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Smallville (Young Adults) #7
Buried Secrets
Since its remarkable premiere, Smallville, the WB's hottest new show, has received rave reviews and is watched by over 6.5 million viewers every week. In the Smallville book series, fans join young Clark Kent, Lana Lang, and Lex Luthor on original adventures, complete with all the strange happenings that Smallville fans love! In this riveting new Smallville adventure, Clark and Lex Luthor's shared romantic interest uncovers information about Clark that no one else knows. But Lex will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.
148 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 2003
2 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Suzan Colon
17 books24 followersI'm the author of Cherries in Winter: My Family's Recipe for Hope in Hard Times, published in hardcover by Doubleday in November, 2010; normally a happy holiday time of year, but that particular November was one of the worst in this economic downfall--kind of timely, since my book was part Recession therapy, part comfort food recipes. Cherries in Winter is out now in paperback with added chapters and recipes.
I've written for O, the Oprah Magazine, Jane, Harper's Bazaar, Details, Rolling Stone, and tons of other magazines. I love magazines; I hope they don't go away.
I've also written three young adult novels based on the Smallville TV series, and a few children's books based on Batman.
I live in New Jersey with my husband, two cats, and an occasional beagle. I am not a great cook, but I try.
I've written for O, the Oprah Magazine, Jane, Harper's Bazaar, Details, Rolling Stone, and tons of other magazines. I love magazines; I hope they don't go away.
I've also written three young adult novels based on the Smallville TV series, and a few children's books based on Batman.
I live in New Jersey with my husband, two cats, and an occasional beagle. I am not a great cook, but I try.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
October 19, 2025
Smallville had a two-tier series of books during its print run: one aimed at middle school to early high school age, and one for older teenagers and adults who enjoyed the show. Both can be enjoyed as nostalgia now for this great show which lasted ten full seasons. Buried Secrets belongs to the middle-school to early high school series, and is set in the very early seasons; this is before Pete discovered Clark’s secret, and the whole high school dynamic was very much in play.
While I generally find the Cherie Bennett penned books in the series aimed at a slighter younger audience the best entries, Suzan Colon did a really nice job with this one by keeping it true to the early episodes of the show, and not trying to make it more than it was. Though meteor rocks do come into play here, it isn’t the freak of the week, but rather a slice of life — Clark Kent style — and that makes Buried Secrets really nice.
Clark’s wallowing in his eye-rolling Lana crush in this one of course, trying to deal with Lana’s typical obliviousness in regard to Clark’s feelings as she reads him a love letter from Whitney, who’s now in the Marines, but on his way home for leave. Of course she want’s Clark’s advice about something Whitney wrote in his later.
I was worried this might get too weighed down in the Clana muck, but lo and behold, thanks to a storyline expanding on a terrific little prolog, Clark soon meets his new Spanish teacher, Lilia Sanchez. Wildly pretty, equally as nice, and not that much older than the kids in her class, including Clark, he gets a new crush that for a time rivals Lana. Lilia is a really excellent teacher, but with a rapport that borders on the mysterious. Maybe too mysterious. When Chloe learns that as a child, Lilia was in the middle of a meteor shower, things begin to make sense.
This one is really a slice of life in Clark’s world during those early days. He and Lex are still friends, good friends, which makes it awkward when Lex meets Lilia and asks her to dinner. Clark almost loses his cool, which can be very dangerous, but even more dangerous, is the possibility that Lilia can read minds — his mind. There’s a rescue during a storm and a bracelet made from kryptonite that play a part in the finale, and a really sweet wrap-up.
Though nothing big or earth-shattering happens in this one, it’s a really nice entry in the series if you want to go back to the very early days of the show. Buried Secrets could well in fact have been an early episode of the show. Highly recommended for fans, as there’s some humor, nice interactions between Pete and Chloe and Clark, and of course Lex, not to mention the Kents. Fun stuff, and a good palate cleanser between other books and stories.
While I generally find the Cherie Bennett penned books in the series aimed at a slighter younger audience the best entries, Suzan Colon did a really nice job with this one by keeping it true to the early episodes of the show, and not trying to make it more than it was. Though meteor rocks do come into play here, it isn’t the freak of the week, but rather a slice of life — Clark Kent style — and that makes Buried Secrets really nice.
Clark’s wallowing in his eye-rolling Lana crush in this one of course, trying to deal with Lana’s typical obliviousness in regard to Clark’s feelings as she reads him a love letter from Whitney, who’s now in the Marines, but on his way home for leave. Of course she want’s Clark’s advice about something Whitney wrote in his later.
