What do you think?
Rate this book
Secret Lies
Would you face your biggest fear, to save the one you love?
Nicola Jackson escapes from her abuser, only to realize she has no one to turn to and nowhere to go. In a twist of fate, she accidentally bumps into Jenny O’Connor, the most popular girl at school. They strike up an unlikely friendship. As their trust in each other develops, they share their darkest secrets, and their relationship blossoms into a secret romance.
Jenny loves Nicola, but she is fearful that if their secret relationship is discovered, she might lose her family, friends, and her seemingly perfect life.
Nicola confronts her abuser and blackmails him to leave for good, but things go terrifyingly wrong. Jenny is left with a life-changing dilemma: should she face her fear and accept who she is, or let Nicola take the blame and pretend their relationship never happened?
Nicola Jackson escapes from her abuser, only to realize she has no one to turn to and nowhere to go. In a twist of fate, she accidentally bumps into Jenny O’Connor, the most popular girl at school. They strike up an unlikely friendship. As their trust in each other develops, they share their darkest secrets, and their relationship blossoms into a secret romance.
Jenny loves Nicola, but she is fearful that if their secret relationship is discovered, she might lose her family, friends, and her seemingly perfect life.
Nicola confronts her abuser and blackmails him to leave for good, but things go terrifyingly wrong. Jenny is left with a life-changing dilemma: should she face her fear and accept who she is, or let Nicola take the blame and pretend their relationship never happened?
288 pages, Paperback
First published December 15, 2013
About the author
Amy Dunne
6 books69 followersAmy was raised in Derbyshire, England. She attended Keele University and graduated in 2007 with a BSc in philosophy and psychology. After graduating, she worked for a while with vulnerable young people until she moved on to deliver training and educational courses. She is currently in the process of setting up her own speech writing business aptly named, Gift of the Gab. She and her lovely partner Lou celebrated their Civil Partnership at the start of this year. They share a love of Dolly Parton and live with their two gorgeous cats and very naughty puppy.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 3, 2013
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately, I did not like this book. What bothered me more than anything was how quickly Jenny comes to accept Nicola. I understand the severity of the situation, but the moment they meet Jenny is trying to prove something in terms of friendship and that she can get close to someone.
I liked Nicola and I enjoyed her point of view and seeing the torment she was subjected to through her eyes, as well as Jenny's but it was just unbelievable due to the timetable.
What I think would have made this better is the building of that friendship over a longer period of time as opposed to one day. Overall, I feel everything happened far too quickly at the beginning and it ruined the story for me.
Unfortunately, I did not like this book. What bothered me more than anything was how quickly Jenny comes to accept Nicola. I understand the severity of the situation, but the moment they meet Jenny is trying to prove something in terms of friendship and that she can get close to someone.
I liked Nicola and I enjoyed her point of view and seeing the torment she was subjected to through her eyes, as well as Jenny's but it was just unbelievable due to the timetable.
What I think would have made this better is the building of that friendship over a longer period of time as opposed to one day. Overall, I feel everything happened far too quickly at the beginning and it ruined the story for me.
December 2, 2013
The tale takes place in Brassley, a large town in the East Midlands of England. I needed to wing it a bit when school references that would be second nature to locals got bandied about, but I didn’t find that too distracting and I enjoyed trying to equate the situations to my own experiences in the United States. Nicola, one of the leading gals, has just faced a bolt or die scenario and with a few scraps of survival genes still firing she races out of her home only to moments later smack right into Jenny, the other leading gal. FYI, these women come from very different social standings. Previously, I got most of the ugly scoop on both our leading ladies and they each have some serious, nearly overwhelming problems causing extraordinary pain with a large dose of helplessness tossed in. These issues are what contain the ‘secret lies’. However, the seeds for an old adage are planted…fortune favors the brave! Now that the duo has made contact in a most spectacular fashion, they get to face most of the rest of the story as a team. I was so hooked!
Jenny, Jennifer O’Connor, is not a super student like her elder sister was. In fact, she just slides by while smoking, drinking, taking drugs, being sexually active, and supposedly the most popular girl at school, too. There are mega pressures fueling her wicked ways, the never-ending strain to be like her elder sister, constant exasperation to sustain her popularity, and dark demons that she is barely managing to keep at bay. Yet, she has a tender and caring quality that pops out or pokes through that simply dazzled me. I rooted for this complex gal to get on top of her troubles!
Nic, Nicola Jackson, tries to be invisible at school and usually succeeds at being totally ignored but sometimes gets razzed. She really wishes she could be invisible at home especially when her mother was at work. Time and time again she is beaten and burned by her mother’s live-in boyfriend. He tells her in no uncertain terms to get out or die one day after returning from school and being assaulted by him once again. Oh my goodness! I felt helpless and traumatized sharing this experience with Nic. This was incredibly intense and unnerving. Yet, it laid out the scenario in spades. Nic has a rough time in this story. I really adored her as she was spot-on insightful and not completely beaten down!
When a book makes me laugh with intensity and can also bring me to tears, I stand up and take notice! As grisly as the opening is, I hadn’t seen nearly the depths that would unravel and then the beauties burst forth trumping the uglies big time. There is a mega amount of passion, back stabbing, caring of a good and not so good quality, tender and passionate loving, super harsh brutalizing, and a truly compassionate reconciliation. This is splendidly balanced from the beginning to the end. I hope the harsh moments presented as the groundwork is laid do not scare any readers off. I heartily recommend this book as it principally has everything, but I do need to caution you; it may be classified as "young adult", but, personally, based on the story line and sexual situations, I would think it is aimed at the older end of the young adult market (16-18). Astonishingly magnificent!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
Jenny, Jennifer O’Connor, is not a super student like her elder sister was. In fact, she just slides by while smoking, drinking, taking drugs, being sexually active, and supposedly the most popular girl at school, too. There are mega pressures fueling her wicked ways, the never-ending strain to be like her elder sister, constant exasperation to sustain her popularity, and dark demons that she is barely managing to keep at bay. Yet, she has a tender and caring quality that pops out or pokes through that simply dazzled me. I rooted for this complex gal to get on top of her troubles!
Nic, Nicola Jackson, tries to be invisible at school and usually succeeds at being totally ignored but sometimes gets razzed. She really wishes she could be invisible at home especially when her mother was at work. Time and time again she is beaten and burned by her mother’s live-in boyfriend. He tells her in no uncertain terms to get out or die one day after returning from school and being assaulted by him once again. Oh my goodness! I felt helpless and traumatized sharing this experience with Nic. This was incredibly intense and unnerving. Yet, it laid out the scenario in spades. Nic has a rough time in this story. I really adored her as she was spot-on insightful and not completely beaten down!
When a book makes me laugh with intensity and can also bring me to tears, I stand up and take notice! As grisly as the opening is, I hadn’t seen nearly the depths that would unravel and then the beauties burst forth trumping the uglies big time. There is a mega amount of passion, back stabbing, caring of a good and not so good quality, tender and passionate loving, super harsh brutalizing, and a truly compassionate reconciliation. This is splendidly balanced from the beginning to the end. I hope the harsh moments presented as the groundwork is laid do not scare any readers off. I heartily recommend this book as it principally has everything, but I do need to caution you; it may be classified as "young adult", but, personally, based on the story line and sexual situations, I would think it is aimed at the older end of the young adult market (16-18). Astonishingly magnificent!
NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
February 21, 2020
This one surprised me. I liked it more than I thought I would. It was an interesting story about child abuse and how the abuser can manipulate younger people. It's also a love story - two girls who find kindred spirits but also romantic feelings toward each other. It was a lot more graphic than I was expecting but I did think their love story was adorable.
February 12, 2019
So this book is tough to rate. I could see how many could DNF it as it seems ...Its hard to describe. Needless to say I would recommend you push through. Its got issues but on the whole worth the time spent.
March 1, 2015
Wonderful Debut Book
I do not usually read YA but I was given a copy of Secret Lies and I truly quite enjoyed it. This story revolves around a pair of 17 yr olds as they discover their sexuality and feelings for each other. Each girl is coping with a trauma, one past, one current. Together they put into effect Nic's plan to end her abuse as Jenny comes to terms with her painful past and present.
