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Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret
Betsy’s life is officially Dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her best friend . . . how is she ever going to show her face again? Determined to avoid everyone and everything from her previous life, Betsy stumbles into an unusual café and an even more unusual girl. Dolores Morris―a mouthy, green-haired outsider Betsy can’t quite remember from school―talks her into starting a cleaning service. Before she knows it, Betsy is down on her knees, dressed like a dust bunny, scrubbing strangers’ toilets. It’s a long way for the most popular girl in school to have fallen. But Betsy finds comfort in the wine bottles and prescriptions and other dirty secrets she finds hidden in her clients’ homes. She also finds love with a client’s son, friendship with Dolores and a liberated sense of herself. Her new life soon falls apart, though, when valuables begin to go missing from some of the homes she and Dolores have been cleaning. Betsy discovers the hard way that not all dirty secrets can just be swept under the rug.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 16, 2011
2 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Vicki Grant
30 books138 followersAfter a long and messy adolescence, Vicki Grant stumbled into writing. She worked her way up from 30-second ads to 30-minute television scripts to full-length novels. She's written sixteen young adult, middle-grade and high-low novels. Her most recent YA novel, 36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You, has been published worldwide in over twenty territories.. Vicki lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2006): Quid Pro Quo
Red Maple Award: Not Suitable For Family Viewing
CBC Young Canada Reads: The Puppet Wrangler.
Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2006): Quid Pro Quo
Red Maple Award: Not Suitable For Family Viewing
CBC Young Canada Reads: The Puppet Wrangler.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 2, 2011
Concept/ideas: 4/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Storyline/plot: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
This book was so good! It was such a cute read. Very coming of age. What I noticed first, was that this book was set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This book took place in Canada, which I loved (being Canadian, and all... haha). This book started out good from the beginning, and I didn't lose interest at all throughout the book. The characters were lovable, although I do wish that they had a little more depth to them. By the end, you find that one of the characters Dolores is someone you totally don't expect. She was probably the most in depth character though to tell you the truth. I liked how the main character Betsy really came out of her shell and her snobby attitude pretty quickly though, which made it more enjoyable to read. Other than that, the book was so good. It was a light, fast read, and definitly chicklit. If your looking for a fun read, this one will not disappoint. Quick and to the point!
Characters: 3.5/5
Storyline/plot: 5/5
Overall rating: 5/5
This book was so good! It was such a cute read. Very coming of age. What I noticed first, was that this book was set in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This book took place in Canada, which I loved (being Canadian, and all... haha). This book started out good from the beginning, and I didn't lose interest at all throughout the book. The characters were lovable, although I do wish that they had a little more depth to them. By the end, you find that one of the characters Dolores is someone you totally don't expect. She was probably the most in depth character though to tell you the truth. I liked how the main character Betsy really came out of her shell and her snobby attitude pretty quickly though, which made it more enjoyable to read. Other than that, the book was so good. It was a light, fast read, and definitly chicklit. If your looking for a fun read, this one will not disappoint. Quick and to the point!
April 3, 2017
Enjoyable and well paced.
However, things happened very suddenly and it felt disorganized.
However, things happened very suddenly and it felt disorganized.
