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Where Secrets Lie
Told in two interwoven timelines—the summer when everything changed, and the summer that changes everything—Where Secrets Lie is a seductive thriller as dark as it is enthralling.
Amy Larsen has spent every summer with her cousin Ben and their best friend Teddy in River Run, Kentucky, loving country life and welcoming the break from her intensive ambitions and overbearing mother—until the summer she and Teddy confront the changing feelings and simmering sexual tension growing between them, destroying the threesome's friendship in a dramatic face-off.
One year later, Amy returns to River Run dreading what she might find. But when Teddy's sister disappears, Amy, Ben and Teddy agree to put aside their differences to search for her. As they dig deeper into the dark history of their small town, all three friends must unearth the truths that tie their families to tragedy, cope with their own toxic upbringings and beliefs, and atone for the damage done to each other and themselves.
Amy Larsen has spent every summer with her cousin Ben and their best friend Teddy in River Run, Kentucky, loving country life and welcoming the break from her intensive ambitions and overbearing mother—until the summer she and Teddy confront the changing feelings and simmering sexual tension growing between them, destroying the threesome's friendship in a dramatic face-off.
One year later, Amy returns to River Run dreading what she might find. But when Teddy's sister disappears, Amy, Ben and Teddy agree to put aside their differences to search for her. As they dig deeper into the dark history of their small town, all three friends must unearth the truths that tie their families to tragedy, cope with their own toxic upbringings and beliefs, and atone for the damage done to each other and themselves.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 20, 2021
96 people are currently reading
2652 people want to read
About the author
Eva V. Gibson
3 books106 followersEva V. Gibson is the author of contemporary YA novels Together We Caught Fire and Where Secrets Lie, and the 2023 Edgar Award nominated Frightmares. A bookworm since early childhood, she gravitated toward the dark and gritty, reading, then writing, stories with controversial themes and flawed, complicated characters.
She lives and works in Tennessee, surrounded by kids, yarn, Smoky Mountain fog, and generations of inherited farm cats.
She lives and works in Tennessee, surrounded by kids, yarn, Smoky Mountain fog, and generations of inherited farm cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 141 reviews
January 30, 2021
I heat blaring Switzerland a theme: here comes another let’s meet in the middle: it’s okay but not great reading experience.
Solid, twisty, thrilling young adult story including trigger warning, sensitive topics!
Ms. Gibson told a complex, heart pounding, action packed story via interwoven timelines: so we can gather the puzzle pieces about friendship trio’s relationship dynamics, their estrangement, their teaming up to solve the mystery behind the kidnapping of Teddy’s sister.
The heroine Amy Larsen spends her summer with River boys ( people call them with this name including her mother) : her cousin Ben and Ben’s best friend Teddy! Teddy and Amy’s sexual awakening, blooming intimacy ruined the untold rules of their threesome friendship.
Now their life changes with tragedy. Teddy’s sister is missing and the ex best friends come together to find her whereabouts even though it drags them into chaos because by digging up the mystery behind missing girl brings out the townies’ skeletons perfectly hidden in their closets. As the secrets come out, three of them finally realize they crossed the lines and put their lives in danger.
We are bombarded with so many triggering subjects during our read which may be a little compelling and exhausting. There are enough sensitive subject material in this book can be used for at least 3 books including mental health, child neglect, physical abuse, serial killer, domestic violence, homophobia , serial killer etc.
It could a little time for me to get into the story. I think the first %15 of the book was a little slow paced, you need to be patient enough not give up on this journey!
The characters are one dimensional and a little annoying to empathize with. Especially Amy acted like whining toddler/ spoiled brat : I want to scream at her face to shut the hell up too many times. River boys were okay. Neither I liked them nor I hated them.
Overall: after getting through first bump at the beginning, the book’s pacing gets better. The author dealt with so many sensitive topics at the same time which affected the credibility of the story a little bit but conclusion was well wrapped. I would give more stars if I feel a little sympathy for heroine.
It’s definitely solid three starred reading for me. I couldn’t connect with characters but mystery part of the story presented well and it was engaging. I still want to read more works of the author.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster’s Children Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
Solid, twisty, thrilling young adult story including trigger warning, sensitive topics!
Ms. Gibson told a complex, heart pounding, action packed story via interwoven timelines: so we can gather the puzzle pieces about friendship trio’s relationship dynamics, their estrangement, their teaming up to solve the mystery behind the kidnapping of Teddy’s sister.
The heroine Amy Larsen spends her summer with River boys ( people call them with this name including her mother) : her cousin Ben and Ben’s best friend Teddy! Teddy and Amy’s sexual awakening, blooming intimacy ruined the untold rules of their threesome friendship.
Now their life changes with tragedy. Teddy’s sister is missing and the ex best friends come together to find her whereabouts even though it drags them into chaos because by digging up the mystery behind missing girl brings out the townies’ skeletons perfectly hidden in their closets. As the secrets come out, three of them finally realize they crossed the lines and put their lives in danger.
We are bombarded with so many triggering subjects during our read which may be a little compelling and exhausting. There are enough sensitive subject material in this book can be used for at least 3 books including mental health, child neglect, physical abuse, serial killer, domestic violence, homophobia , serial killer etc.
It could a little time for me to get into the story. I think the first %15 of the book was a little slow paced, you need to be patient enough not give up on this journey!
The characters are one dimensional and a little annoying to empathize with. Especially Amy acted like whining toddler/ spoiled brat : I want to scream at her face to shut the hell up too many times. River boys were okay. Neither I liked them nor I hated them.
Overall: after getting through first bump at the beginning, the book’s pacing gets better. The author dealt with so many sensitive topics at the same time which affected the credibility of the story a little bit but conclusion was well wrapped. I would give more stars if I feel a little sympathy for heroine.
It’s definitely solid three starred reading for me. I couldn’t connect with characters but mystery part of the story presented well and it was engaging. I still want to read more works of the author.
Special thanks to Netgalley and Simon&Schuster’s Children Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
June 23, 2021
If you like angst, mystery-solving, and generational secrets wrapped up with dark and beautiful writing, you will LOVE this book. *chefs kiss*
April 5, 2021
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
While I had some issues with it, I remember enjoying Eva V. Gibson’s angsty debut, Together we Caught Fire and I was really looking forward to her follow up. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.
My biggest issue was that I was pretty incompatible with the writing style. I don’t like a lot of description or imagery and this book is over the top with the imagery and metaphors. It didn’t work for me at all and honestly just really annoyed me. I’m sure there will be readers that will love this aspect of the writing, but I have very little patience for it.
I thought all the relationships in this book were toxic. Amy and her whole extended family are obviously dysfunctional, but I thought the friendship between her, her cousin Ben, and her friend Teddy was pretty awful, as well. Honestly, I thought they were abusive towards each other and the way they kept coming back together over and over again was like a beaten spouse that can’t leave a marriage. Even if there were a couple of sweet or funny moments thrown in, I never stopped wanting these kids to get therapy and less-toxic friends.