It has been a LONG time since I was a YA but I do remember everything being so all consuming and desperate, the “If it doesn't happen NOW I might die” feelings. Despite their problems and fears, both girls have hope and strength. They face their problems the best way they know how. These girls were brave and easy to care about. I found myself afraid for them both as well as happy for them as they conquered their challenges. The ending was wonderfully sweet and nicely wrapped up the tale.
I was afraid the intimacy between the two leads would leave me feeling like a pervert (at my age I am FAR from Ms. Dunne's target audience) but it was handled really well. I didn't feel awkward and the scenes were not just tossed in for the sake of it. They were put in place because they fit and held true for the story.
This is a really good book and I can safely say for Ya and adult alike. Thank you Ms. Dunne.
I do not usually read YA but I was given a copy of Secret Lies and I truly quite enjoyed it. This story revolves around a pair of 17 yr olds as they discover their sexuality and feelings for each other. Each girl is coping with a trauma, one past, one current. Together they put into effect Nic's plan to end her abuse as Jenny comes to terms with her painful past and present.
It has been a LONG time since I was a YA but I do remember everything being so all consuming and desperate, the “If it doesn't happen NOW I might die” feelings. Despite their problems and fears, both girls have hope and strength. They face their problems the best way they know how. These girls were brave and easy to care about. I found myself afraid for them both as well as happy for them as they conquered their challenges. The ending was wonderfully sweet and nicely wrapped up the tale.
I was afraid the intimacy between the two leads would leave me feeling like a pervert (at my age I am FAR from Ms. Dunne's target audience) but it was handled really well. I didn't feel awkward and the scenes were not just tossed in for the sake of it. They were put in place because they fit and held true for the story.
This is a really good book and I can safely say for Ya and adult alike. Thank you Ms. Dunne.
January 8, 2015
With a very fast moving plot and a few good twists, this story about two teenage girls falling in love with each other puts us through a whole range of issues. From teenage drama, to abusive households, through self-hatred and self-harm, sexual discovery, appearances and faith, Ms. Dunne takes them all.
Nicola Jackson is an abused stepdaughter with a clueless mother and a disgustingly evil stepfather. Jennifer O’Connor, a social butterfly, popular and the perfect daughter, is also a self-cutter with a traumatic childhood event. When they literally run into each other, Jenny senses something about Nic and a bond is formed. As the relationship develops, they learn the good the bad and the ugly about the other and fall in love. As shit hits the fan, Jenny will have to decide how worth her relationship with Nic is, as opposed to her social status and family opinion.
Complete review at: http://littlesbooks.com/secret-lies-a...
Nicola Jackson is an abused stepdaughter with a clueless mother and a disgustingly evil stepfather. Jennifer O’Connor, a social butterfly, popular and the perfect daughter, is also a self-cutter with a traumatic childhood event. When they literally run into each other, Jenny senses something about Nic and a bond is formed. As the relationship develops, they learn the good the bad and the ugly about the other and fall in love. As shit hits the fan, Jenny will have to decide how worth her relationship with Nic is, as opposed to her social status and family opinion.
Complete review at: http://littlesbooks.com/secret-lies-a...
April 1, 2019
I was not a fan of this book. I found the majority of the characters underdeveloped and unlikable. I know in romance books everything seems to happen quickly, but is usually spread over a longer period of time. This entire story happens in the span of two weeks. the first chapter was drawing me in (this was Jenny's POV), but once it switched to Nicola in the very next chapter it started to lose me. Then everything moved at lightning speed to the point of being ridiculous.
Loads of triggers in this one to boot. Self-harm/cutting, drugs/alcohol, abuse/violence, and attempted rape.
I was given a copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.
Loads of triggers in this one to boot. Self-harm/cutting, drugs/alcohol, abuse/violence, and attempted rape.
I was given a copy of the book from the publisher for review purposes.
July 18, 2016
I started this book, but DNF. The opening chapter is all telling, with little showing. While in the next chapter, we're right in the midst of a violently abusive scene, with far too much showing. Books that make readers voyeurs of a scene of abuse can be really offensive, asking (even if unintentionally) their readers to take pleasure in watching a scene of abuse. Unless the writing is strong enough to push the reader out of that voyeur position in some way, that is. Unfortunately, the writing here was not.
December 25, 2017
This is a very well written story about two high school girls from opposite ends of the popularity spectrum who happen to find each other. Both of them have very sad backgrounds and help each other in their healing process. The only thing I didn't like was that it ended abruptly and not well thought out. But overall, it is an excellent read. I would read this again.
February 19, 2014
This review was originally posted: http://francesandlynne.wordpress.com/...
“The more time she spent with Nicola, the more she liked her. Which was strange, considering she generally didn’t like many people. But liking Nicola wasn’t enough to deter her. She remained adamant she would discover Nicola’s dark secret. Another of her own darker qualities, which she’d failed to mention earlier, was she always got what she wanted in the end, even if it was at someone else’s expense.”
Jenny in Secret Lies by Amy Dunne
I first came across Secret Lies when I attended the Bold Strokes Book Festival in 2013 in Nottingham, England. I attended the event mostly out of curiosity of what an event like this would entail, especially for a publisher that focused on LGBT books. While the event was enjoyable, the only person who reached out to welcome those of us who knew no one else was first time author Amy Dunne. Between her friendly welcome and the intriguing excerpt from her book that she read aloud in one of the panels, I knew Secret Lies was a novel I wanted to read when it was published. I was very excited when my NetGalley request was granted.
**Out of professional integrity, Dunne and I are friends on Facebook, however I would like to think that this did not influence my review of Secret Lies.
The story of Secret Lies follows Jenny and Nicola, two English school girls (if it were set in America I would say Juniors or Seniors in High School), as they meet, interact, and uncover each other’s dark secrets. Jenny is one of the popular girls in school. Her friends are really frenemies and she has earned herself the reputation of being promiscuous with the boys. Yet for all her “cool” credit, Jenny is working with a therapist to stop her dependence on cutting. Nicola, on the other hand, is the shy girl that most people never notice, except to tease. She is also abused by her mother’s live in boyfriend. One day when Nicola is fleeing from the abuse (with the knowledge that if she returns she will probably be killed), she literally runs into Jenny. Surprising them both, Jenny offers to patch up Nicola’s cuts in her house. Acting against her usual habits, Jenny invites Nicola to stay overnight, and Nicola surprises both of them by accepting. They soon find out more about each other than anyone else knows, and underneath that there is a new feeling. Will the girls survive having their darkest secrets found out, and what if there was one more secret than they originally thought?
I really enjoyed this book and I finished it within two days (realistically two evenings!). Two main realizations struck me as I turned the last page. The first was just how realistic the main characters, and in fact all the characters, were. They were flawed, but there were still many good qualities to them (except for Chris, Nicola’s abuser). The second thought was: where was this book when I was a teenager? This book would have been perfect for me in middle/high school. At the time, I was looking for any book with an LGBT lead character, but I tended to read dark realistic books (whereas now I tend towards books with a bit more fantasy, or LGBT characters that are doing anything but coming out). Plus, I am a sucker for happy endings, where the good guys win!
I have to start with the characters for this book, as I said they were very realistic. Jenny was a bit harder for me to relate to, but I think that is my personal bias, rather than her character. She is flawed, and actually aware of many of her flaws, but also knows that awareness alone doesn’t suddenly fix these flaws. I think my favorite quote from her though, was her reaction to kissing Nicola. “But she couldn’t be gay! She was Catholic, popular, and even had the reputation of being promiscuous with guys.”
It would be impossible to talk about Jenny without talking about the very visceral way that Dunne brought in all the mental health struggles Jenny is dealing with. Not only does Dunne step up and directly talk about the cutting, she shows the mental struggles that seem too often to be missing from similar narratives. “A few trickles of blood and it’d all be over until the next time she got this bad. Her body trembled as she acknowledged her darkest secret. There would always be a next time. She was addicted to hurting herself. It was the only way to stop the pain.” As someone who is studying psychology, and has friend who has struggled with mental health problems, I loved the inclusion of Jenny receiving treatment. I found this realistic. There was not an immediate fix, in fact it was a slow tough slog, where baby steps need to be recognized and the overall picture considered. Through Jenny’s interactions with her therapist and Nicola we were able to see that this was a long term problem, but there were certain triggers and complications. Basically I loved that the cutting and negative thoughts never just magically disappeared, but had to be struggled against.
In contrast to Jenny, Nicola was someone I was more able to understand. She worked hard, and knew that university was her way to improve her life. However, the abuse she has to deal with and the non-relationship that she has with her mother are completely foreign to me. “Moving away from her, his savage words continued to inflict pain in a way his fists never could. The possibility that his words harboured some truth tortured her every day. How could her mum not know the truth? It’d been going on for years and it was obvious something was wrong. If her mum did know, would she care or even stop him?” There was a spark in Nicola, a will to survive and do what she needed to and most of all to be herself.
For as much as I enjoyed seeing the two main characters interact, my favorite character was Laura. She was a quiet, almost a tag-along to Jenny’s group of friends, but the only one who ever seemed to care about people. She was the first to accept Nicola, and help her in social situations. However, Laura completely won me over when she finally got her revenge on Jenny’s frenemies. Honestly, I laughed aloud and re-read that section several times just to savor it!
There two main things that I was not such a fan of, and one of those is a personal preference. The one main issue I had was in the character of Elizabeth, Jenny’s older sister. While I enjoyed how she affected the plot, and by the end I started to like her, I found her a bit inconsistent or a bit unrealistic compared to the other characters. Some of this may be due to the book being set from Jenny and Nicola’s points of view. As an older sibling, I can understand her wanting to watch out for her younger sibling and not understanding the pressure she has caused for the younger sibling to live up to her. However, many of her actions are just plain creepy and bordering on pathological. Yet with not too much fight she becomes almost a perfect sister. While I like the final result, with the realism of the rest of the novel I found it hard to accept that she had really changed.
My only other complaint was the amount of romance, which sounds a bit silly. I am the type of person who will find anything else to do rather than watch a love scene in a movie, and usually skim bits in books where the romance takes the main focus. I found the beginning of the novel and the end very exciting and I couldn’t read fast enough. However, there were a lot of love scenes in the middle and some at the end. They were just more frequent and more in-depth than I really care for. Yet for all of that, the writing in those sections was good, and for a different reader I am sure they wouldn’t even notice.
As far as the ending of the novel goes, I will not go into any detail, but I will say that I really liked it. I was a bit worried when I saw what I thought would have been the prefect line to end on, but it was a chapter too early. “The front door swung open…. For the first time in a long time, Nicola felt she was home.” However, reading the last bit, I needed the closure that Dunne provided, and hadn’t even realized how much I wanted that chapter!
Final Verdict: A very realistic book for middle/older teens that I wish I had been around when I was a teenager.
“The more time she spent with Nicola, the more she liked her. Which was strange, considering she generally didn’t like many people. But liking Nicola wasn’t enough to deter her. She remained adamant she would discover Nicola’s dark secret. Another of her own darker qualities, which she’d failed to mention earlier, was she always got what she wanted in the end, even if it was at someone else’s expense.”
Jenny in Secret Lies by Amy Dunne
I first came across Secret Lies when I attended the Bold Strokes Book Festival in 2013 in Nottingham, England. I attended the event mostly out of curiosity of what an event like this would entail, especially for a publisher that focused on LGBT books. While the event was enjoyable, the only person who reached out to welcome those of us who knew no one else was first time author Amy Dunne. Between her friendly welcome and the intriguing excerpt from her book that she read aloud in one of the panels, I knew Secret Lies was a novel I wanted to read when it was published. I was very excited when my NetGalley request was granted.
**Out of professional integrity, Dunne and I are friends on Facebook, however I would like to think that this did not influence my review of Secret Lies.
The story of Secret Lies follows Jenny and Nicola, two English school girls (if it were set in America I would say Juniors or Seniors in High School), as they meet, interact, and uncover each other’s dark secrets. Jenny is one of the popular girls in school. Her friends are really frenemies and she has earned herself the reputation of being promiscuous with the boys. Yet for all her “cool” credit, Jenny is working with a therapist to stop her dependence on cutting. Nicola, on the other hand, is the shy girl that most people never notice, except to tease. She is also abused by her mother’s live in boyfriend. One day when Nicola is fleeing from the abuse (with the knowledge that if she returns she will probably be killed), she literally runs into Jenny. Surprising them both, Jenny offers to patch up Nicola’s cuts in her house. Acting against her usual habits, Jenny invites Nicola to stay overnight, and Nicola surprises both of them by accepting. They soon find out more about each other than anyone else knows, and underneath that there is a new feeling. Will the girls survive having their darkest secrets found out, and what if there was one more secret than they originally thought?
I really enjoyed this book and I finished it within two days (realistically two evenings!). Two main realizations struck me as I turned the last page. The first was just how realistic the main characters, and in fact all the characters, were. They were flawed, but there were still many good qualities to them (except for Chris, Nicola’s abuser). The second thought was: where was this book when I was a teenager? This book would have been perfect for me in middle/high school. At the time, I was looking for any book with an LGBT lead character, but I tended to read dark realistic books (whereas now I tend towards books with a bit more fantasy, or LGBT characters that are doing anything but coming out). Plus, I am a sucker for happy endings, where the good guys win!
I have to start with the characters for this book, as I said they were very realistic. Jenny was a bit harder for me to relate to, but I think that is my personal bias, rather than her character. She is flawed, and actually aware of many of her flaws, but also knows that awareness alone doesn’t suddenly fix these flaws. I think my favorite quote from her though, was her reaction to kissing Nicola. “But she couldn’t be gay! She was Catholic, popular, and even had the reputation of being promiscuous with guys.”
It would be impossible to talk about Jenny without talking about the very visceral way that Dunne brought in all the mental health struggles Jenny is dealing with. Not only does Dunne step up and directly talk about the cutting, she shows the mental struggles that seem too often to be missing from similar narratives. “A few trickles of blood and it’d all be over until the next time she got this bad. Her body trembled as she acknowledged her darkest secret. There would always be a next time. She was addicted to hurting herself. It was the only way to stop the pain.” As someone who is studying psychology, and has friend who has struggled with mental health problems, I loved the inclusion of Jenny receiving treatment. I found this realistic. There was not an immediate fix, in fact it was a slow tough slog, where baby steps need to be recognized and the overall picture considered. Through Jenny’s interactions with her therapist and Nicola we were able to see that this was a long term problem, but there were certain triggers and complications. Basically I loved that the cutting and negative thoughts never just magically disappeared, but had to be struggled against.
In contrast to Jenny, Nicola was someone I was more able to understand. She worked hard, and knew that university was her way to improve her life. However, the abuse she has to deal with and the non-relationship that she has with her mother are completely foreign to me. “Moving away from her, his savage words continued to inflict pain in a way his fists never could. The possibility that his words harboured some truth tortured her every day. How could her mum not know the truth? It’d been going on for years and it was obvious something was wrong. If her mum did know, would she care or even stop him?” There was a spark in Nicola, a will to survive and do what she needed to and most of all to be herself.
For as much as I enjoyed seeing the two main characters interact, my favorite character was Laura. She was a quiet, almost a tag-along to Jenny’s group of friends, but the only one who ever seemed to care about people. She was the first to accept Nicola, and help her in social situations. However, Laura completely won me over when she finally got her revenge on Jenny’s frenemies. Honestly, I laughed aloud and re-read that section several times just to savor it!
There two main things that I was not such a fan of, and one of those is a personal preference. The one main issue I had was in the character of Elizabeth, Jenny’s older sister. While I enjoyed how she affected the plot, and by the end I started to like her, I found her a bit inconsistent or a bit unrealistic compared to the other characters. Some of this may be due to the book being set from Jenny and Nicola’s points of view. As an older sibling, I can understand her wanting to watch out for her younger sibling and not understanding the pressure she has caused for the younger sibling to live up to her. However, many of her actions are just plain creepy and bordering on pathological. Yet with not too much fight she becomes almost a perfect sister. While I like the final result, with the realism of the rest of the novel I found it hard to accept that she had really changed.
My only other complaint was the amount of romance, which sounds a bit silly. I am the type of person who will find anything else to do rather than watch a love scene in a movie, and usually skim bits in books where the romance takes the main focus. I found the beginning of the novel and the end very exciting and I couldn’t read fast enough. However, there were a lot of love scenes in the middle and some at the end. They were just more frequent and more in-depth than I really care for. Yet for all of that, the writing in those sections was good, and for a different reader I am sure they wouldn’t even notice.
