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Secrets of Southern Girls
In this powerful, affecting debut, a young woman uncovers devastating secrets about the friend she thinks she killed
Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it. Consumed by guilt, she left the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi, and swore nothing would ever drag her back. Now, raising her daughter and struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair and a dangerous secret.
When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to come home to find the diary that Reba kept all those years ago, Julie's past comes creeping back to haunt her. That diary could expose the shameful memories Julie has been running from, but it could also unearth the hidden truths that Reba left buried…and reveal that Julie isn't the only one who feels responsible for Reba's death.
Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it. Consumed by guilt, she left the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi, and swore nothing would ever drag her back. Now, raising her daughter and struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair and a dangerous secret.
When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to come home to find the diary that Reba kept all those years ago, Julie's past comes creeping back to haunt her. That diary could expose the shameful memories Julie has been running from, but it could also unearth the hidden truths that Reba left buried…and reveal that Julie isn't the only one who feels responsible for Reba's death.
320 pages, Paperback
First published June 6, 2017
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May 17, 2017
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Julie Portland was raised by her aunt after losing her parents when she was young. When she met her new next door neighbor, Reba it was as if they we destined to be best friends. They were extremely close. But it's almost like tragedy follows, Julie. When they are teenagers, Reba dies. Her death is ruled an accident but Julie feels that it's her fault, that she's the one responsible. She leaves Mississippi not long after.
Ten years later, after a failed marriage, Julie is living in Manhattan with her five-year old daughter Rebecca (Beck). In many ways she feels like she's just barely surviving. Julie has found ways to deal with her pain, well at least to distract her for a little while. During those times she doesn't have to think about a bridge or a field....or a dead girl.
"It's not your fault she's dead"
If only she believed that. The memories are everywhere, they refuse to let her be. She thinks she can push them away, but no matter how she tries to bury them, they always resurface.
Then out of the blue, Reba's former boyfriend, August shows up. He claims Reba left a diary behind and he thinks that Julie has it. She assures him she doesn't but she's curious as to what could be written in it.
"Reba wrote about everything in that journal, if you don't have it, then who the hell does?"
Now, August wants Julie to return to Lawrence Mill with him to find the diary. Back to the place Julie couldn't wait to leave. But if someone else does have the diary ....then it means they may have been there that night and know what really happened. Who else is keeping secrets? August and Julie may find out things they aren't prepared for and that maybe they didn't know Reba as well as they thought they did.
I generally enjoy stories told from multiple points of view. I liked hearing from Julie, August and other characters. However, the chapters weren't labelled and occasionally I would get confused whose perspective it was and had to go back to re-read. There seemed to be a lot of extra information that wasn't really necessary in my opinion and it felt like things were a bit out of order at times. I understand the author was trying to build suspense, but in some ways it was distracting. I did like the inclusion of Reba's diary entries. I enjoyed hearing the story from her point of view, though I did find that sometimes her voice sounded like it might be from someone older and more mature than she was.
I had a difficult time figuring out how to rate this book. It started out quite slow which sometimes works out, but in this case it made it harder for me to get into the story. But I kept with it and it did eventually pick up. I was very interested in finding out what was in the diary and what really happened to Reba. So while I did have some issues with this book, I still thought it was an interesting read. I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.
Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
Julie Portland was raised by her aunt after losing her parents when she was young. When she met her new next door neighbor, Reba it was as if they we destined to be best friends. They were extremely close. But it's almost like tragedy follows, Julie. When they are teenagers, Reba dies. Her death is ruled an accident but Julie feels that it's her fault, that she's the one responsible. She leaves Mississippi not long after.
Ten years later, after a failed marriage, Julie is living in Manhattan with her five-year old daughter Rebecca (Beck). In many ways she feels like she's just barely surviving. Julie has found ways to deal with her pain, well at least to distract her for a little while. During those times she doesn't have to think about a bridge or a field....or a dead girl.
"It's not your fault she's dead"
If only she believed that. The memories are everywhere, they refuse to let her be. She thinks she can push them away, but no matter how she tries to bury them, they always resurface.
Then out of the blue, Reba's former boyfriend, August shows up. He claims Reba left a diary behind and he thinks that Julie has it. She assures him she doesn't but she's curious as to what could be written in it.
"Reba wrote about everything in that journal, if you don't have it, then who the hell does?"
Now, August wants Julie to return to Lawrence Mill with him to find the diary. Back to the place Julie couldn't wait to leave. But if someone else does have the diary ....then it means they may have been there that night and know what really happened. Who else is keeping secrets? August and Julie may find out things they aren't prepared for and that maybe they didn't know Reba as well as they thought they did.
I generally enjoy stories told from multiple points of view. I liked hearing from Julie, August and other characters. However, the chapters weren't labelled and occasionally I would get confused whose perspective it was and had to go back to re-read. There seemed to be a lot of extra information that wasn't really necessary in my opinion and it felt like things were a bit out of order at times. I understand the author was trying to build suspense, but in some ways it was distracting. I did like the inclusion of Reba's diary entries. I enjoyed hearing the story from her point of view, though I did find that sometimes her voice sounded like it might be from someone older and more mature than she was.
I had a difficult time figuring out how to rate this book. It started out quite slow which sometimes works out, but in this case it made it harder for me to get into the story. But I kept with it and it did eventually pick up. I was very interested in finding out what was in the diary and what really happened to Reba. So while I did have some issues with this book, I still thought it was an interesting read. I look forward to seeing what the author writes next.
Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark for providing an advanced copy of this book for me to read in exchange for my honest review.
November 6, 2023
EXCERPT: The men aren't strangers. She meets them in acting classes, at the yoga studio, through friends of friends. Most of the time, they come to her home, the tiny Grove Street apartment that she and Beck share. She lets them in late, long after she has tucked her daughter into the cushiony pink softness of her comforter, although some nights Beck is with her father and the room sits empty. She makes the men tiptoe past the closed door of Beck's bedroom and leave before sunrise. But Beck has never been the kind of child to come searching for her in the night.
She pours wine. She lights candles in her dark room. Sometimes, she and her guest talk quietly for hours. On those nights she fills and refills her wineglass until she can talk freely but remember little. She tells lie after lie when he asks her questions. Better, so much better, when things don't get too personal.
ABOUT 'SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS': Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it. Consumed by guilt, she left the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi, and swore nothing would ever drag her back. Now, raising her daughter and struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair and a dangerous secret.
When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to come home to find the diary that Reba kept all those years ago, Julie's past comes creeping back to haunt her. That diary could expose the shameful memories Julie has been running from, but it could also unearth the hidden truths that Reba left buried…and reveal that Julie isn't the only one who feels responsible for Reba's death.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a slow meandering story that takes over half the book to get to the crux of the matter - the sexual awakening of a young southern girl, Reba (Rebecca). It is told from multiple points of view: those of Julie - her best friend; August and Toby - Reba's lovers; and Reba's diary entries, and two timelines - the current time as Julie and August return to Lawrence Mill to try and find the truth about Reba's death, and the 1990's when Reba and Julie were teenagers. The past perspective is set against a background of racial discrimination and southern prejudices. I liked Reba's diary entries; they helped set the scene of a young woman's awakening and the confusion and uncertainties it causes.
The author does a wonderful job of creating the atmosphere of the desperation of a first love, sexual awakening, family discord, teenage angst, betrayal of trust, and breeched friendships. It also involves inter-racial relationships and racial tensions all taking place in the claustrophobic setting of a small mill town.
Haley Harrigan writes with a lyrical beauty and a southern slowness that only adds to the atmosphere of the book. It is a slow burn, but that's okay. This isn't a story to be rushed. It is a twisting and sometimes sensual exploration of a first love and lost innocence.
I had a few minor issues relating to the physical evidence at the scene of Reba's death and the coroner's report, but that's just me. This is a solid debut effort from this author and I will be interested to see what else she has written in the intervening years.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#SecretsofSouthernGirls #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: HALEY HARRIGAN WRITES SOUTHERN STORIES ABOUT FLAWED WOMEN WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO KICK UP A FUSS TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. SHE LIVES IN ATHENS, GEORGIA WITH HER HUSBAND, DAUGHTER, AND ONE DEMANDING YORKIE. WHEN SHE’S NOT WRITING, SHE ENJOYS READING, WATCHING COLLEGE FOOTBALL, SIPPING MARGARITAS, READING, GETTING OVERLY INVOLVED IN TV SHOWS, AND READING.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of secrets of Southern Girls by Hayley Harrigan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
She pours wine. She lights candles in her dark room. Sometimes, she and her guest talk quietly for hours. On those nights she fills and refills her wineglass until she can talk freely but remember little. She tells lie after lie when he asks her questions. Better, so much better, when things don't get too personal.
ABOUT 'SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS': Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it. Consumed by guilt, she left the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi, and swore nothing would ever drag her back. Now, raising her daughter and struggling to make ends meet in Manhattan, Julie still can't forget the ghost of a girl with golden hair and a dangerous secret.
