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Deadly Little Secret

(Touch #1)

Laurie Faria Stolarz (Goodreads Author)

3.87 · Rating details · 21,759 ratings · 1,658 reviews

Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

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Hardcover, 252 pages

Published December 23rd 2008 by Hyperion (first published December 8th 2008)

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3.87 ·

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· 21,759 ratings · 1,658 reviews

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Nov 28, 2011 Maja (The Nocturnal Library) rated it it was ok

Shelves: wake-me-up-next-year, are-you-kidding-me, reviewed-in-2012, netgalley, totally-saw-that-coming, alternating-povs, young-adult, incredibly-stupid-choices, moments-of-great-frustration

Two stars might be just a little too generous, but that's me, all heart.

At the beginning of the summer, Camelia almost got hit by a car, but a mysterious boy pushed her out of the way and then disappeared without a trace. Camellia spent three months wondering about the boy, wanting to thank him for saving her life. When the new school year started, he was suddenly there, but so were the rumors that he killed his girlfriend and was exonerated due to lack of evidence. What’s worse, when Camelia t Two stars might be just a little too generous, but that's me, all heart.

At the beginning of the summer, Camelia almost got hit by a car, but a mysterious boy pushed her out of the way and then disappeared without a trace. Camellia spent three months wondering about the boy, wanting to thank him for saving her life. When the new school year started, he was suddenly there, but so were the rumors that he killed his girlfriend and was exonerated due to lack of evidence. What’s worse, when Camelia tried to thank him anyway, he pretended that he never saw her before.
Camelia feels weirdly attracted to this boy, Ben, despite rumors that are getting wilder by the minute and his obnoxious behavior towards her. At the same time, she starts getting weird phone calls and presents in the mail. It would appear that someone is stalking her, but is it Ben or someone else entirely?

I think you can tell, just by reading this short description, what kind of book Deadly Little Secret is. If you liked Twilight, The Mephisto Covenant, Hush Hush, Halo and similar books, chances are, you will enjoy this series too.*
Take Twilight, replace vampire with something else (wouldn’t you like to know?), replace biology with chemistry, remove the huge paranormal family, add a stalker or two and you’ll get Deadly Little Secret.
In addition to this being one of the most unoriginal books I’ve ever read, the romance was also vastly disappointing. If there’s one thing you can count on in these books, it’s an intense romantic connection between the protagonists, and yet here, I didn’t feel that there was anything really big and special between Camelia and Ben. She was attracted to him, but I never really understood why, nor did I understand why he reciprocated those feelings.
I was incredibly irritated by Camelia’s decision not to talk to her parents and/or the police, even when her stalker started entering her bedroom, leaving presents and making death threats. When he finally came for her, I kind of felt that she deserved it, and I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to feel that way.

The one good thing I can say about Deadly Little Secret is that I finished it. I liked the second POV, that of Camelia’s stalker and felt that it was very convincing. I kept guessing his identity throughout the book, and even when I had a pretty good idea, I still wasn’t entirely sure. I added the second star just for that.

This is a book for teens and I believe it already has many fans (there are four installments so far), but I’m pretty sure my adult friends would be better off reading something else.

*In the interest of full disclosure: I’m actually a fan of Twilight, but I didn’t enjoy any of the other books I’ve mentioned.

For this review and more, please visit The Nocturnal Library

...more

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Jul 25, 2010 Kristy rated it liked it

Spoiler-ish:

So the beginning half of this was way too reminescent of Twilight. How you say???? well...
1. It starts off with a near death accident... involving a car
2. guess who comes in to save our girl Camelia? You got it, our creepy guy Ben that she has never met until that moment
3. The have a science lab class together, where Ben acts as if Camelia is repulsvie.
4. Everyone at school thinks Ben is creepy and Camelia shouldn't be hanging around him
5. Ben has a secret.... but he tells Camelia af ...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Megs ♥ rated it liked it

Shelves: z-2011-reads, disappointing, e-books

2.5/5 stars.

