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I Have No Secrets

Penny Joelson (Goodreads Author)

3.94 · Rating details · 1,718 ratings · 340 reviews

Jemma knows who the murderer is. She knows because he told her.

He thought his secret was safe because Jemma can't speak or move.

But Jemma observes all kinds of things about everyone around her. His secret is just one of them.

And when a new technology means she may be able to communicate and reveal all she knows, Jemma no longer feels powerless in the face of this deadly ...more

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Hardcover, 275 pages

Published November 5th 2019 by Sourcebooks Fire (first published May 2017)

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Average rating 3.94 ·

Rating details

· 1,718 ratings · 340 reviews

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Mar 09, 2017 Liz Barnsley rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This was a really terrific read that encompassed many things - but the best thing about it was Jemma who's character voice shone through the entirety of the story and kept you on her side from the very opening pages.

So she has cerebral palsy - she cannot communicate but has an active and intelligent brain, misses nothing going on around her and is also somewhat of a deep thinker. Living in a family of fostered children, all with their own issues, one day somebody tells her a secret. A murderer. ...more

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Jun 20, 2018 Alice (Married To Books) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2018

This book was recommended to me by one of my bookish friends Megan, so thanks so much for the reading rec because I was most definitely not disappointed with this standalone thriller! I Have No Secrets follows fourteen year old Jemma who has cerebral palsy and cannot communicate. We as a reader can hear what she is thinking but no words are spoken by her out loud. Down the road she lives on, a local guy has been murdered but the case remains unsolved. Until the murderer himself realises that ...more

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Apr 29, 2019 Christine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I loved, I Have No Secrets! I read this book aloud to my six year old daughter after reading a review strongly recommending it for children six and up if there was an adult to explain any questions that may arise. My daughter and I had so many great conversations while reading and the days since we finished. My daughter was so empathetic towards the main character and really put herself in Jemmas shoes thinking about how difficult it would be to not be able to communicate.

We were both ...more

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Feb 25, 2017 PinkAmy loves books, cats and naps rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of I HAVE NO SECRETS in exchange for my honest review**

GRADE: A

Jemma, confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak due to Cerebral Palsy, is used to listening. People tell her everything, even dark secrets, because they know she'll never know. Her carer's boyfriend even tells her he murdered someone. When he finds out she may be able to communicate through a new technology, she may not be safe.

I HAVE NO SECRETS is one of the most ...more

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Oct 05, 2018 James rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson (2017) is a contemporary thriller aimed squarely at the YA demographic. Secrets tells the story of Jemma, an intelligent young teenager, who has severe cerebral palsy, is quadriplegic, for the most part confined to her wheelchair and unable to communicate.

Jemma lives with her foster family parents, a brother who is severely autistic and a sister with significant behavioural issues and her carer Sarah. The key to Secrets essentially that Jemma is unable to ...more

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May 21, 2017 Bookread2day rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I Have No Secrets is a page turning debut thriller by Penny Joelson. The paperback is a must buy - must read. I appreciate Penny Joelson's writing with the quality of each character that really impressed me making me want to read on and know more about each one.

This remarkable tale is about fourteen year old Jemma who is disabled she has cerebral palsy and is confined to a wheelchair. Jemma is unable to move, speak or communicate in any way. Her foster family and carer do everything for her.

...more

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Dec 01, 2019 Caidyn (he/him/his) rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult-fiction, mystery-horror-thriller

CW: death, murder, kidnapping, ableism, foster system, cerebral palsy, and threats of assisted suicide/murder

When I started hearing about this book, I wasn't sure how it would be. A character with cerebral palsy who has information about a murder? But the illness is so severe that she can't communicate what she knows? Then more shit starts happening?

My main worry was that the disability wouldn't be handled well in the first place, but it really was. I loved how Joelson took the topic and has CW: death, murder, kidnapping, ableism, foster system, cerebral palsy, and threats of assisted suicide/murder

When I started hearing about this book, I wasn't sure how it would be. A character with cerebral palsy who has information about a murder? But the illness is so severe that she can't communicate what she knows? Then more shit starts happening?

My main worry was that the disability wouldn't be handled well in the first place, but it really was. I loved how Joelson took the topic and has been working with the disabled population. It was just wonderfully done the whole time, capturing so many perspectives in a way that kept everything very respectful.

Basically, Jemma is an adopted child of a family that also fosters kids. She has a carer, Sarah, who lives at the house and helps out with Jemma's needs. Jemma is completely dependent on everyone, but she is very loved and has a very complex internal world. She is a very intelligent woman who knows what she wants. And she doesn't want Sarah to be with her boyfriend, Dan. He's so abelist and cruel to Jemma that it hurt me to read. Just an absolutely horrible person.

Then he tells her that he's responsible for someone's murder. And now Jemma wants to get that information out there.

The description hints at her getting to use new technology to communicate, but that part comes much later. It's hinted at throughout the book that she's going to do this eventually but it doesn't actually happen for a long time. So I feel like the description gave way too much away compared to the actual pace of the story. Because the story is so much more than the murder. It felt kind of like a footnote at times as Jemma has so much going on. Drama with her foster siblings and her carer. Meeting her twin sister (not a spoiler because it's revealed she has a twin sister within a few chapters of the book).

The book was very good and I'm so glad I read it. Now to get my hands on her other book since it doesn't seem like they've been published in the US yet! ...more

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Aug 24, 2019 Katie Gallagher rated it really liked it

For more bookish stuff, check out my blog!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. A quick note that Im a bit confused about the publication date of this book. As far as I can tell it was originally published in 2017 and is being re-released. NetGalley says the new edition came out September 1st, while Goodreads says it comes out November 15th. So basically you can buy a copy of this book right now, but Im not For more bookish stuff, check out my blog!

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sending me a free advanced reader copy of this book for an honest review. A quick note that I’m a bit confused about the publication date of this book. As far as I can tell it was originally published in 2017 and is being re-released. NetGalley says the new edition came out September 1st, while Goodreads says it comes out November 15th. So basically you can buy a copy of this book right now, but I’m not exactly sure which edition you’ll receive. I also don’t know if the 2017 text differs in any way from the 2019 edition.

The premise of this book hooked me immediately: Jemma, a sixteen-year-old girl with severe cerebral palsy who cannot speak or move, learns the identity of a killer—from the killer himself. When her health aid goes missing, it’s up to Jemma to alert people to the culprit’s identity, despite the punishing limitations of her disability.

The language of this book is very simple and straightforward. If you are looking for a lyrical read, this is not it. However, there is a poignancy to this book; you cannot help but root for Jemma, who has little to no communication with any of her family members. Not only does she have a killer to wrangle with, but she is also a teenage girl dealing with a health condition that can cause those around her to treat her as if she is of less than a clear mind. It will be a long time before I forget the humiliating scene where her new carer treats Jemma like a toddler, rather than the clear-headed teenager that she is.

I also really enjoyed reading about Jemma’s family members. She has a unique family—Jemma’s two sibling are both foster children dealing with their own problems. I enjoyed the way her parents were written; her mom and dad are very supportive of Jemma, and they have their own personalities and flaws.

If the language of the book were a bit more lyrical, this likely would have been a five-star book. I found this book quite riveting, reading it in little more than a day. I knew next to nothing about cerebral palsy, and I think this quick thriller is a great way to gain some insight into the condition. ...more

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Mar 01, 2018 Chelsea Hazlehurst rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

As someone who lives Cerebral Plasy, it is lovely to read a book where the main character has the condition, though I'm not as severe as the character in the book I found it very relatable. The story itself is unique and different. The main character Jemma is absolutely brilliant I couldn't put it down it was a fantastic read.

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Jul 31, 2017 Josephine rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

Very surprising. I have never read a book like this one before, but it was totally brilliant. It is books like this that restore me out of my reading slump. Let's hope it keeps going on like this!

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Oct 13, 2019 Jypsy rated it really liked it

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own

I Have No Secrets
By: Penny Joelson

*REVIEW*
Imagine someone casually telling you they committed murder because they know you won't tell anyone else. This is Jemma's situation in I Have No Secrets. Jemma is 16 with severe cerebral palsy. Although at a normal intelligence level, she cannot move or speak. This makes her the perfect sounding board for any and all ...more

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Mar 20, 2017 Rachel rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ive been this way all my life. I can see, though, and I can hear, and sometimes people forget that; they dont realise that I have a functioning brain. Sometimes people talk about me as if Im not even there. I hate that.

This book was a great read and a real eye opener.

Jemma has severe cerebral palsy and as a result she cannot move, only involuntarily, and she cannot talk, but her mind is very much alive. This is a very important YA crime novel addressing disability and yet in no way focusing on “I’ve been this way all my life. I can see, though, and I can hear, and sometimes people forget that; they don’t realise that I have a functioning brain. Sometimes people talk about me as if I’m not even there. I hate that.”

This book was a great read and a real eye opener.

Jemma has severe cerebral palsy and as a result she cannot move, only involuntarily, and she cannot talk, but her mind is very much alive. This is a very important YA crime novel addressing disability and yet in no way focusing on the limitations.

I have been guilty of looking at people with disabilities such as Jemma's and thinking that they can't understand, they don't see and they don't think. It's horrible to think that I've thought this but I have. This book opened my eyes as to the fact that people like Jemma are not brain dead and that they can hear everything and see everything too. I can't believe I was so small minded before. This book teaches a vital lesson that just because you look one way on the outside doesn't mean you are incapable or not intelligent.

Jemma is a very intelligent girl and I really loved her character. Her family was easy to fall in love with as well. They all had wonderful personalities and it shone through in the authors words. At times it was so heartbreaking with what Jemma was going through and yet she could never just say, this novel really makes you think and also makes you realise how your lot in life really isn't that bad compared to what others have to go through.

There is also a scene in the novel that really struck me in which someone is treating our 14 year old protagonist as if she is a small child. Assuming that her disability makes her small minded and juvenile. This really upset me as through Jemma's words we can see how humiliated it made her feel and angry, yet she couldn't say anything to make it stop. This was so important to me. Also that sometimes people would talk to Jemma's Mum rather than directing the conversation straight to Jemma, talking around her as it were. The novel highlighted some important problems with how we treat those with disabilities and I definitely think this should be heard more. At times it was particularly heartbreaking feeling the frustration as Jemma couldn't communicate..

"She looks into my eyes for clues. I wish they could give her some. She feels my brow, inspects my arms, legs and chest for rashes. Then she get the ear thermometer and takes my temperature. Hopefully once she’s sussed I’m not ill, she’ll work out how unhappy I am."

"No one understands. When I’m worried and I just want reassurance I have no way of getting it. Then my worries just grow and grow. Mum and Dad assume it’s something physical because it so often is, but all I want is to be able to tell them how I feel…"

Jemma is a beautiful character who I really enjoyed coming to know and seeing her character arc evolve. I think this book was great, I have never read a book from this perspective before but it has opened my eyes.

If you are considering reading this, do it.

NetGalley provided me this book in turn for an honest review. ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Cassie Roth rated it it was amazing

I loved this so much. Considering how much I relate to Jemma with her Cerebral Palsy, I almost cried at certain parts in the book. Its amazing how much she grows throughout the story. The entire time I felt like I was right there with her. Amazing!!! ...more

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Jun 22, 2017 Evan Lien rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed, ya, crime, mystery, contemporary, uk

Jemma can't talk. She can't walk, move, sing, dance, or eat. She can't go to the bathroom by herself. But she can think. And she can see. And sometimes, people forget that. They do things they shouldn't do in front of her. It's no big deal. Who is she going to tell, anyway?

Jemma doesn't feel the need to communicate, either. She was taught to blink "yes" and "no" when she was little, but then she got an infection, and woke up unable to control her eye movements. She never told anyone that she was ...more

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Jul 24, 2019 Becky Boudreau rated it it was ok

Shelves: own-read, netgalley-arcs, physical-arcs, 2019-reads

Rating 2 stars.

This was a book I was hoping to love more than I did. I didn't find this one particularly thrilling or compelling. I almost DNFed this one multiple times and wasn't really hooked until over halfway through.

I think one of the detriments to this book is that everything was overexplained to an annoying degree. If this was a middle-grade book, I wouldn't mind it as much, but as a book for the older YA demographic this book just talked down to the reader.

Honestly, the synopsis was ...more

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Feb 01, 2020 Ellie Clayton rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, favorites, botm, read-in-2020, books-ive-read-and-own

5 stars!! I dont read many YA books, but this is definitely one of my favorites that Ive ever read. This is more of a character-driven suspense novel than plot-driven. While I usually prefer the latter, I found Jemmas character to be so compelling. I learned so much about what its like for those suffering from extreme disability, as well as what its like to be a foster child. Since Jemma could not speak, it was interesting to read all of her thoughts. She was such an incredible and inspiring ...more

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Mar 12, 2017 Karina rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, strong-female-characters, female-author, quietly-powerful, proof-copy, female-author-2017

Jemma is 14 and suffers from cerebral palsy; her family know she is smart, but she is completely unable to communicate with anyone. People often confide in her because they know she can never reveal their secrets; this becomes dangerous when Dan, her carer's boyfriend, taunts her with the knowledge of a violent crime he claims he has committed...

A gripping thriller and a sensitive, empathic look at life from a different perspective, this is a page-turner that makes you think.

