Nobody Else Has to Know

by Ingrid Tomey

That bright afternoon stretched before 15-year-old Webber, free and clear like the empty country road where Grandpa let Webb practice driving. Webb wakes up in the hospital, his leg shattered and his future as a runner in doubt. He can't remember anything about that day, but he Grandpa was driving. The car hit a little girl. She's in a coma, and she might never walk again.

Weeks later, Webber He was driving.

"You're fifteen," Grandpa says. "You have your whole life ahead of you. Let me take care of everything. I'm to blame. I'm the one to go to jail. Webber," he begs, "forget it." But how can Webber forget? He was driving.

Genres: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Middle Grade

231 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 10, 1999

Reviews

[Eli Jauron]

I thought this book was pretty good. I would rate it 9/10 stars. My favorite character was probably boomer. I liked boomer because he had the mindset that he was going to recover from the accident and start running again. The book was kind of sad when they hit the little girl. It was interesting when we knew that boomer hit the girl but he thought it was his grandpa because he lost his memory of that day. I felt bad for his grandpa because he knew it wasn't his fault. My favorite part of the book was at the beginning when he was with his grandpa talking about his running. I also liked how this book made you feel like what the characters were feeling. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Noah Haughey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was with my dad and all of the sudden a rock hit his windshield and cracked it. It was unfortunate but that didn't let that ruin our day. Back at school on a monday and I needed an new book and then I saw a book cover with a cracked windshield on it and I knew that was the one… until it wasn't. “Nobody Else Has to Know” by Ingrid Tomey takes place in a small town and Webber the protagonist fiveteen years old and getting ready to drive sooner that later. He was a good kid who loved his family.
The brief summary is that Webber was a great runner and had a good thing going a track star and his grandpa picks him up from school and Webber will be driving soon so he let’s Webber drive to his house and he hits a young girl Taffy Putnam on his way out from school. Webber wakes up in a hospital bed with a shattered leg and Taffy Putnam may never walk again. Grandpa wants to take the blame even though he hit the girl. He has to live with a terrible secret and that’s the plot.
I thought the ending/ conclusion was Webber telling his grandfather his intentions which is a decision that for sure can be used relationally and consequential. The ending I expected to be more predictable like he will get out of the hospital and onto the track.
My personal opinion is that this book was ok, because the book could have been explain in half of the pages alot and alot of eternal thinking and not much doing. The storyline was good but the story in general was different that I had expected. The writing was weak it didn't hook me either. I recommend this to people who want to read guilt books but it’s not worth it.

[Nrec Marku · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me this book was very interesting, it gave me so many things to think about. I would give this book Five Stars. Webber Freegy is a fifteen year old star runner on his high school track team. While sprinting home from school one afternoon, his grandfather pulls up along side him and offers him a ride to the mall. He also promises young Webber a new pair of running shoes. Webb is the apple of his grandpa's eye and on the ride to the mall, he convinces Grandpa to allow him to drive on a lonely stretch of road. The story flashes forward with Webber waking up in a hospital room with a badly shattered leg. He is told that Grandpa hit a little girl on the road and that she is in extremely bad condition. Webber is dazed and confused about the specifics, but slowly he regains his memory and realizes that he was driving the car when it hit the little girl. Grandpa tells Webber that he(Grandpa) is going to take the blame for the accident and that Webber should try to put it behind him. Instead, the rest of the book examines Webber's personal battle with trying to keep this horrible secret. He is devastated by what he has done and takes a deep look inside himself for answers about his father's death, his own worthiness to be alive, his future as a runner, and his relationship with Grandpa. Webber Freegy is a refreshing fifteen year old who desires to take responsibility for his actions. He deals with some very adult issues, much like many young people do today.

[Cael Ormsby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have no clue how to feel after finishing this book because the author did such a good job at explaining in detail how Webber (the main character) felt after realizing that he had hit the little girl, Taffy Putnam. The writing was excellent but I don't feel like I have closure. SPOILER

At the end he confessed what he did but I wanted to see more. I wanted to see what happened when he told his mother or Taffy's family what he did. Overall, the story was great, up until the end.