When I read about this book I thought it genuinely sounded unique and interesting. I do still feel it was a unique story, but I still felt a bit disappointed by it. The story didn't have much going on at all. What was there flowed quickly and the whole book was read in a few hours so that was one good thing.

Camelia meets Ben when he saves her life. This part and the whole scene as partners at school felt a bit too Twilightish...There were quite a few similarities in the plot as well 2.5/5 stars.

When I read about this book I thought it genuinely sounded unique and interesting. I do still feel it was a unique story, but I still felt a bit disappointed by it. The story didn't have much going on at all. What was there flowed quickly and the whole book was read in a few hours so that was one good thing.

Camelia meets Ben when he saves her life. This part and the whole scene as partners at school felt a bit too Twilightish...There were quite a few similarities in the plot as well that I won't go into because several of my GR friends have already listed them, so I don't feel the need to do this again. Camelia is being stalked and she's also trying to find out more about the mysterious Ben. The rumor around school is that Ben was somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's death.

The stalker's narration did feel creepy at times, but not really scary. It just felt a little too silly and juvenile. Not to put down any fans of this series, but it feels like this book is more for younger teens like 11-13 than young adults, and certainly, in my opinion, not entertaining enough to hold the attention of adults. I only say this because the "mystery" was kinda easy to figure out for me...

The way I would talk you would get the idea that I hated this book, which is completely untrue. I just expected more. I might even continue this series, but I would like the writing to make me feel anything for these characters. Right now I don't because Camelia seems totally emotionless, her friends seem like a-holes, and Ben is the only character I kinda-sorta liked.

The 2.5 stars I gave were because there were a few suspenseful parts, and the writing itself wasn't terrible. Based off the idea this book started with it had potential to be a very intriguing story, but it just fell flat, and didn't isolate itself from the various other paranormal books out there.

Recommended for younger teens. I don't think it has any violence of sexual content. I can't really remember, which is another bad point for this book. It's not memorable at all. Definitely would not recommend this series to any adults or even young adults 14+, because I think most will be as bored as I was. If you are looking for a great YA/paranormal series to start trust me there are far better ones out there, and you won't regret passing on this one. ...more

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Feb 11, 2009 Megan rated it it was ok

Shelves: young-adult

To be fair, my 2-star review comes from the viewpoint of an adult reading a novel meant for kids in their early teens. My 12 year old self would have loved Deadly Little Secret and given it at least 4-stars.

What I didn't enjoy about this book was the lack of depth. I kept feeling that I was reading a book that *really* wants to be a made-for-tv movie. It has a lot of dialouge ~ while it is interesting and keeps the book moving, there is nothing behind it. Camila is not very reflective, and we d ...more

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Aug 29, 2008 Jennifer Wardrip rated it it was amazing

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by May A. for TeensReadToo.com

Three months ago, Camelia's life was saved by a mysterious boy. She doesn't see him again, until the first day of her junior year. His name is Ben Carter and everybody in school claims that he killed his girlfriend. Camelia doesn't know who or what to believe, but she does know one thing -- she is irresistibly drawn to him and his touch.

But shortly after Ben's sudden appearance in her life, Camelia begins receiving chilling phone calls, various packages, a ...more

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Nov 21, 2009 Idalia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Deadly Little Secret surpassed my expectations. It was suspenful, thrilling, and intriguing all in one book. From the cover you get the impression of ghost, mystery, and a combination between paranormal and romantic. Which, is all this book is about. I am so happy I read it!

One gloomy day as Camelia walked, something unexpected happened, she almost got run over by a car, a mysterious guy reached out and saved her life. She felt his touch and it thrilled he she felt it all over her body, even tho Deadly Little Secret surpassed my expectations. It was suspenful, thrilling, and intriguing all in one book. From the cover you get the impression of ghost, mystery, and a combination between paranormal and romantic. Which, is all this book is about. I am so happy I read it!

