My Secret to Tell

August 17, 2015
Emmie has been in love with her friend Chelsea’s gorgeous brother, Deacon, for years. Deacon has problems, however, including a paralyzing fear of blood. When Deacon’s father turns up nearly dead, Emmie finds Deacon covered in his blood. She wants to help Deacon, but nearly everyone in town thinks he is responsible for sending his father to the hospital. Secrets abound: Emmie is covering for Deacon, Chelsea is behaving strangely, and Deacon is definitely holding back the whole story, even from Emmie, his biggest ally. In an effort to create suspense, Richards (Gone Too Far) packs her novel full of red herrings (including the local thugs Emmie has scary run-ins with) to sometimes confusing effect. With so many characters acting suspiciously and dialogue that conceals more than it reveals, readers may end up feeling frustrated and lost. As a character, Deacon remains largely ephemeral, and Emmie’s frequent reminders that she has loved him for ages aren’t quite enough to help make sense of why she defends him so staunchly. Ages 14–up. Agent: Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency.

July 15, 2015
Seventeen-year-old Emmie likes to take care of things, and she's good at it, but when her best friend's father is brutally beaten, and Deacon, Chelsea's brother and Emmie's secret crush, shows up at her window that night covered in blood, she faces her greatest challenge yet. The pressure Emmie feels to make things right has escalated since her older brother dropped out of college, shattering her mother's dreams. Taking the side of an apparent criminal threatens everything. Set on the shores of Beaufort, South Carolina, the fast-paced narrative is tailored to readers looking for quick, escapist entertainment. Despite careful setup, the real nuggets of the whodunit plotline suffer from a slow reveal, and Emmie's relationships, especially her friendship with Chelsea, are underdeveloped. Still, the main event, Emmie and Deacon's smoldering, good girl-bad boy chemistry, is so hot readers are likely to be forgiving. The novel is at its best when these two are on the run, not only because of the high-stakes action, but also because it forces Emmie to overcome her borderline-compulsive need for order and to throw caution to the wind. Readers will cheer as her passion outweighs her need to maintain the stifling good-girl front she's kept up for too long. Teen readers will find plenty of fun and plenty to relate to in this coming-of-age romance with an adrenaline rush. (Thriller. 12-16)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-Set during a lurid South Carolina summer, this mystery opens as picture-perfect Emmie receives a frantic call from her best friend, Chelsea. Chel's father has been brutally assaulted in their home, and it appears that her brother, along with resident bad boy Deacon, is the culprit. While everyone in town is busy pointing fingers at Deacon, Emmie must decide for herself whether she should trust and defend the boy she's loved from afar or if she should do what everyone expects of a good girl and give him up to the authorities. This romantic whodunit might be best for early teen and reluctant readers with its swift pace, accessible plotlines, and somewhat predictable twists. In addition, reluctant readers will enjoy piecing the clues together to solve the mystery. For the sensitive reader, it is worth mentioning that there are references to death and drug addiction throughout. Richards does a beautiful job painting scenes of Southern life in a boating town and incorporating some diverse characters. However, she also makes some confusing leaps in the plot, leaving out critical details. For instance, in the first part of the novel, there is no mention of any character asking the beaten man to identify his assailant; rather, the townsfolk make their own assumptions and go on a witch hunt from there. The result is that the premise feels a bit flimsy and the characters' decisions are overly dramatic and premature. VERDICT Despite some flaws, this is a good choice for younger teens who want a bit of PG romance and a modern Nancy Drew-esque mystery.-Leighanne Law, Scriber Lake High School, WA

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