When August, Reba's first love, begs Julie to come home to find the diary that Reba kept all those years ago, Julie's past comes creeping back to haunt her. That diary could expose the shameful memories Julie has been running from, but it could also unearth the hidden truths that Reba left buried…and reveal that Julie isn't the only one who feels responsible for Reba's death.
MY THOUGHTS: This is a slow meandering story that takes over half the book to get to the crux of the matter - the sexual awakening of a young southern girl, Reba (Rebecca). It is told from multiple points of view: those of Julie - her best friend; August and Toby - Reba's lovers; and Reba's diary entries, and two timelines - the current time as Julie and August return to Lawrence Mill to try and find the truth about Reba's death, and the 1990's when Reba and Julie were teenagers. The past perspective is set against a background of racial discrimination and southern prejudices. I liked Reba's diary entries; they helped set the scene of a young woman's awakening and the confusion and uncertainties it causes.
The author does a wonderful job of creating the atmosphere of the desperation of a first love, sexual awakening, family discord, teenage angst, betrayal of trust, and breeched friendships. It also involves inter-racial relationships and racial tensions all taking place in the claustrophobic setting of a small mill town.
Haley Harrigan writes with a lyrical beauty and a southern slowness that only adds to the atmosphere of the book. It is a slow burn, but that's okay. This isn't a story to be rushed. It is a twisting and sometimes sensual exploration of a first love and lost innocence.
I had a few minor issues relating to the physical evidence at the scene of Reba's death and the coroner's report, but that's just me. This is a solid debut effort from this author and I will be interested to see what else she has written in the intervening years.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#SecretsofSouthernGirls #NetGalley
THE AUTHOR: HALEY HARRIGAN WRITES SOUTHERN STORIES ABOUT FLAWED WOMEN WHO AREN’T AFRAID TO KICK UP A FUSS TO GET WHAT THEY WANT. SHE LIVES IN ATHENS, GEORGIA WITH HER HUSBAND, DAUGHTER, AND ONE DEMANDING YORKIE. WHEN SHE’S NOT WRITING, SHE ENJOYS READING, WATCHING COLLEGE FOOTBALL, SIPPING MARGARITAS, READING, GETTING OVERLY INVOLVED IN TV SHOWS, AND READING.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC of secrets of Southern Girls by Hayley Harrigan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
May 29, 2017
The Set Up:
Julie lives in Manhattan with her daughter Beck, struggling to make ends meet. Her and her husband have long since gone their separate ways but Julie can still count on him for Beck’s sake.
Julie’s then best friend Reba died suddenly and tragically when they were still teenagers and though officially ruled accidental Julie still feels responsible, complicit somehow in Reba’s death. When Reba’s high school boyfriend August shows up unexpectedly in NYC he tells Julie that Reba had a diary and enlists her assistance to return to their old hometown and help him find it.
This is the story of their quest and the secrets uncovered by a dead teenage girls private thoughts.
To be sure I was invested in learning what the diary might reveal about what really happened the night that Reba died and even though the story is told through the different perspectives of Julie, of August and even Reba herself, I had a difficult time connecting with any of them. The diary entries, which more or less spoon feed the story, did not feel authentic to me; without the drapery I would never have envisioned them to be written by a young teenage girl.
I read another review out there that described the beginning of this book as being obtuse and I couldn't agree more. Several times I resisted the strong urge to just set it aside.
Given all of the above this was really a two star read for me. Decent but not particularly memorable, except for one thing. That would be Julie’s cousin Toby. Now Toby, he was so bloody real my fingers thrummed every time he entered the story. I could see him, I could hear him, I could smell him practically. I may not have completely understood him but I sure could feel his presence, and the impact he had on others. Not once did I ever consider putting this down when Toby was present. Unuh, he held me captive with his every word, his every move. Like him or not, he was flesh and blood, flawed, disturbing even, compelling and very human. He made me care about his outcome and on the strength of the subtle yet visceral, nuance of this character alone, I elevated this to three stars. I promise you I won’t soon forget him and have no doubt that anyone who can, by the strength of their pen, bring forward such an honest character, well they no doubt have some talent. Someone to watch then.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Haley Harrigan and NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review this book.
Julie lives in Manhattan with her daughter Beck, struggling to make ends meet. Her and her husband have long since gone their separate ways but Julie can still count on him for Beck’s sake.
Julie’s then best friend Reba died suddenly and tragically when they were still teenagers and though officially ruled accidental Julie still feels responsible, complicit somehow in Reba’s death. When Reba’s high school boyfriend August shows up unexpectedly in NYC he tells Julie that Reba had a diary and enlists her assistance to return to their old hometown and help him find it.
This is the story of their quest and the secrets uncovered by a dead teenage girls private thoughts.
To be sure I was invested in learning what the diary might reveal about what really happened the night that Reba died and even though the story is told through the different perspectives of Julie, of August and even Reba herself, I had a difficult time connecting with any of them. The diary entries, which more or less spoon feed the story, did not feel authentic to me; without the drapery I would never have envisioned them to be written by a young teenage girl.
I read another review out there that described the beginning of this book as being obtuse and I couldn't agree more. Several times I resisted the strong urge to just set it aside.
Given all of the above this was really a two star read for me. Decent but not particularly memorable, except for one thing. That would be Julie’s cousin Toby. Now Toby, he was so bloody real my fingers thrummed every time he entered the story. I could see him, I could hear him, I could smell him practically. I may not have completely understood him but I sure could feel his presence, and the impact he had on others. Not once did I ever consider putting this down when Toby was present. Unuh, he held me captive with his every word, his every move. Like him or not, he was flesh and blood, flawed, disturbing even, compelling and very human. He made me care about his outcome and on the strength of the subtle yet visceral, nuance of this character alone, I elevated this to three stars. I promise you I won’t soon forget him and have no doubt that anyone who can, by the strength of their pen, bring forward such an honest character, well they no doubt have some talent. Someone to watch then.
My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark, Haley Harrigan and NetGalley for an opportunity to read and review this book.
February 7, 2017
The only reason I finished this is because netgalley sent it to me. If not for that, I would have given up well before the halfway mark.
Don't get me wrong, the author is a good writer. In fact, some of the wording is quite beautiful, and she should be proud of that because it's not easy to do.
But, and this is a big but, there are serious issues with the dialogue and the diary entries that were supposed to be written from the pov of a teenager. Also, the naivete of one of the characters in regards to their lack of awareness about the KKK and racism is not true to form.
Is it too late to go back and fix these issues? I hope not, because bad dialogue and writing that isn't true to the character is a deal breaker for most readers. I feel bad saying for saying these things (I certainly don't want to hurt the author's feelings but there is room for improvement here), but netgalley has asked for an honest opinion so they're getting one.
Don't get me wrong, the author is a good writer. In fact, some of the wording is quite beautiful, and she should be proud of that because it's not easy to do.
But, and this is a big but, there are serious issues with the dialogue and the diary entries that were supposed to be written from the pov of a teenager. Also, the naivete of one of the characters in regards to their lack of awareness about the KKK and racism is not true to form.
Is it too late to go back and fix these issues? I hope not, because bad dialogue and writing that isn't true to the character is a deal breaker for most readers. I feel bad saying for saying these things (I certainly don't want to hurt the author's feelings but there is room for improvement here), but netgalley has asked for an honest opinion so they're getting one.
June 3, 2017
I'm surprised this book doesn't have a higher average rating. That may change when it's actually released. I think it's actually quite fantastic for a debut novel. It isn't without it's faults, for sure. It's a slow burn, and some of the dialogue did come across as a bit stilted. But it's a tragically beautiful story that is done well. I'm not sure what this author will come up with next, but count me in. Some of the characters are unlikable at times, but I think that's one of the hallmarks of a good author: keeping you involved in the story even when you're not in love with the characters the whole time.
This story takes place during two different time periods: the late 90s, and today. Julie and Reba were best friends back then, opposites who clung to each other. Julie is wild and promiscuous, searching for affection from anyone who will give it to her. She lost her parents as a child, and she doesn't get much attention at all from the aunt or surly older cousin that she lives with. Reba seems to have a perfect home life at first glance, but it certainly isn't. Her father is angry, bitter, and racist, and her mother doesn't stand up to him. Yet Reba is innocent and pure, and Jules loves her for it: the perfect counterpart to her own rebellious nature.
Reba dies tragically young, but not before getting some life and love experience, shattering the illusion Jules has of her. Jules blames herself for her death, and it continues to haunt her as an adult with a child living in New York. Reba's former flame August appears one day, asking Jules to go back down south with him and find a diary that Reba left behind. He never found closure after his first and only love died, and he's convinced that someone had the old diary Reba once told him he should read.
