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Tell Me a Secret

by Holly Cupala (Goodreads Author)

3.75 of 5 stars 3.75 · rating details · 1,069 ratings · 214 reviews

It's tough living in the shadow of a dead girl. . . .

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams--a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly...more

Paperback, 320 pages

Published September 20th 2011 by HarperTeen (first published June 22nd 2010)

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Jul 19, 2010 Andrea added it

Shelves: fiction

This one for me was one of those that I started -- just wanting to read the first few chapters -- and then three a.m. came and I closed the book, finished. It was THAT addicting. Not only did it suck me in but it also broke my heart a little AND made me happy I'm no longer in high school. I couldn't put TELL ME A SECRET down, but it was the story that kept me reading, not the MC. While Miranda wasn't my favorite narrator ever, I did appreciate the ending she got. Character growth + real life fee...more

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Jul 01, 2010 Angela (Reading Angels) rated it 5 of 5 stars

This was such a heart-wrenching story. Rand is such a fantastic character. She swept me into her world and wouldn't let me go until I devoured every last page. She's strong and vulnerable at the same time. She's not sure who she truly is, trying to act like her dead sister in order to feel closer to her, she begins to lose the parts of herself that make her, her. When she finds out that she's pregnant, she tries to deny it, until it gets to the point where that becomes impossible. She finally te...more This was such a heart-wrenching story. Rand is such a fantastic character. She swept me into her world and wouldn't let me go until I devoured every last page. She's strong and vulnerable at the same time. She's not sure who she truly is, trying to act like her dead sister in order to feel closer to her, she begins to lose the parts of herself that make her, her. When she finds out that she's pregnant, she tries to deny it, until it gets to the point where that becomes impossible. She finally tells 2 friends in confidence, only to be overheard, and before she has a chance to break the news to her boyfriend or her parents, someone else has done it for her. Everyone is in a rage after finding out the way they did, and poor Rand is left to deal with it all on her own.

This story was really touching for me, teen pregnancy is a tough subject to broach and Holly Cupala did this with such grace and style. I myself was pregnant at 17, I wasn't treated as harshly as Rand was, but it's a tough thing to go through. I felt her pain and mine all over again as I watched her friends suddenly abandon her. I cried like a baby through some of the more emotional scenes. This was just a story that ate it's way right through to my heart.

There was also alot of great supporting characters, Xanda, the sister who died, felt like a real character as you learn the secrets of what really happened to her. Rand's Dad, who can never stand up to her Mom, and blames himself for his daughters death. Rand's Mom, who is harsh and judgmental. The boyfriend, who's confused and scared, and is getting fed alot of false information. The friends, Delaney, who turns out to not really be a friend at all. Essense, who was the former best friend, but turns out to be a better friend than she expected. And my favorite character of all, Shelly, who is Rand's boss at work, and really takes her under her wing. The situations that Shelly has been through reminded me alot of a friend I had when I was pregnant. We were pregnant at the same time, and experienced all of the crazy firsts that go along with that at about the same time. What happens to Shelly happened to her as well, and I was so touched by her character and strength.

I just have to thank Holly Cupala for such a wonderful story that I will be thinking of for a long time to come. I recommend this read to anyone and everyone!! (less)

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Nov 30, 2010 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had assumptions when I picked up Tell me a Secret by Holly Cupala. I guess it had been a while since I read all the reviews for this book and of course I didn’t read the back cover because I had heard so many positive reviews that I knew I just wanted to read it. Needless to say, I was surprised by the contents of this book. Rand, the main character, has a lot of issues to deal with throughout the course of the story. Just to name a few, she’s dealing with her sister’s death from 5 years ago,...more I had assumptions when I picked up Tell me a Secret by Holly Cupala. I guess it had been a while since I read all the reviews for this book and of course I didn’t read the back cover because I had heard so many positive reviews that I knew I just wanted to read it. Needless to say, I was surprised by the contents of this book. Rand, the main character, has a lot of issues to deal with throughout the course of the story. Just to name a few, she’s dealing with her sister’s death from 5 years ago, her mother is a little bit off her rocker and way too controlling and her father is absent, she’s almost positive her new best friend is trying to steal her boyfriend, plus she hasn’t had a period in 3 months and she thinks her old best friend is telling people she’s pregnant.
That’s a whole lot to deal with if you ask me. This book started off a little slow for me, but once I passed about page 100 everything started to pick up pace and it really start to dig into the depths of this novel and let me tell you, it had depths that I never imagined it would get to. Which is probably the reason that I enjoyed this novel so much. You really have to read it yourself to understand what I mean when I say, this novel was full insight, self-discovery, and is a long road to forgiving people for all the things that they did when they thought they were doing the right thing, but it wasn’t exactly the best course of decisions.
I had problems with how easily this book ended because nearly all of the people that surrounded Rand neglected her in her time of most need and as the book began to close they suddenly morphed into decent human beings. I understand it, mostly, but I would have liked to see more of the change in some of the characters. That’s really the only complaint that I have about this book. I really enjoyed reading this story, it is a terrific debut novel and I am looking forward to seeing what else Holly Cupala will come up with and if this book is any indication of what is to come, I can’t wait for more stories with depth that will surprise me.
(less)

