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The Secrets We Keep
Table of Contents
About The Book
In the vein of The Way I Used to Be and Kelly Loy Gilbert’s Conviction, this heartbreaking yet hopeful young adult novel follows a girl’s struggle to reconcile friendship, sexual abuse, and the secrets we bury deep down inside to survive.
High school freshman Emma Clark harbors a secret—a secret so vile it could implode her whole world, a secret she’s managed to keep buried...until the day her best friend, Hannah, accuses Emma’s father of a heinous crime.
Following her father’s arrest and torn between loyalty to Hannah and to her family, Emma is devastated to learn she must testify against Hannah’s word in order to keep her family together. As Emma wrestles with this impossible decision, her fractured past begins to resurface piece by painful piece—causing the line to blur between her present-day reality and the dark fairy tales she writes to survive, all of which threaten to expose Emma’s long-buried truths.
The Secrets We Keep explores the complex, powerful bonds of friendship and family, asking the difficult question: At what point does Emma’s loyalty to another become a betrayal of herself? And perhaps the toughest question of all: Can Emma find the strength to finally unbury her secret?
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (November 8, 2022)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665906968
- Grades: 9 and up
- Ages: 14 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
Emma, caught between her love of her friend Hannah and the demands of her father to lie about the abuse, is a sensitive yet strong character who, with the help of a psychologist, finds her voice. Hannah, also an impressive and brave protagonist, believes that Emma is the victim of incest and wants to protect both herself and her friend. The writing is solid, and while not graphic, presents an easily understood picture...[a] much-needed book and an important purchase.
– School Library Journal, starred review
* "Attentively tackling themes of self-harm, sexual violence, and suicidal ideation, Gustafson (After the Ink Dries) delivers a gut-wrenching account of high schooler Emma’s struggle to parse her own feelings after her father is accused of sexually assaulting her best friend...the narrative’s dark climax and Gustafson’s visceral prose don’t shy away from the inherent trauma surrounding sexual assault, making for a vital, heart-wrenching account of one teen’s harrowing experience."
– Publishers Weekly, starred review
* "An exceedingly well-written, powerful, and suspenseful novel that lights the path toward truthfulness and healing."
– Kirkus Reviews, starred review
Resources and Downloads
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Book Cover Image (jpg): The Secrets We Keep
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Author Photo (jpg): Cassie Gustafson
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