The whole mystery aspect of the story didn’t really work for me, either. I felt like it made the story just drag on and on, as nothing they investigated brought about the resolution. Also, my very first suspect early on in the story ended up being the villain. There were a couple of other big “secrets” that I thought were super obvious long before they were revealed. I also thought that with the heavy and serious subject matter, throwing in pages upon pages of Amy being mad at Teddy for not returning her romantic feelings in the way she wanted him to was ridiculously petty and childish.
Overall, Where Secrets Lie was not for me. I didn’t connect with the writing style and could never really get on board with either the mystery or the romance. The one bright spot in the book was Ben, who I actually really disliked about half the time, but still found pretty compelling.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars
While I had some issues with it, I remember enjoying Eva V. Gibson’s angsty debut, Together we Caught Fire and I was really looking forward to her follow up. Unfortunately, this one did not work for me.
My biggest issue was that I was pretty incompatible with the writing style. I don’t like a lot of description or imagery and this book is over the top with the imagery and metaphors. It didn’t work for me at all and honestly just really annoyed me. I’m sure there will be readers that will love this aspect of the writing, but I have very little patience for it.
I thought all the relationships in this book were toxic. Amy and her whole extended family are obviously dysfunctional, but I thought the friendship between her, her cousin Ben, and her friend Teddy was pretty awful, as well. Honestly, I thought they were abusive towards each other and the way they kept coming back together over and over again was like a beaten spouse that can’t leave a marriage. Even if there were a couple of sweet or funny moments thrown in, I never stopped wanting these kids to get therapy and less-toxic friends.
The whole mystery aspect of the story didn’t really work for me, either. I felt like it made the story just drag on and on, as nothing they investigated brought about the resolution. Also, my very first suspect early on in the story ended up being the villain. There were a couple of other big “secrets” that I thought were super obvious long before they were revealed. I also thought that with the heavy and serious subject matter, throwing in pages upon pages of Amy being mad at Teddy for not returning her romantic feelings in the way she wanted him to was ridiculously petty and childish.
Overall, Where Secrets Lie was not for me. I didn’t connect with the writing style and could never really get on board with either the mystery or the romance. The one bright spot in the book was Ben, who I actually really disliked about half the time, but still found pretty compelling.
Overall Rating (out of 5): 2 Stars
July 26, 2021
Yikes, what an unlikable mess.
April 30, 2021
Find this review and others at Carlene Inspired.
A young-adult mystery thriller that feels almost a touch too real for comfort. Three best friends held together by familial bonds and summers spent running wild and free. The summer of 16 pushed them apart, putting a school year's worth of space and silence between them, but the summer of 17 holds promise of connecting again. Amy, Ben, and Teddy feel the pull to be together, even when they're mad at one another. The summer pulls them together again, breaking the silence, allowing the silent looks and hushed connections to start once again. Then, the unthinkable happens, Teddy's sister disappears and the friends must fully set aside their differences.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was just not into it at first, Amy is so surface level, but as I kept reading I realized she is meant to be this way. She's straight up an onion character, the kind you have to peel back to understand, and only Teddy and Ben have the ability to do it. Eva V. Gibson, you're a genius writer. Learning about Amy, her past, her family's past, all of it, it just was incredibly well done. Then, you mix in a missing girl? Three friends becoming detectives on the most horrific crime? I was hooked.
Where Secrets Lie is so much more than a missing child thriller, that missing child highlights the differences in society. From class differences, family secrets, money, and first love, Where Secrets Lie has a bit of it all. The secrets these kids and their parents and the community are secret? Holy SH! It's an unputdownable young adult romance thriller, the kind I think teens and younger readers will enjoy the most, but is worth picking up for any well-written novel fan.
ARC provided.
A young-adult mystery thriller that feels almost a touch too real for comfort. Three best friends held together by familial bonds and summers spent running wild and free. The summer of 16 pushed them apart, putting a school year's worth of space and silence between them, but the summer of 17 holds promise of connecting again. Amy, Ben, and Teddy feel the pull to be together, even when they're mad at one another. The summer pulls them together again, breaking the silence, allowing the silent looks and hushed connections to start once again. Then, the unthinkable happens, Teddy's sister disappears and the friends must fully set aside their differences.
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. I was just not into it at first, Amy is so surface level, but as I kept reading I realized she is meant to be this way. She's straight up an onion character, the kind you have to peel back to understand, and only Teddy and Ben have the ability to do it. Eva V. Gibson, you're a genius writer. Learning about Amy, her past, her family's past, all of it, it just was incredibly well done. Then, you mix in a missing girl? Three friends becoming detectives on the most horrific crime? I was hooked.
Where Secrets Lie is so much more than a missing child thriller, that missing child highlights the differences in society. From class differences, family secrets, money, and first love, Where Secrets Lie has a bit of it all. The secrets these kids and their parents and the community are secret? Holy SH! It's an unputdownable young adult romance thriller, the kind I think teens and younger readers will enjoy the most, but is worth picking up for any well-written novel fan.
ARC provided.
February 26, 2021
Family secrets, class differences and first love collide in this twisty, atmospheric thriller set in a small town in Kentucky. Amy, Ben and Teddy’s longtime summer friendship is already on shaky ground at the outset, the balance of their trio thrown off kilter by deeper feelings simmering under the surface. When an unthinkable tragedy changes everything, the story that unfolds will catch you up in its spell and leave you turning pages as fast as possible to find out what happens next. Don’t expect to get to bed early after you start reading this book!
July 19, 2022
This book was an absolute dumpster fire. The writing was trying so hard to be poetic to the point where I'd be lost as to what the characters were doing because she kept describing them as "touching each other's bones" or something to that nature. The characters were flat and one-dimensional. Each kid's personality was simply a different shade of emotional trauma. The only redeeming quality was the accurate and interesting portrayal of generational trauma. I have so many more problems with this book that aren't even worth delving into; seriously, it is a crapshow.
"His wink stole my breath; the crook in his smile gave it back"
"I lived and died and lived and died again in those eyes"
"His wink stole my breath; the crook in his smile gave it back"
"I lived and died and lived and died again in those eyes"
April 22, 2021
Where Secrets Lie by Eva V. Gibson is a young adult romance wrapped around a mystery that follows a trio of teens over the course of two summers. Amy returns to her mother's hometown of River Run, Kentucky every summer to spend time with her spoiled and charismatic cousin (Ben) and his best friend, the broodingly handsome Teddy. As Teddy and Amy try to figure out their feelings for each other the trio is thrown headlong into a tragedy that has drastic consequences to all three of their lives.
This novel is very melodramatic in both language and plot. The teenagers are emotionally volatile and the romance is super angsty. All of the parents are unreliable, selfish and possibly psychotic and the secrets within the family are twisted and sad. When something terrible occurs the three turn to each other to do their own investigation and the close contact makes it impossible for Teddy and Amy to keep a lid on their feelings for each other. But, neither of their families nor Ben wants to see them together which means a lot of push/pull and will they/won't they for most of the novel.