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Jun 07, 2011 Jenna Christy rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teen drama fans

FINALLY DONE! What an EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER journey it has been! Whew! After losing myself in this book, crying my heart out, my ripped and crashed 4-chambered heart is now recovering. The ending whipped up in a nice way. The story kinda reminded me of the 5 stages of grieving. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Though the story didn’t go through all of it, but the thought is that.
Rand (Mandy) lived up to her late sister Xanda’s shadow, when she was a live and still after her...more FINALLY DONE! What an EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER journey it has been! Whew! After losing myself in this book, crying my heart out, my ripped and crashed 4-chambered heart is now recovering. The ending whipped up in a nice way. The story kinda reminded me of the 5 stages of grieving. Denial. Anger. Bargaining. Depression. Acceptance. Though the story didn’t go through all of it, but the thought is that.
Rand (Mandy) lived up to her late sister Xanda’s shadow, when she was a live and still after her death. Five years after her sister’s death, she still hasn’t gotten over it. Causing all her relationships with people around her to mess up. I think it’s kind of true that these things happen (especially now, many teenagers get pregnant). She was caught up with her mother’s fake facade plasticness, her father being under her mom’s wing, her trying to be Xanda and Delaney..she getting pregnant. Her pregnancy was wrapped up in depression. She was ALONE. Relying on her fellow mother-to-be online friends and herself. When finally she came around (Andre helped, i think) and started to build up courage and face the truth, that her supposed-to-be friend is the one messing her life (well, most of what’s happening to her in the present, that is), her baby wants to come out. An emotional wreckage, we might call her, but because she came through because of FORGIVENESS. It did a LOT to her and her mom. Turned out she was more like her mom (in attitude and life pattern). It was such an eye-opener for her. That somehow, because of her attitude blaming others and pretentions (to be like Xanda,and forming her own image of Kamran after Andre). The end was really good, lots of RESOLVED issues. With her BFF Essence, her Mom and Dad (view spoiler), her relationship with Kamran coming around (at least, they’re on good terms)..wow. this was just a drama-ful of book. Great story. Lots of things to learn. I loved how somehow Christian/good values were put in it. and it was just great. (less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Ashley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala is a powerful Contemporary novel. Miranda lives every day with the memory of her beloved older sister's death. Alexandra (Xanda) was the bad-girl, the rebel and Miranda worshiped her. But, after her sister's death, Miranda became what her parents most wanted, what she thought they needed, and she was the good girl who always followed the rules, never rebelled and did as she was asked. Until, of...more Originally reviewed on my blog, Books from Bleh to Basically Amazing.

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala is a powerful Contemporary novel. Miranda lives every day with the memory of her beloved older sister's death. Alexandra (Xanda) was the bad-girl, the rebel and Miranda worshiped her. But, after her sister's death, Miranda became what her parents most wanted, what she thought they needed, and she was the good girl who always followed the rules, never rebelled and did as she was asked. Until, of course, one unplanned night changes everything and leaves Miranda pregnant.

When Miranda gets back from her summer job as a camp counselor, she finds her world completely changed, totally pulled upside down. She's pregnant, there seems to be something wrong with her relationship with her boyfriend and turns out, the new best friend that she ditched her old best friend for is not a great friend at all (something that Miranda knew intellectually, but ignored because Delaney reminds her of Xanda). The whole school ends up finding out she's pregnant, which means her mom finds out and life gets really hard for Miranda, very quickly. Her mother disapproves and her father is (as he has been since the death of her sister) physically there, but emotionally absent, allowing the mom to be the leader in almost all things, and her aforementioned bad best friend abandons her for bigger and better things.

My heart went out to Miranda. Oh did my heart go out to her. It would be so incredibly hard to be pregnant in high school, but even harder to have everyone you know also shutting you out. Needing someone to talk to leads Miranda to find an online message board of women also pregnant at the same time and she creates this fantasy Miranda- in college, still with her boyfriend, maybe getting married etc and finds the love, acceptance and support through these women she isn't getting in her real life.

Everything happening in Miranda's life forces her to start taking stock of her life, her actions and her beliefs. She has to come to terms with what really happened the night her sister died, realize and accept who Xanda really was and what she wasn't and prepare to take care of something greater than herself. She grows so much during this book and I was so proud of her! The growth and maturity she shows towards the end of the novel vs the beginning is amazing.