As far as the ending of the novel goes, I will not go into any detail, but I will say that I really liked it. I was a bit worried when I saw what I thought would have been the prefect line to end on, but it was a chapter too early. “The front door swung open…. For the first time in a long time, Nicola felt she was home.” However, reading the last bit, I needed the closure that Dunne provided, and hadn’t even realized how much I wanted that chapter!
Final Verdict: A very realistic book for middle/older teens that I wish I had been around when I was a teenager.
February 9, 2014
Jenny is one of those popular girls who appear to have it all. She is attractive, put together, confident. The other girls want to be her, the boys want to have her. But underneath the false bravado is a mess. She blames herself for the death of her adored Gran, hates what she has made herself into and the never-ending pretence to keep it up. She hates herself to the point of self harm. She has sought help, but that doesn’t stop the feelings, doesn’t stop the pain.
Nic is the outcast. Wearing her winter uniform in a heatwave, ostracized as an oddity, she doesn’t mix, doesn’t integrate. She is bullied and abused by the girls at school. She feels invisible. But under the long sleeved top she hides a terrible secret, one of violence and abuse. Away from the nastiness of teenage girls she is fighting for her very survival.
Nobody would ever expect these two 17 year olds to be friends. They inhabit polar opposite places in their social world. But a chance encounter makes Jenny reach out in kindness, revealing to Nic that there is another side to her from the shallow, selfish, bully. And as Jenny coaxes Nic to open up a friendship starts to form.
Nic is the observant one, more sensitive to other people’s emotions. Soon she recognizes that Jenny also has a secret. And although it takes her a while to break through, her gentle persistence eventually allows Jenny to open up for the very first time.
As their friendship develops so does their attraction. Thrown together by an accident, they quickly become each others strength. Together they can escape from the secrets and lies, from the pain they have both suffered.
They both know that ‘coming out’ is a huge step. They plan to keep their love secret while they sort out their lives. But Jenny’s bitchy and dominating older sister, alerted by her spys, comes home for the very purpose of removing Nic from Jenny’s life. When she discovers that Nic is a lesbian, she uses every means to separate and destroy them.
Will Jenny fight for her new found love, fight to be the person who is emerging from under the brittle façade or will she cave in to the social pressure and bullying older sister? And while Jenny is deciding who she wants to be, can Nic hold on to hope for a future and stop the abuse to reclaim her own life.
--------------
This is an excellent and enthralling first novel. Amy Dunne has caught the mood of 17 year-old emotions and experience brilliantly. On the one hand it is a tale of young adults emerging and exploring, with all the angst and melodrama that entails. On the other it is a serious exploration of both abuse and self harm and the impact they have on these girls internal and public lives.
The two main characters are wonderfully complex and layered. They are still children, investigating live and love, finding their sexuality and passion, learning who they are and who they want to be. But they are also adults, at least partly because of the secret pain they both suffer and the growing up that has caused.
What we see is the juxtaposition of those – the young adult emerging and trying to balance their teenage hormones and dramas with adult sensibilities and emotions. One minute they are falling in love and in lust, they next they are sulking and fighting like children. They both understand the pressures of their social world, but are not yet quite sure how to manage it and be themselves.
The story resonated with me. Despite being old enough to be their parent it brought back memories of those angst filled days. The pain of falling in love, the fight to be oneself, to create a space and a separate identity while still wanting and needing parental support and love.
Ms Dunne’s portrayal of the abuse was hard to read. I can’t speak to its realism as a survivor, but it felt all too real. Nic’s internal fight to stay alive, stay sane, stay together under the brutal mental and physical torture was intensely emotional. And Jenny’s self loathing and self abuse was extremely well written, along with her Rizzo like shell and underlying vulnerability.
The book flows. It is well written and well crafted. The dialogue is realistic. It is a well paced story which kept me reading into the night. As well as the teenage melodrama of first loves and social pressure the novel contains real tension. There are places you can see the pain about to descend and almost want to stop, but were dragged forward waiting to see how these two girls would survive, if they would survive.
There are also ongoing and layered peaks and troughs. Jenny and Nic face emotional battles coming to terms with their new sexual identity both internally, between them and with family and friends. At the same time they are facing a literally physical battle to stop Nic’s abuse, and in the build up and aftermath there is real fear for the outcome.
My only criticism, and this is minor, was that Elizabeth’s complete reversal from Bible-bashing super-bully bitch to supportive sister was hard to believe. Unlike Laura and Jack who are lightly drawn and allowed to develop their natural goodness, Elizabeth’s transformation feels forced. Her ‘protective’ excuse for her overbearing behavior is not enough to explain her extreme volte-face. In retrospect she was, perhaps, too viscously drawn as a homophobic bully to realistically change so completely.
But that slight jar does not detract from a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, couldn’t put it down. Congratulations to Amy Dunne for an excellent first novel and to BSB for picking it up. While the American audience will no doubt complain that they don’t understand our school system (we Brits have had to learn yours) I for one am delighted to see a new British talent emerge. Looking forward to watching Ms Dunne develop this gift.
(Publishers review copy received)
Nic is the outcast. Wearing her winter uniform in a heatwave, ostracized as an oddity, she doesn’t mix, doesn’t integrate. She is bullied and abused by the girls at school. She feels invisible. But under the long sleeved top she hides a terrible secret, one of violence and abuse. Away from the nastiness of teenage girls she is fighting for her very survival.
Nobody would ever expect these two 17 year olds to be friends. They inhabit polar opposite places in their social world. But a chance encounter makes Jenny reach out in kindness, revealing to Nic that there is another side to her from the shallow, selfish, bully. And as Jenny coaxes Nic to open up a friendship starts to form.
Nic is the observant one, more sensitive to other people’s emotions. Soon she recognizes that Jenny also has a secret. And although it takes her a while to break through, her gentle persistence eventually allows Jenny to open up for the very first time.
As their friendship develops so does their attraction. Thrown together by an accident, they quickly become each others strength. Together they can escape from the secrets and lies, from the pain they have both suffered.
They both know that ‘coming out’ is a huge step. They plan to keep their love secret while they sort out their lives. But Jenny’s bitchy and dominating older sister, alerted by her spys, comes home for the very purpose of removing Nic from Jenny’s life. When she discovers that Nic is a lesbian, she uses every means to separate and destroy them.
Will Jenny fight for her new found love, fight to be the person who is emerging from under the brittle façade or will she cave in to the social pressure and bullying older sister? And while Jenny is deciding who she wants to be, can Nic hold on to hope for a future and stop the abuse to reclaim her own life.
--------------
This is an excellent and enthralling first novel. Amy Dunne has caught the mood of 17 year-old emotions and experience brilliantly. On the one hand it is a tale of young adults emerging and exploring, with all the angst and melodrama that entails. On the other it is a serious exploration of both abuse and self harm and the impact they have on these girls internal and public lives.
The two main characters are wonderfully complex and layered. They are still children, investigating live and love, finding their sexuality and passion, learning who they are and who they want to be. But they are also adults, at least partly because of the secret pain they both suffer and the growing up that has caused.
What we see is the juxtaposition of those – the young adult emerging and trying to balance their teenage hormones and dramas with adult sensibilities and emotions. One minute they are falling in love and in lust, they next they are sulking and fighting like children. They both understand the pressures of their social world, but are not yet quite sure how to manage it and be themselves.
The story resonated with me. Despite being old enough to be their parent it brought back memories of those angst filled days. The pain of falling in love, the fight to be oneself, to create a space and a separate identity while still wanting and needing parental support and love.
Ms Dunne’s portrayal of the abuse was hard to read. I can’t speak to its realism as a survivor, but it felt all too real. Nic’s internal fight to stay alive, stay sane, stay together under the brutal mental and physical torture was intensely emotional. And Jenny’s self loathing and self abuse was extremely well written, along with her Rizzo like shell and underlying vulnerability.
The book flows. It is well written and well crafted. The dialogue is realistic. It is a well paced story which kept me reading into the night. As well as the teenage melodrama of first loves and social pressure the novel contains real tension. There are places you can see the pain about to descend and almost want to stop, but were dragged forward waiting to see how these two girls would survive, if they would survive.