I found Amy's character the most inconsistent of the three. In the first chapter she portrayed herself as some sort of Ice Queen using all the lessons her parents ever taught her freeze people in self-protection. I was looking forward to her coldly icing everyone out but that doesn't hold when she sees Ben and Teddy for the first time since their huge fight the summer before. Despite everything she quickly drops the entire act and never picks it up again. I never really bought her disenfranchised act in regards to her parents. When compared to what Teddy and Ben go through she comes across petty and spoiled with little to complain about except that her mom expects to her draw...really well . As for "her boys" Teddy is your typical hot brooding bad boy with a heart of gold (from the wrong side of the tracks) and Ben hides a lot of pain and secrets behind a cocky smile and a few choice words. For most of the book I found this trio and their relationship wildly unrealistic and over the top dramatic with their declarations of being together in a "world without end" and then spending most of the book angry at each other and unable to communicate. But, on the flip side it did keep me sucked in wondering what would happen next. I, personally felt that the characters and the story would be better served if they were aged up a few years. Due to their attitudes and the way they spoke they struck me as much older than the 15/16 of summer 2018 and 16/17 of summer 2019.
I thought the addition of the mystery done quite well. It is a painful loss for everyone and they all handle it in different ways. Ben's obsession with solving it himself throws the characters into the action instead of what could have just been another teen romance novel with make out sessions, cigarettes and underage drinking. The police detective Darrow was probably my favorite character and he gets to be one of the few adults that isn't a total worthless P.O.S. and actually takes the kid's efforts seriously. There are a lot of red herrings and twists but a few things are pretty obvious to the reader and but sadly not the characters.
Despite some of the flaws this was a juicy, immersive read that kept my interest and curious about what was going to happen next. The author is careful to point out the possible subject matter that readers may find uncomfortable and listed the names of help organizations in the back of the book. The language is pretty frank and spicy and might not be for every reader.
I could definitely see this as a movie and hope some studio snatches up the rights to it!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
My copy of Where Secrets Lie by Eva V Gibson was provided by Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my unbiased review
This novel is very melodramatic in both language and plot. The teenagers are emotionally volatile and the romance is super angsty. All of the parents are unreliable, selfish and possibly psychotic and the secrets within the family are twisted and sad. When something terrible occurs the three turn to each other to do their own investigation and the close contact makes it impossible for Teddy and Amy to keep a lid on their feelings for each other. But, neither of their families nor Ben wants to see them together which means a lot of push/pull and will they/won't they for most of the novel.
I found Amy's character the most inconsistent of the three. In the first chapter she portrayed herself as some sort of Ice Queen using all the lessons her parents ever taught her freeze people in self-protection. I was looking forward to her coldly icing everyone out but that doesn't hold when she sees Ben and Teddy for the first time since their huge fight the summer before. Despite everything she quickly drops the entire act and never picks it up again. I never really bought her disenfranchised act in regards to her parents. When compared to what Teddy and Ben go through she comes across petty and spoiled with little to complain about except that her mom expects to her draw...really well . As for "her boys" Teddy is your typical hot brooding bad boy with a heart of gold (from the wrong side of the tracks) and Ben hides a lot of pain and secrets behind a cocky smile and a few choice words. For most of the book I found this trio and their relationship wildly unrealistic and over the top dramatic with their declarations of being together in a "world without end" and then spending most of the book angry at each other and unable to communicate. But, on the flip side it did keep me sucked in wondering what would happen next. I, personally felt that the characters and the story would be better served if they were aged up a few years. Due to their attitudes and the way they spoke they struck me as much older than the 15/16 of summer 2018 and 16/17 of summer 2019.
I thought the addition of the mystery done quite well. It is a painful loss for everyone and they all handle it in different ways. Ben's obsession with solving it himself throws the characters into the action instead of what could have just been another teen romance novel with make out sessions, cigarettes and underage drinking. The police detective Darrow was probably my favorite character and he gets to be one of the few adults that isn't a total worthless P.O.S. and actually takes the kid's efforts seriously. There are a lot of red herrings and twists but a few things are pretty obvious to the reader and but sadly not the characters.
Despite some of the flaws this was a juicy, immersive read that kept my interest and curious about what was going to happen next. The author is careful to point out the possible subject matter that readers may find uncomfortable and listed the names of help organizations in the back of the book. The language is pretty frank and spicy and might not be for every reader.
I could definitely see this as a movie and hope some studio snatches up the rights to it!
3.5 stars rounded up to 4
My copy of Where Secrets Lie by Eva V Gibson was provided by Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for my unbiased review
April 23, 2021
WHERE SECRETS LIE is the story of three teens, Amy, her cousin Ben and their best friend Teddy who meet up every summer. In 2018, after Amy declares her love for Teddy, the friendship fractures. Then, in 2019, Teddy’s little sister goes missing reuniting the trio.
Narrator Amy takes herself and her relationships Very Seriously, of epic proportion like nothing ever experience in the history or the world. Though we’re all a little self-involved during adolescence, I’ve never felt that sense of life’s grandiosity than in WHERE SECRETS LIE.
I loved Amy’s relationship with Nat, half hero-worship, half big sister though I wasn’t crazy about any of the characters.
Eva Gibson strings together gorgeous words to form beautiful sentences. Word-building is the strongest component of WHERE SECRETS LIE. She certainly had talent.
WHERE SECRETS LIE is an okay book, it wasn’t an particularly fun read for me. The whole wasn’t greater than the sum of the parts for me in this book.
Narrator Amy takes herself and her relationships Very Seriously, of epic proportion like nothing ever experience in the history or the world. Though we’re all a little self-involved during adolescence, I’ve never felt that sense of life’s grandiosity than in WHERE SECRETS LIE.
I loved Amy’s relationship with Nat, half hero-worship, half big sister though I wasn’t crazy about any of the characters.
Eva Gibson strings together gorgeous words to form beautiful sentences. Word-building is the strongest component of WHERE SECRETS LIE. She certainly had talent.
WHERE SECRETS LIE is an okay book, it wasn’t an particularly fun read for me. The whole wasn’t greater than the sum of the parts for me in this book.
April 26, 2023
Not a big fan of this one, took forever to get through because there was just nothing happening. I feel like the back and forth between the two summers was pointless. Finally figured out what happens in the last 50 pages and it was very anticlimactic. I just felt like the whole book was very repetitive and boring.
January 30, 2021
Where Secrets Lie has a lot going on in a small novel. It just has too much side story going on to focus on what the author's message is for this book. It will find an audience, it was just too busy for me. The relationships are jumble and the missing person story should be more focused in on.
February 20, 2021
I have been looking forward to this book ever since reading Gibson's debut, Together We Caught Fire. She has such a stunning way with words, so much passion and angst wrapped up in each sentence. And, of course, Where Secrets Lie did not disappoint! This contemporary YA is a sharp, poignant exploration of the messy truths within class privilege, trauma, and survival. I was riveted by the intergenerational aspect and how this truly twisty story unfolded. You do not want to miss this haunting, engrossing mystery. Highly recommend!!!