The supporting characters are also incredibly well developed. All of them, from five-years-dead older sister Xanda, to boyfriend (or not) Kamran, Delaney, the terrible new friend, her parents, the old best friend and the huge community and religious network, all the characters were done so well. Some I loved, some I hated, some I pitied and others made me angry. Delaney was such a great foil character- she's not evil, but she definitely thinks she is above everyone else. She uses people, goes after what she wants anyway she can, regardless of who is hurt in the process and finds a way to make every situation about her. At first, I loved Kamran and the idea of him. Miranda's memories of the two of them are everything a high school romance should be. But after he finds out Miranda's pregnant, he reacts horribly. Not all of it is entirely his fault (a lot of people whispering in his ear) but he treats her abominably and steps away from his responsibility. He isn't the focus of the story, but he grows as a person as well, and by the end of the novel, I had stopped making angry faces when his name was mentioned. But for a lot of the book, he really is kind of a stupid jerk.

(Ahem- I just gotta say- If you aren't ready to be a parent, don't have sex. If you DO end up fathering a child- suck it up, man up and get your act together NOW or Ashley will think you suck...And, same goes for the girls. Grow up. It's not the baby's fault.)

The one weakness to this story is the resolution. The epilogue gives us a glimpse of how everyone is doing and it was just a little bit too... neat. It wasn't so tidy as to be unbelievable, and I'll admit that I do like the idea of things getting better, but it didn't fit in as well with the rest of the story. I like resolution in my books, but sometimes, especially in a Contemporary novel that has felt so incredibly real up to this point, there needs to be a little real left over, which means it should reflect that life doesn't usually come with a bow.

But that small grievance aside, this was an incredibly real and powerful story. The story itself is amazing and well told, but the real strength to the story is how much Miranda grows as a person and how much she learns about herself, about others and about life. This is a book that I highly, highly recommend.(less)

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Dec 31, 2011 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own-audio-book, read-in-2011

I have really mixed feelings about Tell Me A Secret, on the one hand I thought the teenage pregnancy aspect of the story was extremely well written. The things that Rand goes through during the pregnancy and her labour painted a realistic picture of what women go through, especially a teenage mother. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book although I did find the scenes after the birth where Rand spends weeks hiding out at the hospital were unrealistic and I wanted to see her grow up and take r...more I have really mixed feelings about Tell Me A Secret, on the one hand I thought the teenage pregnancy aspect of the story was extremely well written. The things that Rand goes through during the pregnancy and her labour painted a realistic picture of what women go through, especially a teenage mother. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book although I did find the scenes after the birth where Rand spends weeks hiding out at the hospital were unrealistic and I wanted to see her grow up and take responsibility for herself and her life.

The problem I really had with the book was the fact that I found it extremely difficult to like any of the characters. Rand has had a lot to deal with since her sister Xander died 5 years ago, she has never really dealt with her grief and her parents haven't helped by refusing to talk about Xander now she is gone. Rand seemed to think that Xander had been perfect but the more I found out about her the less likable she became. I absolutely hated their mother too, she was so self obsessed and only cared about what other people might think of the family. It didn't seem like she cared for Rand at all and after the way she acted throughout the entire book I found the turn around in her attitude at the end of the book was completely unbelievable.

I found it hard to feel any sympathy for Rand when she was so cruel to the person who was supposed to have been her best friend for years. Even knowing she was grieving and then later struggling with her pregnancy I found it hard to forgive her treatment of Essence and that meant I just didn't care about what she was going through. It annoyed me that she couldn't see through her new so called friend Delaney, yes I could understand why she wanted to see the best in Kamran & Delaney but you've got to be pretty stupid not to put two and two together and come up with four.

I downloaded this as a free audio podcast from Holly Cupala's website and the only thing that kept me listening to the end was that I wanted to find out what happened with the baby. The scenes where Rand gives birth and the following few chapters were heartbreaking and kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to know how things would work out. Perhaps this book would be enjoyed more by teenagers (I'm hardly the right age to be included in the books target audience) and hopefully it contains enough information about teen pregnancy to make them think twice about getting themselves into Rand's situation.(less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Morgan Renae rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary

Tell Me a Secret was a story of a girl's journey. A journey through some really tough things like death, pregnancy, and her family falling apart.

Five years after Miranda (Rand's) sister (Xanda) died, she finds out that she is pregnant. At first this is not bad since she knows she has a supportive boyfriend, friends, and family. But soon all of that disappears. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, her friends are no longer speaking to her, and her mom is acting like Rand is dead to her. Soon she is...more

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Jun 21, 2012 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio, ya

A few months ago, which is basically years in the blogging world, Harper Teen began releasing weekly podcasts of the unabridged audiobook Tell Me A Secret by Holly Cupala read by Jenna Lamia. Week after week, I would download the podcast on my iPhone, until suddenly it seemed the podcasts just stopped. I would refresh on my phone to see if that week’s podcast was up, and well nothing new would show up, so I sort of chalked it up to a possibly discontinued initiative, which sucked, because I was...more

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May 08, 2013 Trisha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: battle-bott-books, love-triangle-challenge

teen pregnancy. so many shows are glorifying and horrifying it.