There are also ongoing and layered peaks and troughs. Jenny and Nic face emotional battles coming to terms with their new sexual identity both internally, between them and with family and friends. At the same time they are facing a literally physical battle to stop Nic’s abuse, and in the build up and aftermath there is real fear for the outcome.
My only criticism, and this is minor, was that Elizabeth’s complete reversal from Bible-bashing super-bully bitch to supportive sister was hard to believe. Unlike Laura and Jack who are lightly drawn and allowed to develop their natural goodness, Elizabeth’s transformation feels forced. Her ‘protective’ excuse for her overbearing behavior is not enough to explain her extreme volte-face. In retrospect she was, perhaps, too viscously drawn as a homophobic bully to realistically change so completely.
But that slight jar does not detract from a wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, couldn’t put it down. Congratulations to Amy Dunne for an excellent first novel and to BSB for picking it up. While the American audience will no doubt complain that they don’t understand our school system (we Brits have had to learn yours) I for one am delighted to see a new British talent emerge. Looking forward to watching Ms Dunne develop this gift.
(Publishers review copy received)
December 28, 2017
Very few books keep you awake at night thinking about then - this was one.
Only criticism is that as with many of this type of book it feels too rushed, maybe the authors are help to a word limit. If it was rewritten to a longer time frame would be a classic (hint).
Not a light read but nice ending.
Only criticism is that as with many of this type of book it feels too rushed, maybe the authors are help to a word limit. If it was rewritten to a longer time frame would be a classic (hint).
Not a light read but nice ending.
January 16, 2025
this book was a struggle for but in a good way. at frist becaus eof my mental health i had to put this down but recently it would have me in it grip and a felt all the feels for the charcaters. I will say jenny's sister piss me off like no other she was a mantipvie bitch and dreserved so much more then what she got
August 16, 2019
3.5 stars- some difficult but very important topics covered in this one...a few things that didn't quite gel (the ease with which Nic was accepted by the popular girl Jenny) but otherwise a good read.
December 16, 2013
Full review also posted here on TotalTeenFiction
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the author approached me about reviewing this book I was really excited by the sound of it, and I am always on the lookout for more LBGTQ YA fiction. Secret Lies follows teenagers Jenny and Nicola who develop a close relationship after Nicola moves in with Jenny to escape her mother's abusive boyfriend.
Firstly this book is an intense read. The book deals with self-harm, alcohol and drugs, sex, physical and psychological abuse. Whilst it's not a light and fluffy read I think the author has done an incredible job at tackling these difficult topics. I could really sympathise with Jenny's battle with self-harm and seeing her in therapy was a great way to get inside her head and understand what she's thinking. Nicola's home situation was just heart-breaking and had me incredibly emotional throughout the book. She's been through some much and I really came to fear for her.
Whilst Secret Lies deals with all these traumas, the central relationship is something that is an incredibly positive experience for both girls and that really help lift the mood. I absolutely adored their relationship and the way it develops. They have this amazing chemistry but you get the slow burn as they come to terms with their feelings for each other. There are a few obstacles with Jenny coming from a very catholic family and neither girl having any experience but those hurdles just made you root for them even more. I was jumping up and down when they finally get together.
Both the girls are at a time in their life where they're discovering their sexuality and I liked how you got to explore those fears they have. There's a really touching scene where Nicola starts Googling everything she can about lesbianism and orders books and DVDs just to reach out and find out more about who she is. It makes you realise why books like Secret Lies are so important because this is the reality for so many teens yet it's vastly underrepresented. I hope this book will reach a wide range of audiences because it's a wonderful story, regardless of the sex of the two main characters.
As well as the central relationship, Secret Lies sums up pretty well what it's like to be a teenager living with peer pressure and stress. Jenny particularly goes through a lot of that, feeling the pressure to live up to her older sister's example and trying to live up to this reputation she's developed at school for being experienced and confident with boys, despite the fact she's not at all comfortable with it. The title also brings into play the sneaking around you do at that age and how hiding things about yourself for fear of the repercussions can be a reality.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I think the only thing that let it down for me was that the writing was a bit over-descriptive. I would find myself skimming large chunks of texts just to get past what colour everything was and find the action. The book alternated from Nicola and Jenny's POV which was generally effective, but sometimes I found the voices merging and would have to double check whose perspective I was reading from. I managed to stay engaged with the story, though, and the plot and drama sucked me in enough to put those things aside. Secret Lies is definitely a book I'll be recommending in future for those looking for a really good love story to root for.
Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When the author approached me about reviewing this book I was really excited by the sound of it, and I am always on the lookout for more LBGTQ YA fiction. Secret Lies follows teenagers Jenny and Nicola who develop a close relationship after Nicola moves in with Jenny to escape her mother's abusive boyfriend.
Firstly this book is an intense read. The book deals with self-harm, alcohol and drugs, sex, physical and psychological abuse. Whilst it's not a light and fluffy read I think the author has done an incredible job at tackling these difficult topics. I could really sympathise with Jenny's battle with self-harm and seeing her in therapy was a great way to get inside her head and understand what she's thinking. Nicola's home situation was just heart-breaking and had me incredibly emotional throughout the book. She's been through some much and I really came to fear for her.
Whilst Secret Lies deals with all these traumas, the central relationship is something that is an incredibly positive experience for both girls and that really help lift the mood. I absolutely adored their relationship and the way it develops. They have this amazing chemistry but you get the slow burn as they come to terms with their feelings for each other. There are a few obstacles with Jenny coming from a very catholic family and neither girl having any experience but those hurdles just made you root for them even more. I was jumping up and down when they finally get together.
Both the girls are at a time in their life where they're discovering their sexuality and I liked how you got to explore those fears they have. There's a really touching scene where Nicola starts Googling everything she can about lesbianism and orders books and DVDs just to reach out and find out more about who she is. It makes you realise why books like Secret Lies are so important because this is the reality for so many teens yet it's vastly underrepresented. I hope this book will reach a wide range of audiences because it's a wonderful story, regardless of the sex of the two main characters.
As well as the central relationship, Secret Lies sums up pretty well what it's like to be a teenager living with peer pressure and stress. Jenny particularly goes through a lot of that, feeling the pressure to live up to her older sister's example and trying to live up to this reputation she's developed at school for being experienced and confident with boys, despite the fact she's not at all comfortable with it. The title also brings into play the sneaking around you do at that age and how hiding things about yourself for fear of the repercussions can be a reality.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I think the only thing that let it down for me was that the writing was a bit over-descriptive. I would find myself skimming large chunks of texts just to get past what colour everything was and find the action. The book alternated from Nicola and Jenny's POV which was generally effective, but sometimes I found the voices merging and would have to double check whose perspective I was reading from. I managed to stay engaged with the story, though, and the plot and drama sucked me in enough to put those things aside. Secret Lies is definitely a book I'll be recommending in future for those looking for a really good love story to root for.
Find more books like this at TotalTeenFiction!
September 5, 2014
I snagged a copy of this book from Netgalley when it was available as a 'Read It Now'.
An enjoyable contemporary lesbian romance. Which is always nice to see in YA books. When I read the blurb it was the relationship that appealed to me - nobody girl falls in love with popular girl and have a secret relationship.
Some mild plot spoilers.
The two girls in the story Nicola and Jenny are very different, Jenny is from a good wholesome Catholic family, whole her parents believe Jenny is a good girl - Jenny has a secret life of partying, sex, drugs and drinking. Jenny lives in the shadow of her perfect bitch of an older sister Elizabeth. While Nicola is a nobody, suffering terrible horrific abuse from her mother's live in boyfriend.
I didn't particularly like Jenny from the start - she comes off as rather bitchy herself and selfish. She has some serious issues but at least she's trying to deal while keeping up with the image she's set for herself. She's chatting with some friends and they see Nicola walking past, a weird girl in trousers and long sleeves even though its hot weather. They make fun of her for being a freak.
Nicola's introduction is rather graphic, the abuse she suffers is awful and its shown right off. Its impossible not to feel for her. I did find her the much more likeable of the two girls. Even though Nicola can be stand offish and bitchy herself, though given her circumstances I found it easier to accept her. I just didn't like Jenny.