February 25, 2021
I read Where Secrets Lie in one sitting. Much like getting swept away by a current, I was swept right into the world of River Run.
Every summer, Amy Larsen lives with her grandparents in River Run, Kentucky. She loves her annual escape and the time she gets to spend with "her boys," cousin Ben and neighbor Teddy. The summer of 2018 ended with a dramatic falling out between the friends and summer 2019 is off to a rocky start, but the drama is cut short when tragedy strikes. Teddy's younger sister, 10-year-old Nat, goes missing, and the friends are unified in their search for the truth of Nat's disappearance. As the plot progresses, the reader learns exactly what went down last summer, as well as everything the trio uncovers while playing detective.
I enjoyed this fast paced mystery/thriller. While some of the twists were predictable, they weren't SO obvious that I wasn't excited when it turned out my prediction was correct. I thought the characters were well-developed and the alternating timeline was helpful both in building their backstories as well as keeping me invested in Nat. I liked that each chapter had the date at the top--I never had to ask myself which timeline I was in while reading.
Given all the challenging topics in this novel, I really appreciate the inclusion of a content warning in the beginning and the resources at the end of the book. From an educator standpoint, I would (and will!) comfortably recommend this book to students in 11th and 12th grade with the requirement that they read the content warning at the beginning of the book to help decide if they're up for it. I think mature 9th and 10th graders could handle this book with parental approval, but I wouldn't actively promote it in those grades due to the content and language.
Gibson, if you read this, I would definitely read a spin-off/prequel about Amy's and Ben's moms, Sam/Peter/June, and Noah!
Finally, thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
Every summer, Amy Larsen lives with her grandparents in River Run, Kentucky. She loves her annual escape and the time she gets to spend with "her boys," cousin Ben and neighbor Teddy. The summer of 2018 ended with a dramatic falling out between the friends and summer 2019 is off to a rocky start, but the drama is cut short when tragedy strikes. Teddy's younger sister, 10-year-old Nat, goes missing, and the friends are unified in their search for the truth of Nat's disappearance. As the plot progresses, the reader learns exactly what went down last summer, as well as everything the trio uncovers while playing detective.
I enjoyed this fast paced mystery/thriller. While some of the twists were predictable, they weren't SO obvious that I wasn't excited when it turned out my prediction was correct. I thought the characters were well-developed and the alternating timeline was helpful both in building their backstories as well as keeping me invested in Nat. I liked that each chapter had the date at the top--I never had to ask myself which timeline I was in while reading.
Given all the challenging topics in this novel, I really appreciate the inclusion of a content warning in the beginning and the resources at the end of the book. From an educator standpoint, I would (and will!) comfortably recommend this book to students in 11th and 12th grade with the requirement that they read the content warning at the beginning of the book to help decide if they're up for it. I think mature 9th and 10th graders could handle this book with parental approval, but I wouldn't actively promote it in those grades due to the content and language.
Gibson, if you read this, I would definitely read a spin-off/prequel about Amy's and Ben's moms, Sam/Peter/June, and Noah!
Finally, thank you so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest review.
January 13, 2023
3.5
I thought the book was pretty good. I’m kinda confused on what genre this book would fit into. A little bit of romance but it’s also a mystery? idk. I didn’t like that everything was fixed in the end and everything was perfect. Just felt really unrealistic for everything they just found out. I also wish there was actually a murderer who killed Nat rather than an accident and then she was just put in the water. I feel like a murder plot would have been more interesting. Otherwise is was pretty good.
I thought the book was pretty good. I’m kinda confused on what genre this book would fit into. A little bit of romance but it’s also a mystery? idk. I didn’t like that everything was fixed in the end and everything was perfect. Just felt really unrealistic for everything they just found out. I also wish there was actually a murderer who killed Nat rather than an accident and then she was just put in the water. I feel like a murder plot would have been more interesting. Otherwise is was pretty good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2022
[actual rating 2.5 stars]
I don’t know how to rate this book to be honest. I am really torn. I liked this book…but I also hated it. I have been reading a lot of YA mystery books recently and let’s just say that they are not my favourite. I don’t know why I don’t gel with YA mystery because I did enjoy A Good Girl's Guide to Murder but everything after that has been a bore.
Every summer Amy visits River Run. Her family lives there and every summer she gets to see her boys, Benjamin, her prom king worthy cousin and his best friend Teddy, who she has always had a crush on. In the summer of 2018, everything goes wrong and their friendship goes up in flames. In the summer of 2019, Amy returns full of guilt and humiliation. She cannot forget what happened in 2018. However this summer is different. When Teddy’s little sister, Nat goes missing it up to them to put the pieces back together and find out what really happened to Nat.
I don’t know. This book had an eerie sort of element which I think was the author’s intention but I sort of expected it to be a bit more chilled. It was tense and not like a “summer romance”, per say. The mystery was really good, but it really lacked in the beginning. We barely saw any mystery at the beginning and all of the leads were really lame and confusing. The ending though was superb and really well written (hence the two stars over there).
The characters were what really let me down. While I like Nat, she seemed way too mature for a ten year old. She swore and made innuendoes that ten year olds are not yet familiar with. We also didn’t get to see her much at all. I found Amy to be a little whiny and annoying. Her obsession with Teddy was a little weird and she was not very interesting as a protagonist. She basically pined over Teddy the entire book and was the good girl and the peacemaker. Teddy was really basic. He was a “typical bad boy” and played with Amy way too much. He cared about her and had it tough but that was not Amy’s fault, yet he always acted like it was. He was a good brother but a bad friend. I really empathised with Ben but he was petty and took things too far sometimes. He was a little inconsiderate but his struggles were real.
I hated all the fighting between the characters. It made me uncomfortable and it was just so unnecessary. The characters were just so petty.
This book consisted of a lot of elements I didn’t like.
1. Parental issues= Every character had parental issues and not one character had a decent parent or a decent relationship with their parents (apart from maybe Uncle Peter) and had to escape to their grandparents.
2. Dirty jokes= Firstly, I generally don’t get dirty jokes so there is honestly no use in putting them in the book. Secondly, they were the type that make you really uncomfortable and they were dropped almost everywhere.
3. Swearing= It is unnecessary and almost every sentence had a swear word.
4. The typical teenage act= The author tried to write from a teen perspective but it was so cliché.
5. Smoking=Smoking is not good for your health. Don’t promote it because it is not cool. There was a lot of smoking happening especially in front of little children. Second hand smoke is dangerous.
I get the intention of the book, and the ending was so good it made up for the entire book but the romance and characters fell short. It just wasn’t up my street and it was dragged on for too long.
I don’t know how to rate this book to be honest. I am really torn. I liked this book…but I also hated it. I have been reading a lot of YA mystery books recently and let’s just say that they are not my favourite. I don’t know why I don’t gel with YA mystery because I did enjoy A Good Girl's Guide to Murder but everything after that has been a bore.
