The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep (Jane Anonymous #2), By Laurie Faria Stolarz ~ 4.0 Stars

Tags

Death of Parents, Kidnapping, Mental Illness, Movie Nostalgia, Mystery, Suspense, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Release Date: March 16th, 2021

336 Pages

Synopsis: Four days…

Trapped in a well, surrounded by dirt, scratching at the walls, trying to find a way out. Four days of a thirst so strong, that when it finally rains, I drink as much as possible from the dripping walls, not even caring how much dirt comes with it.

Six months…

Since my escape. Since no on believed I was taken to begin with—from my own bed, after a party, when no one else was home…Six months of trying to find answers and being told instead that I made the whole incident up.

One month…

Since I logged on to the Jane Anonymous site for the first time and found a community of survivors who listen without judgement, provide advice, and console each other when needed. A month of chatting with a survivor whose story eerily mirrors my own: a girl who’s been receiving triggering clues, just like me, and who could help me find the answers I’m looking for.

Three days…

Since she mysteriously disappears, and since I’m forced to ask the questions: will my chance to find out what happened to me vanish with her? And will I be next?

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep has a few issues, but somehow still wound up a winner for me. The problems included: underdeveloped secondary characters, police being portrayed in a negative light (which happens far too often in YA novels), certain character’s actions not making sense, and a few predictable elements. However, what saved this for me was Terra, who I really connected with despite some of her appalling decision making. She’s an unreliable narrator who tells her story from the past when she was taken, as well as the present. To say my heart broke for her, doesn’t quite describe my feelings. I was infuriated by the callous and unfeeling way she was treated by her aunt, the police, former friends, and even her therapist, all who decided she made up this story about being taken to cope with an earlier trauma. Terra finds comfort in the online chat rooms of Jane Anonymous which was created as a safe space for victims of similar crimes. I felt the dialogue between the girls in the forum did slow things down a little, but there was also a direct tie-in from the previous book, so this is a minor complaint. Terra is so lost and confused for the majority of the story that it was a relief when a love interest named Garrett was introduced, who actually supported her and was determined to discover what actually happened. This poor girl desperately needed someone in her corner and Garrett filled that purpose. The ending took a truly bizarre twist, which I both liked and disliked. It came out of nowhere, yet was creative and memorable. Overall, while I don’t think The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep is as tightly written as Jane Anonymous, thanks to a strongly written and sympathetic main character, I was engrossed from the first chapter. I believe fans of the previous book will enjoy this, and you needn’t have read Jane Anonymous, to read this as the characters are new here.