February 16, 2018
Honestly, I enjoyed it! It took me a while to pick it up and even during the first few pages I felt like I wasn't going to like this story but then I read further and further and dang it, I loved it! Betsy Wickwire is (or was) the typical popular girl who got the cute guy and had a pretty best friend and everyone knew and loved her. She loved her life, didn't think twice about any of it. Until her perfect cute boyfriend and best friend betray her. I felt iffy about this story. Then the real stuff kicked in, Betsy's wish to be non-existent and really doing everything she could to stop existing. Whoo, but then Dolores shows up and changes all that. Throughout the book, Betsy's emotions were like a freakin' roller coaster! That's what I liked about this book. Vicki Grant portrayed Betsy as an emotional teenager who was lost after what she thought was the love of her life was gone. But then she meets new people, she does new things, and basically, she becomes a totally different person. She learns a lot which made me realize a lot, too. Ooh, and I appreciate the touch of the little secrets she finds while cleaning people's houses and how she felt relieved after every single one. Another thing I liked is all of the little realizations Betsy makes about her and her life, especially during the seemingly perfect Amy's depression pills and the little fight Betsy and Dolores had about the stolen earrings. Favorite quote from the book, "...I'd been looking for something valuable. I'd wanted people's secrets. I'd wanted proof that I was okay. I needed to know that all these people were just as defective as I was. " That was the most relatable thing I found in that book besides what Dolores said about how lucky Betsy was and how Betsy really did overlook everything about Dolores and was just way too focused on her miserable breakup that she forgot that a world existed beyond her miseries.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2020
One of the dullest books I've read. I wonder how this got a 3.6 star rating?!! Betsy is a teenager and one of the popular girls - beautiful, rich and slim. She lost her boyfriend to another girl, and thinks her world has ended. She can't sleep, she can't eat, she doesn't want to see her friends, everything grosses her out.
Another girl, Dolores, tries to set up a cleaning business and ropes her into it. I think Dolores was the more likeable character of the two.
Another girl, Dolores, tries to set up a cleaning business and ropes her into it. I think Dolores was the more likeable character of the two.
January 2, 2022
Fairly light and quick read. I do like the Halifax setting, but this does fall into some young adult cliches pretty quickly.
January 6, 2026
In my book Betsy has a boyfriend in high school who doesn’t give her much attention maybe because he does not like her anymore but she likes him and i will say she blinded by love because she doesn’t see it that he’s not interested in her again instead he’s interested in her best friend Carly .The author is trying to make us see it.
Week 8
So in the book the author is talking about teenage heartbreak and betrayal in a relationship and how we teens handle things which in most cases we handle in ways that are not fit for our health which can affect our physical and mental well being, which often happens a lot in the society. So I guess the author is shining more light in that and showing us that not handling this kind of problems well can really affect us negatively.
Week 9
Betsy Wickwire is a high school student who was cheated by her boyfriend with her best friend or in other words betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend which made a huge emotional curve ball in her life she would stay at home crying,not eating,not bathing, and not picking her friends calls then she decides to leave everything and go to away from Halifax but she doesn’t have much money to sustain her so she decides to get a job that pays well, she makes sure she doesn’t end up bumping into her boyfriend and best friend so she wants to work in somewhere that she knows they won’t show up.
Week 10
The book is now clearer to me because at the beginning i wasn;t really getting the whole concept about betsy being in prom with her brother until i found out that it was her boyfriend and also the story states that her friend carly was just uninterested,sad because her crush doesn’t like her until i now found out that she was actually sad cuz Betsy took her boyfriend to prom and everyone was paired up but she didn’t have anyone, she was jealous.
Week 11
Betsy Wickwire is a girl who was cheated on by her boyfriend with her best friend so she got really depressed and decided to disobey her parents and find a summer job in other to get enough money to travel outside Halifax and start a new life else where without no drama and if possible find true love. The author wrote these book to show people especially our youths that life comes with it’s ups and down and instead of us to run away from our problems we should i head on and try to get better and hope for the best in life. The author also wanted us to cope with our problems in healthy ways like visiting the counselor,opening up to your parents because they can help and give you good advice.
Week 12
The author wrote the book for most teenagers to understand that if they face these kinds of situations because they are young adults, they need to know how to handle the situations positively and if their patients things will turn around for the better. I think they were successful because it’s really detailed and realistic.
Week 8
So in the book the author is talking about teenage heartbreak and betrayal in a relationship and how we teens handle things which in most cases we handle in ways that are not fit for our health which can affect our physical and mental well being, which often happens a lot in the society. So I guess the author is shining more light in that and showing us that not handling this kind of problems well can really affect us negatively.