The diary of the girl who will remain forever seventeen is filled with secrets, and it'll change everything. Reba was keeping many things hidden from those closest to her. She wasn't the girl that they knew... or the girl that they both convinced themselves they knew.
I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
This story takes place during two different time periods: the late 90s, and today. Julie and Reba were best friends back then, opposites who clung to each other. Julie is wild and promiscuous, searching for affection from anyone who will give it to her. She lost her parents as a child, and she doesn't get much attention at all from the aunt or surly older cousin that she lives with. Reba seems to have a perfect home life at first glance, but it certainly isn't. Her father is angry, bitter, and racist, and her mother doesn't stand up to him. Yet Reba is innocent and pure, and Jules loves her for it: the perfect counterpart to her own rebellious nature.
Reba dies tragically young, but not before getting some life and love experience, shattering the illusion Jules has of her. Jules blames herself for her death, and it continues to haunt her as an adult with a child living in New York. Reba's former flame August appears one day, asking Jules to go back down south with him and find a diary that Reba left behind. He never found closure after his first and only love died, and he's convinced that someone had the old diary Reba once told him he should read.
The diary of the girl who will remain forever seventeen is filled with secrets, and it'll change everything. Reba was keeping many things hidden from those closest to her. She wasn't the girl that they knew... or the girl that they both convinced themselves they knew.
I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark, thank you! My review is honest and unbiased.
May 14, 2017
This book is very slow to start. I had no idea where it was even going at the beginning. I didn't have a sense of the main character, Julie, at all. It usually doesn't bother me if a book is purposely obtuse in the beginning. But there has to be something to keep you engaged. And this book just didn't have it. I kept waiting to finally get hooked and never did. I seriously thought about giving up on it.
The gist of the book is that Julie’s best friend, Reba, died in high school. Reba’s HS boyfriend tracks down Julie ten years later to return to their hometown in Mississippi to look for Reba’s missing diary.
The are sections of the diary interspersed through the chapters. For a teenager’s diary, it comes across as stilted. I can't imagine teenage girls talking or writing that way. And in order to move the story forward, the author includes complete conversations in the diary.
The whole raison d’etre of the story is to show how what people project onto us prohibits them from seeing the real us. But the “real” Reba never comes across as real. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
My thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of this book.
The gist of the book is that Julie’s best friend, Reba, died in high school. Reba’s HS boyfriend tracks down Julie ten years later to return to their hometown in Mississippi to look for Reba’s missing diary.
The are sections of the diary interspersed through the chapters. For a teenager’s diary, it comes across as stilted. I can't imagine teenage girls talking or writing that way. And in order to move the story forward, the author includes complete conversations in the diary.
The whole raison d’etre of the story is to show how what people project onto us prohibits them from seeing the real us. But the “real” Reba never comes across as real. Unfortunately, I can't recommend this one.
My thanks to netgalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy of this book.
May 2, 2017
3.5 stars
Available June 6, 2017
Orphaned as a small child, Julie Portland was raised by her aunt in the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi. It’s not a happy fit for Julie and she is lonely until she becomes close to Reba, the girl who lives next door. The girls are inseparable throughout their childhood and are as close as sisters until the unthinkable happens when they are teenagers: Reba dies - and Julie believes she is responsible. The death is ruled a suicide but Julie is convinced Reba died because of her. The first chance she gets, Julie flees the claustrophobia of Lawrence Mill to the anonymity of New York.
Ten years on, things are not much better in New York. Julie is divorced and has a young daughter from the failed marriage. She is still consumed with guilt over Reba and no matter what she does, she cannot escape the past - and it becomes even harder when Reba’s high school boyfriend, August, appears on Julie’s doorstep, demanding that she give him Reba’s diary. Julie does not have it and once she convinces August of this, he decides they both have to go back to Lawrence Mill to search for it. August, like Julie, has been unable to move on and he believes the diary will bring desperately needed closure. Julie, after some soul searching, decides she will go back home and search for the diary but, once they find it, will things ever be the same?
At first, Secrets of Southern Girls is a slow read. I had a little trouble getting into it but, because Harrigan is a very talented writer and because I really wanted to know what was in the diary, I kept reading. Snippets of Reba’s diary are introduced very early in the book, as another POV. They are related in past tense while the current POVs use present tense - though it is thoughtfully used here to separate timelines, I just don’t like how present tense reads. Sometimes the transitions between the timelines aren’t very clear and it threw me off. Some of this could be due to formatting issues with my e-ARC.
Those points aside, Harrigan is a wonderful writer. Some of her passages are almost poetic. Once I hit the halfway mark, I really had a difficult time putting the book down. For lack of a better description, it gets a bit juicy. Through her diary, we learn Reba, who both Julie and August have put on a pedestal, was not quite so innocent. There is a lot more complexity here than your average teenage drama and Harrigan does a wonderful job of exploring the emotions and secrets held by these characters.
Several characters’ POVs are used: Julie, August, Reba (through her diary) and Julie’s cousin, Toby. The characters are well-drawn, believable and mostly relatable though I wasn’t as engaged with Julie and August as maybe I should have been. Reba is the star of the book. She comes alive in her diary and you really connect with her and can’t help but feel for her. Though he’s not the nicest guy in the world, I think the character of Toby is quite interesting and fabulously flawed. It takes a good writer to get you to sympathize with a character like Toby’s.
I think Harrigan has a lot of potential and her first book is very ambitious and well-written. I definitely will put her on my list of authors to watch.
Available June 6, 2017
Orphaned as a small child, Julie Portland was raised by her aunt in the small town of Lawrence Mill, Mississippi. It’s not a happy fit for Julie and she is lonely until she becomes close to Reba, the girl who lives next door. The girls are inseparable throughout their childhood and are as close as sisters until the unthinkable happens when they are teenagers: Reba dies - and Julie believes she is responsible. The death is ruled a suicide but Julie is convinced Reba died because of her. The first chance she gets, Julie flees the claustrophobia of Lawrence Mill to the anonymity of New York.
Ten years on, things are not much better in New York. Julie is divorced and has a young daughter from the failed marriage. She is still consumed with guilt over Reba and no matter what she does, she cannot escape the past - and it becomes even harder when Reba’s high school boyfriend, August, appears on Julie’s doorstep, demanding that she give him Reba’s diary. Julie does not have it and once she convinces August of this, he decides they both have to go back to Lawrence Mill to search for it. August, like Julie, has been unable to move on and he believes the diary will bring desperately needed closure. Julie, after some soul searching, decides she will go back home and search for the diary but, once they find it, will things ever be the same?
At first, Secrets of Southern Girls is a slow read. I had a little trouble getting into it but, because Harrigan is a very talented writer and because I really wanted to know what was in the diary, I kept reading. Snippets of Reba’s diary are introduced very early in the book, as another POV. They are related in past tense while the current POVs use present tense - though it is thoughtfully used here to separate timelines, I just don’t like how present tense reads. Sometimes the transitions between the timelines aren’t very clear and it threw me off. Some of this could be due to formatting issues with my e-ARC.
Those points aside, Harrigan is a wonderful writer. Some of her passages are almost poetic. Once I hit the halfway mark, I really had a difficult time putting the book down. For lack of a better description, it gets a bit juicy. Through her diary, we learn Reba, who both Julie and August have put on a pedestal, was not quite so innocent. There is a lot more complexity here than your average teenage drama and Harrigan does a wonderful job of exploring the emotions and secrets held by these characters.
Several characters’ POVs are used: Julie, August, Reba (through her diary) and Julie’s cousin, Toby. The characters are well-drawn, believable and mostly relatable though I wasn’t as engaged with Julie and August as maybe I should have been. Reba is the star of the book. She comes alive in her diary and you really connect with her and can’t help but feel for her. Though he’s not the nicest guy in the world, I think the character of Toby is quite interesting and fabulously flawed. It takes a good writer to get you to sympathize with a character like Toby’s.
I think Harrigan has a lot of potential and her first book is very ambitious and well-written. I definitely will put her on my list of authors to watch.
May 23, 2017
This was a very powerful story that captivates you with every page you turn.
Ten years ago Julie accidentally kills her best friend. There was no punishment by law for her, she's punished herself.
She left her hometown determined that nothing and no one would bring her back.
She was wrong.
Her marriage falls apart, she just surviving with her daughter Beck.
Reb is always breaking through the surface of her mind although at times she's been busy and distracted but things have a way of surfacing. Resurfacing. And people.
August who was Rebs fella came to seek Julie out as he believes she has a diary left from Reb.
She doesn't.
Of course now she wonders what's in this diary and what will be revealed.
Augusts words play on Julie's mind.
"if you don't have it, who in the hell does"
I was really eager by that time to find out myself!!
So carrying on reading I was hastily turning pages.
This is a knockout of a read. I so thoroughly enjoyed it.
My thanks to SOURCEBOOKS landmark via Net Galley for my copy
Ten years ago Julie accidentally kills her best friend. There was no punishment by law for her, she's punished herself.