One gloomy day as Camelia walked, something unexpected happened, she almost got run over by a car, a mysterious guy reached out and saved her life. She felt his touch and it thrilled he she felt it all over her body, even though he was only touching one part of her body. Before Camelia gets to thank him for saving her life the mysterious guy disappears. Three months later, the mystery guy, Ben, is enrolled in her school. Rumors say he pushed his girlfriend down a cliff after strangling her. Camelia shuts her self from believing any of the rumors and believes, he's a good guy, the guy that saved her life. Ben denies ever saving her life, and claims, he is being mistaken for someone else. Strange things happen to Camelia, she is being stalked. Phone calls, mysterious gifts, and letters, she is receiving. Who could it be? Ben says she's in danger? Where will Camelia end up and unravel the secret?

This paranormal romance thriller will have you trying to solve the mystery for hours. It had interesting ingredients of mystery, romance, and action, to complement the thrilling plot. Everytime I thought I'd solved the mystery, Stolarz would put something I didn't see coming. From the beginning the suspense goes on and on. The hook is immediately on the first page. It made me never get enough of it. At some point it did slow down, but it always thrilled me to see what was going to happen next. The light writing had me engaged into the book, although I would have liked it to be more descriptive. There wasn't much character development, it didn't really bother me. I found the plot very original, most importantly "the touch". Hot, mysterious, and sexy Ben was my favorite character. He gave the book and air of sensuality, and danger.

At the end of the book, it had me exhausted on trying to follow the story and the many twist and turns. But, I found it fascinating. Stolarz definitely has a gift for story telling. I look forward to reading the sequel in the near future for more- action, thrill, and romance.

Reposeted from by book blog: http://thebookshopaholic.blogspot.com/ ...more

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Aug 14, 2012 Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: magic, teenage-drama, sounds-good, intriguing, mystery

So smug I guessed the stalker hehe!
Feel like Nancy Drew ;D
At first I had a lot of suspects but then I finally limited them down to one and I was right!

'She just won’t listen. And so I’ve started a plan. I just hope she appreciates all my efforts—all my work to make her happy. Once and for all.'

God he's crazy!
This book was making me crazy, I needed to find out who it was and therefore I could not put this down.

She was out in front of school this morning, looking for attention. Like a total ...more

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Jan 13, 2009 Shannon (Giraffe Days) rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, 2009, mystery-suspense

Camelia Hammond is starting her last year of school, but instead of looking forward she can't help but look back, to three months ago at the end of the last school year when her life was saved by a beautiful boy who then disappeared. She still tingles from where he touched her.

Yet when, on the first day of school, she sees him, Ben Carter, the new boy with a bad reputation and an even darker history, he pretends he doesn't recognise her and insists he never saved her life. He avoids her until on Camelia Hammond is starting her last year of school, but instead of looking forward she can't help but look back, to three months ago at the end of the last school year when her life was saved by a beautiful boy who then disappeared. She still tingles from where he touched her.

Yet when, on the first day of school, she sees him, Ben Carter, the new boy with a bad reputation and an even darker history, he pretends he doesn't recognise her and insists he never saved her life. He avoids her until one day in Chemistry class when he accidentally touches her - and all hell breaks loose.

Her infatuation with Ben isn't the real problem, though: her unknown stalker has made himself known and is becoming scarier with each photo put in her mailbox, each gift left by her window. Ben insists she's in danger and that he can help her, but who can she trust? Who is fixating on her?

I think, if I'd known this book was going to be a stalker book, I probably wouldn't have picked it up. I'm not a big fan of the genre. The suspense here was dealt with well, with good pacing and plenty of tense, even scary moments - especially as, while I knew the stalker wasn't Ben from the beginning, there was quite a large number of boys/men to choose from and that does make you rather edgy.

It's very dialogue-driven, which, when not taken advantage of, allows the characters to be under-developed: as they were here. You don't get to know Camelia all that well, even though she narrates - there's not much going on in her head aside from describing what she sees. Very disappointing. Ben's an intriguing character but you don't get close to him either. I'm wondering if he's the link that will pop up in the other books in the series (not yet written), especially considering they're called "Touch" novels. (Can't explain that without giving the only cool element of the book away.)