How they meet and get together and become friends is rather unbelievable, but the story progresses and the two get to know each other and realise they have more than friends feelings for each other. I found it interesting, even though Jenny as a character doesn't appeal to me personally, I can completely see why Nicola fell for her. Both try to open up though Jenny is more reluctant after their first kiss. It does get all angsty and a sort of will they won't they but its fairly obvious where its going.
There's also that feeling that something is going to go wrong at some point. Nicola has escaped from her abuser and ends up staying with Jenny, Jenny makes up a story to convince her parents to let Nicola stay. Jenny's parents were lovely people. Kind and helpful and really nice. Though as Catholics Jenny thinks they won't be accepting at all of a lesbian relationship between her and Nicola. So they keep their relationship a secret. And it looks like everything going smoothly but then....
There's a boat load of more drama thrown in when Elizabeth, Jenny's horrible overachieving perfect sister shows up. What a bitch! The drama goes a little overboard, and it was getting a little...irritating leaving me thinking oh come on, now what's going to go wrong?
Though I have to admit, Jenny really did come through for Nicola and did grow as a person by the end of the novel. The characters were well fleshed out and even though some of the story and plot was annoying and unbelievable, I did find the book to be a good absorbing read.
So thank you Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to view this title a 'Read It Now'
An enjoyable contemporary lesbian romance. Which is always nice to see in YA books. When I read the blurb it was the relationship that appealed to me - nobody girl falls in love with popular girl and have a secret relationship.
Some mild plot spoilers.
The two girls in the story Nicola and Jenny are very different, Jenny is from a good wholesome Catholic family, whole her parents believe Jenny is a good girl - Jenny has a secret life of partying, sex, drugs and drinking. Jenny lives in the shadow of her perfect bitch of an older sister Elizabeth. While Nicola is a nobody, suffering terrible horrific abuse from her mother's live in boyfriend.
I didn't particularly like Jenny from the start - she comes off as rather bitchy herself and selfish. She has some serious issues but at least she's trying to deal while keeping up with the image she's set for herself. She's chatting with some friends and they see Nicola walking past, a weird girl in trousers and long sleeves even though its hot weather. They make fun of her for being a freak.
Nicola's introduction is rather graphic, the abuse she suffers is awful and its shown right off. Its impossible not to feel for her. I did find her the much more likeable of the two girls. Even though Nicola can be stand offish and bitchy herself, though given her circumstances I found it easier to accept her. I just didn't like Jenny.
How they meet and get together and become friends is rather unbelievable, but the story progresses and the two get to know each other and realise they have more than friends feelings for each other. I found it interesting, even though Jenny as a character doesn't appeal to me personally, I can completely see why Nicola fell for her. Both try to open up though Jenny is more reluctant after their first kiss. It does get all angsty and a sort of will they won't they but its fairly obvious where its going.
There's also that feeling that something is going to go wrong at some point. Nicola has escaped from her abuser and ends up staying with Jenny, Jenny makes up a story to convince her parents to let Nicola stay. Jenny's parents were lovely people. Kind and helpful and really nice. Though as Catholics Jenny thinks they won't be accepting at all of a lesbian relationship between her and Nicola. So they keep their relationship a secret. And it looks like everything going smoothly but then....
There's a boat load of more drama thrown in when Elizabeth, Jenny's horrible overachieving perfect sister shows up. What a bitch! The drama goes a little overboard, and it was getting a little...irritating leaving me thinking oh come on, now what's going to go wrong?
Though I have to admit, Jenny really did come through for Nicola and did grow as a person by the end of the novel. The characters were well fleshed out and even though some of the story and plot was annoying and unbelievable, I did find the book to be a good absorbing read.
So thank you Bold Stroke Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to view this title a 'Read It Now'
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 27, 2014
After years of abuse at the hands of her step father, Nicola Jackson, (Nic) can’t take any more and finally leaves her family home. She has nowhere to go and no friends she can turn to. When Nic literally bumps into Jenny O’Connor, one of the most popular girls in school, they hit it off right away and a friendship between them develops. Soon they are best friends and sharing their deepest, darkest secrets. Their friendship escalates into a romance that must, at all costs, be kept a secret. Although Jenny is in love with Nic, she is too frightened of losing her family and friends to go public.
As time goes past, Nic finds the courage to face her abuser in the hope of trapping him into admitting his abuse and leaving the family home. Unfortunately, Nic’s plans go terribly wrong.
Will Jenny come through for Nic, even though it may mean her life will never be the same again?
This is Amy Dunne’s debut book and she is off to a flying start in the world of lesbian fiction. She’s shown she can pen a good book on extremely difficult topics. Abuse, self harm, homophobia and two inexperienced young women embarking on their first lesbian romance together, comprises just a small part of this well written and researched story.
The book is a fast paced page turner from the first page through to the last page. I found it emotionally harrowing to read in places. But the story and the characters have all stayed with me days after I finished the book.
The two main characters, Nic and Jenny are both fully developed and multidimensional. The secondary characters are equally as well portrayed and play their parts to perfection. All except for one. Elizabeth, (Jenny’s older sister) her behavior is unbelievable. She storms in, full of hatred, all religious and holier than thou, homophobic and demanding, treats both Jenny and Nic like outcasts, upsets their relationship and a short while after is purring like a kitten backing them both up in the face of adversity. In my opinion, there is no way that a person as hateful as she is portrayed would do a complete turnaround. Especially not in such a short space of time. But, this is my only problem with the book. It didn’t spoil the story at all, but was a small, niggling annoyance.
The fact that Jenny and Nic were as different as chalk and cheese adds to their charm. Opposites can and do attract and their differences are very well described in this story.
Although the overall theme of this book is a serious one, there are light hearted times and humor throughout to lighten the darkness.
I’m very pleased I read this book, even though Jenny and Nic are young enough to be my granddaughters. No matter what age you are, this is a great story. One that I will re-read.
As time goes past, Nic finds the courage to face her abuser in the hope of trapping him into admitting his abuse and leaving the family home. Unfortunately, Nic’s plans go terribly wrong.
Will Jenny come through for Nic, even though it may mean her life will never be the same again?
This is Amy Dunne’s debut book and she is off to a flying start in the world of lesbian fiction. She’s shown she can pen a good book on extremely difficult topics. Abuse, self harm, homophobia and two inexperienced young women embarking on their first lesbian romance together, comprises just a small part of this well written and researched story.
The book is a fast paced page turner from the first page through to the last page. I found it emotionally harrowing to read in places. But the story and the characters have all stayed with me days after I finished the book.
The two main characters, Nic and Jenny are both fully developed and multidimensional. The secondary characters are equally as well portrayed and play their parts to perfection. All except for one. Elizabeth, (Jenny’s older sister) her behavior is unbelievable. She storms in, full of hatred, all religious and holier than thou, homophobic and demanding, treats both Jenny and Nic like outcasts, upsets their relationship and a short while after is purring like a kitten backing them both up in the face of adversity. In my opinion, there is no way that a person as hateful as she is portrayed would do a complete turnaround. Especially not in such a short space of time. But, this is my only problem with the book. It didn’t spoil the story at all, but was a small, niggling annoyance.
The fact that Jenny and Nic were as different as chalk and cheese adds to their charm. Opposites can and do attract and their differences are very well described in this story.
Although the overall theme of this book is a serious one, there are light hearted times and humor throughout to lighten the darkness.
I’m very pleased I read this book, even though Jenny and Nic are young enough to be my granddaughters. No matter what age you are, this is a great story. One that I will re-read.
January 28, 2014
This review originally appeared on my blog, Leeanna.me.
==
I’m really torn on SECRET LIES. On one hand, I liked the relationship between the two main characters, and also liked that their love gave them both the strength to face their demons. But on the other hand, I didn’t believe how quickly that relationship developed, with Jenny bringing Nicola into her house after knowing her for a day , and then “I love you” being said within two weeks .
I did like how the author handled Jenny’s character. Jenny hurts herself so she can feel the pain she can’t express, but has already realized she’s in an unhealthy cycle. At the start of the book, Jenny is in counseling, and I liked that she was proactive and wanted to help herself. I also felt for Nicola, who has endured years and years of vicious abuse at the hands of her step-father. It was nice to see that neither one of them judged the other for their problems, but tried to help and be supportive.
I was also happy to see sex scenes in this book. One of my big peeves with young adult books is they often focus just on kissing and unresolved sexual tension which is unrealistic, so it was awesome to see two girls experimenting and going beyond kissing.
