September 20, 2011
HarperTeen
Synopsis:
It's tough living in the shadow of a dead girl. . . .
In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.
When two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears, Miranda is stripped of her former life. She must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister's demons and her own.
In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.
My Review:
Tell Me a Secret is a wonderfully crafted story that was so much more than I expected. The characters are just as complex as the plot, and my emotions were in turmoil while I was reading. Tell Me a Secret made me laugh, cry, and frown in anger at all that was occurring. This is one that I will definitely be re-reading in the future!
Miranda is a quite, sweet, and confused girl who has always looked up to her sister. She is always asking herself "What would Xanda do?" even after her sister is dead. I really felt for all that she had to go through in this novel. I don't know how I would be able to deal with her life. It seemed as though no one was on her side, and that she was all alone with her pregnancy.
While it is not ideal getting pregnant as a teen, Rand handles it in stride. Her actions are commendable and I was rooting for a happy ending for her. Tell Me a Secret is truly a journey of self discovery for Rand. She has to learn to deal with the consequences of her choices and step out of the shadow of her older sister. This is way more than a novel about teen pregnancy.
Tell Me a Secret is a truly awe-inspiring debut novel from Cupala. I will most definitely be picking up any and all future novels by this author!
My Rating:
Great review! I agree, this tackled teen pregnancy at a interesting and original angle! :)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this one, and I haven't read any reviews either. It sounds like a good read though. Great review, Bailey!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a must read Bailey! Love complex characters and emotional reads, that's a winning combination for me:)
ReplyDeleteOMG! I can't believe I've had this one sitting on my self, unread, for so long. After this review, I could just kick myself. The story truly sounds well crafted. Teen pregnancy is enough to deal with in itself, so this story could have been overwhelming by adding the other elements, but it sounds like the author pulled it off perfectly.
ReplyDeleteAwesome review, B.
Tell Me a Secret is definitely inspiring! I loved the characters and how the story evoked so many emotions. <3 Great review, Bailey!
ReplyDeleteI have not read this book! I love that it is inspiring! I loved that you said that characters are complex and intense!
ReplyDeleteI loved this one too! I was a bit surprised because I was expecting a book solely about teen pregnancy but you're right, it was so much more than that!
ReplyDeleteThat's probably a good thing that it's not solely focused on teen pregnancy -- I'm not such a fan of issue books. But this one sounds really interesting with a great character. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI LOVED this book, but I loved Don't Breathe a Word even more! If you haven't got your hands on it and would to borrow it then let me know. I have a copy making the rounds :)
ReplyDeleteSo glad you loved this!
I've got this one on my wishlist since it seems that this is one of the better novels dealing with teen pregnancy. I'm glad that it doesn't just focus on that issue though but also focuses on things like gaining self-confidence.
ReplyDeleteYou finally read this! YAY! I am so glad that you loved it! I loved it as well!
ReplyDeleteGreat Review!