In Savannah Brown's riveting The Truth About Keeping Secrets, high school junior Sydney Whitaker struggles to deal with her father's sudden death in a car crash. The loss causes Sydney to experience a near-constant combination of crushing numbness and disturbing, invasive thoughts about death and dying. Visceral fear is added to the mix when Sydney begins receiving unsettling anonymous text messages shortly after her father's funeral. When she discovers that her father was homecoming queen June Copeland's therapist, and that June is struggling with her own hidden problems, Sydney reaches out to her classmate. The two young women form a bond and Sydney soon finds herself falling in love with June. But are the secrets June is keeping dangerous?
Brown (Graffiti [and other poems]) effectively depicts genuine, raw feelings in her main character as she experiences despairing grief, a fear of dying and the unknown, and the relief and happiness that come from spending time with a crush and making a new friend. Savannah's fluctuating emotions feel authentic, her responses to trauma leading to a range of intense highs and lows. Brown's plotting is steady as she ratchets up the suspense, making The Truth About Keeping Secrets an enthralling novel sure to keep readers hooked. --Rachel Firman, 18