worker and its through her you learn the most information in a manner that won't have you trying to put puzzle pieces together. Her method is very straight forward and when she started the second "rouse" journal I grunted in agitation. I WANTED her to reveal what happened because I knew it wasn't what the situation looked like. I think that was pretty evident from the beginning. But there wouldn't be a story if that happened so I bided my time reading Katie's story broken up by lunches and homework and recreation time. She was the most readable in terms of figuring everything out.
All three were hard-set in their ways when it came to not breaking this pact. For the life of me I couldn't figure out why and while it worked out in the end I don't feel there was proper punishment doled out for the responsible parties. The story resolved itself nicely enough but it was a little on the abrupt side and lacking in satisfaction. I wanted more. Comeuppance, maybe. A knock off one's high horse, if you will. The story resolved itself within one book which is a plus all around but there's a little bit more there, even if it's just ten or twenty pages.
While not my favorite Carolrhoda Lab book that's not to say it wasn't a good read. FOUR SECRETS has points of view for every type of reader of a multitude of ages telling a story about bullying and how NOT to go about remedying it. I don't want to give away the ending but through the eyes of the social worker you can see just how hard the gears are grinding, what's up against these kids and just how thin of a wire they're all walking on. Bullying sucks, sure, but there are ways to go about fixing it that won't land someone in jail. There's an air of noble cause and valiance in the book as well that may sway towards, in my eyes, the wrong way of fixing things but there is a balance there and Willey does a good job of playing both sides of the game. It also goes to show that everyone has secrets, even the most perfect of people, and sometimes they're far darker than bad hair days.
March 13, 2017
When middle school students Nate, Katie, and Renata decide to kidnap a bully and teach him a lesson, they have no idea they'll end up in juvenile detention, but they do. There, a social worker has them each keep a journal about the events that led to their imprisonment, and as they tell the story in their own way while desperately trying to keep a secret pact, they reveal clues about personal secrets they are afraid will come out should they ever tell the truth about their actions. The fourth secret? That one belongs to their victim. This is a well told story, from multiple points of view. It also ends up being a pretty good mystery when the social worker realizes that the "facts" of the case just don't add up the way they should. As she struggles to keep her clients out of long-term lock up, she must rely on their journals and several interviews with community members, some less willing to participate than others, to find out what really happened. Although some of the secrets may be a little surprising or shocking in some communities, this is a title that my middle school students have enjoyed.
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