Perfect for fans of ...more

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Jan 01, 2020 Virginia Rivers rated it it was amazing

This was such a fast paced read. I read it in one sitting. Jemma overcomes so much throughout this book. Watching her grow as a character touched my heart. Such a wonderful and thrilling journey.

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Nov 09, 2019 JANELLE || WHATSHESEEES rated it really liked it

This book was such a great book!!
I read it in one day and couldn't fly through it quickly enough.

I was first afraid to read this story because of its emotional impact on me, but it actually turned out to be a quite satisfying read justifying read for me.

It's a YA book and I think because of its genre it didn't go to its full potential. And what I mean by that is, that this book could have gone deeper. I wanted SO much more from the development of Jemma and Jodi's newfound sisterhood, all the way ...more

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Oct 07, 2019 Meera rated it liked it

I liked this book; however, the ending was a bit rushed. Wished there were mysteries to uncover, but I can see that it was meant to be character driven.

The last sentence killed me though; cringe!

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Feb 16, 2019 Bev rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I really enjoyed this. Jemma is a well-written character. I found myself getting frustrated with her. The mystery aspect was good but I actually found that I was more interested in reading about Jemma's everyday life with her carer and foster siblings. I really felt for Olivia ad I like to think that everything will work out for her, too.

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Jun 23, 2019 Connie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, ebooks, read-in-2019

A copy of this book was sent to me from the publisher via Netgalley, with thanks to both.

Title: I Have No Secrets
Series: N/A
Author: Penny Joelson
Overall Rating: 4 stars

This book was unexpected, I didn't know anything about this story or this author before going into it. I was pleasantly surprised. Having a main character that is non verbal is no easy feat for a story to still be told, and Jemma's cerebral palsy was presented in a really good way. The author didn't try to sugar coat ...more

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Dec 18, 2019 Allie rated it really liked it

I read this book all in one sitting and it has so many great qualities. I love the representation in this book of foster families and individuals with disabilities whose perspectives are rarely represented (let alone represented well) in books.

Jemmas perspective draws you in and feels authentic. She is smart and observant and has a strong inner voice, with family members who fiercely stand up for her and her intelligence when she is belittled or babied by others. She has cerebral palsy and its ...more

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Nov 09, 2019 Ashley Briggs rated it it was amazing

Everyone thinks Dan is a wonderful guy. Everyone that is, except Jemma. She knows the truth. Her family is blind to his true character, as well as her home aide and his girlfriend, Sarah. Wheelchair bound from cerebral palsy and unable to speak, Dan confides in her that he murdered someone and treats her poorly when no one is looking.
When Sarah goes missing, Jemma desperately wants to tell someone what she knows. Then a new technology presents itself, that may help her communicate, and help the ...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Cynthia marked it as abandoned-books

Adding this to my abandoned books shelf. I really do appreciate what the author tried to accomplish. The perspective is unique and intriguing. Unfortunately, after 94 pages, I cant seem to bring myself to pick this back up. Since I am under no obligation to finish it, its time to DNF it. ...more

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Nov 11, 2019 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: botm, young-adult, mystery-thriller

What I liked: I thought the author did a great job of creating a smart, interesting protagonist with a severe disability and really getting the reader inside her life, her body and her mind. I loved that the parents were so compassionate and yet real in their emotions regarding the difficulty of foster parenting three special needs children. I liked that children with disabilities were portrayed with so much dignity and actually, at the very center of the story, when so often they are relegated ...more

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Jul 20, 2018 Holly McKie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This was such a refreshingly different read, quite unlike anything I have ever read before most of which is down to the narrator. Jemma has severe cerebral palsy - she cant speak, move or do anything for herself. She lives with her foster parents, her two foster siblings, and her full-time carer, Sarah. It has so many ups and downs with her family life and people telling her secrets because they know she cant tell, and then Sarah goes missing and Jemma is the only one who knows what could have ...more

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Jul 27, 2018 Sue rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Brilliant book.

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Jul 17, 2018 Sarah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Haven't felt this emotional reading something in a very long time. The whole plot is truly brilliant and so eye opening, I was unable to stop reading.

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May 17, 2019 Helen added it · review of another edition

This is a very moving and inspirational book. Jemma unable to speak or control her body lives in a foster home. She gets stared at and made fun of by people she meets but she's not stupid and she can see and hear everything. People tell her all sorts of things because they know she can't say anything. Her carer, Sarah, has a horrible boyfriend but everyone seems to really like him. He charms everyone but when he's left alone with Jemma he shows his true colours. He tells her that he has murdered ...more

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