She left her hometown determined that nothing and no one would bring her back.
She was wrong.
Her marriage falls apart, she just surviving with her daughter Beck.
Reb is always breaking through the surface of her mind although at times she's been busy and distracted but things have a way of surfacing. Resurfacing. And people.
August who was Rebs fella came to seek Julie out as he believes she has a diary left from Reb.
She doesn't.
Of course now she wonders what's in this diary and what will be revealed.
Augusts words play on Julie's mind.
"if you don't have it, who in the hell does"
I was really eager by that time to find out myself!!
So carrying on reading I was hastily turning pages.
This is a knockout of a read. I so thoroughly enjoyed it.
My thanks to SOURCEBOOKS landmark via Net Galley for my copy
June 10, 2017
All of my reviews can be found on www.novelgossip.com
3.5/5
Julie has never been able to get over the death of her high school best friend Reba, not even ten years later and she’s not happy to be back in her small hometown, but the allure of a diary Reba left behind is too strong for her to ignore. This is told mainly through Julie’s eyes in 2008, though there are a few brief chapters from August and Toby as well. (Toby is Julie’s cousin who she lived with after her parents died.) There are also chapters from Reba’s diary in 1997 where the truth about the months and days leading up to her death are finally revealed. I especially liked the diary entries as it was the only way to see what really happened and they were also clearly labeled. I say this because the other chapters were not labeled and I think it would’ve helped to do this in order to avoid confusion.
This was a slow burn of a book, one that takes a bit of patience in the beginning, but if you stick with it, things speed up around the halfway point and the suspense heightens. When August and Julie finally get their hands on the diary everything they thought they knew about Reba is shattered. This girl was hiding some serious secrets and nothing is as they thought it was.
I liked some of the issues this one touched on, it showed how racism was still sadly prevalent in the late nineties and how this affected so many lives in an negative way. Harrigan has a really beautiful writing style and this was a solid debut that I had minor issues with, but nothing that ruined my reading experience. If you like a read that takes a little time to warm up, but still gradually reels you in, give this one a try.
3.5/5
Julie has never been able to get over the death of her high school best friend Reba, not even ten years later and she’s not happy to be back in her small hometown, but the allure of a diary Reba left behind is too strong for her to ignore. This is told mainly through Julie’s eyes in 2008, though there are a few brief chapters from August and Toby as well. (Toby is Julie’s cousin who she lived with after her parents died.) There are also chapters from Reba’s diary in 1997 where the truth about the months and days leading up to her death are finally revealed. I especially liked the diary entries as it was the only way to see what really happened and they were also clearly labeled. I say this because the other chapters were not labeled and I think it would’ve helped to do this in order to avoid confusion.
This was a slow burn of a book, one that takes a bit of patience in the beginning, but if you stick with it, things speed up around the halfway point and the suspense heightens. When August and Julie finally get their hands on the diary everything they thought they knew about Reba is shattered. This girl was hiding some serious secrets and nothing is as they thought it was.
I liked some of the issues this one touched on, it showed how racism was still sadly prevalent in the late nineties and how this affected so many lives in an negative way. Harrigan has a really beautiful writing style and this was a solid debut that I had minor issues with, but nothing that ruined my reading experience. If you like a read that takes a little time to warm up, but still gradually reels you in, give this one a try.
October 1, 2017
Ten years ago, Julie Portland accidentally killed her best friend, Reba. What's worse is she got away with it.
First I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me a copy of this book.
My eyes were completely glued to Secrets of Southern Girls and I sped through it in one day. This book was tragic and the people in it were so messed up, almost every one of them. From the first page when we meet Julie we can see that she has issues with love and men that are deeply rooted in the past. Then there is her best friend Reba who died, and Julie blames herself, but she finds out that there are two other people who also feel responsible for Reba's death. I won't spoil who they are or why they feel responsible. The less you know ahead of time the better. I was expecting this to be a thriller with a murderer on the loose, but that isn't what this is at all. This is a mystery, but the mystery is more about revealing who the characters really are and what made them do the things they did than a who-dun-it.
Not too far into the book we also meet August who was Reba's first love. He has tracked Julie down after over a decade because he needs to find closure so he can move on. He thinks that closure will come through a journal Reba kept and intended to give him the night she died. He also believes that Julie has the journal. She doesn't, but she agrees to help him find it, so they travel back to the tiny Mississippi town that they both left behind years ago and never intended to return to.
I didn't find any of the characters extremely likable except for August, and that usually affects how much I enjoy a book, but this time around all the characters were so well drawn and I loved the way the story unfolded as every sordid detail is uncovered through journal entries and memories. And I do mean sordid, which is not usually my cup of tea, but this book just drew me in so much. My only real complaint is that the journal entries didn't really read as journal entries of a teen girl. They were written more like flashbacks.
Like I said, just about all the characters were hard to like, but we come to understand why they are the way they are, why they are so messed up, and so they grew on me despite the things they did and the choices they made. I was even able to empathize with Toby who was the most despicable character in the book to me. He was just so well drawn and his emotions felt so raw and real.
After finishing this I was left thinking about how we never can tell if we really know someone, and how profoundly the choices we make and the lies we tell can affect ourselves and others around us for years to come.
Content: Some language, sex, underage drinking, and drug use.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
First I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for giving me a copy of this book.
My eyes were completely glued to Secrets of Southern Girls and I sped through it in one day. This book was tragic and the people in it were so messed up, almost every one of them. From the first page when we meet Julie we can see that she has issues with love and men that are deeply rooted in the past. Then there is her best friend Reba who died, and Julie blames herself, but she finds out that there are two other people who also feel responsible for Reba's death. I won't spoil who they are or why they feel responsible. The less you know ahead of time the better. I was expecting this to be a thriller with a murderer on the loose, but that isn't what this is at all. This is a mystery, but the mystery is more about revealing who the characters really are and what made them do the things they did than a who-dun-it.
Not too far into the book we also meet August who was Reba's first love. He has tracked Julie down after over a decade because he needs to find closure so he can move on. He thinks that closure will come through a journal Reba kept and intended to give him the night she died. He also believes that Julie has the journal. She doesn't, but she agrees to help him find it, so they travel back to the tiny Mississippi town that they both left behind years ago and never intended to return to.
I didn't find any of the characters extremely likable except for August, and that usually affects how much I enjoy a book, but this time around all the characters were so well drawn and I loved the way the story unfolded as every sordid detail is uncovered through journal entries and memories. And I do mean sordid, which is not usually my cup of tea, but this book just drew me in so much. My only real complaint is that the journal entries didn't really read as journal entries of a teen girl. They were written more like flashbacks.
Like I said, just about all the characters were hard to like, but we come to understand why they are the way they are, why they are so messed up, and so they grew on me despite the things they did and the choices they made. I was even able to empathize with Toby who was the most despicable character in the book to me. He was just so well drawn and his emotions felt so raw and real.
After finishing this I was left thinking about how we never can tell if we really know someone, and how profoundly the choices we make and the lies we tell can affect ourselves and others around us for years to come.
Content: Some language, sex, underage drinking, and drug use.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
May 18, 2017
This is one book that I am indifferent to write a review about. The author's writing is good but the story is not compelling. Worse, I did not have any feelings for the main characters other than pity and dislike. The book revolves around the death of 17 year old Reba which had occurred ten years earlier. Julie, Reba's best friend, is the main character and is very hard to fathom. I don't feel like I know her and would not care to know her in real life. The other characters are just as self absorbed and shallow. Julie, also known as "Jules" when she was growing up, has the maturity of a 12 year old and her cousin Toby acts even more childishly. Another character named August is a boy that loved Reba as a teenager and is still obsessed with her death. He shows up in New York in the present day to recruit Julie to go back to the town where Reba died and investigate her supposed suicide. He is a one dimensional character for most of the book. I am sorry I could not recommend "Secrets of Southern Girls"-the premise could have made for a decent read but instead it had some odd twists that did not add to the meat of the plot and made it even more unbelievable.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book and give an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book and give an honest review.
June 19, 2017
A more complete review is available on my blog:
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...
This book had a great beginning. It takes place in a town full of racism and Reba and August were the star-crossed lovers there. Julie was an orphan who lacked the love she needed from her new family and looked for it elsewhere. In addition, there seemed to be an element of a mystery that was unfolding. It lacked any kind of surprise and the ending was very predictable, though. While the writing was fluid and kept me moving in the beginning, that lack of a complex story line made it difficult for me to enjoy the book towards the end. The characters were very stereotypical and lacked authenticity. I think that the theme of the problematic relationship between Reba and August would have done better if the story were to take place during the civil rights movement. It would have made it more believable. While I did enjoy the first half of the book and don't regret reading this, it wasn't my favorite.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
http://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand.b...
This book had a great beginning. It takes place in a town full of racism and Reba and August were the star-crossed lovers there. Julie was an orphan who lacked the love she needed from her new family and looked for it elsewhere. In addition, there seemed to be an element of a mystery that was unfolding. It lacked any kind of surprise and the ending was very predictable, though. While the writing was fluid and kept me moving in the beginning, that lack of a complex story line made it difficult for me to enjoy the book towards the end. The characters were very stereotypical and lacked authenticity. I think that the theme of the problematic relationship between Reba and August would have done better if the story were to take place during the civil rights movement. It would have made it more believable. While I did enjoy the first half of the book and don't regret reading this, it wasn't my favorite.
Thank you to Netgalley and Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of this book for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
January 24, 2019
Reba and Julie, best of friends forever,since childhood.
Reba keeps a diary. Julie and friends, Toby and August want to know the contents of that diary.
Julie has felt guilty for years, thinking she was responsible for her friend Reba's death.
After finding and the diary and reading it. they all realized all the lies that Reba told.
Reba keeps a diary. Julie and friends, Toby and August want to know the contents of that diary.
Julie has felt guilty for years, thinking she was responsible for her friend Reba's death.
After finding and the diary and reading it. they all realized all the lies that Reba told.
June 22, 2017
This book started off slow but half way through moved a lot quicker. I was glad I persevered! Jules is living in NYC and a boy she knew from her past shows up and asks her to go back to their hometown for them to have closure regarding the death of Jules best friend, Reba. Reba died ten years earlier and Jules is under the impression that she killed her. August, Reba's secret boyfriend, wants to know what exactly happened that night. Jules and August return and find out much more than they bargained for about the life of Reba. They are given Reba's journal and they piece together what had been really happening with Reba and her true thoughts and feelings before she died. The story is told from the point of view of various people as well as Reba through her journal. The pacing really picked up toward the end and the suspense was great. I would recommend this book.
I would like to thank the author, Haley Harrigan, for sending me this book for an honest review.
I would like to thank the author, Haley Harrigan, for sending me this book for an honest review.
December 27, 2016
Julie Portland has a secret from her past that has shaped her adult life. Now it has caught up with her and she knows it is time to face that past. Her secret has colored her adult relationships and she is afraid it will cause her to make bad decisions as a mother. August was part of the past she ran to New York to escape and he has found her and convinced her to return to Lawrence Mill, a place she thought she would never see again. Once they arrive back in Lawrence Mill it's as if the past ten years never happened and she never left. Everything seems the same yet she knows it is not. As she and August try to find why the events happened as they did she is not sure she wants the answers but they have come this far and she will not leave until she has found out the truth. Great read. I would like to thank the Publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this ARC.
February 6, 2017
via my blog https://bookstalkerblog.wordpress.com/
She only has lovers in wintertime.
In summer, the days stretch long like lazy animals, and the sun’s rays reach like warm fingers down between the buildings and slide gently across her face and arms. It’s harder, then, to think of dark things.
Just what are the dark things in Julie Portland’s past? The haunting knowledge she carries and the fear that she has her best friend’s blood on her hands, and her guilty conscience. Now a single mother, she struggles to raise her little girl and keep her life afloat. The problem is, you can’t bury the past- somehow truth has a way of surfacing. Though living in in Manhattan, far from Mississippi, there is something corroded about her present circumstances. She has never recovered from the loss of Reba a decade ago.
Reba’s first, secret love August is a reminder of everything that went wrong. Though he never really knew Julie, he has come to beg her to help him find Reba’s missing diary but this means returning to the chilling past, her hometown. What if, in finding the diary, things left unknown are better buried? Could there be redemption or just more blame?
Through the diary entries, the sweet Reba isn’t the southern innocent her loved ones believed her to be. What does Julie’s screwed up brother know about that night, what did he really witness? How much have each of them carried with them through the years, poisoning their relationships, tainting their futures? August has carried Reba in his heart for so long, that no one can compare to that first blush of youth. But did Reba truly love as deeply as he?
There is racism on the periphery, but in a place where there is a great race divide, there isn’t a citizen alive that isn’t aware of it. If it is in a novel, it needs to be an ominous presence, as racism is. I had a hard time with a few things. The journal entries could have been darker, and at times I couldn’t see Reba as a real girl. I’ve read a plethora of novels with ‘diaries’, also many diaries that are non-fiction, and Reba’s thoughts didn’t have the feel of diary entries to me. I expected in a racist town for Reba to have a much bigger struggle over her feelings towards August. The sneaking around made sense but it wasn’t complicated enough. That Reba wasn’t exactly the sort of person her best friend figured her to be wasn’t a shock, but the problem I had was that I don’t think the reader feels Reba ever became a person we cared for. Diaries are intimate, they can endear, repulse, horrify, expose… it didn’t happen for me, this is the place the character breathes life, particularly in a story of a dead girl, but she never came alive.
Maybe I have read far too many journals, and as an avid diarist myself my expectations were too high and unforgiving. I expected childish, outlandish nonsense, because even the most gifted teenagers exaggerate the importance of every incident of their lives. “NO one has ever loved as great as me” you know, feelings running away with you, passions setting them afire. I don’t like to skip when reading, it’s a form of sacrilege but I was tempted when Reba’s diary entries appeared. The other thing, I was hoping with the title being about southern girls there’d be a more southern flavor, and I don’t mean racism for you cynical people! Julie is the wild one, having lost her parents she lives with an Aunt she never knew and didn’t seem to really have any parental boundaries set. I was waiting for some crazy southern nights, seeing as she’s the wild child. There’s a heap of trouble southern girls get up to, the ‘wild ones’ you know, I am surprised the author didn’t run with that. It was a good enough read and this is an advanced reader’s edition. I wonder if maybe young adults would enjoy it more than my old dusty self.
Publication Date: June 1, 2017
Sourcebooks Landmark
She only has lovers in wintertime.
In summer, the days stretch long like lazy animals, and the sun’s rays reach like warm fingers down between the buildings and slide gently across her face and arms. It’s harder, then, to think of dark things.
Just what are the dark things in Julie Portland’s past? The haunting knowledge she carries and the fear that she has her best friend’s blood on her hands, and her guilty conscience. Now a single mother, she struggles to raise her little girl and keep her life afloat. The problem is, you can’t bury the past- somehow truth has a way of surfacing. Though living in in Manhattan, far from Mississippi, there is something corroded about her present circumstances. She has never recovered from the loss of Reba a decade ago.
Reba’s first, secret love August is a reminder of everything that went wrong. Though he never really knew Julie, he has come to beg her to help him find Reba’s missing diary but this means returning to the chilling past, her hometown. What if, in finding the diary, things left unknown are better buried? Could there be redemption or just more blame?
Through the diary entries, the sweet Reba isn’t the southern innocent her loved ones believed her to be. What does Julie’s screwed up brother know about that night, what did he really witness? How much have each of them carried with them through the years, poisoning their relationships, tainting their futures? August has carried Reba in his heart for so long, that no one can compare to that first blush of youth. But did Reba truly love as deeply as he?
There is racism on the periphery, but in a place where there is a great race divide, there isn’t a citizen alive that isn’t aware of it. If it is in a novel, it needs to be an ominous presence, as racism is. I had a hard time with a few things. The journal entries could have been darker, and at times I couldn’t see Reba as a real girl. I’ve read a plethora of novels with ‘diaries’, also many diaries that are non-fiction, and Reba’s thoughts didn’t have the feel of diary entries to me. I expected in a racist town for Reba to have a much bigger struggle over her feelings towards August. The sneaking around made sense but it wasn’t complicated enough. That Reba wasn’t exactly the sort of person her best friend figured her to be wasn’t a shock, but the problem I had was that I don’t think the reader feels Reba ever became a person we cared for. Diaries are intimate, they can endear, repulse, horrify, expose… it didn’t happen for me, this is the place the character breathes life, particularly in a story of a dead girl, but she never came alive.
Maybe I have read far too many journals, and as an avid diarist myself my expectations were too high and unforgiving. I expected childish, outlandish nonsense, because even the most gifted teenagers exaggerate the importance of every incident of their lives. “NO one has ever loved as great as me” you know, feelings running away with you, passions setting them afire. I don’t like to skip when reading, it’s a form of sacrilege but I was tempted when Reba’s diary entries appeared. The other thing, I was hoping with the title being about southern girls there’d be a more southern flavor, and I don’t mean racism for you cynical people! Julie is the wild one, having lost her parents she lives with an Aunt she never knew and didn’t seem to really have any parental boundaries set. I was waiting for some crazy southern nights, seeing as she’s the wild child. There’s a heap of trouble southern girls get up to, the ‘wild ones’ you know, I am surprised the author didn’t run with that. It was a good enough read and this is an advanced reader’s edition. I wonder if maybe young adults would enjoy it more than my old dusty self.
Publication Date: June 1, 2017
Sourcebooks Landmark
June 28, 2017
Got a copy of this book via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
This is a nicely written story that revolves around guilt and reliving memories. It shows how events from the past can change you and can have an impact on you for a very long time.
This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog
Pros
Switch between now and then: The book has a lot of going back and forth; reliving memories and events from the past with Julie, August and Reba. It's slowly coming around what actually happened and you keep switching between the now and all those years ago.
Fluently written: This book is not hard to read. It's fluently written and that's why you can read it without much hard thinking, re-reading sentences or checking up on things. I was never struggling or looking up words, and English is not my native language. So its was a nice book for me.
Character development: Julie is very different now from how she was all those years ago. As a grown-up she is developing as well in this book. She is learning more about her past with Reba and this also has an impact on her for who she is right now. I liked Julie much better at the end of the book.
Cons
Didn't suck me in: The book never really pulled me in. I was kinda going along with the story, but I was never over-excited to read the book or to figure out what happened. I think the plot wasn't that big of a secret for me, so the book itself wasn't that mysterious.
Didn't pick it up: I was reading other books as well next to this book and I noticed that I read the other books more than this one. When I had to choose, I would rather pick up another book. Maybe this also has to do something with the fact that I wasn't pulled into the story.
Never felt real tension: Also something that I mentioned; I never felt the tension or the mystery behind the story. There were some revelations that I would never have guessed at the beginning of the book, but the real plot twist and the big reveal weren't that surprising.
It's a nice story about how you don't now everybody as well as you think. About carrying events from the past with you for the rest of your life. About finding the strength to forgive yourself. A decent book, 3 stars.
This is a nicely written story that revolves around guilt and reliving memories. It shows how events from the past can change you and can have an impact on you for a very long time.
This review was first posted on BiteIntoBooks Blog
Pros
Switch between now and then: The book has a lot of going back and forth; reliving memories and events from the past with Julie, August and Reba. It's slowly coming around what actually happened and you keep switching between the now and all those years ago.
Fluently written: This book is not hard to read. It's fluently written and that's why you can read it without much hard thinking, re-reading sentences or checking up on things. I was never struggling or looking up words, and English is not my native language. So its was a nice book for me.
Character development: Julie is very different now from how she was all those years ago. As a grown-up she is developing as well in this book. She is learning more about her past with Reba and this also has an impact on her for who she is right now. I liked Julie much better at the end of the book.
Cons
Didn't suck me in: The book never really pulled me in. I was kinda going along with the story, but I was never over-excited to read the book or to figure out what happened. I think the plot wasn't that big of a secret for me, so the book itself wasn't that mysterious.
Didn't pick it up: I was reading other books as well next to this book and I noticed that I read the other books more than this one. When I had to choose, I would rather pick up another book. Maybe this also has to do something with the fact that I wasn't pulled into the story.
Never felt real tension: Also something that I mentioned; I never felt the tension or the mystery behind the story. There were some revelations that I would never have guessed at the beginning of the book, but the real plot twist and the big reveal weren't that surprising.
It's a nice story about how you don't now everybody as well as you think. About carrying events from the past with you for the rest of your life. About finding the strength to forgive yourself. A decent book, 3 stars.
March 10, 2017
SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS BY HALEY HARRIGAN
Julie lives in New York City with her five year old daughter Rebecca whom she calls Beck. Julie and Evan are divorced and he pays for the expensive private school that Beck attends. Julie keeps thinking of Reba and August everyday. Brighton is the only one she shares her secrets with. Brighton took Julie out to hear the new drummer in his band. August approaches Julie and Brighton in the club. Julie runs out of the club she can't believe August has found her. He calls her and asks her to please wait but she keeps on running.
Reba's diary entries alternate the chapters stuck in at any given time. With a much older voice than the child she was when she wrote them. Sometimes they are short snippets of a thought. They seem like they would be written by a much older person than Reba was when she wrote them. Julie has gotten letters from August who Julie wants to avoid. August shows up at Julie's apartment saying he wants to know everything about Reba. How it all went down. He wants Julie to return with him to Lawrence Mill. August thought Julie had Reba's diary and he wants it. Julie told August she doesn't have the diary.
Julie decides she would like to read Reba's diary as well so August and Julie stay in a town outside of Lawrence Mill called Opal. August and Julie have drinks in the bar and decide that they are going to try Nell to locate the diary. There are references made that Reba committed suicide. Nell denied having the diary. but Julie doesn't believe her. August has not stopped thinking about Reba'a diary since she told him there was something he needed to see. All through College, all through grad school he has been fixated in getting Reba'a diary. He knew that he himself was Reba'a secret, but he expected something inside would quiet once he read it.
This was an incredibly beautiful story with gorgeous writing and prose. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Net Galley, Haley Harrigan and Publishing for my digital copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Julie lives in New York City with her five year old daughter Rebecca whom she calls Beck. Julie and Evan are divorced and he pays for the expensive private school that Beck attends. Julie keeps thinking of Reba and August everyday. Brighton is the only one she shares her secrets with. Brighton took Julie out to hear the new drummer in his band. August approaches Julie and Brighton in the club. Julie runs out of the club she can't believe August has found her. He calls her and asks her to please wait but she keeps on running.
Reba's diary entries alternate the chapters stuck in at any given time. With a much older voice than the child she was when she wrote them. Sometimes they are short snippets of a thought. They seem like they would be written by a much older person than Reba was when she wrote them. Julie has gotten letters from August who Julie wants to avoid. August shows up at Julie's apartment saying he wants to know everything about Reba. How it all went down. He wants Julie to return with him to Lawrence Mill. August thought Julie had Reba's diary and he wants it. Julie told August she doesn't have the diary.
Julie decides she would like to read Reba's diary as well so August and Julie stay in a town outside of Lawrence Mill called Opal. August and Julie have drinks in the bar and decide that they are going to try Nell to locate the diary. There are references made that Reba committed suicide. Nell denied having the diary. but Julie doesn't believe her. August has not stopped thinking about Reba'a diary since she told him there was something he needed to see. All through College, all through grad school he has been fixated in getting Reba'a diary. He knew that he himself was Reba'a secret, but he expected something inside would quiet once he read it.
This was an incredibly beautiful story with gorgeous writing and prose. I really enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Net Galley, Haley Harrigan and Publishing for my digital copy in exchange for an honest and fair review.
February 10, 2017
10 years ago Julie fled her hometown thinking she killed her best friend Reba. She now lives in New York with her 5 year old daughter. Julie vows never to return to Mississippi. Reba's boyfriend August comes to see Julie and beg her to return to Mississippi with him to find Reba's diary and finally figure out the truth of what happened to Reba. Julie goes with August to find out the truth. The book is told from the past and the present and we see Reba through her diary. It was a good book about friendship and secrets and lies. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for allowing me to read and review this book. I received an ARC of the book for an honest review.
June 7, 2017
Blog Tour Host & Book Giveaway Contest.
Haley Harrigan delivers a twisty mystery southern debut SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS – a grown woman and mother, with demons from her past which surface. . . part young adult, and coming-of-age; haunting secrets that shape lives.
Julie Portland has a secret. Years ago she escaped this small southern town; however, she has never forgotten the trauma. Now she is in New York, and the ghosts of the past stare her in the face.
Ten years earlier, Julie’s best friend Reba died after falling off a bridge in Lawrence Mill, Mississippi. Julie feels responsible. They had an argument. She killed her friend. She swore she would never return to this awful place.
Now, August Elliot shows up (Reba’s first love). A walking, talking, tangible reminder of the past.
August is African American and Reba’s dad would not have accepted a relationship. They began dating in secret.
In New York, her young daughter Beck wants to know, “who is Reba?"
Julie dreams of Reba. She has tortured herself. She knows she will have to forgive herself in order to move on with her future.
She now comes face to face with August (Reba’s love).
He wants her to return to Lawrence Mill with him. He wants the diary. She does not know about a diary. She thinks of how dangerous a journal of Reba’s could be in the wrong hands.
Who has the diary? Someone will learn the secrets of her shameful past. Would her friend be so careless as to document the things that happened that year? August thought Julie (Jules) had it. Now if she doesn’t, who does?
Nell must have the diary. With Reba’s diary entries sprinkled throughout, the ghosts of the past are unraveled. What really happened?
Told from two time periods 1997/2008. Two best friends Julie had lost per parents in an accident and turned a little wild. Reba works at Nell’s Flower Shop. Reba appears to have the perfect home life. However, her dad is a racist and Reba has her own secrets.
August never found closure after Reba died and he is convinced that someone has the old diary Reba once told him he should read.
Does anyone know the real Reba? What is the real truth behind August? Then and now?
Both Julie and August are shocked to learn the truth about Reba. Will they be able to come to terms with her death and the ghosts of the past? Things are not always as they appear.
A slow-burning suspense. I was not really connected to any of the characters and feel it would have flowed a bit easier if the chapters had been broken down the characters, for a little more organization.
However, for a debut the author clearly is a talented writer and for readers who enjoy young adult fiction, Southern Gothic, and coming-of-age mysteries.
A journey of healing and redemption. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for this newfound author.
A special thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an early reading copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars
JDCMustReadBooks
Haley Harrigan delivers a twisty mystery southern debut SECRETS OF SOUTHERN GIRLS – a grown woman and mother, with demons from her past which surface. . . part young adult, and coming-of-age; haunting secrets that shape lives.
Julie Portland has a secret. Years ago she escaped this small southern town; however, she has never forgotten the trauma. Now she is in New York, and the ghosts of the past stare her in the face.
Ten years earlier, Julie’s best friend Reba died after falling off a bridge in Lawrence Mill, Mississippi. Julie feels responsible. They had an argument. She killed her friend. She swore she would never return to this awful place.
Now, August Elliot shows up (Reba’s first love). A walking, talking, tangible reminder of the past.
August is African American and Reba’s dad would not have accepted a relationship. They began dating in secret.
In New York, her young daughter Beck wants to know, “who is Reba?"
Julie dreams of Reba. She has tortured herself. She knows she will have to forgive herself in order to move on with her future.
She now comes face to face with August (Reba’s love).
He wants her to return to Lawrence Mill with him. He wants the diary. She does not know about a diary. She thinks of how dangerous a journal of Reba’s could be in the wrong hands.
Who has the diary? Someone will learn the secrets of her shameful past. Would her friend be so careless as to document the things that happened that year? August thought Julie (Jules) had it. Now if she doesn’t, who does?
Nell must have the diary. With Reba’s diary entries sprinkled throughout, the ghosts of the past are unraveled. What really happened?
Told from two time periods 1997/2008. Two best friends Julie had lost per parents in an accident and turned a little wild. Reba works at Nell’s Flower Shop. Reba appears to have the perfect home life. However, her dad is a racist and Reba has her own secrets.
August never found closure after Reba died and he is convinced that someone has the old diary Reba once told him he should read.
Does anyone know the real Reba? What is the real truth behind August? Then and now?
Both Julie and August are shocked to learn the truth about Reba. Will they be able to come to terms with her death and the ghosts of the past? Things are not always as they appear.
A slow-burning suspense. I was not really connected to any of the characters and feel it would have flowed a bit easier if the chapters had been broken down the characters, for a little more organization.
However, for a debut the author clearly is a talented writer and for readers who enjoy young adult fiction, Southern Gothic, and coming-of-age mysteries.
A journey of healing and redemption. Looking forward to seeing what’s next for this newfound author.
A special thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for an early reading copy in exchange for an honest review. 3.5 Stars
JDCMustReadBooks
March 16, 2017
SUMMARY
Secrets of Southern Girls is a debut novel for Haley Harrigan. Julie Portland and her best friend Reba grew up in a mill town in Mississippi in the 1990s. Julie thought they shared everything. But when they were seniors in high school Julie learned there were some big secrets Reba had been keeping from her. Julie was hurt and mad. And then something terrible happened. Reba was dead. Her body was found down river from their favorite bridge. Did Reba commit suicide? Or was she pushed? Did Julie have something to do with it?
It's now 10 years later, and Julie is single and lives in New York City with her daughter Beck. Julie has been stalked and finally approached by August, Reba's old boyfriend from high school. August wants Julie to join him on a trip back to Lawernce Mill, Mississippi. August knows that Julie had a diary that she had planned to give him that fateful night. No one knows what happened to it. August is able to convince Julie that Reba's diary might be the key to figuring out what really happened on the bridge that night.
REVIEW
Overall, I liked the book. It was fairly easy to read and the story was interesting. For a debut novel I thought the writing was good. I particularly liked the use of Reba's diary entries to tell her version of the story. I also liked how the intensity of the diary entries coincided with the intensity of the experiences Julie and August had in Mississippi trying to obtain the diary.
Secrets of Southern Girls contained a robust cast of characters, most all of which were adequately developed. The main characters were Julie, Reba, August, Nell and Toby. In addition there a host of minor characters such as Julie's aunt and Uncle, Reba parents and the famous actor, Evan, who was Julie's ex husband. I would have love to see Evan play more of a role in the book. I thought the artist, Toby, who was Julie's cousin and the antagonist, added a little creative spice to the story.
I found it a little unbelievable that Julie would hang out for 10 years without pursuing what really happened that night on the bridge. I also struggled somewhat with the perspectives from which the story was told. The chapters jumped between August, Reba, and Julie's point of view. Additionally chapters jump back and forth in time as well. It was a little hard to follow at times. Overall, it was an entertaining read. It's would probably appeal most to younger women between the ages of 13-35.
Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Haley Harrigan for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Secrets of Southern Girls is a debut novel for Haley Harrigan. Julie Portland and her best friend Reba grew up in a mill town in Mississippi in the 1990s. Julie thought they shared everything. But when they were seniors in high school Julie learned there were some big secrets Reba had been keeping from her. Julie was hurt and mad. And then something terrible happened. Reba was dead. Her body was found down river from their favorite bridge. Did Reba commit suicide? Or was she pushed? Did Julie have something to do with it?
It's now 10 years later, and Julie is single and lives in New York City with her daughter Beck. Julie has been stalked and finally approached by August, Reba's old boyfriend from high school. August wants Julie to join him on a trip back to Lawernce Mill, Mississippi. August knows that Julie had a diary that she had planned to give him that fateful night. No one knows what happened to it. August is able to convince Julie that Reba's diary might be the key to figuring out what really happened on the bridge that night.
REVIEW
Overall, I liked the book. It was fairly easy to read and the story was interesting. For a debut novel I thought the writing was good. I particularly liked the use of Reba's diary entries to tell her version of the story. I also liked how the intensity of the diary entries coincided with the intensity of the experiences Julie and August had in Mississippi trying to obtain the diary.
Secrets of Southern Girls contained a robust cast of characters, most all of which were adequately developed. The main characters were Julie, Reba, August, Nell and Toby. In addition there a host of minor characters such as Julie's aunt and Uncle, Reba parents and the famous actor, Evan, who was Julie's ex husband. I would have love to see Evan play more of a role in the book. I thought the artist, Toby, who was Julie's cousin and the antagonist, added a little creative spice to the story.
I found it a little unbelievable that Julie would hang out for 10 years without pursuing what really happened that night on the bridge. I also struggled somewhat with the perspectives from which the story was told. The chapters jumped between August, Reba, and Julie's point of view. Additionally chapters jump back and forth in time as well. It was a little hard to follow at times. Overall, it was an entertaining read. It's would probably appeal most to younger women between the ages of 13-35.
Thanks to Netgalley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and Haley Harrigan for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 6, 2017
The story starts a little slowly but then begins to pique my interest. The writing flows nicely with broad use of metaphors and similes in a pleasing way. There is superb character development and excellent use of first person/third person narrative. Once I “got into it”, I hated to put the book down and looked forward to getting back to reading it once again.
The twists and turns along the way kept me surprised with no accompanying eye-rolling.
The only weak premise for me is that Julie believed what she believed all those years with no proof.
The story is a reminder to me that much of life is an illusion we create for ourselves and that our lies, untold truths, should-haves, what-ifs and blame-games dictate our future.
Nicely done, Ms. Harrigan. I look forward to more to come.
The twists and turns along the way kept me surprised with no accompanying eye-rolling.
The only weak premise for me is that Julie believed what she believed all those years with no proof.
The story is a reminder to me that much of life is an illusion we create for ourselves and that our lies, untold truths, should-haves, what-ifs and blame-games dictate our future.
Nicely done, Ms. Harrigan. I look forward to more to come.
April 11, 2017
*I've got this book from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review*
First of all, in my opinion, this book could have been much shorter. Parts of it dragged so much, that finally I started skipping the paragraphs and then pages and still didn't miss anything that was important to the story.
The mystery itself wasn't developed enough. From the beginning I suspected how it will turn out to be. It just wasn't something that I hadn't read before.
Characters.... I just can say, that all of them were boring and I couldn't care less what will happen to any of them. So much stupid decisions and some of their actions didn't make any sense.
Do not recommend.
First of all, in my opinion, this book could have been much shorter. Parts of it dragged so much, that finally I started skipping the paragraphs and then pages and still didn't miss anything that was important to the story.
The mystery itself wasn't developed enough. From the beginning I suspected how it will turn out to be. It just wasn't something that I hadn't read before.
Characters.... I just can say, that all of them were boring and I couldn't care less what will happen to any of them. So much stupid decisions and some of their actions didn't make any sense.
Do not recommend.
June 9, 2017
This a well-constructed mystery in which Julie reluctantly returns to her home town to try to uncover the truth about what really happened the night her best friend, Reba, died. Although, in her heart, she already knows the truth – that it was she who was responsible for Reba’s death – at least that’s what she’s always believed since she has only fragments of memory about what happened that night.