I was worried this might get too weighed down in the Clana muck, but lo and behold, thanks to a storyline expanding on a terrific little prolog, Clark soon meets his new Spanish teacher, Lilia Sanchez. Wildly pretty, equally as nice, and not that much older than the kids in her class, including Clark, he gets a new crush that for a time rivals Lana. Lilia is a really excellent teacher, but with a rapport that borders on the mysterious. Maybe too mysterious. When Chloe learns that as a child, Lilia was in the middle of a meteor shower, things begin to make sense.
This one is really a slice of life in Clark’s world during those early days. He and Lex are still friends, good friends, which makes it awkward when Lex meets Lilia and asks her to dinner. Clark almost loses his cool, which can be very dangerous, but even more dangerous, is the possibility that Lilia can read minds — his mind. There’s a rescue during a storm and a bracelet made from kryptonite that play a part in the finale, and a really sweet wrap-up.
Though nothing big or earth-shattering happens in this one, it’s a really nice entry in the series if you want to go back to the very early days of the show. Buried Secrets could well in fact have been an early episode of the show. Highly recommended for fans, as there’s some humor, nice interactions between Pete and Chloe and Clark, and of course Lex, not to mention the Kents. Fun stuff, and a good palate cleanser between other books and stories.
February 13, 2017
Buried Secrets is one of the best of the middle school Smallville series.
It's not consistent with the timeline of the show and takes liberties with that to invent a plot, true, but the invented story was more interesting than most of the others. Clark has fallen hard for his teacher, who has powers of her own, but so has Lex. There's some complications there, as well as a particularly well done scene of confrontation. Lex helps make these books more interesting. There's also plenty of Pete, who is fun to have around, and the general crew of the Smallville team (parents and the other kids.)
Unfortunately Clark keeps mooning over Lana the way he did on the show, so the back and forth with the relationship angst and Lana wondering what to do with Whitney was as trying in paper form as it was on the TV show. At least the teacher gives Clark a little bit of a break for someone else to daydream over.
It's not consistent with the timeline of the show and takes liberties with that to invent a plot, true, but the invented story was more interesting than most of the others. Clark has fallen hard for his teacher, who has powers of her own, but so has Lex. There's some complications there, as well as a particularly well done scene of confrontation. Lex helps make these books more interesting. There's also plenty of Pete, who is fun to have around, and the general crew of the Smallville team (parents and the other kids.)
Unfortunately Clark keeps mooning over Lana the way he did on the show, so the back and forth with the relationship angst and Lana wondering what to do with Whitney was as trying in paper form as it was on the TV show. At least the teacher gives Clark a little bit of a break for someone else to daydream over.
November 23, 2011
This was not one of Smallville's best books. I'll start with the one that was most annoying; the timeline. Where the crap are we in the seasons?
I'll set this timeline out for you:
Season 1: Twelve years since the meteor shower hit. Clark and Lana were three at the time, Lex was nine. This would make Clark and Lana fifteen and Lex twenty-one.
Season 2: Whitney is in the military. Pete finds out about Clark's secret.
Season 4: Pete isn't in the show anymore, leaving after he decides hiding Clark's secret it too much. Lex is now twenty-four.
Things above that are in the book: Meteor shower hit twelve years ago; Clark and Lana are fifteen; Whitney is in the military; Lex is twenty-four.
Hm… how on earth did that work out? So we’re in season 1, 2, and 4 all at the same time? And what happened to season 3, it wasn’t important enough to be included? I’m thinking they should have either gotten someone who actually knows the show or someone to help the person who doesn’t know the show.
The most annoying thing, though, is all the Lana blabber. We get it, you’re jealous of Whitney! You want Lana, though no one in their right mind knows why. We don’t need to have you yearning for her for 60- freakin’ pages.
Then you think it’s finally going to get interesting, what with the Lana crap behind you, but no such luck. He’s gotten past Lana just to move onto another unattainable woman. Ms. Sanchez, the beautiful Spanish woman. She was actually pretty interesting for a side character, which usually has no personality except “this guy was mean” or “this girl was kind.” She had a nice personality but not over-the-top nice and an interesting background. Unfortunately, that couldn’t change the whole outcome of the book; a good fast read for Smallville fans, but nothing more.
I'll set this timeline out for you:
Season 1: Twelve years since the meteor shower hit. Clark and Lana were three at the time, Lex was nine. This would make Clark and Lana fifteen and Lex twenty-one.
Season 2: Whitney is in the military. Pete finds out about Clark's secret.
Season 4: Pete isn't in the show anymore, leaving after he decides hiding Clark's secret it too much. Lex is now twenty-four.
Things above that are in the book: Meteor shower hit twelve years ago; Clark and Lana are fifteen; Whitney is in the military; Lex is twenty-four.
Hm… how on earth did that work out? So we’re in season 1, 2, and 4 all at the same time? And what happened to season 3, it wasn’t important enough to be included? I’m thinking they should have either gotten someone who actually knows the show or someone to help the person who doesn’t know the show.
The most annoying thing, though, is all the Lana blabber. We get it, you’re jealous of Whitney! You want Lana, though no one in their right mind knows why. We don’t need to have you yearning for her for 60- freakin’ pages.
Then you think it’s finally going to get interesting, what with the Lana crap behind you, but no such luck. He’s gotten past Lana just to move onto another unattainable woman. Ms. Sanchez, the beautiful Spanish woman. She was actually pretty interesting for a side character, which usually has no personality except “this guy was mean” or “this girl was kind.” She had a nice personality but not over-the-top nice and an interesting background. Unfortunately, that couldn’t change the whole outcome of the book; a good fast read for Smallville fans, but nothing more.
December 30, 2023
This was another fun, cozy tie-in read. However, it also wasn't my favorite of the Smallville books. There were some things that annoyed me. There was also something that impressed me, so, 3 stars.
A good chunk of this novel is taken up with Clark pining over Lana while Lana waffles about Whitney. This takes place after Whitney has joined the Marines, but Lana can't decide if she actually wants to break up with him or not. This is all true to the show, but my least favorite of the character subplots and I didn't enjoy experiencing it in prose form, either.
Then we get into the main storyline and it's kind of cringey, with Clark getting a crush on his Spanish teacher. Having a crush on a teacher is pretty normal, I guess, but Clark takes it a step farther when he gets angry/jealous when Lex (who's in his early 20s) asks her out to dinner. He insults Lex's dating history ("Now it was Lex who looked hurt, and surprised." (p. 85)) and then lunges at him with superspeed when Lex makes a comment that maybe Clark should stick with Lana Lang. This really doesn't paint Clark in the best light.
Clark stops himself before he hurts Lex, but his abrupt action startles Lex who manages (somehow?) to accidentally push Clark into a mud hole. I did like that Lex immediately goes to help him (Clark is suddenly incapacitated by a piece of meteorite. Which might account for Lex's ability to push him over, except that he didn't begin to feel its effects until he was in the hole.)
There is a really nice scene later, where the two apologize to each other. But another odd moment comes right on its heels, as Lex asks if Clark believes in telepathy - when they've both known another telepathic character (Ryan.) Clark immediately interprets this question as somehow being about Lex prying into Clark's secrets even though it has nothing to do with him. I guess this is also pretty true to Smallville Clark's characterization, but it still annoyed me.
Despite my criticisms, I will give Suzan Colon a lot of credit for coming up with a plot that doesn't involve a villain. It was a nice change of pace and it leads to an exciting climax anyway, this time involving a storm and a mudslide. I thought that was very well done. So, Buried Secrets isn't a terrible read, by any means, and I still had fun with it.
A good chunk of this novel is taken up with Clark pining over Lana while Lana waffles about Whitney. This takes place after Whitney has joined the Marines, but Lana can't decide if she actually wants to break up with him or not. This is all true to the show, but my least favorite of the character subplots and I didn't enjoy experiencing it in prose form, either.
Then we get into the main storyline and it's kind of cringey, with Clark getting a crush on his Spanish teacher. Having a crush on a teacher is pretty normal, I guess, but Clark takes it a step farther when he gets angry/jealous when Lex (who's in his early 20s) asks her out to dinner. He insults Lex's dating history ("Now it was Lex who looked hurt, and surprised." (p. 85)) and then lunges at him with superspeed when Lex makes a comment that maybe Clark should stick with Lana Lang. This really doesn't paint Clark in the best light.
Clark stops himself before he hurts Lex, but his abrupt action startles Lex who manages (somehow?) to accidentally push Clark into a mud hole. I did like that Lex immediately goes to help him (Clark is suddenly incapacitated by a piece of meteorite. Which might account for Lex's ability to push him over, except that he didn't begin to feel its effects until he was in the hole.)
There is a really nice scene later, where the two apologize to each other. But another odd moment comes right on its heels, as Lex asks if Clark believes in telepathy - when they've both known another telepathic character (Ryan.) Clark immediately interprets this question as somehow being about Lex prying into Clark's secrets even though it has nothing to do with him. I guess this is also pretty true to Smallville Clark's characterization, but it still annoyed me.
