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Thanks to NetGalley and Dundum for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Release Date: December 10th, 2016

184 Pages

Synopsis: When Kit disappeared at a party and was found drowned in the quarry the next day, Clem knew who to point the finger at: herself. She was the last person to see him alive, the last person who could have helped. If she had just kept a closer eye on him instead of her crush, Jake, maybe Kit would still be here. She knows she made a mistake, and wishes she could just forget about it–but Clem’s friend Ellie says she’ll expose Clem’s secret if she doesn’t play along with Ellie’s lies.

Jake seems to have his own difficult secrets, and when he and Clem start to talk, they make a plan to help themselves move on. But when an unexpected discovery at the quarry makes everyone question what they thought they knew, Clem and Jake decide it’s up to them to uncover the truth.

The Secrets We Keep could have been such an exciting mystery surrounding the death of an autistic boy, but there are just too many missed opportunities to make this an enjoyable read. The main character, Clem is likable enough but rather bland, and I had a difficult time connecting with her. The other characters are pretty much forgettable except for Clem’s “best friend” Ellie, and the only reason why she stands out is because I spent most of the story wanting to shove her off the nearest cliff! The whole blackmail thing between the two girls made absolutely no sense to me, nor did all the lying everyone engaged in. I kept expecting an “Ah ha!” moment. You know. One of those mind blowing plot twists that would explain in a believable way why these teens were being so secretive, but instead the story basically limped along until its stuttering, lackluster ending. I’m also not sure what age group this is aimed for. The characters are seventeen, but they act and talk more like tweens and I’m unsure of this holding a high schooler’s attention. To be perfectly honest there are much better YA Mystery and Suspense books out there such as: The Lost Girls, by Merrie Destefano, The Lock & Mori books by, Heather Petty, and Until I Break by Kara Bietz just to name a few. I’m sorry to say that for me anyway, although it was short, The Secrets We Keep just wasn’t worth the almost two hours I spent reading it. There are some positive reviews for this on Goodreads and Amazon, so as always, I encourage you to check this out for yourself. Perhaps I’m just channeling my inner Grinch!