[Melody Holloway · Rating 5 out of 5]

read this book when still in high school. Finished night before Labor Day. Cannot remember the year. 15-year-old boy driving with his grandpa so many lives changed. This fits way too many actual lives. The realities that people try to prevent to keep from one another someone taking the blame for someone else. Leave it to a kind grandfather to take the blame for the fact that his grandson committed an irresponsible act however, was trying out skills that he would need to live an appropriate adult life. The ending is confusing. It’s hard to tell if Weber ended up opening up and telling anyone what happened. a painful secret between he and his grandpa weighing on them both as that little girl lie in the hospital, not even able to think about going to the park. Everyone that Weber ran into in physical therapy, school, daily engagement. The song that was playing at the time of the accident, he could not handle hearing it. every day reminders of traumatic events how debilitating those reminders can become. Truly enjoy the book right now, while living in physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and financial turmoil. This book has come to mind as I lay trying to get back to sleep with so many heavy, personal skeletons crushing in word, like cement, bricks asphalt not being lifted by a crane.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel it was a very well written story that looks at how grief can affect you. Webb's grandfather thinks he's protecting his grandson by lying for him, but Webb only feels the building weight of the lies he's telling, the weight of the knowledge of what damage his actions had, the weight of not being able to ask for help in dealing with his feelings without admitting to what he'd done. His grandfather doesn't help, as his 'selfless' act is more a selfish desire to play the hero, and he constantly reminds Webb of the sacrifice he's making.

I appreciate the moral dilemma Webb is in (and appreciate how he decides to do the right thing). The author did a good job delving into his feelings, and weaves in enough of his past and present experiences that feed into Webb's decision. The other characters were well-enough developed to be interesting. Not my favorite story, but still good.

[Ethan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a realistic fiction drama type genre based around the unfortunate accident of Webber and his grandpa. Webber who is a Michigan high school track star with a bright future had ran a school record is awarded by his grandpa with a drive home even though he has no license. Webber begins to lose focus talking to his grandpa and hits a little girl who ends up dying. Webber is put into amnesia and doesn’t remember what happened but his grandpa claims that he is driving to take the charges, but when Webber remembers what happened he wants the blame despite criminal records. This book is very emotional and you can really feel what the character is feeling. I personally would rate it 4 of 5 stars for the smooth and dramatic story telling by the author.

[Lacy Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really wish there was more. I kept on reading to find out what he would end up doing. The story alludes to what he will do but never actually quite says. Made good on the writers end but for me I would really want to see it stated. The emotions felt in this book was very relatable to me, considering I have PTSD and major depressive disorder. This book reminded me that no matter how hard life it gets it might be hard to tell the truth but it is the right thing to do and will make you less stressed in the long run.

[Niobe Villalobos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book Nobody Else Has to Know by Ingrid Tomey is about a fifteen-year-old boy named Webber and his dream is to become a runner. One day he wakes up in the hospital and his legs are shattered. He latter on finds out that he got in a car accident and the car hit a little and she is now in a coma. I would recommend this book to anybody that likes a really suspenseful book.

[Damean Mathews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible read. Interesting YA story that contains some heartfelt emotion. Overall the characters are believable, but the desire for martyrdom is a bit much. Not sure I'll ever read it again, but no regrets.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Registered on Bookcrossing - https://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/...

Really good teen story.

[Andrew Caparell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Isn't it crazy how one moment can change your whole life. This book is a prime example of that. My teacher recommended this book to me because it was more fast paced and engaging. I could feel the main character's pain throughout the story.

In "Nobody Else Has to Know" the story revolves around Webber a fifteen year old teenager that had everything going for him. He was a track star with huge potential until he ran into his Grandpa on his way home from school. His Grandpa picks him up to take him home when Webber convinces his grandpa to let him drive. As soon as he got behind the wheel his life was going to skid out of control. While driving on a country road he loses control and crashes the car. Next the story jumps to him in the hospital in critical condition. Webber can't remember much about what happened when in reality he put a little girl in a coma and crushed his leg. As police and family members question him throughout the story his memory gradually returns. He realizes what he had done and is overcome with guilt. Him driving the car was illegal and he could be charged with second degree murder. His Grandpa is willing to take the consequences to keep his grandsons record clean. However, Webber decides to take responsibility for his actions and face the harsh punishments that were sure to come.

This book was good in the sense that it was suspenseful and an easy read. On the other hand it was very predictable and would get slow at times. I would recommend this book to kids and teens who like short and somewhat fast paced books. Overall a ok book that will slightly intrigue you.

[Luis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grandpa let a 15 year old kid "Webber" drive in open empty country road. Out of no where after a practice of driving. Webber wakes up in a hospital is leg is injured. The worse part is that he can remember what happen that day. The only thing that e could remember is that grandpa was driving and he hit a little girl that is in a coma.

This what I like about this book is very variable because it changes the way of thinking it says that Webber was driving. Anyways he woke up in a hospital and the character in the story thinks that saw grandpa driving. "I take blame or this" says grandpa, but dosen't say for what. For hitting the little girl that is in a coma or for letting Webber driving and hitting the little girl. Webber is still confuse. Even I am confuse, because grandpa went to jail. before this when they where in the hospital Grandpa said "you have your whole life ahead of you just let me take care of everything.All the blame is mine" I am guessing that webber was driving even if webber saw grandpa driving maby it was some kind of confusion that he saw grandpa driving. So at the end webber is guilty he just has a hard time believing for what he thought he saw.I also think the book was OK, is just the characters in the story where to depth. I like how it makes think back to the accident and how Webber is dealing with it.

I think that the authors message is like "if you know something isn't right and nobody know it. it will crush you from the inside. Webber is struggling to forget but how can he if he was accually the one driving and cause this tragic accident.

[Marcus H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a very nice read if you like books with some suspense. It shows how one action can change the rest of your life. I liked this book, since it made me think of how some stupid decisions can really change your life.

Anyways, the main character is a 15 year old boy named Webber, who loves track. His grandfather gets him new track shoes that he wanted really bad, and then lets Webber drive in his car. Well Webber lost control of the car, and that was all he remembers. He hits a girl, but doesn't know about it until after a while after he woke up in the hospital. Originally, all he was worried about was his leg, since it was broken in the crash, and how it might be the end of running(Running was his true passion.) He later regains his memory, and realizes he was driving the car. His grandfather wants to and does cover up for him, because he says he has his whole future ahead of him. Webber can't believe it, and it totally makes him feel bad. He gets close to telling that he was the one who hit the little girl, but doesn't. He has to go to rehab for his leg, and he gets close to cracking his secret there too. Eventually Webber tells the truth it was him, and he felt better but still got in horrible trouble.

The ending was pretty predictable, considering Webber got close to cracking and telling the truth many times. Still, this book I thought was really good, and makes you think about what if this happened to you. I recommend this book to anyone, since it is a book for any age or gender.

[Joaquin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Webber is young boy with a great future ahead of him in his cross country career. Even his coach and grandpa believe so. Webber convinces his grandpa to let him drive on their way to get some new shoes. Webber crashes his grandpa’s car in to a little girl and everyone is injured in the crash. His grandpa did get that hurt but the little girl is put into a coma. Webber's running career is put in jeopardy with his leg getting smashed his is put on crutches. When he awakes in the hospital he can't remember anything. As time goes on he starts remember things slowly. His grandpa is willing to take the blame when the cops come to question everyone about the crash. His grandpas are willing to take the blame because he believes he has a bright future ahead of him. In the end Webber decides he wants to tell the truth. He lets his grandpa know his decision.

I really enjoy reading this book. It showed me how simple it one little thing like taking a little joy ride, can turn into a big problem. For example, in the book when Webber's whole career could go down the drain, just because of a silly mistake. If that happened to me it would turn your whole life around. This book was very tragically for the little girl she didn’t mean any harm. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I would recommend this book to all the cross country players around the world. Maybe this could happen to them. Also I would recommend this book to any other people that are serious about their sports. Don’t let don’t dumb mistake affect your career.

[Michael Williams]

The book "Nobody has to know" by Ingrid Tomey was a book about how one moment can change the rest of your life. This book was recommended to me by a friend due to a fast paced reading and very engaging.It was like i could feel the characters emotions throughout the book.
The story starts of about a kid named Webber that is a 15 yearld old teen that has alot going for hmself. Being an amazing trackstar with very good pontential , but a run in with his grandpa could change everything. He agreesn to get a ride from his Grandpa and eventually convinces him to let him be behing the wheel. Soon after that total cotrol is lost and the car looses control on a country road. The story then goes strait to Webber in the hospital in critical condition. He could not remmber much that happen, when in reality he crushed his leg and put a little girl in coma. When questioned by police and family his memory of the situation stats slowly coming back. Soon after with his reliaztion for what he done he has lots of remorse. His activity was not nonly illegal but he culd be charged with second degree murder. Grandpa is willing to accept Webbers consequences but the grandson had denied and is going to face a harsh punishments.

The book was a very thrilling and suspenseful book i enjoy it very much. Mostly it was a very easy read and very obvious book. I would recommend this read to and kids or teens that like a fast read. Overall this book was very intriguing.

[Sandra Strange · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is a good one: Webber, 15, talks his grandpa into letting him drive down an empty country road. The next thing Webber knows, is waking up in a hospital, his shattered leg only more painful than his ruined future as a runner and his blank memory of what happened, even the fact that he was driving. He finds that his grandfather has hit a little girl, now in a coma, and that the car rolled over, hurting him. After much time, Webber remembers--he was the driver. He is responsible. Now what does he do? However, the character is not as truly drawn as he should be. The story seems slow. The ending is OK, but a little too predictable. The other characters seem shallow. I’d like the reaction of a teen reader, but to me this book seems too pedestrian for kids.

[Terry Huffman · Rating 2 out of 5]

the bright fall afternoon streches before fifteen-year-old webber,free and clear like the empty country road where grandpa lets him pratice driving.
then webb wakes up in the hospital his leg shatterd and his future as a runner in doubt.
he cant rember anything about that day ,but he learns:grandpa was driving.
the car hit a little girl.
she's in a coma,and she might never walk again.
weeks later,webb suddenly rembers. your fifteen years old;grandpa says you have your whole life ahead of you just let me take care of everything.
all the blame is mine,im the one who goes to jail,webber he begs just foreget it,but how can he he was the one who was driving!

[Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

When reading this book I had no idea what to expect,until the main character Webber was introduced.Webber, a typical teenager, learning to drive with the help of his grandfather sets the setting of the story. The unexpected turn of events the story takes is both surprising and hard to imagine for any family to happen to. It is what adds to a great story.

[Jessica H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kid one day goes for a drive with his grandpa and he lets him drive. Next thing he knows it that he is in the hospital not remembering that day or anything after. He is trying to remember what happened and what he did and who he hurt. He find that he hit a little girl.

[Ryan Dyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was set up very well. I feel like the setting was placed in a small town and it seem like that interested me a lot because I, myself is from a small town. So, I just felt like it made me get into the book more.

[Sara Belleperche · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am currently-reading this book. It is a very interesting book. The author keeps you guessing thoughout the book so far.

[Cody Moody]

The book was interesting and i would recomend the book to people who like mystery books because you can never guess what is going to happen next.

[Matthew Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book caught my eye at yet another library book sale. i like it because its a novel. telling you that you shouldnt live a lie.

[Madison · Rating 3 out of 5]

i cant beleive he killed a little girl

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disjointed book-skipped around too much for me and then just stopped no real ending.

[Esequiel · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a intense book

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

#53
Borrow from library.

FS:

LS:

[Tea · Rating 2 out of 5]

You should read it!