It's a stupidly quick read, tells a simple enough story and doesn't delve into the teenage psyche much. I quite liked Camelia's friend Kimmie. Part of my problem with these suspense books, is that so often supporting characters are set up: they're fodder for our mistrust, our suspicions, and turn out to be nothing more than plot devices. If the prose offers something more, if the main character/s offer more, then this could be overlooked, but when, as in Deadly Little Secret, the prose and main characters are superficial, the entire book becomes bland and disappointing.

That said, I did find it engrossing - perhaps against my better judgement - so I need to be fair in my rating.

Oh, and Ben reminded me of Edward from the Twilight books. Cashing in much? ...more

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Aug 27, 2009 Cara rated it liked it

Recommended to Cara by: Haley

Shelves: series, paranormal, recommended-to-me, 2010

This is definitely a suspense novel and it totally delivers on that front. I actually don't gravitate toward this genre (but I am more and more as of late.) For the most part I'm pretty bad at reading them cause I just can't take it! I'll flip to the end and see the outcome like a naughty reader, but I forced myself not to do it this time. I'm glad I did because it would have ruined the story.

Camelia is a normal girl for the most part, but an event happens that changes everything. A guy named Be This is definitely a suspense novel and it totally delivers on that front. I actually don't gravitate toward this genre (but I am more and more as of late.) For the most part I'm pretty bad at reading them cause I just can't take it! I'll flip to the end and see the outcome like a naughty reader, but I forced myself not to do it this time. I'm glad I did because it would have ruined the story.

Camelia is a normal girl for the most part, but an event happens that changes everything. A guy named Ben saves her from a car crashing into her and since then she hasn't stopped thinking about him. She finally sees him again at school a couple of months later, but when she wants to thank him for saving her life he denies everything. Confusion ensues and Camelia starts to get nasty letters and that's not even the worst of it. So who does Camelia trust? Ben, or all the other people telling her not to?

I have never read Twilight, but from what I've heard about it, it does have that kind of quality to it. I can't say what exactly because that might give something away. I'm not sure how Twilight fans feel about this. I can tell you this: it might seem unoriginal, but lots of authors use this to create a scenario that oozes tension. What I did see as a complete rip-off is the whole pottery scene. I mean did anyone else think of the scene in the movie Ghost? I know it isn't exactly the same but boy it most certainly had that "emotion" to it. I got kind of annoyed that so many guys were crushing on her. I mean really? But I get why because if we didn't have that many choices of who the stalker could be it wouldn't have the suspense we are presented.

The concept is original though. I wish I could say what it is but again that might spoil it for future readers. I'm hooked enough to read the next book Deadly Little Lies. The book grabs your attention from the onset but I felt it lacked originality with certain scenes and felt I didn't get to know the characters well. That might be because it is a series and we will get to delve deeper into the characters with the books to come. One of those series to be on the lookout for. ...more

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Aug 15, 2008 Lucy rated it did not like it

Recommends it for: Twilight fans

Shelves: supernatural, teen, mystery, 2009

Camelia (sounds like Chameleon) almost died three months ago, when she bent down to pick up her earring in the parking lot and nearly got hit by a car. Before she knew what was happening, a mysterious hot guy had shoved her out of the way, saving her life, before running off when she tried to thank him.

She is, of course, determined to find out more about Ben, the mystery guy. But when she confronts him in the hall and tries to thank him, he pretends he doesn't know what she's talking about.

Camel ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Ariel Andrews rated it it was amazing

So I absolutely love Laurie faria stolarz. She is an amazing writer and is my favorite author. This book I read in a total of like 4 hours. I seriously was to enthralled to put it down!!! I definitely didn't see the end coming! this is a must read! Go to thebookhangovercast.wordpress.com for the full review!

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Nov 16, 2013 Trinity rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, 1st-to-3rd, 2014

This was an awesome book. I really liked this book. It had me guessing every little thing, putting everyone as suspects. I thought this was a really cool read. I am really ready to reach onto the next book to see what holds. The role that Ben plays is unique, I would not have guessed that would be the issue of what was going on until later.