Week 9
Betsy Wickwire is a high school student who was cheated by her boyfriend with her best friend or in other words betrayed by her best friend and boyfriend which made a huge emotional curve ball in her life she would stay at home crying,not eating,not bathing, and not picking her friends calls then she decides to leave everything and go to away from Halifax but she doesn’t have much money to sustain her so she decides to get a job that pays well, she makes sure she doesn’t end up bumping into her boyfriend and best friend so she wants to work in somewhere that she knows they won’t show up.
Week 10
The book is now clearer to me because at the beginning i wasn;t really getting the whole concept about betsy being in prom with her brother until i found out that it was her boyfriend and also the story states that her friend carly was just uninterested,sad because her crush doesn’t like her until i now found out that she was actually sad cuz Betsy took her boyfriend to prom and everyone was paired up but she didn’t have anyone, she was jealous.
Week 11
Betsy Wickwire is a girl who was cheated on by her boyfriend with her best friend so she got really depressed and decided to disobey her parents and find a summer job in other to get enough money to travel outside Halifax and start a new life else where without no drama and if possible find true love. The author wrote these book to show people especially our youths that life comes with it’s ups and down and instead of us to run away from our problems we should i head on and try to get better and hope for the best in life. The author also wanted us to cope with our problems in healthy ways like visiting the counselor,opening up to your parents because they can help and give you good advice.
Week 12
The author wrote the book for most teenagers to understand that if they face these kinds of situations because they are young adults, they need to know how to handle the situations positively and if their patients things will turn around for the better. I think they were successful because it’s really detailed and realistic.
October 4, 2016
Really enjoyed this one. Always fun to read a novel where you recognize the names of streets, malls and high schools. The characters were great and the premise, if a little wacky to start, actually works really well and helps the characters deal with some legit issues. A good quick YA read.
March 3, 2017
Betsy Wickwire has just graduated from high school when she walks in on her boyfriend of two years, Nick, and her best friend, Carly, kissing at the coffee bar where they all work. A chance meeting shortly after links Betsy with an odd duck, Meghan Morris, who prefers to go by the name Dolores. Betsy, devastated by Nick and Carly's betrayal, limply allows herself to become one part of Dolores's summer house-cleaning business, "Lapins de Poussiere" (Dust Bunnies)Cleaning service. Betsy finds solace and satisfaction in cleaning things up, gradually working through the depression that has been such a concern to her mother. In cleaning the homes of others, she discovers--sometimes by accident and sometimes by snooping--that even the most beautiful and apparently successful people whose houses she tidies have secrets--among them, Prozac prescriptions (for depression)and addictions (smoking, drinking, drugs). The discovery of these hidden vices reassures Betsy that she isn't quite the loser she thought she was in being dumped by boyfriend Nick.
On one of their jobs, Betsy literally topples upon tall, geeky, myopic (and very naked) Murdoch, just a couple of years older than she. He sleepily comes into a bathroom that she is cleaning, unaware that she's scrubbing down shower tiles until he's about to step into the stall. A slapstick tumble occurs. An eccentric friendship blossoms between Betsy, Dolores, and Murdoch...and something more than that happens between Betsy and Murdoch. However, if Betsy's secret is that she snoops (and also, for a time, stalks Nick--observing his fitness routine in a park from a vantage point behind bushes), Dolores has an even bigger one than that, and it impacts on Betsy. How Betsy handles the scrape that Dolores lands her in forms the conclusion of this book.
Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret is a fast, light, entertaining read. It has some of the same elements and preoccupations as Vicki Grant's earlier success Not Suitable for Family Viewing: depressed protagonist who, by the end, finds herself and her confidence; secrets; slapstick comedic/romantic situations, and snappy, sometimes laugh-out-loud dialogue. However, the novel's resolution is not fully satisfying, given that Dolores's problem is a fairly serious one, and not really adequately accounted for in the simplistic and rather predictable confession that Dolores provides Betsy near the end. Dolores, who has been an engagingly eccentric character, is diminished and so is the book. It is this that brought my rating of the book down from a 4 or 4.5 stars to 3.5. Grant wraps things up just a bit too quickly in this light playful, comedy/romance for teens.
Recommended for girls 13 and up.
On one of their jobs, Betsy literally topples upon tall, geeky, myopic (and very naked) Murdoch, just a couple of years older than she. He sleepily comes into a bathroom that she is cleaning, unaware that she's scrubbing down shower tiles until he's about to step into the stall. A slapstick tumble occurs. An eccentric friendship blossoms between Betsy, Dolores, and Murdoch...and something more than that happens between Betsy and Murdoch. However, if Betsy's secret is that she snoops (and also, for a time, stalks Nick--observing his fitness routine in a park from a vantage point behind bushes), Dolores has an even bigger one than that, and it impacts on Betsy. How Betsy handles the scrape that Dolores lands her in forms the conclusion of this book.
Betsy Wickwire's Dirty Secret is a fast, light, entertaining read. It has some of the same elements and preoccupations as Vicki Grant's earlier success Not Suitable for Family Viewing: depressed protagonist who, by the end, finds herself and her confidence; secrets; slapstick comedic/romantic situations, and snappy, sometimes laugh-out-loud dialogue. However, the novel's resolution is not fully satisfying, given that Dolores's problem is a fairly serious one, and not really adequately accounted for in the simplistic and rather predictable confession that Dolores provides Betsy near the end. Dolores, who has been an engagingly eccentric character, is diminished and so is the book. It is this that brought my rating of the book down from a 4 or 4.5 stars to 3.5. Grant wraps things up just a bit too quickly in this light playful, comedy/romance for teens.
Recommended for girls 13 and up.
February 12, 2012
Fall makes me want funny books. Something about the onset of months and months of cold grey weather and seven thousand layers of clothing makes me crave a good belly laugh. If it can come in the form of a YA book, even better.
Enter Vicki Grant.
Vicki Grant has been writing funny books for years now. Her last novel, Not Suitable for Family Viewing, in addition to receiving many accolades, won over the hearts of thousands of children in Ontario who voted for it and earned Grant the prestigious Red Maple Award this May. In Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret, Grant returns with her trademark wit, breezy style, and new lovable characters.
Betsy Wickwire is having a hard time. After she catches her best friend in the middle of a not-so-innocent kiss with Betsy’s boyfriend, she eschews her old life at the centre of the in-crowd in favour of moping and anonymity. That is until she meets Delores Morris, a quirky fashionista and budding entrepreneur who coerces Betsy into starting up a cleaning service with her. Suddenly Betsy has a job, a new friend, extra cash, and a possible love interest. Plus snooping in other people’s affairs certainly has an uplifting affect on a girl. But Dolores isn’t quite what she seems and Betsy comes to understand that while everyone has secrets, some are more painful and detrimental than others.
The pacing in this book is key. Grant is smart not to dwell in Betsy’s woe-is-me attitude and instead plops her right down in the middle of a new adventure. I very much enjoyed snooping into other people’s lives with Betsy, and I’m sure teens will, too. Grant could have sailed through this story, creating a simple, feel-good, funny piece of teen chick lit (complete with a sexy/nerdy love interest), but instead she builds something interesting and weightier, adding layers about identity and friendship that bring Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret to a whole other level, one that will no doubt be noticed by readers and awards committees. A great read for lovers of contemporary realistic fiction (think Tish Cohen, Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, Maureen Johnson), 12+.
Enter Vicki Grant.
Vicki Grant has been writing funny books for years now. Her last novel, Not Suitable for Family Viewing, in addition to receiving many accolades, won over the hearts of thousands of children in Ontario who voted for it and earned Grant the prestigious Red Maple Award this May. In Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret, Grant returns with her trademark wit, breezy style, and new lovable characters.
Betsy Wickwire is having a hard time. After she catches her best friend in the middle of a not-so-innocent kiss with Betsy’s boyfriend, she eschews her old life at the centre of the in-crowd in favour of moping and anonymity. That is until she meets Delores Morris, a quirky fashionista and budding entrepreneur who coerces Betsy into starting up a cleaning service with her. Suddenly Betsy has a job, a new friend, extra cash, and a possible love interest. Plus snooping in other people’s affairs certainly has an uplifting affect on a girl. But Dolores isn’t quite what she seems and Betsy comes to understand that while everyone has secrets, some are more painful and detrimental than others.
