Wednesday, September 30, 2015

My Secret to Tell ~ Natalie D Richards (earc) review [@NatDRichards @SourcebooksFire]

My Secret to Tell
Sourcebooks Fire
October 6, 2015
320 pages
add to Goodreads/buy from Book Depository/or Amazon


There was blood on his hands. Where was the guilt in his eyes?

Emmie's had a crush on her best friend's brother forever. Deacon is the town bad boy who's always in trouble, but she sees his soft side when he volunteers with her at the local animal shelter. She doesn't think he's dangerous…until he shows up in her bedroom with blood on his hands.

Deacon's father has been violently assaulted and Deacon is suspect number one. Emmie's smart enough to know how this looks, but she also knows Deacon's biggest secret—he's paralyzed by the sight of blood. She's sure he didn't do this. Or did he? Because even Deacon's own sister thinks he's guilty…

Natalie D Richards' My Secret to Tell is full of surprises. In the beginning, it seems like a pretty straight forward story: Deacon ran from the scene of his father's assault, covered in blood;  now he is hiding, refusing to  go to the police or even his sister.

Is it any wonder countless people, even, it seems, his own sister think he's guilty?

Emmie, best friend to Deacon's sister Chelsea and the one he ran to, isn't so sure, though. She recognizes how it all looks, but she knows Deacon. Even if she does question some things, Emmie believes him - and wants to help.

As the story progresses, the mystery deepens and more things are called into question. It seems many aren't who they seem to be and it isn't easy to know who to trust.

Even when one or two aspects of the mystery seem easy to piece together, it does not take away from one's enjoyment of the story. Instead, knowing (or possibly knowing) something only adds to the tension you feel as you read.

The complexities or Emmie's character are fantastic Who she is and the little things that make her that way and why not only make her an interesting character to read about, a character who is easy to relate to but also sympathize with, but play into the story really well. (In unexpected but very nicely done ways.)

With its resolution, the book's mystery proved to be bigger and more complex than I could have imagined. All of the pieces came together incredibly well, with smaller things from throughout the book now making sense.

I loved the characters of My Secret to Tell even when I disliked them or their actions- Emmie, Deacon, Chelsea, Joel, Seth, her parents, even Rocky(!!). They are complex, well written characters who play great, intriguing roles not just in the novel but in each other's lives, too.

My Secret to Tell was an even better read than the author's first two books Six Months Later and Gone too Far, it is a exciting, thrilling read with great characters.







digital copy received, for review purposes, from publisher via NetGalley

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