- Camelia
Camelia was a strong character. It's nice to know there a few people who don't care about what others think and what they think of others. She was r This was an awesome book. I really liked this book. It had me guessing every little thing, putting everyone as suspects. I thought this was a really cool read. I am really ready to reach onto the next book to see what holds. The role that Ben plays is unique, I would not have guessed that would be the issue of what was going on until later.

- Camelia
Camelia was a strong character. It's nice to know there a few people who don't care about what others think and what they think of others. She was really brave. If there was something I would change about Camelia it would be that she should have gone to her parents or the police when the guy entered her house and left gifts. She would have been a lot safer. Her pottering skills are intense, I had no idea what to pull of the idea of the car without wheels but it may seem like she can sense the future. It is really cool. And I know that she can sense the future for a fact because right after I finished the book I searched up the second book to see what it was going to be about.

- Ben
I am really glad Camelia didn't bother with everyone talking bad about him and still decided based on her own feelings about him to try and talk to him. If he would have saved my life I would have thought better of him as well. I didn't know what was going on with him at first, he was acted rather strange. I had a feeling the way he acted was the same way the person on the 2nd point of view was thinking. I had no idea what to expect from him but I'm pretty sure people have a better feeling of him after reading the book.

The next book seems great. A love triangle? Yikes! I will have to wait until I can get the next book in hand. I though Kimmie's character was just too much to handle. That is why I brought my fifth star down, her character was very irritating and just thought everything was a joke from one of the other guys when it was very serious and Camelia's life was in danger. She was insensitive to Camelia's feelings and only really thought of herself, it was always her her her.

Overall, this book was great. I enjoyed myself and thought this was a nice book to lay down and read I didn't get bored once throughout the book and did not feel as though it dragged, which annoys me all too well. I am looking forward to next book to see what is going on. It seems as though Ben is leaving so what is going to happen to their relationship? And why are there so many secrets? ...more

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Mar 30, 2011 Gabby rated it it was ok

Shelves: e-books, young-adult, thriller, bad-books, series

Originally posted @ The YA Bookworm

i have seen a lot of reviews that this one is very twilight-ish, i didn't believe it cause does the title Deadly Little Secret sound twilight in the making to you??? i don't think so.

but then this is the first scene of the book

the very famous car saving scene in twilight, so i was still in denial that this one is twilight in the making kind of book. but then the resemblance are piling up like:

camelia and ben became LAB PARTNERS. and Ben has this "cold" touc ...more

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May 12, 2009 Summer rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal, young-adult, mental-powers

So sixteen year old Camelia feels a little like an old lady. She likes things planned out and organized and she doesn't go out much except to work where she creates pottery. This all changes when she meets Ben. Ben is a new transfer student with a history. He was a suspect in his ex-girlfriend's murder and even though he wasn't convicted, in most people's eyes he's good as guilty. He gets harassed at school and no one makes friends with him except Camelia. They've met before when Ben saved Camel ...more

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Aug 02, 2017 Devin rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal

All I can say is, I thought it was Spencer.

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Feb 16, 2010 Kristie rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya

For me this book was about 2.5 stars. I wasn't extremely excited that the first half of the book was so much like twilight. I know authors are inspired by books but they should make it their own and the first half was very similar - to similar.

I also didn't like when Camelia's best friends, Kimmie and Wes, were in the dialog. They were very immature and annoying. Wes didn't have a male's point of view and Kimmie sounded like a ten year old.

I also didn't understand how every guy that Camelia tal ...more

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Jul 20, 2009 Dawn rated it it was ok

Shelves: teen, thriller

2.5 stars... I felt rather irritated with the main character throughout this book. The beginning starts in a Twilightesque scenario where she is saved from being hit by a car when the "new guy" in school pushes her out of the way. As she is lying there, he touches her stomach for some strange reason, and what with the weird moment of touching and his saving her life, she is drawn to him despite the rumors floating around school that he killed his girlfriend. At the same time, Camelia begins to g ...more

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Jul 25, 2015 Amber King rated it it was ok

Good concept, awful writing style.
First of all, the one liners are awful. The first 50 pages were like a stupid disney sitcom and I was cringing the whole time.

Next, there's the fact that this whole thing is a wannabe Twilight. The guy is like a sad, annoying version of Edward and the girl is just dumb.
Then theres the instalove ohmygodddd. He walks in the room and I know I'm in love with him. Literally they're in love within two seconds and she acts as if its the biggest deal in the world whe ...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Brooke (The Cover Contessa) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: paranormal, disney-hyperion

Ok, so I picked up this book because I am going to get to the meet the author and I wanted to make sure I had read at least one of the books she wrote. I wasn't sure what to expect at all. I didn't know if I would like to story line, and boy was I pleasantly surprised!

Blurb from Goodreads:
Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown Ok, so I picked up this book because I am going to get to the meet the author and I wanted to make sure I had read at least one of the books she wrote. I wasn't sure what to expect at all. I didn't know if I would like to story line, and boy was I pleasantly surprised!

Blurb from Goodreads:
Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at an art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes far from ordinary.
Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe he's trouble, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead she's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help – but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something...but he's not the only one with a secret.

First, I love this cover. Love, love, love it! It's mysterious and full of awesomness. I totally love the anonymity of the cover model.

Camelia is an interesting character. She tries so hard to be brave, so hard to stay away from what she knows might not be good for her, but she's not so good at either one. She doubts herself constantly. She hides things that you really think she shouldn't but at the same time you love her Nancy Drew ways. It's like you want her to figure it out. It's like you are routing for her to do it while still biting back a scream to tell her to go to the police.
And Ben, well, he's certainly a mysterious dude. I just could not figure him out. I was trying to hard to see what it was that was keeping him from diving into his relationship with Camelia, but it was a total mystery to me. And then when it was revealed, it was something I was not expecting at all (despite the title of the series). I could not figure out if I should trust him or shout at Camelia to run the tother way!
I completely love the friend triangle that is Camelia, Kimmie and Wes. They kept me on my toes and really were very entertaining.

I have to say that I don't usually like creepy in a book, but the creepiness and mystery of this book is what kept me reading. I couldn't put it down. The premise is unlike anything else I have ever read. I was not expecting it at all. And I love it! I want more right now. And I'm so excited that I still have four more books to read in this series so I can keep getting my fix. The plot twist at the end had me so surprised. I certainly knew that it would be someone who was close to Camelia, but I just could not figure out who it was that was stalking her.

One thing I loved about the romance of this book is that it wasn't what defined the storyline. It waxed and waned throughout until, bam, it culminated a bit, but then faltered off again. I liked that it didn't rule the plot line. And, while I loved the attraction between Ben and Camelia, and I was rooting for them throughout, hoping he was the good guy, I didn't want it to be the definition of what kept this story going. What kept this story going was the eeriness of the dual POV, how the stalker's warped sense of possession grew over time until it toppled things over.

This book kept me in suspense the entire time. It was thrilling and mysterious and totally unexpected. Stolarz hooks you from the first page of this book. I was so enthralled with the writing, but at the same time I was taken aback by how abrupt it was. It made it hard for me to put it down and I ended up reading it in only one day (with work and kids and everything!).

There were a few technical inconsistencies with this book that bothered me a bit, but I was able to overlook them because of the greatness of the plot line.

At first I gave this book 4 stars, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I could not put it down, I realized I had to give it 5 stars. So, go read this great book. I don't think you'l be disappointed in the least. ...more

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Jul 01, 2013 Ela rated it did not like it

Shelves: ya, ya-paranormal-fiction, romance, ah-the-sweet-smell-of-mediocrity

(This review does have some unmarked spoilers, but these are about general events and do no concern the conclusion of the mystery)

First the heroine was in a near fatal car crash, saved only by a mysterious gorgeous stranger who quickly vanished. Then, said brooding stranger became her reluctant lab partner, who refused to speak to her. Then there were long conversations about how the young couple’s extraordinary chemistry might cause the 'hero' to lose control, resulting in her tragic death.

Wow. ...more

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Apr 06, 2012 Doris rated it liked it

The Deadly Little Series is a string of novels following the life of sixteen-year old Camelia who falls in love with the mysterious Ben, despite rumors of him being responsible for his girlfriend's death. As the story advances, Camelia learns the reason for his strange behavior, and what really happened that fateful day at the cliff. Ben is gifted with a supernatural power, psychometry, the power to 'see' things through touch or interaction with a person or object. When Camelia is targeted by a ...more

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Apr 07, 2010 Renee rated it it was ok

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

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Feb 22, 2009 Haley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, read-in-2009, young-adult, fiction, couldn-t-put-down, romance

Until three months ago, Camelia’s life has been pretty ordinary: two best friends, an okay relationship with her parents, a cool job at the pottery store downtown. But when she’s saved by a mysterious boy who leaves without a name or explanation, all she wants is to see him again for some closure, to say “thanks”.

She actually does see him again- Ben Carter, who, rumor has it, murdered his ex-girlfriend. He becomes the scapegoat to everyone but Camelia, even when her friends tell her to be caref ...more

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Nov 01, 2011 Rabbit {Paint me like one of your 19th century gothic heroines!} rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: no one, but maybe masochists.

Shelves: fiction, attack-of-the-wild-snark, ooh-pretty-cover, two-stars, dark, pausing-my-feminist-brain, young-adult, present-day, brb-bikini-kill-time, thriller

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

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Feb 18, 2009 Abigail rated it really liked it

From what I'm reading, I was not the only one who though this was eerily similar to Twilight. Handsome stranger magically appears just in time to save your life? Drawn to his touch and his odd colored eyes? He insists that he's too much of a danger to you and needs to stay away? Yup, I think I've heard it before.
However, I really did enjoy Deadly Little Secrets. I've never been one for suspense novels, but I was very intrigued by this one. The passages written by Camelia's stalker had me shiveri ...more

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Oct 19, 2010 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: disturbing, creepy

Never ever read this if you're alone or you're easily creeped out.

This book hold the record for scarying me out of my wits while reading it. I was reading it at my dorm alone and I can tell you that, that is very conducive for "hyper-brain" activity. The only time that I could relax was when my dormmates were there. It's not a ghost story. It's more like Pretty Little Liars but creepier.

For me it's new. It's not about vampires, fairies, or sorcerers. The only reason I gave it a 4-star is becau ...more

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Apr 18, 2009 Tina (Fantastic Book Review) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, paranormal

This was my first time reading a Laurie Stolarz novel and I’m excited about the 2nd book titled Deadly Little Lies which is due out November 2009. It's full of suspense and it kept me guessing throughout the book. This was a real page turner and I ended up reading this book in one sitting. I love Laurie's writing style and I can't wait to read more of her books. She has a series called Blue is for Nightmares that I can’t wait to start reading.

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Mar 25, 2010 Angela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, mystery-suspence, bestie-reads, sci-fi-fantasy

Okay, so it's more of a 4 1/2 stars but I still can't figure out how to do the half thingy. I loved this book. It's not so much that it was amazing just that it was a quick, easy, fun read with a dash of romance, a splash of mystery, and a smidgen of suspense.

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Aug 30, 2010 Allison rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: paranormal

Chemistry! No, not between the main characters. I mean chemistry class! Or science class in general, if you're like me and haven't taken chemistry yet.

So Camelia and Ben met in chemistry class. Most of the Twilight wannabes, this being one of many, begin in biology class so this was an interesting twist with the possibility of chemical explosions. Why not math class? Picture it, the girl gets called up to the chalkboard to write down the answer to an equation, work included. She doesn't know the ...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Jennifer rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 10th-grade-book-reviews

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Deadly Little Secret is about a girl named Camille. She goes to high school, and has hippie parents. The story starts out with her in a parking lot. A girl named Gloria, was driving a car and almost hit her. (It later turned out that Gloria was in diabetic shock and couldn't function correctly). Just asa Camille was about to be hit a boy comes and pushes her out of the way saving her life. He touches her which leaves her wondering who he is. Months go by before she sees that guy. She finds out t Deadly Little Secret is about a girl named Camille. She goes to high school, and has hippie parents. The story starts out with her in a parking lot. A girl named Gloria, was driving a car and almost hit her. (It later turned out that Gloria was in diabetic shock and couldn't function correctly). Just asa Camille was about to be hit a boy comes and pushes her out of the way saving her life. He touches her which leaves her wondering who he is. Months go by before she sees that guy. She finds out that he is named Ben Carter. He has a bad reputation once coming to Camille's town. Rumors go around saying that he killed his previous girlfriend, and that he's crazy. Camille on the other hand, wants to get close to him and at least thank him for saving her. When she goes up to meet him, hes very cold to her. But that doesn't stop her. Camille's friends Kimmie and Wes try to stop her, but she doesn't listen. Later on in the story weird things start happening to Camille: weird photos being mailed to her, notes, phone calls and gifts. She gets scared and tells Kimmie. They start to think that it's Ben. Camille confronts Ben and asks for an explanation. He tells her that she's in danger and that he can feel it because he has the gift of psychometry which means he can sense someone when he touches them. Camille is skeptical at first but soon begins to trust him. Things get worse for Ben, people really think he's a murderer and starts harassing him. Matt, who has been a minor character in the beginning of the story, is Camille's ex-boyfriend. Camille broke up with him and now they are just friends. Matt comes and tells Camille that Ben is in trouble and that Camille has to go and help him. Camille frightened about what might happen to Ben goes with him. In the middle of the drive, Matt starts talking about how he wants to be with Camille again, and how much he wants her. Camille pieced everything together and finally gets that he was the stalker. He was the one that was sending her pictures, gifts, notes and giving phone calls. Matt knocks her out and when she wakes up she is tied and is told that she will be staying there for a long time. Matt leaves her so that he can be there when people are looking for her so that he isn't suspected. Camille gets a knife and is able to free herself. Matt comes back and she runs. Just as she runs, Ben appears, and the two boys fight. The police come and Ben wins. Matt is arrested and Ben's name is cleared. At the end of the story even though Camille finally trusts him completely, Ben decides to leave because he feels as if he was a threat to her.

In this story a big theme is the past. The past was very important for Ben and to Camille. It was important for Ben's character because he changed when his girlfriend died. He was so guilty feeling as if he had hurted her or was the reason why she was dead. The past was also what ruined Ben's reputation. Everyone thought he had killed somebody or had an anger issue. This caused people in the town to be against and hurt him. The students at the high school attacked him, taunted him, bullied him at many times. Parents were calling the school insisting that he be kicked out. Everyone hated him. He was constantly alone. The past was important for Camille because Matt was the person that tried to hurt her. They used to date and he became obsessed with her. If Camille had never dated him, none of that would've happened. Matt was crazy and wanted to be with her again and he was about to force her to do so. This theme was important because it was the thing for Ben and Camille the two main characters. ...more

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Discuss This Book

topics	posts	views	last activity
What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA, Mystery/Romance/Thriller-ish involving a girl (through multiple books) gets notes from stalkers (each book has a new one) and she struggles to find out each one before they hurt her. [s]	4	31	Sep 11, 2018 11:25AM
Does the next one get better?	1	1	Aug 04, 2016 03:41AM
Crazy for Young A...: Deadly Little Secret (Touch #1) by Laurie Faria Stolarz → Start Date: June 26, 2015	9	20	Jun 27, 2015 06:16PM
Crazy for Young A...: Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz → Start Date: January 28, 2014	41	32	Jan 31, 2014 01:12AM
David Estes Fans ...: January 2014 Book of the Month - Deadly Little Secret	11	17	Jan 28, 2014 08:30PM

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About Laurie Faria Stolarz

Laurie Faria Stolarz

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Laurie Faria Stolarz grew up in Salem, MA, attended Merrimack College, and received an MFA in Creative Writing from Emerson College in Boston.

Laurie Faria Stolarz is an American author of young adult fiction novels, best known for her Blue is for Nightmares series. Her works, which feature teenage protagonists, blend elements found in mystery and romance novels.

Stolarz found sales success with he ...more