This story doesn't glorify or horrify it...but that doesn't make it an easy read. It's like a band-aid. Open this story when you have lots of time - because it's so painful to read you should just rip it off quick and read it all at once.

and I did. although I appreciate that it's a cautionary tale - everything goes wrong...and wrong...and wrong. And it's so painful to read.

but that's the good part of the story. Because that makes it...more

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Jul 14, 2012 Konica Sh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Reading this book was the most horrible 4 hours of my life. I have never been bothered with the central character of a book so much before. She was a girl named Miranda who liked to call herself RAND (in my native language it means slang with a W, I am sorry). Practically she seemed more like water and always became the same shape of whatever container she was poured into. She was a serious fan of her totally amazingly slut sister and wanted to be someone like her.Then Rand wanted to be that hot...more

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Jun 16, 2012 John Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Do you recall the old Chinese proverb, “He who forgets the past is condemned to repeat it?” This book is an interesting variation on that. It has been five years since Miranda Matheson’s older sister basically told their parents to go to hell and stormed out on a cold December night with her boyfriend Andre while her skirt burning in the family fireplace. Rand, as she now calls herself, never saw her sister alive again. She’s still pretty fuzzy on what happened that night and all she can get fro...more Do you recall the old Chinese proverb, “He who forgets the past is condemned to repeat it?” This book is an interesting variation on that. It has been five years since Miranda Matheson’s older sister basically told their parents to go to hell and stormed out on a cold December night with her boyfriend Andre while her skirt burning in the family fireplace. Rand, as she now calls herself, never saw her sister alive again. She’s still pretty fuzzy on what happened that night and all she can get from her control freak mom and emotionally absent dad is that Andre killed Xanda that night and somehow got away with it.

At the beginning of the book, Rand is one lost, hurting unit and pregnant. The first part of the book weaves back and forth between events leading up to the conception and Rand’s attempts to figure out what she’s going to do and who, among her friends, she can still trust. She makes plenty of poor choices, most fueled by her blind quest to figure out exactly where she really does fit in. In the process, she tosses aside her long time friend Essence in part because she thinks she spread word about the pregnancy and instead becomes friends with Delaney who has her own set of secrets. As part of her need to connect and find people to share her feelings with after pretty much all her friends and Kamran, the baby’s father, have shunned her, Rand creates a false persona in an online internet chat room for first-time moms, telling the other participants that she is a happily-married college student. One of the women she connects with suffers a second miscarriage and leaves the group. That same person comes to play a big part later on in Rand’s journey back to wholeness. Factor in family secrets, some real soul-searching after Rand realizes just how shabbily she’s come to treat others, a huge crisis during the pregnancy and finally the truth not only about Xanda’s death, but a secret her mother kept from both daughters and you have what could have deteriorated into an unholy plot mess. Instead, it becomes a can’t-put-down page turner that left me amazed at the author’s ability to get inside her characters’ heads. I sure hope she continues to write in the young adult genre as she’s pretty darn good at it.(less)

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Apr 16, 2012 Trisha rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 17, 2012 Britta rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review will be a bit different because this is my first audio book ever (well except for The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe that we had to read along to in third grade). So, I will do this in two parts and try to separate the story from the audio.

The Audio:

I have decided I don't like audio books. Not this one specifically, just in general. I find it extremely difficult to concentrate and found myself missing details. The audio was not bad, I just couldn't focus. Actually, I really enjoyed...more
This review will be a bit different because this is my first audio book ever (well except for The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe that we had to read along to in third grade). So, I will do this in two parts and try to separate the story from the audio.

The Audio:

I have decided I don't like audio books. Not this one specifically, just in general. I find it extremely difficult to concentrate and found myself missing details. The audio was not bad, I just couldn't focus. Actually, I really enjoyed the reader's many voices. It was easy to differentiate between characters, so that was not as big as a problem as I thought it would be. My only issue with the voices is that the one she used for Essence was so annoying I wanted to punch things. Other than that, if you like audio, this was very good quality (then again, I have no real reference material).

The Book:

I read Cupala's second book before reading this one (both standalones) so I had guesses of what to expect from her writing style. If you're wondering what that is, it would be a heartbreaking story, a hopeful ending and great character development and plotting. Did I get that? Definitely.

Miranda - Rand for short - is still living in the shadow of her dead sister. More accurately, she would give anything to just be like her. When she becomes pregnant and catapults from the "good daughter" to just as screwed up as the dead one, her whole life changes. When secrets come out that changes everything she felt and knew... the future looks even more uncertain. Rand has to learn to separate herself from a future of thinking in her sister's past in order to become her own person and truly be happy for the first time in over five years.

I decided with this novel that I will read anything that Cupala writes. She has a way of tackling a really difficult situation in a heartbreaking yet hopeful way while still depicting it very realistically. This is a hard task to complete! The only way to really describe how I felt while hearing this novel was that I wanted to pull Rand out of her world and hug her. To give her all the love and attention that she is deprived from. That may be Cupala's true talent - making the characters so real that the reader has no choice but to feel for them.

If you are a fan of self-suffering in the form of heart wrenching literature, read this one. In other words, if you like serious contemporaries, I would recommend Tell Me a Secret. (less)

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Feb 18, 2012 Danielle rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own, for-review, youngadult

Miranda, no, Rand is a girl with secrets. Yes, we all have secrets but not many of us have secrets that could forever change the landscape of the lives of everyone surrounding us. Unfortunately for Rand her secrets have huge consequences. And it’s just one of many secrets that have sent her and her family in a continuous downward spiral even since before she was born.

Do you keep secrets? Secrets can be some of the most damaging things we carrying with us. Sometimes we do it because we think we a...more Miranda, no, Rand is a girl with secrets. Yes, we all have secrets but not many of us have secrets that could forever change the landscape of the lives of everyone surrounding us. Unfortunately for Rand her secrets have huge consequences. And it’s just one of many secrets that have sent her and her family in a continuous downward spiral even since before she was born.

Do you keep secrets? Secrets can be some of the most damaging things we carrying with us. Sometimes we do it because we think we are protecting others and then there are the times we are protecting ourselves. As the theme carries throughout the story from character to character you slowly discover that the secrets in Rand’s life began before her birth and don’t ever seem to stop. Again, some are kept with the best of intentions, like those from her mother, and others are intentionally kept from her, including those from her so-called friend Delaney. The most tragic secret is of course the one kept from her by her late sister Xanda.

Holly Cupala’s debut novel, Tell Me A Secret, is a tremendously well written story that explores not only the relationships we have with those around us, but the choices we make and their impact. It’s not often that I find myself enjoying a story about a young girl, still in high school, who after some poor choices ends up pregnant, but Rand was an amazing character. She was incredibly likable and I found myself relating to many of her doubts from when I was a teenager. Didn’t we all question whether there was that guy that would still like us after spilled some of our deepest feelings? Or wonder about the girls around us and whether their intentions were pure? There are so many feelings that get wrapped up into being a teenager and Cupala did a brilliant job communicating each of them in her novel.

It’s almost difficult to believe Tell Me A Secret is a debut novel. Holly Cupala does such an amazing job illustrating each facet of teenage life without sounding condescending or out of touch. Each of the characters in the book brought something different to the experience, even the minor ones. I’m also not an advocate of teenage pregnancy, but Cupala handled a touchy situation with finesse. Without a doubt Tell Me A Secret is a book I would eagerly share with readers of almost any age, especially those that enjoy a well written young adult novel.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at There's A Book.(less)

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Dec 26, 2011 Alashua rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book took me by complete surprise. I thought it would be about just another teenage girl who is through pregnancy but Rand's story is so much more than that. This book tells the story of girl and how her life drastically changes when she is forced to grow up within a time span of a couple months. At first Rand is like every other teenage girl she has faults : she doesn't see how her best friend is using her to get to her boyfriend. She is literally drowning in her story, she has no voice. S...more

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May 10, 2011 Kristi rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya, epub

I was really curious about this book after reading the reviews, and after the recent light shed on teen pregnancy, thank you MTV. I don't think I was expecting such a heartfelt and unusual story though. Miranda "Rand" gets pregnant basically from a one-nighter with Kamran (sp), and is in denial for the first couple of months that she's actually pregnant. After that, it's pretty sad and heart breaking to watch Rand go through her pregnancy essentially by herself. Her mom is a total b!tch, even at...more I was really curious about this book after reading the reviews, and after the recent light shed on teen pregnancy, thank you MTV. I don't think I was expecting such a heartfelt and unusual story though. Miranda "Rand" gets pregnant basically from a one-nighter with Kamran (sp), and is in denial for the first couple of months that she's actually pregnant. After that, it's pretty sad and heart breaking to watch Rand go through her pregnancy essentially by herself. Her mom is a total b!tch, even attempting to con Rand into giving the baby up for adoption. I found that part of the book sort of crazy, as usually a mom would make sure her daughter has medical care FIRST, not instead arrange a social worker for adoption to come?? It could happen, but just made the mom look even more like a nominee for "worst mother of the year". I got it that she still had unresolved issues and feelings over what happened to Rand's older sister, Xanda, but it just didn't excuse such crazy behavior to make her actions believable or understandable.

To further add to her loneliness, Kamran wants nothing to do with her after discovering she's carrying his baby. Granted, he did find out through Delaney, who turned out to be anything BUT a true friend to Rand, and didn't exactly tell him in a positive way. But if he was old enough to make a baby, surely he had enough common sense and logic to TALK to Rand before deciding to abandon her pregnant butt. There was no talk of Rand's parents pushing his parents to get Kamran involved, or anything of that sort. It could and does happen, but again, was hard for me to believe that she not only lost her mother's support, but then Kamran. This book was a worst-case-scenario situation for a pregnant teen.