The pacing in this book is key. Grant is smart not to dwell in Betsy’s woe-is-me attitude and instead plops her right down in the middle of a new adventure. I very much enjoyed snooping into other people’s lives with Betsy, and I’m sure teens will, too. Grant could have sailed through this story, creating a simple, feel-good, funny piece of teen chick lit (complete with a sexy/nerdy love interest), but instead she builds something interesting and weightier, adding layers about identity and friendship that bring Betsy Wickwire’s Dirty Secret to a whole other level, one that will no doubt be noticed by readers and awards committees. A great read for lovers of contemporary realistic fiction (think Tish Cohen, Sarah Dessen, Deb Caletti, Maureen Johnson), 12+.
November 26, 2011
It is rare that a book makes me laugh out loud, but this book did just that. Even though this book covers some serious subject matters, it is written well and twists and turns with just enough quirky situations to keep the reader guessing and turning pages. The main characters too are quirky and interesting and banter back and forth with just the right amount of angst, wit and humour. "Betsy's life is going down the drain: dumped by her boyfriend, betrayed by her best friend, shamed by the world... " - we've heard similar plot lines before but this one is done very well. Betsy is your typical popular, beautiful girl who is loved by all, but Grant shows her true strength when Betsy is thrown into a whirlpool of hurt. Dolores Morris is the "mouthy, green-haired outsider" who befriends Betsy and helps pull her up from her downward spiral. Dolores is small in stature, yet a bigger-than-life character who Grant writes so realistically that it is truly refreshing. I love that Vicki Grant is Canadian - wahoo! She is a funny writer who knows the recipe to writing a good book: she writes a serious book blended with with just the right number of laugh-out-loud situations. I highly recommend this book.
March 6, 2012
After getting dumped by her boyfriend and simultaneously betrayed by her best friend, Betsy is shocked and devastated. She hides out at home and cuts herself off from all her old friends. One day meets Delores, a girl who is the complete opposite of her and manages to get herself roped into starting a housekeeping service with Delores.
When the story starts, Betsy is one of the popular girls but when she catches her boyfriend, Nick, about to kiss her best friend her world suddenly comes crashing down. She’s hurt and betrayed yet its still hard for her to let Nick go. So she channels that energy into cleaning and finds out that she’s actually pretty good at it. Delores is quirky with her green hair and outrageous outfits. She’s a chatterbox and can talk about any subject under the sun but Betsy comes to realize that she really doesn’t know Delores that well as she never talks about her family.
This was a light, fun read. The cover makes it seem more like a MG book but its definitely YA. I’m so glad to discover another new to me Canadian author in Vicki Grant. And this story takes place in Canada too--Halifax to be exact.
When the story starts, Betsy is one of the popular girls but when she catches her boyfriend, Nick, about to kiss her best friend her world suddenly comes crashing down. She’s hurt and betrayed yet its still hard for her to let Nick go. So she channels that energy into cleaning and finds out that she’s actually pretty good at it. Delores is quirky with her green hair and outrageous outfits. She’s a chatterbox and can talk about any subject under the sun but Betsy comes to realize that she really doesn’t know Delores that well as she never talks about her family.
This was a light, fun read. The cover makes it seem more like a MG book but its definitely YA. I’m so glad to discover another new to me Canadian author in Vicki Grant. And this story takes place in Canada too--Halifax to be exact.
January 29, 2014
I thought this was a cute story of a young lady just finishing high school and learning more about herself, through a break-up with her boyfriend Nick that she thought would totally destroy her. with the reality finding out that her best friend Carly at the time and her boyfriend could betray her in that way completely turned Betsy's life upside down.
After a while to "hermit" self Betsy becomes friends with what she thinks at the beginning a very bossy, opinionated person named Dolores. She figures that they would just join together and clean houses together to make money so that Betsy could move far away from everything bad that was going on in her life.