Every summer Amy visits River Run. Her family lives there and every summer she gets to see her boys, Benjamin, her prom king worthy cousin and his best friend Teddy, who she has always had a crush on. In the summer of 2018, everything goes wrong and their friendship goes up in flames. In the summer of 2019, Amy returns full of guilt and humiliation. She cannot forget what happened in 2018. However this summer is different. When Teddy’s little sister, Nat goes missing it up to them to put the pieces back together and find out what really happened to Nat.
I don’t know. This book had an eerie sort of element which I think was the author’s intention but I sort of expected it to be a bit more chilled. It was tense and not like a “summer romance”, per say. The mystery was really good, but it really lacked in the beginning. We barely saw any mystery at the beginning and all of the leads were really lame and confusing. The ending though was superb and really well written (hence the two stars over there).
The characters were what really let me down. While I like Nat, she seemed way too mature for a ten year old. She swore and made innuendoes that ten year olds are not yet familiar with. We also didn’t get to see her much at all. I found Amy to be a little whiny and annoying. Her obsession with Teddy was a little weird and she was not very interesting as a protagonist. She basically pined over Teddy the entire book and was the good girl and the peacemaker. Teddy was really basic. He was a “typical bad boy” and played with Amy way too much. He cared about her and had it tough but that was not Amy’s fault, yet he always acted like it was. He was a good brother but a bad friend. I really empathised with Ben but he was petty and took things too far sometimes. He was a little inconsiderate but his struggles were real.
I hated all the fighting between the characters. It made me uncomfortable and it was just so unnecessary. The characters were just so petty.
This book consisted of a lot of elements I didn’t like.
1. Parental issues= Every character had parental issues and not one character had a decent parent or a decent relationship with their parents (apart from maybe Uncle Peter) and had to escape to their grandparents.
2. Dirty jokes= Firstly, I generally don’t get dirty jokes so there is honestly no use in putting them in the book. Secondly, they were the type that make you really uncomfortable and they were dropped almost everywhere.
3. Swearing= It is unnecessary and almost every sentence had a swear word.
4. The typical teenage act= The author tried to write from a teen perspective but it was so cliché.
5. Smoking=Smoking is not good for your health. Don’t promote it because it is not cool. There was a lot of smoking happening especially in front of little children. Second hand smoke is dangerous.
I get the intention of the book, and the ending was so good it made up for the entire book but the romance and characters fell short. It just wasn’t up my street and it was dragged on for too long.
June 6, 2023
WHERE SECRETS LIE
Eva V Gibson
Amy, Ben, and Teddy have been friends for what seems like forever, especially in the summer. They all love each other dearly, even Teddy's little sister Nat. Ben and Amy are cousins, their mothers are sisters, and Teddy and Nat are June's children. The super secret is that Amy is crazy in love with Teddy, like almost every other girl in town and he usually loves them back, everyone but Amy.
The secrets are wrapped up in the generation above these kids although they are on track to have their own secrets as well. Some of the secrets are adultery, money, and domestic abuse. The story is relayed in before and during and is really well thought out.
There were a few times I was tired of some of the dialogue, but it usually recovered quickly. The plot was actually good, the characters were ok and the read was entertaining. A strong 3 stars from me.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
Eva V Gibson
Amy, Ben, and Teddy have been friends for what seems like forever, especially in the summer. They all love each other dearly, even Teddy's little sister Nat. Ben and Amy are cousins, their mothers are sisters, and Teddy and Nat are June's children. The super secret is that Amy is crazy in love with Teddy, like almost every other girl in town and he usually loves them back, everyone but Amy.
The secrets are wrapped up in the generation above these kids although they are on track to have their own secrets as well. Some of the secrets are adultery, money, and domestic abuse. The story is relayed in before and during and is really well thought out.
There were a few times I was tired of some of the dialogue, but it usually recovered quickly. The plot was actually good, the characters were ok and the read was entertaining. A strong 3 stars from me.
3 stars
Happy Reading!
March 17, 2021
As the complications of first love and friendship unfold amid unspeakable trauma, a small-town family scrambles to preserve their image. Gibson’s stunning prose and true-to-life characters make Where Secrets Lie a riveting thriller that pulls you under and keeps you guessing until the very end. This book reveals how sparkling surfaces often conceal the darkest secrets buried underneath. An addictive page-turner perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus and Gillian Flynn.
February 6, 2022
This book has a wonderful story about three best friends who are growing up, becoming their true selves, falling in love and apart, all while trying to solve a murder that no one saw coming and completely rocked and ruined their world.
The writing was dark but beautiful. I was gripped from the first page just utterly shocked at the images this author managed to put into my head.
I definitely want to read more work by Eva V. Gibson and I can't wait to see what she puts out there next.
The writing was dark but beautiful. I was gripped from the first page just utterly shocked at the images this author managed to put into my head.
I definitely want to read more work by Eva V. Gibson and I can't wait to see what she puts out there next.
July 10, 2022
I haven't read anything by Eva V Gibson before, so I didn't know what to expect. I found the premise interesting and I do like to read about different parts of the country, places I've never been before.
Our main character is Amy and she comes from very strict and demanding parents. In the summer, she's able to escape to River Run, Kentucky to spend time with the people who love her and understand her most. Her mother grew up in River Run and still has family that live there. Despite that, she drops Amy off with her grandparents and leaves the next chance she gets. Amy has been staying in River Run every summer since she was a child and it's the time of year where she feels the most free because she's able to be herself with no judgments. Her "boys" Ben (her cousin) and Teddy (Ben's bestie) are two of the most important people in her life. Nat, Teddy's little sister, would always join in on the fun. That is, until this year. Nat goes missing and all that's left of her are her swimming gear left by the shoreline of the river.
In the summers, the trio spend every waking moment together. However, as they each grow older, the feelings they each have for one another evolves into something new. In a group of three, someone tends to be left out, so it's no surprise that tensions have developed and allegiances have been divided. The new developments lead to the three of them having a falling out at the end of last summer. When Amy comes back to River Run this time around, she doesn't think she'll be able to deal with Ben or Teddy for different reasons. It doesn't matter, though, because with Nat missing, it forces them back together to find her. They're willing to dig deep into their town and the people in it to find her. What they aren't expecting are the skeletons in people's closets being found. Will they find Nat? Will they find out what happened to her? Or will this all lead to dead ends?
Nat being missing is the catalyst for the trio to band together again, but by doing that, it opens up a lot of wounds in their relationship. Each one of them comes from a toxic family situation that stems into their daily life. It's something that bonds them together. This forces them to work through their issues, no matter how painful it gets. Will this group of friends ultimately stick together or will they ultimately be torn apart by past grievances?
I didn't realize that this was going to be a romance heavy book with the mystery sprinkled in. If anything, I thought it'd be the other way around. I enjoyed the author's writing style. She writes in a way that's emotional and intense, which works as these are teenagers who are all dealing with various traumas. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and while I guessed certain things, there were a few surprises that did engage me. The latter half of the book becomes more exciting and that's when I wasn't able to put it down. However, the beginning is quite slow. It is a book about characters and it does delve into the core three and their relationships with one another. I could imagine them all as friends in real life, so that was believable. The way they spoke to one another feels very genuine to teenagers. It was good to learn about each person as I can understand the stakes they were up against. This isn't a perfect read for me, though. There are things that could've been changed to make it a stronger story.