I did enjoy seeing her grow over the course of the book, and see how she dealt with the whole Xanda situation. There's underlying tension throughout the book based on what happened to her sister, and it affects her situation and the relationship with her Mom (which somewhat explains her Mom's cold attitude towards her). The book goes back and forth between Xanda moments and the present, so it's sort of difficult at times. -Rand will be in the middle of a moment in the present, and then suddenly, the scene is her remembering a moment with her sister. Not necessarily a bad thing, but a bit annoying for me after a point.

In the end, she eventually does have her own HEA, and seemed to come out of this whole mess stronger and wiser. I was relieved to see her happy and moving ahead with her future, after so much heartache and sadness during her pregnancy. (less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Susie rated it 4 of 5 stars

We had Holly as a guest speaker during my class and I won Tell Me a Secret in a post-class raffle. How lucky!

Like others, I did find it just a tad hard to get into initially, but after awhile, I couldn't put it down. In fact, I ended up reading it in one evening. Your heart breaks for Rand. She has to deal with a sister dying, her mom being (what I consider) a HORRIBLE mom, and other teen realities. Not to mention, she got pregnant somehow.

What I liked most about the book was the fact that Ran...more

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Dec 14, 2010 Lauren (365 Days of Reading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am not a fan of books about pregnancy. This is mostly because they make me cringe and never want to have children. Ever. Luckily, Tell Me a Secret focuses not so much on pregnancy, but more on its consequences and how it changed the main character’s life (and also, how the main character confronts her past).

Miranda’s struggle was not only believable; it was powerful. Her emotions were so easy to feel as a reader, and the last hundred pages, especially, were gripping. I could not believe all th...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Brigita rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I imagine writing a book about teen pregnancy for YA is a difficult task. I thought Cupala dealt nicely with all the issues and problems surrounding it. Particularly the pages dealing with the labor and the events right before and after it were very well written and sounded authentic.

On the other hand, I couldn't quite relate to the main character. In fact, I found most characters lacking, too one-dimensional and flat. There was no real chemistry, not between Rand and Kamran, or Rand and Delane...more

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Nov 14, 2010 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen, amazing-cover

It took me a while to get into Tell me a Secret and I put it down, and then forced myself to pick it back up again. I liked the characters, I could relate to Miranda (I refuse to call her Rand) and my heart strings did tug a little when she found out she was pregnant, and when her friends turned their backs on her. Her parents were extremely hard to like – especially her mother, but I think everybody has said that. And towards the end, after the baby was born, Miranda’s mother did warm up to her...more

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Aug 12, 2010 Brandi Kosiner rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an emotional novel exploring the issues of teen pregnancy and death of a sibling, and it does both well. The main character Miranda (Mandy or Rand if I switch up are nicknames) is easy to relate to and understand. Though the first few chapters talk about characters in depth with not much explanation who they are or where they come in the story. But it slowly unfolds and you realize who these people are to Miranda- or at least you think you know.
Essence, the old best friend, was pretty...more

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Jul 23, 2010 Sarah BT rated it 4 of 5 stars

About the Book: Miranda has spent the past five years living in the shadow her sister, who died and left Miranda as part of a family that is falling apart. Her mother has always told her not to end up like her sister, but when two pink lines appear on a pregnancy test, Miranda's perfect daughter act is up. Her boyfriend has left her for her best friend, who might not really be a friend at all, she ditched her former best friend and now she won't talk to her, and all Miranda wants is her sister t...more About the Book: Miranda has spent the past five years living in the shadow her sister, who died and left Miranda as part of a family that is falling apart. Her mother has always told her not to end up like her sister, but when two pink lines appear on a pregnancy test, Miranda's perfect daughter act is up. Her boyfriend has left her for her best friend, who might not really be a friend at all, she ditched her former best friend and now she won't talk to her, and all Miranda wants is her sister to help her through it all. Miranda searches for more about her sister's past and in the process finds out secrets about her sister-and discovers some she was hiding from herself.

GreenBeanTeenQueen Says: I wasn't sure what to think of Tell Me a Secret. It combines two big topics familiar to "issue novels"-dead sibling lit and teen pregnancy lit-and how exactly were these two going to work together? At first I wasn't sure where the book was taking me-the first couple of chapters left me feeling lost and I was sure if it was past or present, but I soon got the feel of the book which alternates between flashbacks and present day to tell the whole story.

My heart broke for Miranda. She's so lost and lonely and some of the choices she makes-namely her friendships-are so horrible to read about. You know she's traveling down a bad path, but she doesn't and it's hard to read about it. You want to reach in and warn her and hug her and help her see the truth. And her mother is one of the worst mother's I have read about-she's awful which made scenes with her hard to get through. It did give the book an interesting twist, with the father as the submissive one and the mother the stronger parent who is feared.