Although it took some time Betsy realizes that maybe Nick wasn't meant for her after all. She meets Murdoch and they get to know each other and realize that Betsy could move on. She could be happy even though what happened with they betrayal of her "friends" at the time.
Delores I think brought out the adventure in Betsy that I don't think she knew she had in her until they met. Made her realize that there is some much more to life besides embarrassment of a friends betrayal.
After a while to "hermit" self Betsy becomes friends with what she thinks at the beginning a very bossy, opinionated person named Dolores. She figures that they would just join together and clean houses together to make money so that Betsy could move far away from everything bad that was going on in her life.
Although it took some time Betsy realizes that maybe Nick wasn't meant for her after all. She meets Murdoch and they get to know each other and realize that Betsy could move on. She could be happy even though what happened with they betrayal of her "friends" at the time.
Delores I think brought out the adventure in Betsy that I don't think she knew she had in her until they met. Made her realize that there is some much more to life besides embarrassment of a friends betrayal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 12, 2012
It’s pretty rare that I read contemporary, girly, drama. Some of the novel felt cliché, such as the drama at the prom. The boyfriend cheating with the best friend has been done a lot, not in things I read, but I still feel like it’s out there too much. On the other hand, Grant did make me care about Betsy, and I felt her suffering. Dolores Morris was a character that brought some life into the story. She was quirky, blunt and eccentric. I related to her the most, even when she was being over-dramatic. Murdoch was a well developed character too, which is good because in a story like this the characters are all you have.One thing that bothered me a bit was how many unusual names were in the story. I love unusual names but you can’t give them to everyone; it doesn’t feel real.
I liked the awkward moments, the failures, and the ridiculous outfits. The second half of the story was better than the first, in the beginning I was silently screaming at Betsy to stop wallowing over the jerk’s perfect abs and move on with her life.
I liked the awkward moments, the failures, and the ridiculous outfits. The second half of the story was better than the first, in the beginning I was silently screaming at Betsy to stop wallowing over the jerk’s perfect abs and move on with her life.
Read
October 28, 2011Very well written and humourous young adult book. Betsy, a popular girl is dumped by her boyfriend, Nick for her best friend Carly. Betsy is humiliated and ends up finding a friend in a quirky girl who starts up a house cleaning business. Betsy learns to be independent,strong and proud of who she is, while learning to like people for who they are rather than popularity. Some very strong ideas in this book, not the least being that everyone has a secret, which of course will leave you unable to put th book down. Grant has written another book with great appeal for teens.
July 18, 2012
I found that this book, once the main conflict took place, moved a bit slowly, and the characters were more annoying than interesting. However, I would recommend reading this simply for the second half, which involves a cute romance (put me in a romantic mood for the rest of the day), a weird and just-confusing-enough plot twist (LOVE that stuff!), and a crazy, page-turning situation (advice: just read it all in one go or feel an itch to continue reading while you're trying to do other things). The ending is rather satisfying.
Just read it, y'all. It's worth it.
Just read it, y'all. It's worth it.
September 14, 2015
I really enjoy this author's books because they are unique and this book is no different. What I did not enjoy was the first half of the book. It really dragged with Betsy having an endless pity-party. Important parts were skipped over while other sections went on and on. I did not find Betsy's abrupt change for the better believable including her embracing Dolores as a friend.
March 4, 2012
i reaally got ingrossed in this book and i really like it it was funny and sad and i love the character dolores then ending suprized me i thought it would have been better but i did love the book bad ending or not
February 15, 2015
I need to a write a review for this book cause I enjoyed it a lot, despite it not being very popular. If you want the romantic comedy kind of deal, then this book is for you! Seriously though that bath tub scene was comedy gold, I couldn't stop laughing ^u^
September 28, 2011
Loved this book!
August 7, 2012
Snow Willow Nominee 2012 - I enjoyed this book, even though I am no longer a teenager! Real life teenage life issues. An enjoyable read.
May 22, 2013
I thought this book was very entertaining it never got boring or talked for twenty pages. it also had a interseting plot i would definetly reccomed it! :)
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