But … the speed of their relationship. Yeah, I know teens can move quickly with relationships, but it was just so awkwardly done between these two that I couldn’t buy how they met and were attracted to each other. Nicola runs into Jenny in the street, Jenny invites Nicola to her house to fix a scraped palm, and after spending the whole day together watching movies, Nicola ends up staying at Jenny’s house for the next few weeks.
Overall, I didn’t feel like SECRET LIES was a YA book. Jenny and Nicola are in their teens, but they talk and sometimes act much older. If the story had been about two girls in their twenties, and spent some more time getting to know each other, it would have felt more authentic to me.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
==
I’m really torn on SECRET LIES. On one hand, I liked the relationship between the two main characters, and also liked that their love gave them both the strength to face their demons. But on the other hand, I didn’t believe how quickly that relationship developed, with Jenny bringing Nicola into her house after knowing her for a day , and then “I love you” being said within two weeks .
I did like how the author handled Jenny’s character. Jenny hurts herself so she can feel the pain she can’t express, but has already realized she’s in an unhealthy cycle. At the start of the book, Jenny is in counseling, and I liked that she was proactive and wanted to help herself. I also felt for Nicola, who has endured years and years of vicious abuse at the hands of her step-father. It was nice to see that neither one of them judged the other for their problems, but tried to help and be supportive.
I was also happy to see sex scenes in this book. One of my big peeves with young adult books is they often focus just on kissing and unresolved sexual tension which is unrealistic, so it was awesome to see two girls experimenting and going beyond kissing.
But … the speed of their relationship. Yeah, I know teens can move quickly with relationships, but it was just so awkwardly done between these two that I couldn’t buy how they met and were attracted to each other. Nicola runs into Jenny in the street, Jenny invites Nicola to her house to fix a scraped palm, and after spending the whole day together watching movies, Nicola ends up staying at Jenny’s house for the next few weeks.
Overall, I didn’t feel like SECRET LIES was a YA book. Jenny and Nicola are in their teens, but they talk and sometimes act much older. If the story had been about two girls in their twenties, and spent some more time getting to know each other, it would have felt more authentic to me.
==
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
See more of my reviews:
November 23, 2013
Nicola has been abused for years but finally escapes from that terrible situation. At exactly the right moment, she runs into Jenny, who has her own issues. They are able to be there for each other in exactly the right way, and their relationship grows as they help each other to heal.
Well, first the good: I honestly liked the two characters, and enjoyed their developing romance. There were a couple of good plot twists, and quite a few truly touching moments. The author took on a lot, and made an interesting story out of it.
The slightly-more-problematic: It's quite formulaic. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Romances, by their very nature, tend to be formulaic. However, the character development was a bit choppy - main and supporting characters both changed their feelings/actions/beliefs quite rapidly in order to advance the plot, and insufficient explanation was given as to why. Secondly, the whole abuse/abuser/Jenny's secret thing is dealt with with kind of a heavy hand. I mean, I understand that you need your characters to be vulnerable if they're going to comfort each other and grow in a relationship, but some of those plot elements seemed forced.
That said, it's a book about and for teenagers. Teenagers change their feelings, motivations, and even personality quite quickly. So perhaps in that sense the character growth whiplash is believable? In any case, teenagers would probably eat this book up. A questioning young adult would love to see themselves reflected in the characters of Jenny and Nicola, and in all, they are a worthwhile reflection to have.
Well, first the good: I honestly liked the two characters, and enjoyed their developing romance. There were a couple of good plot twists, and quite a few truly touching moments. The author took on a lot, and made an interesting story out of it.
The slightly-more-problematic: It's quite formulaic. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. Romances, by their very nature, tend to be formulaic. However, the character development was a bit choppy - main and supporting characters both changed their feelings/actions/beliefs quite rapidly in order to advance the plot, and insufficient explanation was given as to why. Secondly, the whole abuse/abuser/Jenny's secret thing is dealt with with kind of a heavy hand. I mean, I understand that you need your characters to be vulnerable if they're going to comfort each other and grow in a relationship, but some of those plot elements seemed forced.
That said, it's a book about and for teenagers. Teenagers change their feelings, motivations, and even personality quite quickly. So perhaps in that sense the character growth whiplash is believable? In any case, teenagers would probably eat this book up. A questioning young adult would love to see themselves reflected in the characters of Jenny and Nicola, and in all, they are a worthwhile reflection to have.
September 18, 2015
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I guess the generic title should have been a giveaway that Secret Lies would be a generic book full of clichéd characters. I didn’t care much about either main character, and in fact, I didn’t even like Jenny. There wasn’t anything special or particularly interesting about either of them. What can I tell you about each of them? Jenny was the poor little lonely popular girl, slept around (with boys), and had a secret. Nicola was a misunderstood outcast, endured abuse at home, and had a part-time job. Beyond their burgeoning romance, that’s about all there was to either of them.
The minor characters weren’t well-developed either. Somehow, Nicola’s mother didn’t even NOTICE that her daughter went missing for two weeks. Jenny’s older sister was an over-the-top raging bitch from the very first word out of her mouth. Jenny’s friends weren’t much better: cookie cutter bitchy popular girls.
I did like that Nicola decided to research lesbianism, first on the internet, then by ordering a box full of DVDs and books to be delivered to Jenny’s house. Unfortunately, that led to a scene that turned me off Jenny permanently. Elizabeth wasn’t the only raging bitch in that family. Jenny just wasn’t as obvious and in-your-face about it. Jenny had reasons (relating to her secret) for being the way she was, but I lost my patience with her really fast.
Despite dealing with some pretty dark things (Nicola’s abuse and Jenny’s secret), the girls’ shared discovery of their feelings for each other, and deciding what to do about it, was the focus of the the book and was the most interesting part. Fair warning: the few love scenes were much more explicit than in most young adult books, more NA than YA. The story of two girls from different worlds coming together to develop a relationship is an interesting start, but it wasn’t well-executed here. This was Dunne’s first published book and I expect that her writing — and most importantly, her characterization — will improve.
I guess the generic title should have been a giveaway that Secret Lies would be a generic book full of clichéd characters. I didn’t care much about either main character, and in fact, I didn’t even like Jenny. There wasn’t anything special or particularly interesting about either of them. What can I tell you about each of them? Jenny was the poor little lonely popular girl, slept around (with boys), and had a secret. Nicola was a misunderstood outcast, endured abuse at home, and had a part-time job. Beyond their burgeoning romance, that’s about all there was to either of them.
The minor characters weren’t well-developed either. Somehow, Nicola’s mother didn’t even NOTICE that her daughter went missing for two weeks. Jenny’s older sister was an over-the-top raging bitch from the very first word out of her mouth. Jenny’s friends weren’t much better: cookie cutter bitchy popular girls.
I did like that Nicola decided to research lesbianism, first on the internet, then by ordering a box full of DVDs and books to be delivered to Jenny’s house. Unfortunately, that led to a scene that turned me off Jenny permanently. Elizabeth wasn’t the only raging bitch in that family. Jenny just wasn’t as obvious and in-your-face about it. Jenny had reasons (relating to her secret) for being the way she was, but I lost my patience with her really fast.
Despite dealing with some pretty dark things (Nicola’s abuse and Jenny’s secret), the girls’ shared discovery of their feelings for each other, and deciding what to do about it, was the focus of the the book and was the most interesting part. Fair warning: the few love scenes were much more explicit than in most young adult books, more NA than YA. The story of two girls from different worlds coming together to develop a relationship is an interesting start, but it wasn’t well-executed here. This was Dunne’s first published book and I expect that her writing — and most importantly, her characterization — will improve.
January 15, 2014
When Nicola flees from her home, terrified of being murdered at the hand of her cruel abuser, she thinks life is over as she knows it. Understandably she feels lost, confused and depressed. Thinking no one cares for her, she has no plan in mind except to escape. Everything changes when she runs into her fellow classmate, Jenny.
Jenny was a character I slowly learned to enjoy. At first she seemed just like the rest of her friends, stuck up and quick to judge - I personally hate people who act like that! Over time her true colors shine through and we get to see that she's actually kind and caring, though still a bit pushy and aggressive sometimes.