There were moments of this book that were so emotionally heartbreaking that I had to pull myself away for a moment. I had to take a few days after I read it to full digest the whole book too. It's an emotional read but also not so emotional that it's hard to read. There's hope and that's what I love about YA-even when life is at it's bleakest, there's hope and that shows through in YA novels more than any adult book I've read.

I thought the story was going to be predictable and I thought I knew where things were going. And while I had some things figured out, other's I didn't, so I was glad that the author could keep me guessing. I did feel like I would have liked to know more about Xanda, Miranda's sister, but I guess we got what we needed to know about her and this to be Miranda's story. I also had a hard time forgiving some of the characters, but was glad to see that things were trying to work out. I did like that the ending is not a nice tidy little bow-this is realistic fiction and there are consequences to Miranda's choices. It does end happier than it could have, but I didn't think it felt like an out of place fairy tale ending.

I plan to give Tell Me A Secret to my teens who ask for realistic fiction-I think the story will be something they'll be excited about. I would love to pair it with The Sky Is Everywhere for a book discussion or lit circle. It'd be interesting to look at how the two main characters handle grief.

(less)

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Jul 21, 2010 Dominique Cheung (The Book Vault) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

Tell Me a Secret definitely tugs plenty of heartstrings with Rand's honest and heartfelt account. She has to deal with her dysfunctional family while watching her social life fall apart because of the pregnancy. Readers will feel for Rand's loneliness as she gets little support from her family and friends and instead finds comfort in the hands of virtual strangers. Readers will see just how far an impact a single pregnancy can have as Rand struggles to find the courage to uncover the secrets to...more

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Jul 21, 2010 Iffath added it

Tell Me A Secret is the story of Miranda, a seventeen year-old girl living a life full of secrets. Her (older), bad-girl sister, Xanda, died an unexplained and tragic death, while her parents are drowning themselves in their own sorrow.

Through intertwined flashbacks, and striking sights, we see Rand, confused, hurt, her relationship with Kamran completely ruined, memories of her sister shining through - the safety pin dress just totally stood out to me. I WANT A DRESS MADE OUT OF SAFETY PINS!!!...more Tell Me A Secret is the story of Miranda, a seventeen year-old girl living a life full of secrets. Her (older), bad-girl sister, Xanda, died an unexplained and tragic death, while her parents are drowning themselves in their own sorrow.

Through intertwined flashbacks, and striking sights, we see Rand, confused, hurt, her relationship with Kamran completely ruined, memories of her sister shining through - the safety pin dress just totally stood out to me. I WANT A DRESS MADE OUT OF SAFETY PINS!!! - and her own anger leaking through the cracks.

I really struggled to believe the actions of Rand's parents, her mother in particular. Their family now torn apart by Xanda's death - her mother is blaming everything on Rand's father, what did he think he was playing at, bringing that boy into their lives? It was obviously all his fault. Her mother was very controlling, and kind of..a drama queen, while her father was the quiet one, all the guilt had taken him over. Watching Miranda struggle without them was hard, I felt no reason to like them whatsoever, especially as they were there too, and they just stood back and watched their daughter ache with distress.

What I loved most about Tell Me a Secret, is that it is basically the plain, hard truth. Nothing has been changed to fit our 'beliefs', no, but every one of those awful emotions is right there, waiting, just waiting.

To describe Cupala's writing in a sentence is difficult. The tone to her words is like nothing I've read before, it's fierce, compelling and powerful. The scenes are realistic and vibrant. When I read Tell Me a Secret, I suffered the same, terrible experiences that Rand went through. At times, I just wanted to grab her, shake her and demand why she was acting so naive, so childish, and then I would feel myself recoiling; I felt sorry that she never had the same childhood as the people at her school, her sister's death changed everything for her, and that even though she was crumbling apart, she tried to keep herself together, to try to be nice to her mother, when all she wanted to do was scream and shout at her for her snobby, selfish behavior.

In some parts, I have to say, it was hard to read (in a good way though) the words were just too raw, too painful for me, and that was something I never even expected. Tell Me a Secret is one of those books that takes an ordinary, hyped subject (teenage pregnancy) and twists it; twists it until it's a whole new idea. Tell Me a Secret is a page-turner. One that involves reality, honesty, and secrecy. A novel you'll think and think about, and if you that that little bit more, you might just solve the mystery. A strong, raw coming-of-age novel, about a girl stuck in her own labyrinth.

In few words, this is a stunning debut; intense, beautiful, natural, I can't think of any better words.(less)

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Jul 12, 2010 Erika Lynn rated it 5 of 5 stars

My Review

It is very rare that I find a book so engaging that it literally pulls me in to the pages and the world around me stops. In my ridiculously busy schedule I can rarely pick up a book and read it cover to cover in one sitting, life just gets in the way.