Despite my criticisms, I will give Suzan Colon a lot of credit for coming up with a plot that doesn't involve a villain. It was a nice change of pace and it leads to an exciting climax anyway, this time involving a storm and a mudslide. I thought that was very well done. So, Buried Secrets isn't a terrible read, by any means, and I still had fun with it.
December 30, 2019
This isn't canon, so don't get upset about inconsistencies. Strictly YA fare, Suzan Colon writes a passable Smallville story. The characters are true to form and even interesting, but this gets 3 stars, because it could have been much better and seems to follow some kind of formula in the style. Given me Christopher Golden, Roger Stern or Timothy Zahn for a canon or non-canon novel based on a TV series or movie. Those guys are good!
December 1, 2024
Very typical of an episode of Smallville, but less meteor villain and just meteors. I did forget how annoying the constant Lex bashing is. And yes I know how it turns out, but in the beginning before he's done anything, it gets old.
December 2, 2018
ora ora
July 31, 2021
I love that this one had Whitney coming back, because I have such a soft spot for his character.
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September 22, 2022Full review: https://monsterbookclub.com/2022/09/2...
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October 19, 2025FRASES DESTACADAS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuLca...
December 26, 2025
This story was probably set some time early in the second season, possibly after Heat, because it mentioned Lex's problems with women may be a reference to Lex's failed first marriage. Pete still doesn't know his secret. So also before Duplicity. Clark has troubles with Lana, as being her friend has its negatives, when a letter from Whitney gets Lana troubled and asks Clark for his opinion. It's an awful feeling for Clark as he's in love with her and she's asking him for relationship advice. This causes Clark to be angry and not speak with her for a while.
I got to say I can understand why Clark would be angry, but when you're in love, nobody but you can know that unless you share. But while Clark is moping, he gets a nice distraction when a beautiful young Spanish substitute teacher takes over, and all the guys fall for her. It's something I haven't seen or read in a while, but not unwelcome. Nice to see Clark have puppy love for a hot Latina teacher instead of Lana for once.
But what makes this woman stand out is that she is affected by the meteor shower, with the ability to be incredibly intuitive of the feelings of people she gets close to. From students' troubles learning to Clark's feelings concerning his secret. I liked this meteor power of seeing into the truth, as well as the person not being a total nutcase.
But things get out of hand when she touches a meteor rock and is touched, she obtains the ability to speak the thoughts of the person she touches, and after a row between Clark and Lex, the latter becomes curious if he could find out how to exploit her. Things return to normal, though, it's still a nice story.
I got to say I can understand why Clark would be angry, but when you're in love, nobody but you can know that unless you share. But while Clark is moping, he gets a nice distraction when a beautiful young Spanish substitute teacher takes over, and all the guys fall for her. It's something I haven't seen or read in a while, but not unwelcome. Nice to see Clark have puppy love for a hot Latina teacher instead of Lana for once.
But what makes this woman stand out is that she is affected by the meteor shower, with the ability to be incredibly intuitive of the feelings of people she gets close to. From students' troubles learning to Clark's feelings concerning his secret. I liked this meteor power of seeing into the truth, as well as the person not being a total nutcase.
But things get out of hand when she touches a meteor rock and is touched, she obtains the ability to speak the thoughts of the person she touches, and after a row between Clark and Lex, the latter becomes curious if he could find out how to exploit her. Things return to normal, though, it's still a nice story.
December 28, 2011
Clark gets a new spanish teacher named Ms. Sanchez who can read minds. Clark immediately has a crush on her since she is gorgeous and understanding, but his friend Lex has a crush on her also. Lex was in an accident where Clark had saved his life, so he thinks Clark has superpowers though Clark continues to assure Lex he does not. But since Lex and Ms. Sanchez are very close Clark is afraid Ms. Sanchez will tell Lex his secret.
I read this book because I read the third book in the series and enjoyed it.
I finished this book because I wanted to know whether Lex discovers Clark's secret of not.
I would recommend this to Joshua too after he's read the third book.
I read this book because I read the third book in the series and enjoyed it.
I finished this book because I wanted to know whether Lex discovers Clark's secret of not.
I would recommend this to Joshua too after he's read the third book.
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May 17, 2010F SMA bk.6
Science Fiction
Science Fiction
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June 28, 20243.5 stars. Probably one of the better YA tie-ins in the Smallville series. I forgot how obsessed Clark was with Lana and the constant pining gets old quick.
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