While we're reading from Amy's POV, I actually wish it had been broken up between the three of them (Ben, Amy, and Teddy). It only shows us one side to the connections and relationships, but not all three sides. So, it becomes mundane and repetitive at a certain point because we're only seeing it from one side and it's not evolving much. By giving each of the three a clear voice, that would give everyone equal depth and an opportunity to explore the issues from multiple sides.I was curious about how the experiences would look from Ben's POV and Teddy's and sadly, we weren't given enough of that. The book is written in present day and has flashback chapters of the year before, how the trio grew apart. I found those chapters not providing the information I need to understand the breakdown. That's all ready being discussed in depth in the present day part of the book, so they could've scraped those chapters for a smoother flowing novel. It's not a long book, but because there's so much repetitive filler, it feels longer. There could've been some editing so the tale doesn't get stuck in a rut. That the issues are explored, but not to the point that you feel like nothing is really changing, growing, or happening. By skimming off some of the fat, it would've made for a story that would be much easier to get into in the first place.
This is by no means a bad book. There are elements that didn't work for me, but the mystery and the relationships between the characters is interesting. So, I'm glad I gave it a shot. Not a memorable book, but a good beach read.
Our main character is Amy and she comes from very strict and demanding parents. In the summer, she's able to escape to River Run, Kentucky to spend time with the people who love her and understand her most. Her mother grew up in River Run and still has family that live there. Despite that, she drops Amy off with her grandparents and leaves the next chance she gets. Amy has been staying in River Run every summer since she was a child and it's the time of year where she feels the most free because she's able to be herself with no judgments. Her "boys" Ben (her cousin) and Teddy (Ben's bestie) are two of the most important people in her life. Nat, Teddy's little sister, would always join in on the fun. That is, until this year. Nat goes missing and all that's left of her are her swimming gear left by the shoreline of the river.
In the summers, the trio spend every waking moment together. However, as they each grow older, the feelings they each have for one another evolves into something new. In a group of three, someone tends to be left out, so it's no surprise that tensions have developed and allegiances have been divided. The new developments lead to the three of them having a falling out at the end of last summer. When Amy comes back to River Run this time around, she doesn't think she'll be able to deal with Ben or Teddy for different reasons. It doesn't matter, though, because with Nat missing, it forces them back together to find her. They're willing to dig deep into their town and the people in it to find her. What they aren't expecting are the skeletons in people's closets being found. Will they find Nat? Will they find out what happened to her? Or will this all lead to dead ends?
Nat being missing is the catalyst for the trio to band together again, but by doing that, it opens up a lot of wounds in their relationship. Each one of them comes from a toxic family situation that stems into their daily life. It's something that bonds them together. This forces them to work through their issues, no matter how painful it gets. Will this group of friends ultimately stick together or will they ultimately be torn apart by past grievances?
I didn't realize that this was going to be a romance heavy book with the mystery sprinkled in. If anything, I thought it'd be the other way around. I enjoyed the author's writing style. She writes in a way that's emotional and intense, which works as these are teenagers who are all dealing with various traumas. I enjoyed the mystery aspect and while I guessed certain things, there were a few surprises that did engage me. The latter half of the book becomes more exciting and that's when I wasn't able to put it down. However, the beginning is quite slow. It is a book about characters and it does delve into the core three and their relationships with one another. I could imagine them all as friends in real life, so that was believable. The way they spoke to one another feels very genuine to teenagers. It was good to learn about each person as I can understand the stakes they were up against. This isn't a perfect read for me, though. There are things that could've been changed to make it a stronger story.
While we're reading from Amy's POV, I actually wish it had been broken up between the three of them (Ben, Amy, and Teddy). It only shows us one side to the connections and relationships, but not all three sides. So, it becomes mundane and repetitive at a certain point because we're only seeing it from one side and it's not evolving much. By giving each of the three a clear voice, that would give everyone equal depth and an opportunity to explore the issues from multiple sides.I was curious about how the experiences would look from Ben's POV and Teddy's and sadly, we weren't given enough of that. The book is written in present day and has flashback chapters of the year before, how the trio grew apart. I found those chapters not providing the information I need to understand the breakdown. That's all ready being discussed in depth in the present day part of the book, so they could've scraped those chapters for a smoother flowing novel. It's not a long book, but because there's so much repetitive filler, it feels longer. There could've been some editing so the tale doesn't get stuck in a rut. That the issues are explored, but not to the point that you feel like nothing is really changing, growing, or happening. By skimming off some of the fat, it would've made for a story that would be much easier to get into in the first place.
This is by no means a bad book. There are elements that didn't work for me, but the mystery and the relationships between the characters is interesting. So, I'm glad I gave it a shot. Not a memorable book, but a good beach read.
July 19, 2023
I really liked the story and the characters! But the writing style.. it was not great. The jumping timelines was okay but then it started getting redundant and repetitive.
The twist was good though! There were several towards the end and all of the adults made poor choices and had secrets to hide for their own reasons. Overall, it’s a middle of the road story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes twists and doesn’t mind this writing style!
The twist was good though! There were several towards the end and all of the adults made poor choices and had secrets to hide for their own reasons. Overall, it’s a middle of the road story. I would recommend it to anyone who likes twists and doesn’t mind this writing style!
July 19, 2021
Loved. Absolutely love, love, love. It was everything I was craving in a book: Romance, drama, mystery, crime, and realistic humor. Could have used a little more “spice” in the romance, but can’t complain. While it had that ‘summer’ vibe throughout the book, it had twist and plots that many summer romances done. Highly recommend
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October 19, 2021The twin timelines didn’t fit together — I felt like I was reading two unconnected books. Added to that are the story’s toxic relationships and unrelenting grimness.
I like Eva V. Gibson’s writing, but this novel was a miss for me. I’ll read her next novel and hope this was only a case of sophomore slump.
I like Eva V. Gibson’s writing, but this novel was a miss for me. I’ll read her next novel and hope this was only a case of sophomore slump.
August 24, 2022
Definitely a different writing style than my usual but I surprisingly loved how beautiful and poetic she wrote. It took me longer to read because there’s a lot of meaning behind her words. A good murder mystery / young lovers book with a lot of heart.
June 20, 2023
Meh. Slow. Generational trauma galore. Poor boy, city girl. Abuse. Bunch of tropes all to be just, meh.
August 30, 2023
3.5 stars really enjoyed it. Felt like something were drag out like the book could have been shorter you know. If u liked we were liars u should read this book.
November 24, 2022
this was so mindnumbingly boring and uneventful. I feel like lost braincells reading it. there was no plot, the author was trying so hard to write a good suspense but then she tried to mix in all this other stuff and in the end it just ended up being a whole book of basically nothing happening.
January 14, 2021
Full review to come, but I LOVED this one. Spooky and atmospheric, full of complicated families and friendships, swoony and sexy from the jump. Don't miss this one when it comes out in April!
August 7, 2021
Where Secrets Lie left me desiring so much more from the story, and it really ended up being a chore to read at times. Like me, if you think this will be a juicy mystery or a compelling thriller, you will be sorely disappointed. It’s really a contemporary teen drama/romance with mystery thrown in, with flowery purple prose sprinkled on top of the messy story.
A quick summary of what this book is about. Amy is a budding high school art prodigy with an overbearing mother and remote father who loves spending her summer’s back in her mother’s home town of River Run, Kentucky because of her best friend Teddy and her cousin Ben. They are very close until one summer drama occurs between them. The following summer when Amy comes back, Teddy’s ten year old sister goes missing. When she’s found dead from apparent drowning, they try to solve the mystery while also dealing with romantic feelings and messy family drama.
I honestly don’t know why this book was told in two parts. The mystery aspect is only present in the current timeline, not the previous summer timeline. The previous summer timeline only discusses the romantic drama that is occurring between the three friends, Amy, Teddy, and Ben. That whole chunk of the book could have been cut because I didn’t see how it was necessary to the mystery/present timeline. It added so little that couldn’t have already been interpreted from the present timeline or shown in quick flashbacks.
I enjoyed following the mystery aspect of this story, but the romance parts completely dragged it down and that’s about half of the book. It was just so repetitive! There was this constant push-pull between Amy and Teddy that was exhausting because it kept happening. In fact, there were dialogues and scenes that were basically rehashed over and over again. It was just tiring to read after a certain point because this book is marketed as a mystery and thriller and that’s why I was reading it. “Move it or lose it, drive or get out of the car..” one of those phrases is what I wanted to tell the characters to get them to stop (well, these were actually more polite than the one I was thinking of).
It doesn’t help that all of the characters in this story need major therapy because there is so much dysfunction galore. Honestly it was to the point where it almost didn’t seem believable at times and just made the book seem messy. All of the relationships are strained at best, including the main romance between Teddy and Amy. I personally think they both need to work out a lot of stuff before getting together. They honestly don’t treat each other well at times. Ben has ZERO tact ¾ of the time and that was frustrating. (You don’t talk to your best friend about his sister’s body decomposing/forensic details regarding her etc while he’s grieving) Amy was often selfish/self absorbed and whiny, and Teddy has a big chip on his shoulder. Honestly my favorite character in the entire novel was Nat, Teddy’s little sister who dies.
This book would have been so much better had it focused more on developing the mystery element. I did like the whodunit in the end. I guessed it right, but it wasn’t overtly in your face who it was which was great. But that excitement wasn’t worth plodding through the entire book. In the end it was just too messy, too repetitive, not engaging enough, and certainly not thrilling enough to make up for the whodunit.
Overall, unless you really feel compelled to read this one, I recommend giving it a pass.
A quick summary of what this book is about. Amy is a budding high school art prodigy with an overbearing mother and remote father who loves spending her summer’s back in her mother’s home town of River Run, Kentucky because of her best friend Teddy and her cousin Ben. They are very close until one summer drama occurs between them. The following summer when Amy comes back, Teddy’s ten year old sister goes missing. When she’s found dead from apparent drowning, they try to solve the mystery while also dealing with romantic feelings and messy family drama.
I honestly don’t know why this book was told in two parts. The mystery aspect is only present in the current timeline, not the previous summer timeline. The previous summer timeline only discusses the romantic drama that is occurring between the three friends, Amy, Teddy, and Ben. That whole chunk of the book could have been cut because I didn’t see how it was necessary to the mystery/present timeline. It added so little that couldn’t have already been interpreted from the present timeline or shown in quick flashbacks.
I enjoyed following the mystery aspect of this story, but the romance parts completely dragged it down and that’s about half of the book. It was just so repetitive! There was this constant push-pull between Amy and Teddy that was exhausting because it kept happening. In fact, there were dialogues and scenes that were basically rehashed over and over again. It was just tiring to read after a certain point because this book is marketed as a mystery and thriller and that’s why I was reading it. “Move it or lose it, drive or get out of the car..” one of those phrases is what I wanted to tell the characters to get them to stop (well, these were actually more polite than the one I was thinking of).
It doesn’t help that all of the characters in this story need major therapy because there is so much dysfunction galore. Honestly it was to the point where it almost didn’t seem believable at times and just made the book seem messy. All of the relationships are strained at best, including the main romance between Teddy and Amy. I personally think they both need to work out a lot of stuff before getting together. They honestly don’t treat each other well at times. Ben has ZERO tact ¾ of the time and that was frustrating. (You don’t talk to your best friend about his sister’s body decomposing/forensic details regarding her etc while he’s grieving) Amy was often selfish/self absorbed and whiny, and Teddy has a big chip on his shoulder. Honestly my favorite character in the entire novel was Nat, Teddy’s little sister who dies.
This book would have been so much better had it focused more on developing the mystery element. I did like the whodunit in the end. I guessed it right, but it wasn’t overtly in your face who it was which was great. But that excitement wasn’t worth plodding through the entire book. In the end it was just too messy, too repetitive, not engaging enough, and certainly not thrilling enough to make up for the whodunit.
Overall, unless you really feel compelled to read this one, I recommend giving it a pass.
November 13, 2022
First things first excuse me if my review isn’t the most grammatically correct piece on this earth I’m a high-school student who doesn’t really care for things like making sure her commas are placed in the correct spots.
I picked this book up out of my school’s library randomly solely based off the part of the description where the book included a forbidden romance.
Though I do not really believe this part to be true, it’s kind of like a clickbait situation. Their relationship isn’t forbidden, not as an illegal or impossible sort of situation, it’s just the poor boy in love with a rich girl trope. We all know how it ends, they either end up together in the most adorable way possible or they have a tragic love story that ends with neither of them being happy.
I won’t spoil and say what the ending was for this book.
Moving on to what I really want to say I enjoyed the book and the characters. If you like a book where the characters are blunt, mean but still lovable with a friendship that you question if their truly friends then this is a book for you. I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I was able to relate to all three of the characters.
Amy undergoes so much pressure from her mother to be great that she thinks it’s the only reason her mother still talks to her. Absent father. Mommy and Daddy issues comes into the mix. This probably explains why she is so fond of Teddy, any attention from a male species is attention worth trying to hold onto, am I right?
Ben, he deals with a borderline abusive if not abusive mother. A father that has little to no back bone at all. Oh and him and Amy are cousins, so clearly the family itself is dysfunctional from a front view.
Then we have Teddy. Oh Teddy. Poor boy growing up in a trailer, with no one that’s ever encouraged him to have high standards or want better for him so of course he grows up thinking he’s incapable of anything more than doing yard work. Also relatable.
The thing I liked most about this book was the imagery, and the endless cycle between Amy’s and Teddy’s relationship. I’m fond of books that are frustrating that it makes you want to stop the book all together, although I gave the book a 4 because I felt parts of the book were rather predictable and I also didn’t like how the author does metaphor after metaphor. Don’t get me wrong I love me some good imagery, but there were certain parts of the book when I began having flashbacks to the time I read Macbeth during school where I spent hours on one act trying to figure out what in the he** was being said , what it meant, and if it was relevant to the story at all.
And now I felt like I’ve said a bunch without saying anything at all, but this is my first review after all so please not too much.
Where Secrets Lie takes place in an old country town in Kentucky where Amy meets back with Teddy and Ben, residents of the town, every summer to escape the harsh expectations of her mother. The summer of 2019 Amy returns to the town after everything went to sh*t the previous summer. Bens all upset, her and Teddy aren’t talking but at least she has Nat. Teddys Little sister. She has Nat, but then she doesn’t, when she mysteriously goes missing. The three have to put their differences aside to come back together and be the trio they once were to not only find out what happened to Nat, but to sort through their own individual problems as well as the ones they have with each other.
God I hope that summary was good or else my 10th grade English teacher is going to be furious with me.
I picked this book up out of my school’s library randomly solely based off the part of the description where the book included a forbidden romance.
Though I do not really believe this part to be true, it’s kind of like a clickbait situation. Their relationship isn’t forbidden, not as an illegal or impossible sort of situation, it’s just the poor boy in love with a rich girl trope. We all know how it ends, they either end up together in the most adorable way possible or they have a tragic love story that ends with neither of them being happy.
I won’t spoil and say what the ending was for this book.
Moving on to what I really want to say I enjoyed the book and the characters. If you like a book where the characters are blunt, mean but still lovable with a friendship that you question if their truly friends then this is a book for you. I think the reason I enjoyed this book so much was because I was able to relate to all three of the characters.
Amy undergoes so much pressure from her mother to be great that she thinks it’s the only reason her mother still talks to her. Absent father. Mommy and Daddy issues comes into the mix. This probably explains why she is so fond of Teddy, any attention from a male species is attention worth trying to hold onto, am I right?
Ben, he deals with a borderline abusive if not abusive mother. A father that has little to no back bone at all. Oh and him and Amy are cousins, so clearly the family itself is dysfunctional from a front view.
Then we have Teddy. Oh Teddy. Poor boy growing up in a trailer, with no one that’s ever encouraged him to have high standards or want better for him so of course he grows up thinking he’s incapable of anything more than doing yard work. Also relatable.
The thing I liked most about this book was the imagery, and the endless cycle between Amy’s and Teddy’s relationship. I’m fond of books that are frustrating that it makes you want to stop the book all together, although I gave the book a 4 because I felt parts of the book were rather predictable and I also didn’t like how the author does metaphor after metaphor. Don’t get me wrong I love me some good imagery, but there were certain parts of the book when I began having flashbacks to the time I read Macbeth during school where I spent hours on one act trying to figure out what in the he** was being said , what it meant, and if it was relevant to the story at all.
And now I felt like I’ve said a bunch without saying anything at all, but this is my first review after all so please not too much.
Where Secrets Lie takes place in an old country town in Kentucky where Amy meets back with Teddy and Ben, residents of the town, every summer to escape the harsh expectations of her mother. The summer of 2019 Amy returns to the town after everything went to sh*t the previous summer. Bens all upset, her and Teddy aren’t talking but at least she has Nat. Teddys Little sister. She has Nat, but then she doesn’t, when she mysteriously goes missing. The three have to put their differences aside to come back together and be the trio they once were to not only find out what happened to Nat, but to sort through their own individual problems as well as the ones they have with each other.
God I hope that summary was good or else my 10th grade English teacher is going to be furious with me.
April 21, 2021
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Whew, so that is a lot, and I will say, this book was rough at times, to my emotions. Knowing the author's last book, I wasn't particularly surprised, but the missing sister really did a number on me. I think because she was not just a child, but such a well-written, delightful child at that, made it so much more difficult. It did, however, also make the characters' responses seem all the more authentic.
Anyway, the book is told in two timelines- last summer, and the current summer. And last summer, things got pretty messy with Amy, her cousin Ben, and her bestie/crush Teddy (the brother of the aforementioned missing sister). So when they first meet back up in the current summer, things are awkward from whatever happened last summer. Only, that all gets pushed to the back burner when Teddy's sister goes missing. So not only do we need to figure out what went on there, we need to understand what led up to it.
I will say this: I figured out what had happened fairly early in the book. I don't necessarily think it was super obvious, so I was pretty proud of myself. (And if you figure it out early too, let's just pretend we're both really really smart people, and not that it's obvious, okay? Great.) But I still was eager to learn some other things, and ultimately to see the characters figure out what was happening. Because wow.
Amy is kind of clueless and very spoiled. Her mom is kind of the worst, so I get it to some extent, but I felt like her cousin and friend were kind of dealing with more here? To be fair, I don't think Amy tried to compare her struggles to theirs, and tried to be cognizant of the fact that she needed to not make these things about her. Which shows growth to me, at least. Her family in general is a whole yikes. And most of the town. I guess what I am saying is there is a lot going on in this book, and most of it spoilery, so I'll leave it at that. But if you are here for the drama, you've found it!
Bottom Line: It's definitely quite an emotional story, and I was absolutely pulled in to the mystery and what would become of Amy and her loved ones.
Content warning provided by the author (gosh I love when people do this!): "This story contains content that might be troubling to some readers, including, but not limited to, depictions of and references to death, kidnapping, serial murder and forensic evidence, child abuse, domestic violence, poverty, homophobia, mental health conditions, and childhood trauma."
Whew, so that is a lot, and I will say, this book was rough at times, to my emotions. Knowing the author's last book, I wasn't particularly surprised, but the missing sister really did a number on me. I think because she was not just a child, but such a well-written, delightful child at that, made it so much more difficult. It did, however, also make the characters' responses seem all the more authentic.
Anyway, the book is told in two timelines- last summer, and the current summer. And last summer, things got pretty messy with Amy, her cousin Ben, and her bestie/crush Teddy (the brother of the aforementioned missing sister). So when they first meet back up in the current summer, things are awkward from whatever happened last summer. Only, that all gets pushed to the back burner when Teddy's sister goes missing. So not only do we need to figure out what went on there, we need to understand what led up to it.
I will say this: I figured out what had happened fairly early in the book. I don't necessarily think it was super obvious, so I was pretty proud of myself. (And if you figure it out early too, let's just pretend we're both really really smart people, and not that it's obvious, okay? Great.) But I still was eager to learn some other things, and ultimately to see the characters figure out what was happening. Because wow.
Amy is kind of clueless and very spoiled. Her mom is kind of the worst, so I get it to some extent, but I felt like her cousin and friend were kind of dealing with more here? To be fair, I don't think Amy tried to compare her struggles to theirs, and tried to be cognizant of the fact that she needed to not make these things about her. Which shows growth to me, at least. Her family in general is a whole yikes. And most of the town. I guess what I am saying is there is a lot going on in this book, and most of it spoilery, so I'll leave it at that. But if you are here for the drama, you've found it!
Bottom Line: It's definitely quite an emotional story, and I was absolutely pulled in to the mystery and what would become of Amy and her loved ones.
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