However, life had to wait tonight as I started reading Tell Me A Secret and everything else literally disappeared. I didn't eat dinner, I didn't watch the Home Run Derby (if you have ever met me in real life you know this is a HUGE deal), I...more My Review

It is very rare that I find a book so engaging that it literally pulls me in to the pages and the world around me stops. In my ridiculously busy schedule I can rarely pick up a book and read it cover to cover in one sitting, life just gets in the way.

However, life had to wait tonight as I started reading Tell Me A Secret and everything else literally disappeared. I didn't eat dinner, I didn't watch the Home Run Derby (if you have ever met me in real life you know this is a HUGE deal), I didn't do anything but read every word of this amazing novel.

Now if you are having trouble following what I am saying, I don't blame you, I am having trouble thinking clearly having finished this book just minutes ago but I will just lay it out there. THIS.BOOK.IS.BEYOND.PERFECT.

Cupala has managed to write a book that is both heartbreaking and full of hope, and impossible to put down. She writes about the secrets of a teenage girl, the trials of a family and how both birth and death can change everything in an instant.

Rand has lost her sister and is now pregnant and still in high school and the journey she takes the reader on is perfectly written. Cupala makes sure we feel every single emotion Rand does, from the happy to the sad to the angry to the heartbreaking, and yes I cried while I read this.

One of my favorite things about the book is that every character has multiple names, and they all represent different parts of their lives. It is in these small details that the book is even more incredible.

Every character, from Rand to her mother to her boyfriend and her best friend, has so many layers and twists that create a depth I've rarely seen in a single novel. It usually takes many books in a series to create the kind of well-rounded characters there are in Tell Me A Secret.

I was lucky enough to win a signed copy of this book at Cupala's website but everyone should go buy this book right now. It is a truly original YA novel from an incredibly talented debut author. I can hardly wait for whatever she puts out next.(less)

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May 20, 2010 Cynthia (A Blog about Nothing) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-books

Wow! I didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book since I hadn't heard much about it. The cover really didn't attract me much to it but the synopsis was what made me want to read it and I'm glad I did. I loved the way that the author described all her characters, even the smells and tastes of them which made them much more believable to me. I felt like I was living in Miranda's shoes and was able to connect with her. I found myself crying when Miranda cried or was going through...more

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Nov 16, 2010 Sara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tell Me a Secret is one of those books I think all Moms and teenage girls should read. Granted, not everyone will be able to relate to Rand's situation with her home life, the death of her sister, crazy Mother, silent Father, bad friends, etc. I still feel as though a part of every female out there will be able to find something to relate with and hang onto throughout the book.

Though I'm almost 32 I felt like this book was relevant to me somehow. Maybe it's because of choices I made as a teenage...more

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Sep 01, 2010 Candace rated it 5 of 5 stars

I barely put the book down and I still feel choked up. This was one emotional ride. I felt full of anger at the friends who betrayed her, at the control freak mother, and the father who couldn't speak up. At the boyfriend who wouldn't listen and at her for not standing up and screaming at them all! I then just felt plain sad because of her whole situation and I just wanted to help her somehow.

This book tells it as it is. I think even teenagers who aren't, or haven't been, in a situation like th...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Madiha rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

the most pathetic time wastage book i have read ever..
i m so disappointed the kind of ratings and recommendations i have read are so untrue..
i mean this 45 chapter book has nothing in it just a girl Rand whose sister died in an accident in which the mother accuses the father with no reason just that he brought that guy at home ..there is no bonding in the family or in the sisters which iff shown in the novel must have been a strong point of Rand in finding how her sister died.and then she finds...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

TELL ME A SECRET, by Holly Cupala, was a sensational story about teenage pregnancy and the impact it has on everyone involved. Cupala creatively weaved the past and present into one intriguingly original tale. Each chapter dug a little deeper into this family's tragic past as the present situation unfolded keeping me guessing until the very end.

I immediately became emotionally connected to the characters in this book. Mandy was an amazing heroine. Since Xanda played the role of rebel while Mand...more

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About Holly Cupala

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. When she isn't making art and writing, she spends time with her husband and children in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope.

Part of the author's proceeds from this book will go...more

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Quotes from Tell Me a Secret

“Ask no questions, I tell no lies.” — 13 people liked it

“I thought of what pride would look like, a jowly old guy in a smoking jacket. Vanity was a tall, beautiful woman with a face like a mask. Envy was a treasure-hoarding dragon, dainty and diabolical. As I sketched in the dragon's face, I gave her eyebrows like mine, my turtle necklace around its scaly neck.

Xanda drew them as cliffs and valleys, irrevocably linked pride as a mountain, envy as a valley, hating its lowness and longing to reach, overtake, conquer. She drew vanity as a volcano with an abyss at its core.” — 9 people liked it

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