The story is told partly in the present as Julie and Reba’s boyfriend, August, search for answers and partly in flashback. The reader also has the benefit of excerpts from Reba’s journal which gradually reveal clues to what really occurred that night but also disclose a significantly different side to Reba’s character. The racism inherent in a small community is convincingly woven into the plot.
I enjoyed the book but did have a slight reservation about the device of Reba’s journal. I can understand the author’s decision to use this device as, since Reba is dead, the only way Julie and August can learn what happened from Reba’s point of view is through something like a diary. I did wonder though if a teenage diary (or any diary for that matter) would use such literary language, include meticulous detail like a woman tapping “the manicured fingernails of one hand absentmindedly against the wooden countertop” or record long conversations word-for-word, complete with speech marks.
However, leaving that aside, the story is well-paced and the revelation of what really happened that night brings the book to a satisfying conclusion.
I received an advance review copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Sourcebook Landmark in return for an honest review.
The story is told partly in the present as Julie and Reba’s boyfriend, August, search for answers and partly in flashback. The reader also has the benefit of excerpts from Reba’s journal which gradually reveal clues to what really occurred that night but also disclose a significantly different side to Reba’s character. The racism inherent in a small community is convincingly woven into the plot.
I enjoyed the book but did have a slight reservation about the device of Reba’s journal. I can understand the author’s decision to use this device as, since Reba is dead, the only way Julie and August can learn what happened from Reba’s point of view is through something like a diary. I did wonder though if a teenage diary (or any diary for that matter) would use such literary language, include meticulous detail like a woman tapping “the manicured fingernails of one hand absentmindedly against the wooden countertop” or record long conversations word-for-word, complete with speech marks.
However, leaving that aside, the story is well-paced and the revelation of what really happened that night brings the book to a satisfying conclusion.
I received an advance review copy courtesy of NetGalley and publishers Sourcebook Landmark in return for an honest review.
March 31, 2021
First, I have to talk about the writing in this book. The author has a rare talent that can transform the reader right to a place by description. The writing is really beautiful. I loved the small town of Lawrence Mills and the feel of this whole story. The mystery of what happened to Reba is the central theme of this book. The other thing this story really highlights is secrets. While everyone has something they hide, the people in this small town have more than most people. The characters in this story end up being not even close to how I originally saw them.
I have to admit I was scratching my head at why August would wait so long to pursue this diary. I also admit that I didn’t feel the sadness that a teenage death should have made me feel. There were a few convenient circumstances in this story that made me roll my eyes. If it wasn’t for the fact that I needed to find out what happened to Reba, I might have put this down. I am honestly glad I didn’t now because the good outweighs the bad.
Reba’s diary entries were a big highlight of this story for me. Reba doesn’t really sound like a 17 year old, but having the story in her own words really ties everything and everyone together. This story was really able to capture the feel of summer for me. Along with learning the truth about Reba, Julie comes to realize that she alone has the power to create her future. I liked the idea of this and I enjoyed this book for the most part. Everything and everyone in this story got wrapped up except for one thing, that has got me wondering how I would want Julie to choose.
May 20, 2017
I have to admit I had a hard time getting into this book because it started off fairly slow. This often is the case with books and then they seem to pick up about 1/4 of the way in, but this one just didn't really pick up until much farther into the book. I also really never connected with the main character Julie and when I don't really get invested in the main character, I tend to lose interest in the story itself. Julie's best friend Reba, died in high school and Reba's then boyfriend, finds Julie 10 years later asking her to come back to Lawrence Mill to help locate Reba's missing diary. Throughout the book, there are parts of Reba's diary between chapters and I really didn't find it to be very realistic of a girl in her teenage years, but hey that's just my opinion. I do like the author's writing and it is actually quite beautiful throughout the book, but overall this just was not my favorite. I never really got invested in any of the main characters and found the plot to be fairly slow and not at all exciting or suspenseful. However, to each his own and definitely check this one out in a few weeks if you are a fan of mysteries!
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks, for sending me an ARC.
Thank you to the publisher, Sourcebooks, for sending me an ARC.
April 22, 2017
Dreamy, descriptive writing in this debut novel. Good plot - I enjoyed the diary entries which gave Reba's story from the grave. It took me some time to become interested in the story because the first part seemed a little slow, but then I wanted to know what really happened to Reba that night on the bridge. Did she commit suicide, did her best friend, Julie, push her, or did Toby cause the fall? A mystery and a coming-of-age story both. Congratulations to Haley Harrigan on her first novel and look forward to more in the future.
Thank you to Haley Harrigan and Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Haley Harrigan and Sourcebooks Landmark through NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
February 14, 2017
There was a great deal of suspense in anticipation of solving the quirky conflict. The storyline was intriguing, and I was pulled in.
However, it was way too long with too much redundancy. Structurally, the book suffers from numerous grammatical errors, especially in the dialogue. The quote from the character Brighton says it best: " Wow. That is one screwed up story." My sentiments exactly. In the end, it was just TOO quirky for this reader to care, and I regretted wasting my time.
I received this copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
However, it was way too long with too much redundancy. Structurally, the book suffers from numerous grammatical errors, especially in the dialogue. The quote from the character Brighton says it best: " Wow. That is one screwed up story." My sentiments exactly. In the end, it was just TOO quirky for this reader to care, and I regretted wasting my time.
I received this copy from Netgalley for an honest review.
May 6, 2020
This book was painful. Nothing happened until around page 200 and the entire thing was torture. Throughout the entire book I was just trying to get through it and hoping it would be over soon. The relationship between Julie and Rebecca was odd, and the way Julie was obsessed with her was uncomfortable.
July 29, 2017
The details hardly matter, once your story is complete. all those memories turn blurry at the edges, and that anger and panic and guilt wears away to something softer.
Julie Portland is haunted by her past and the death of her best friend Reba. Reba was everything that Julie was not and in Julie's mind Reba was saint where Julie was the sinner. Julie and Reba became friends when Julie's parents were killed in auto accident and she came to live with her aunt and her cousin Taylor. Reba and her family lived next door and they became fast and best friends. Each girl looking to the other as someone they needed. Julie lived care free and Reba stuck to the rules. It all changed when she met August. August became the forbidden fruit in Reba's life and the catalyst of her own identity crisis.
A thriller of the triangle kind when 10 years later, August appears at Julie's door in New York urging her to come back home in Mississippi to find the answers to Reba's death. In finding the answers, they discovered a Reba that they both did not recognize. Will the love they had for Reba be able to survive in spite of what was discovered? Will justice be served in knowing how and why Reba died?
This was a conflicted read. It started out strong until you discovered what kind of characters were developed in this love triangle. Julie not fitting in the community and finding purity in her friend Reba. The expectations were great and because of those expectations, Julie was very hypocritical to her friend. Reba who always went with the flow, discovered her own desires that led to deceit and ultimately losing who she really was. August in my mind was not impressive but had his own agenda. Toby who was played as the villain may have been the victim of his making.
The narration was mixed as it went from present to past. August and Julie went back to Mississpi to find Reba's diary hoping to find answers. The diary told Reba's story. This is one of those that there were things that I liked about and things that I did not. There is some language and the painful narration of Reba sexual encounters. Painful in that she was lost and needy and using sex as weapon. The novel deals with racism and a friend that was lost forever.
A Special Thank You to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
Julie Portland is haunted by her past and the death of her best friend Reba. Reba was everything that Julie was not and in Julie's mind Reba was saint where Julie was the sinner. Julie and Reba became friends when Julie's parents were killed in auto accident and she came to live with her aunt and her cousin Taylor. Reba and her family lived next door and they became fast and best friends. Each girl looking to the other as someone they needed. Julie lived care free and Reba stuck to the rules. It all changed when she met August. August became the forbidden fruit in Reba's life and the catalyst of her own identity crisis.
A thriller of the triangle kind when 10 years later, August appears at Julie's door in New York urging her to come back home in Mississippi to find the answers to Reba's death. In finding the answers, they discovered a Reba that they both did not recognize. Will the love they had for Reba be able to survive in spite of what was discovered? Will justice be served in knowing how and why Reba died?
This was a conflicted read. It started out strong until you discovered what kind of characters were developed in this love triangle. Julie not fitting in the community and finding purity in her friend Reba. The expectations were great and because of those expectations, Julie was very hypocritical to her friend. Reba who always went with the flow, discovered her own desires that led to deceit and ultimately losing who she really was. August in my mind was not impressive but had his own agenda. Toby who was played as the villain may have been the victim of his making.
The narration was mixed as it went from present to past. August and Julie went back to Mississpi to find Reba's diary hoping to find answers. The diary told Reba's story. This is one of those that there were things that I liked about and things that I did not. There is some language and the painful narration of Reba sexual encounters. Painful in that she was lost and needy and using sex as weapon. The novel deals with racism and a friend that was lost forever.
A Special Thank You to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.
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