Nicola is a bit more on the timid side, taking her time before really speaking her mind. With the shady past she's had to endure, it's no wonder she can be super shy and awkward at times. I felt for her throughout the whole story, shedding tears on her behalf. Though she made her fair share of irrational decisions, in the end I really could see where she was coming from.
I wasn't expecting this to be a story about a lesbian relationship, but it was a pleasant surprise that I saw coming pretty early on in the book. I don't normally read this kind of thing but I ended up really enjoying seeing all the issues that come with a hidden relationship like this one. Their love for each other was strong, powerful enough for me to feel even though I was millions of miles away.
I was so glad that Jenny helped Nicola conquer her inner demons, and I'm glad that the bastard who hurt her finally got put away. If you're looking for a story that will rip your hear into tiny pieces but leave it patched up in the end, Secret Lies is a great story to settle down with tonight.
Jenny was a character I slowly learned to enjoy. At first she seemed just like the rest of her friends, stuck up and quick to judge - I personally hate people who act like that! Over time her true colors shine through and we get to see that she's actually kind and caring, though still a bit pushy and aggressive sometimes.
Nicola is a bit more on the timid side, taking her time before really speaking her mind. With the shady past she's had to endure, it's no wonder she can be super shy and awkward at times. I felt for her throughout the whole story, shedding tears on her behalf. Though she made her fair share of irrational decisions, in the end I really could see where she was coming from.
I wasn't expecting this to be a story about a lesbian relationship, but it was a pleasant surprise that I saw coming pretty early on in the book. I don't normally read this kind of thing but I ended up really enjoying seeing all the issues that come with a hidden relationship like this one. Their love for each other was strong, powerful enough for me to feel even though I was millions of miles away.
I was so glad that Jenny helped Nicola conquer her inner demons, and I'm glad that the bastard who hurt her finally got put away. If you're looking for a story that will rip your hear into tiny pieces but leave it patched up in the end, Secret Lies is a great story to settle down with tonight.
December 17, 2013
I liked the subject matter of this story, with Jenny and Nicola discovering their sexuality, but I thought there lacked execution. It could have been a much stronger story. There was a lot of telling, which became obvious toward the end of the book, and this made for a very uneven pacing.
There was a bunch of things I just couldn’t believe. I could believe the circumstances of Jenny and Nicola’s meeting, but I just had a really hard time believing that their strong relationship developed over a two week period. I just didn’t buy it. They both take huge risks, and both are in fairly deep trouble, one the victim of abuse and the other engaging in cutting. And none of the parents have any idea that this is going on. Nicola vanishes from home for two weeks and her mother has no clue she’s gone? There were other minor things like this.
Jenny is super worried what her family would think about her being gay because of their strong faith, yet when this moment happens, the reaction was not what I was expecting from anyone. How did Jenny have such a different view of her parents? That seemed a bit unrealistic to me.
I did like Jenny and Nicola though, and their honest and sometimes tense conversations. I also found Elizabeth’s actions realistic for some reason, although I didn’t like them, I thought they fit the story.
There is violence toward the end of the story that ramps things, but then everything gets resolved fairly quickly.
I thought this book had a lot of potential throughout, but in the end something was missing for me in this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the opportunity to read and review.
There was a bunch of things I just couldn’t believe. I could believe the circumstances of Jenny and Nicola’s meeting, but I just had a really hard time believing that their strong relationship developed over a two week period. I just didn’t buy it. They both take huge risks, and both are in fairly deep trouble, one the victim of abuse and the other engaging in cutting. And none of the parents have any idea that this is going on. Nicola vanishes from home for two weeks and her mother has no clue she’s gone? There were other minor things like this.
Jenny is super worried what her family would think about her being gay because of their strong faith, yet when this moment happens, the reaction was not what I was expecting from anyone. How did Jenny have such a different view of her parents? That seemed a bit unrealistic to me.
I did like Jenny and Nicola though, and their honest and sometimes tense conversations. I also found Elizabeth’s actions realistic for some reason, although I didn’t like them, I thought they fit the story.
There is violence toward the end of the story that ramps things, but then everything gets resolved fairly quickly.
I thought this book had a lot of potential throughout, but in the end something was missing for me in this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books, Inc. for the opportunity to read and review.
Read
August 27, 2014 What a flashback to my own teenage years! Amy Dunne masterfully captures the moods and emotions of these characters and blends them perfectly into this story. The attention paid to the characters enhances the story so much and makes it so much more enjoyable to watch these complex people evolve and grow throughout this book.
This book is seeping with reality. Some of it is harsh and hard to read. It's all too real. It's another testament of Amy's that she can bring something to life so well that you feel it just like Nicola does. The evolution of romance is also told in a realistic way that brought a lot of emotions that I've experienced myself to the surface. If I had to sum up Secret Lies with only one word it would be realistic. Amy Dunne makes everything in this story come to life and capture your attention and heart.
Secret Lies is packed with emotions. It isn't a book to be taken lightly. But still, I recommend it to anyone looking for more LGBT fiction. It tells a story that will resonate with you long after you've finished.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
This book is seeping with reality. Some of it is harsh and hard to read. It's all too real. It's another testament of Amy's that she can bring something to life so well that you feel it just like Nicola does. The evolution of romance is also told in a realistic way that brought a lot of emotions that I've experienced myself to the surface. If I had to sum up Secret Lies with only one word it would be realistic. Amy Dunne makes everything in this story come to life and capture your attention and heart.
Secret Lies is packed with emotions. It isn't a book to be taken lightly. But still, I recommend it to anyone looking for more LGBT fiction. It tells a story that will resonate with you long after you've finished.
**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review with no compensation.
June 8, 2014
This was a powerful story, very well told. It dealt sympathetically with the difficult subjects of self harming and physical abuse.
I must admit I had put off reading this book because of the subjects involved, which were a bit close to home, but once I started I was pulled along by the momentum of the story.
Amy did not paint the main characters to be whiter than white, in fact she drew the flaws of their personalities as well as their good points. Both Jenny and Nic, as young as they were, showed courage in the adversities, although I wouldn’t recommend the lengths that Nic went to solve her problems!
If you’re looking for a light read this is not the book for you, but if you are looking for something to get your teeth into and enjoy reading Yound Adult literature this is the book for you, it takes you through the full spectrum of emotion!
I must admit I had put off reading this book because of the subjects involved, which were a bit close to home, but once I started I was pulled along by the momentum of the story.
Amy did not paint the main characters to be whiter than white, in fact she drew the flaws of their personalities as well as their good points. Both Jenny and Nic, as young as they were, showed courage in the adversities, although I wouldn’t recommend the lengths that Nic went to solve her problems!
If you’re looking for a light read this is not the book for you, but if you are looking for something to get your teeth into and enjoy reading Yound Adult literature this is the book for you, it takes you through the full spectrum of emotion!
January 15, 2016
Being new to the world of lesbian ficton (and especially Young Adult) I was unsure of what to expect - maybe a soppy love story? However, I was definitely pleased that Amy addressed difficult topics and while this might not be for everyone, it made the characters much more real and relatable. Life isn't perfect and things rarely go according to plan, and this book really is a celebration of that and finding the opportunities and the best in all situations.
It was easy to invest emotionally in the characters through Amy's exceptional description and fabrication, and the love story was carefully written to capture all the nuances and uncertainty to do with exploring one's sexuality. All in all, I enjoyed it surprisingly more than I was expecting to, and am looking forward to seeing what other works of art she pens.
It was easy to invest emotionally in the characters through Amy's exceptional description and fabrication, and the love story was carefully written to capture all the nuances and uncertainty to do with exploring one's sexuality. All in all, I enjoyed it surprisingly more than I was expecting to, and am looking forward to seeing what other works of art she pens.
July 1, 2014
Wow! What an incredibly interesting and enjoyable book this is to read. It is one of those books that you can't put down once you've picked it up. You are left on a cliff hanger at the end of every chapter, which evokes excitement and tension for the reader. Every minor detail of every character has been skilfully depicted by the author which makes it very fascinating. It not only concentrates on how young gay couples face challenges in society, but cleverly shows many dark scenarios (read the book to find out...) which are smoothly tied in with the main theme, giving the book its unique touch. The author gives us the satisfying ending which every reader seeks, which leads me to recommend this fantastic book to everyone.
December 6, 2015
2014 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews