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Oak Bluffs High #1
Secret Heart
Avery Jennings is a punk-rock guitarist with a secret weakness for rom-coms and Taylor Swift. Her band, Detonate the Gazelle is ready to move to Austin after graduation, but Avery is having second thoughts. She’s fallen hard for Madison Shea, student council president with a douchebag boyfriend, after their orbits collide at Oak Bluff High’s inaugural Gay-Straight Alliance meeting. Even though it goes against her rules about crushing on straight girls, Avery relentlessly pursues Madison. Their chemistry is too magnetic to deny and soon they are making out in car washes and school bathrooms and holding hands under tables. Avery wants to take their relationship public but Madison is afraid of her conservative family’s reaction and that it’ll ruin her chances as Prom Queen. Their secret relationship is put to the ultimate test when student council vetoes a proposal for a gay-friendly prom and the club decides to throw a free Unprom the same night as Prom with Detonate the Gazelle as the headliner. If Unprom proves to be more popular than Prom, Madison will hold it against her and Avery will lose her shot at taking her relationship with Madison public. What started off as a love song may have just turned into a breakup ballad.
264 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2016
18 people are currently reading
417 people want to read
About the author
Danielle Dreger
8 books15 followersDanielle wears many (baseball) hats. By day she is a teen librarian north of Seattle, by night she is an amateur cook, and by sunrise she is a YA writer of gritty and witty stories set in the humid hell of Central Florida.
Danielle spent her formative years in the Tampa Bay Area driving into neighborhood signs, breaking curfew, and writing bad poetry (some of which can be seen on her blog) before moving to Boston to become a librarian. She now hangs her Tampa Bay Rays hat in Seattle.
Danielle is also a rabid baseball fan, lazy gardener, occasional swimmer, and voracious reader. Coffee is her vice and sleeping is her superpower. When not doing any of the above, Danielle is chasing around her badly behaved dogs Lola and Mae West and her tiny toddler tornado, BB.
Before devoting her professional life to writing and reading and libraries, Danielle worked as a secretary, florist assistant, camp counselor, college radio DJ and station manager, bookseller, house cleaner, blogger, and travel writer. She was previously the Seattle Books Examiner for Examiner.com and is a current contributor to Preemie Babies 101, the official blog for Hand to Hold.
Her short stories have appeared in The Dime Show Review, 200 cc's, Stratus, Fiction Fix, and Driftless Review and her work is also featured in The Librarian's Book of Lists edited by George M. Eberhart.
Secret Heart is her first book,
Danielle spent her formative years in the Tampa Bay Area driving into neighborhood signs, breaking curfew, and writing bad poetry (some of which can be seen on her blog) before moving to Boston to become a librarian. She now hangs her Tampa Bay Rays hat in Seattle.
Danielle is also a rabid baseball fan, lazy gardener, occasional swimmer, and voracious reader. Coffee is her vice and sleeping is her superpower. When not doing any of the above, Danielle is chasing around her badly behaved dogs Lola and Mae West and her tiny toddler tornado, BB.
Before devoting her professional life to writing and reading and libraries, Danielle worked as a secretary, florist assistant, camp counselor, college radio DJ and station manager, bookseller, house cleaner, blogger, and travel writer. She was previously the Seattle Books Examiner for Examiner.com and is a current contributor to Preemie Babies 101, the official blog for Hand to Hold.
Her short stories have appeared in The Dime Show Review, 200 cc's, Stratus, Fiction Fix, and Driftless Review and her work is also featured in The Librarian's Book of Lists edited by George M. Eberhart.
Secret Heart is her first book,
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 12, 2017
I'm torn on this read.
This is a YA book that really captured the spirit of being a teenager through its characters, action, and language. The dialogue was particularly good and many times it was outright amusing. The cast all around is depicted well including those with more minor roles. Avery is a punk rock type while Madison is popular but nice. And, Scott is Avery's fantastic best friend where they give each other sh*t constantly and have many great scenes together.
In the beginning of the book, Avery and Madison develop some good chemistry and it's easy to like both of them. But then, along the way, they both irritated me and I ended up not liking either one all that much. They kept getting into spats or misunderstandings, then would freeze each other out for days. These girls spent more time apart than together practically and, at different times, had certain levels of betrayal with each other or other characters. Once Madison and Avery were together, the relationship seemed more superficial and lacked the "fun" of a new relationship. I just felt like they needed many more happy/bonding scenes together.
Madison also goes out of character at one point which I found strange.
The book is actually really well-written but the devolvement of the relationship between Madison and Avery annoyed and frustrated me. Maybe, though, it's more realistic that they don't handle their conflicts well because they are still young?
Another reviewer mentioned they could see this as a movie. I could, too, mainly because of the dialogue but partly because it has the easy patch-up, everyone wins kind of happy ending.
3.5 stars.
This is a YA book that really captured the spirit of being a teenager through its characters, action, and language. The dialogue was particularly good and many times it was outright amusing. The cast all around is depicted well including those with more minor roles. Avery is a punk rock type while Madison is popular but nice. And, Scott is Avery's fantastic best friend where they give each other sh*t constantly and have many great scenes together.
In the beginning of the book, Avery and Madison develop some good chemistry and it's easy to like both of them. But then, along the way, they both irritated me and I ended up not liking either one all that much. They kept getting into spats or misunderstandings, then would freeze each other out for days. These girls spent more time apart than together practically and, at different times, had certain levels of betrayal with each other or other characters. Once Madison and Avery were together, the relationship seemed more superficial and lacked the "fun" of a new relationship. I just felt like they needed many more happy/bonding scenes together.
Madison also goes out of character at one point which I found strange.
The book is actually really well-written but the devolvement of the relationship between Madison and Avery annoyed and frustrated me. Maybe, though, it's more realistic that they don't handle their conflicts well because they are still young?
Another reviewer mentioned they could see this as a movie. I could, too, mainly because of the dialogue but partly because it has the easy patch-up, everyone wins kind of happy ending.
3.5 stars.
March 31, 2017
What can I say? I love young adult and high school drama stories. Maybe I'm young at heart.
October 9, 2016
Secret Heart is a light, sweet, f/f high school contemporary. Avery is an out-and-proud lesbian in an all-girl lesbian band called Detonate the Gazelle. She's always had a bit of a crush on classmate Madison, even though she knows it's a bad idea to pine after straight girls. When Madison goes to the GSA that Avery got roped into hosting with her best friend Scott, the two get to know eachother a bit better, and sparks begin to fly (like the Taylor Swift song that Avery probably secretly loves!) Meanwhile, Avery is also trying to decide what she wants to do after high school; move with her band to Austin, or stay in town so she can still be with her mom and Scott?
Avery is a memorable character, I loved her humor and snark. She felt like a person I would like to know. I could really feel her frustration with her between Madison's hesitance about them and their relationship, and her anxiety about deciding whether or not moving with her band mates after high school was the right way to go. Scott was also a great character, and the two of them were a fun, hilarious duo! I chuckled out loud at least a few times at their banter and sass.
Madison was a bit harder to decipher as a character. We learn she's a very kind and thoughtful person, always looking out for other people's best interests, that she plays soccer, and wants to continue the family legacy of winning Prom Queen. She was nice, but didn't seem quite as fleshed out as Avery and Scott. I would have liked to get to know her more and understand who she was, more about her family, her past relationships, her thoughts and feelings. She never really explained what it was about Avery that drew her to her the way Avery could describe all of Madison's qualities that she adored. I would like to see more of what's on her mind.
The pacing of this book is very fast. The book seems to span between December and June of Avery's senior year, but I can't really be sure where it begins and ends. This was a bit confusing at times, with maybe two or three chapters in a row happening at one point in time, then leaping to a week or two, maybe a month later. I would've liked to see more of Avery and Madison's relationship between the two of them; they were certainly cute and sweet, but I was left wondering what it really was that drew them together and made them like eachother, or what they did together alone. We read that they share some steamy makeout sessions (and props for including a f/f handjob scene, as girl/woman sexual needs is still something that YA is learning to be open about) but what else? What did they talk and joke about, or do before and after those things? I would've liked to see more of their secret relationship.
Overall, Secret Heart is a cute, light, story that I would recommend if you like contemporaries about any of the following topics: LGBT, rocker girls, high school drama, proms! I can promise you will love Avery and her attitude.
March 13, 2018
Amazing!
I really enjoyed this story and I really enjoyed how if I ever go through with my dream of writing at least one novel, I want to create something like this. This is phenomenal! I’d give it 6 stars I love it so much!
I really enjoyed this story and I really enjoyed how if I ever go through with my dream of writing at least one novel, I want to create something like this. This is phenomenal! I’d give it 6 stars I love it so much!
December 3, 2018
Great dialogue made this YA novel entertaining and totally believable. Including a soundtrack for the book is a great hook.
February 28, 2021
Not a classic for the ages but a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The final quarter of the book is a wild ride and I for one would love to see a sequel.
October 21, 2016
Always love when one of my friends get a book published. LGBTQ romance. Well done but possibly a little graphic for some school libraries. (I would buy it but I'm one who would push the limits.)
December 6, 2016
I loved it! Avery is one of the most badass heroines that I've met in a long time.
January 30, 2017
I really enjoyed this one, largely in part due to the vibrancy of the characters. Avery and Scott in particular brought a lot of life to this one, and their interactions were, to me, the driving force of the book. I also quite enjoyed the band mates and the various members of Tiger Pride.
What didn't work for me entirely was the way the book ended. I'll cover that, but it will be with spoiler tags.
It was a relatively quick read. Given the stress of the real world at the moment, that was appreciated, and a nice way to get my mind off of things. Avery was a fun protagonist to follow. She's flawed, absolutely, but it's done in a realistic way. No one is perfect, and everyone has their blind spots.
Scott was also fun, and I enjoyed his friendship with Avery and interactions with people in general.
I liked Madison as a character as well, more in the beginning than in the end, but she was well written and I bought into the struggle of her character trying to rectify how she felt with how she thought the world should be.
Avery's uncertainty about what to do with her future was also handled very well. That's a daunting topic for anyone about to enter into 'adult life' for the first time, and of course it's going to interfere with a lot of what you do, and plans you make begin to seem uncertain and unrealistic, or even scary.
All in all, it's worth the read. The use of music, and Avery's point of view, was well handled. There were a few references and name drops I didn't totally get, since I'm not huge into music, but it was never to the point where I felt like I was lost or needed to look something up to keep reading.
As far as what I have a problem with, I'll hide it with spoilers, since it concerns the ending.
It wasn't enough to ruin the book for me by any means, and I would still recommend it, especially if you're a fan of music.
What didn't work for me entirely was the way the book ended. I'll cover that, but it will be with spoiler tags.
It was a relatively quick read. Given the stress of the real world at the moment, that was appreciated, and a nice way to get my mind off of things. Avery was a fun protagonist to follow. She's flawed, absolutely, but it's done in a realistic way. No one is perfect, and everyone has their blind spots.
Scott was also fun, and I enjoyed his friendship with Avery and interactions with people in general.
I liked Madison as a character as well, more in the beginning than in the end, but she was well written and I bought into the struggle of her character trying to rectify how she felt with how she thought the world should be.
Avery's uncertainty about what to do with her future was also handled very well. That's a daunting topic for anyone about to enter into 'adult life' for the first time, and of course it's going to interfere with a lot of what you do, and plans you make begin to seem uncertain and unrealistic, or even scary.
All in all, it's worth the read. The use of music, and Avery's point of view, was well handled. There were a few references and name drops I didn't totally get, since I'm not huge into music, but it was never to the point where I felt like I was lost or needed to look something up to keep reading.
As far as what I have a problem with, I'll hide it with spoilers, since it concerns the ending.
It wasn't enough to ruin the book for me by any means, and I would still recommend it, especially if you're a fan of music.
February 25, 2017
I think every wlw has had the situation where they crush on a straight girl, but I'm not sure that every wlw has had it work out nearly as well as it did for Avery. Or really pursued it like she did. There were moments that made me cock my head in confusion and annoyance and moments that made me ache in jealousy because I wish I could have handled my high school bullying as well as Avery. Scott made me miss my childhood best friend, who I'm pretty sure inspired the character (Im kidding), and reminded me of the hijinks with him. All in all, I really wish I was Avery.
October 13, 2016
A very well done story!
This thought provoking story was very well done. The plight that every LGBTQ youth goes through in their lives from coming out to bullying, to being ostracized, to young love and that struggle was personified very well in the characters represented by Avery, Madison, and Scott. The supporting cast of characters were equally well done. Overall, a job well done for a first novel!
This thought provoking story was very well done. The plight that every LGBTQ youth goes through in their lives from coming out to bullying, to being ostracized, to young love and that struggle was personified very well in the characters represented by Avery, Madison, and Scott. The supporting cast of characters were equally well done. Overall, a job well done for a first novel!
December 31, 2016
I liked this a lot, mainly due to really strong characterisation. Avery - punk-rock guitarist/songwriter and proudly-out lesbian is a fantastic main character, and there's great chemistry between her and love interest Madison, the popular (but presumed straight) girl she falls for. These two & Avery's hilarious best friend Scott make this a strong rec from me despite it being a fairly predictable read. Would love to read more from Danielle!
January 28, 2017
Typical high school drama with the out-and-proud girl crushing on the supposedly straight girl. Including the secret relationship and the ups and downs of it.
April 20, 2017
A fun quick good read, with the music, a bit of a modern take on 80's teen movies
Read
June 10, 2017DNF. Hoping to not have to go back to argue against it at committee. Typos, main character who is nasty and ageist. No thanks.
Read
June 27, 2017Having won this book & refusing to read blurbs about a book, left me absolutely, completely, unprepared for the emotional roller coaster I was about to be taken on, with this beautifully written story of a teenage lesbian.
HO-LY COW. This became a 1-Day read because this book is flat-out fantastic. Full of teenage angst & heart break, with all of the happy toppings, along the way. A few, easy-to-overlook, grammatical errors along the way, but being a SELF-PUBLISHED book, you'll have that and you'll love it just the same.
No spoilers, of course, but I will say the friendship between Avery & Scott is what lifetime friendships are made of & I don't think Danielle Dreger could have captured that any better than what she did Absolutely LOVED it. 10/10
HO-LY COW. This became a 1-Day read because this book is flat-out fantastic. Full of teenage angst & heart break, with all of the happy toppings, along the way. A few, easy-to-overlook, grammatical errors along the way, but being a SELF-PUBLISHED book, you'll have that and you'll love it just the same.
No spoilers, of course, but I will say the friendship between Avery & Scott is what lifetime friendships are made of & I don't think Danielle Dreger could have captured that any better than what she did Absolutely LOVED it. 10/10
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews