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Want to Know a Secret?
Everyone has secrets.
YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.
Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.
I’ll make sure of that.
YouTube baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies. Or how to make key lime squares that will melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.
Like where did her son go when he snuck out of the house? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what’s buried in her backyard?
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.
I’ll make sure of that.
397 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2021
26254 people are currently reading
130027 people want to read
About the author
Freida McFadden
61 books231k followers#1 New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher's Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple Kindle bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. She lives with her family and possessed cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.
Note that I am maxed out on friends, so I apologize in advance that I can't friend anyone back!
Note that I am maxed out on friends, so I apologize in advance that I can't friend anyone back!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 10,737 reviews
November 15, 2022
2.5 stars, and round up. This book had all the potential in the world! I was following the story closely and it really drew me in, until getting about 60% through the book. I hate books that are told from a person’s point of view and then BAM it’s all a lie! This means the person is essentially lying to themselves. It’s strange. Then the end of the book she says “oh you want to know the truth”? Huh?!?! You were lying to yourself the whole time and now want to tell yourself the truth? For instance the kiss was only a peck she says from her point of view. Then you find out later it was an entire affair. Not to mention, she herself began suspecting Maria killed the neighbor (even said is that how badly she wanted to live next door) only to find out she (April) killed the neighbor. Also… she kept mentioning Maria looked familiar but it never got to that part. It’s almost like the book meant to take a direction but didn’t.
To me the “twist” wasn’t even a real twist. There was no jaw drop, just head scratching. I agree with others that rated this 3 stars or less. The book had no likeable characters. It sucks because it had a “who done it” feel but it just didn’t deliver.
And I won’t even get to the epilogue. Let’s just say the cop said that whoever killed Brianna had to use a lot of force and couldn’t have been April. Well then it turns out to be a frail old lady doped up on psych meds. The epilogue was AWFUL.
To me the “twist” wasn’t even a real twist. There was no jaw drop, just head scratching. I agree with others that rated this 3 stars or less. The book had no likeable characters. It sucks because it had a “who done it” feel but it just didn’t deliver.
And I won’t even get to the epilogue. Let’s just say the cop said that whoever killed Brianna had to use a lot of force and couldn’t have been April. Well then it turns out to be a frail old lady doped up on psych meds. The epilogue was AWFUL.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2022
McFadden is the queen of suspense. She manages to keep you on your toes, grabbing your attention whether you want to or not. Her characters might sometimes be a bit more fleshed out, but with short psychological thrillers I don’t mind that you get right down to it. I didn’t like the final twist, it wasn’t necessary in my opinion and a bit far-fetched. But other than that I liked the twist and turns.
October 19, 2024
The first Freida book that I correctly predicted the end… This is a quick read and still super entertaining! I would still recommend it to some readers depending on who asks!
May 11, 2025
Sitting here, stuck on stupid, tryin' to figure out / When, what, and how I'ma let this come out of my mouth (Confessions Part II – Usher).
Hey, I have a secret too! Every time I watch a horror movie that’s less jump-scare dependent and instead laced with anticipatory tension, being more heavily focused on the doormat main characters remaining polite at all costs and every encounter with other people being an incredibly unpleasant affair, then I’m terrified for… hm, let’s just say about maybe half the run-time? If things don’t get a move on soon enough though, then my fear quickly turns to irritation which turns to anger. I mean, this isn’t me trying to put on some kind of tough guy, He-Man act, I think it's probably more like a self-defense mechanism or something. I’m just saying that I can’t stand it when a story’s main source of dramatic tension is forcing the reader to witness the main character being hit with a constant barrage of passive aggressiveness and snide remarks, only for said remarks to then be ignored by our heroes because they're soo~ooo good and pure. "Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it!" Okay well, I'm sure, so it's time to do something about it! Look, I’m already an anxious person, and just reading the synopsis for something like The Watcher is too much for me, so I definitely don’t need all that mess in the books I read too! Of course, that’s not to say that stories that are less reliant on supernatural monsters and creatures and place a heavier emphasis on the human drama can’t be done well, but if I had to choose, I'd bring out the ghouls and Nostferatu’s bald ass any day. Because damn, if you want to read a book about people being bad to each other, subscribing to the “Hate thy neighbor” mantra, only to then pretend like everyone's still all happy and cheery afterwards, then Want to Know a Secret? is the book for you! Look, it's selfish, but I think the main reason why I find stories with timid and overly polite characters so frustrating is because I always have a hard time imagining myself in their shoes; just constantly taking every lick, dealing with all the little snippy remarks in stride, and then continuing to help out wherever they can!? Nah, couldn’t be me. Again, this isn’t a “tough guy” thing for me, as my main solution to any highly tense situation is to just evacuate the dancefloor ("Hey, Mr. DJ, let the music take me underground"). I just think that most of the problems in this book could have been solved if everyone just left, and reading this book seriously made me feel like I was in the "Am I the asshole?" subreddit, where every time there's a post of someone asking for advice on whether or not they should leave their shitty partner, it's always like, YES, leave! It's time to go ghost! And were I stuck in April's situation, then I’d at least start squaring up with people. Like hey, it's time to stop baking and start fighting. But pushing aside my own personal frustrations for a second, I will say that that if nothing else, Want to Know a Secret? sure as hell was an entertaining ride! Sorry, that sounded hella fake after all that complaining, but it’s not like I hate these kinds of “pile on” stories on principle, as I do think they can be done extremely well (Midsommar comes to mind, but then again I’ve literally just watched it for the first time yesterday), just as long as the story foregoes the silly heightened story beats that thrillers often fall into and instead focuses on telling a more complete and narratively sound story. That's not too much to ask, is it?
I guess if I had to compare Want to Know a Secret? to anything else, then it’d have to be Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Mostly due to the similar nature in which both stories force the reader in the helpless position of watching a seemingly upstanding person’s life implode around them. The only respite from the break-neck pace being that even though things keep getting worse, we start understanding that maybe there’s a darker side to our heroes after all. Dun dun dunnn! Naturally, Nick from Gone Girl is wack because he's cheating on his wife, and April from this book is a YouTuber, so soullessness is a given. But I’m afraid that’s where the similarities end, because without Flynn’s penchant for dry humor and a starker emphasis on feminist themes, unfortunately Want to Know a Secret? settles for spectacle over substance and failed to explore anything deeper than whatever you could find in any other thriller novel of its kind. Oh, and here’s another secret for you: I hate Black Mirror. With a passion, even. Hold up, I feel my hipster senses tingling, because I hated the show when it was popular, and guess what? I hate it now that the general consensus is that it fell off. It's funny because sometimes I have such am ironclad grip on my unpopular opinions for so long that they actually circle back around to becoming popular opinions over time. Look at me, being trendy! And not to pile on like I wrote Want to Know a Secret?, but I'm of the mind that every twist in that show is made in bad faith and is more interested in tricking the audience so that Charlie Brooker can laugh at us like Nelson from The Simpsons rather than writing a story that holds up on its own without gimmicky twists. “Ha ha! It turns out the main character you’ve been rooting for is the most awful person you could think of, ha ha, don’t you feel stupid now!” No, Black Mirror, I don't. Anyway, if you’re wondering what any of this has to do with this book, well, I don’t think I'm being too much of a spoilsport in saying that Want to Know a Secret? is structured in the exact same way as a Black Mirror episode. The only difference here is that this book lacks a corporate mandated depressing Black Mirror ending, which is a good thing, to a point. The only problem is that it instead lands firmly on the opposite side of the pendulum swing; an overly optimistic ending that gets too hung up on what's right and what's wrong with characters we’re not given enough time to know. Sorry, but this book is hardly Psycho (1960), where the narrative switch not only subverts classic story conventions, but also contributes to and makes for a more complete and satisfying story in hindsight. Looking back Want to Know a Secret? only left me thinking: "Okay? So what!?" I suppose the comparison I'm making here in and of itself is a bit of a spoiler, but considering the title, I don't think anybody should be surprised that things are not all that they seem within the story. Besides, I've already made this joke a couple sentences ago, but I do think that just the fact that April is a YouTuber is a clear enough indicator that her nice bubbly act is... well, an act. Lies come naturally to the Youtuber's forked tongue. In all seriousness though, I thought that her career as an influencer was an aspect of the story that remained thoroughly unexplored, as the false nature that Tubers put on in front of the camera could have easily informed April's character without any need for exposition or jaw-dropping twists.
“Men cheated. That was just what they did. I would make him grovel, but ultimately, I would forgive him.”
I will admit that the book makes a valiant enough effort in showcasing how even a simple switch in perspective can make for a surprisingly effective turn of events without betraying the reader’s trust, but in that regard, this story's twist still ended up feeling like a course correction more than anything. You know, “actually, everyone you thought were bad were actually the good guys all along” and all that. Sadly, as a result, all the intended “Ah ha!” moments became "Well, duh!" moments instead. Oh, and spoilers for Gone Girl, but what made the narration swap over there work so well was because the only time we learn anything about Amy, it’s all second source info. The beautiful wife, the perfect friend, the friendly neighbor, these are all things that are said about Amy, so when the perspective shifts to her and we learn what’s really going on in her brain, it not only works as delicious twist, but it also makes us retrace our own steps and reevaluate everything that’s been told to us so far. Wife, friend, neighbor; were these roles Amy willingly participated in? Or did societal expectations have a lot to do with the choices she made and informed who she ended up becoming in life. I mean, there's a lot of other shit going on with her, like her being evil for one, but even when proving that there aren’t any real justifications for her actions, examining her place in the story from a feminist lens is never rendered incorrect. Right words, wrong person saying them. Cool! With this book, the difference is that because it starts out with a character who already has all the knowledge surrounding the big reveal in their pocket, there’s no real in-universe justification as to why they wouldn’t just divulge this information to us from the start. Like, the narration is literally their thoughts, so why would they keep all this a secret in their own head? And sure, maybe it’s a denial thing, but after the big twist, they then just start villain monologuing all the important information like they suddenly knew we were arriving at the end of the novel. Not cool! There’s a pretty good chance that I would have seen this book in a more favorable light had it not been so self-serious with its presentation. I think thriller novels always get too wild for their own good, what with the fact that they always focus on escalating events and surprising the audience above all else. But because of this, instead of contemplative Twilight Zone-esque endings, I always tend to walk away thinking “Well, that was kind of dumb” to myself. Really though, I wasn't expecting something too deep here, but if this book had a little fun with its premise, then we could have at least had something like a Ready or Not on our hands. You know, a silly yet fun story that still manages some semblance of poignancy for us to discuss at the Socratic Seminar. I mean, the subject matter is about things that should definitely be taken seriously (some parts, at least), but if it had taken on a dry sense of humor about it all, then I think a lot of the annoying interactions peppered throughout the story could have gone down a bit easier. The cringe scenes could then have been labeled as… cringe comedy.
Not to get too off-topic (when has that ever stopped me before), but there’s this scene in season 2 of The Last of Us where Ellie sings “Take On Me” by a-ha to her girlfriend, and while it's a really nice moment, I also thought the scene was kind of pretentious due to the fact that she was singing a “dark and gritty” acoustic version of the song. The Last of Us already started as a video game that hated the fact that it was a video game, so it's kind of interesting to watch as the show gets to take that sentiment even further, with everything all somber and understated. I’m just saying, don’t bother singing “Take On Me” if you’re not even going to try singing the “aaaaaa~aaaaaah bit! Off of that, I figured since I'm already in the mode, I’ll do something real crazy here and take off my normal glasses and switch them for my pair with queer lenses in them. Give me a second… okay, there, now I'm seeing the world in Terminator vision. Anyway, I'll be looking at this book from a queer perspective now… which is basically the same as usual, but now it’s gay... -er! I’d say that whether intentional or not, the story does stumble onto a few interesting discussions around the toxic gender roles embedded in "traditional" marriages. The main school of thought pushed by Want to Know a Secret?'s overtly heteronormative narrative boils down to this: women will give up everything to go along with what society deems "the correct path," and also men always cheat. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a perfectly fine theme to center a story around, but I just wanted to point out that while it’s interesting to be shown a more typical, Revolutionary Road type hateful relationship through April and Julie’s respective marriages to their shitty husbands, I’d also like to look at Sean and Maria's “the good couple who loves each other” dynamic. I’d argue that through them, this book allows us a glimpse into the false nature of the “I love my wife” narrative that a lot of men subscribe to. You know, those guys who'll tell anyone that’ll listen that their love of their wife is transcendent and unending, without realizing that what they're really doing is using their significant other as a prop to their “good guy” routine. Not to name names, but to name names, a few names come to mind, John Mulaney, Chance the Rapper, and the Jonas Brothers! “ I'm a sucker for you. Say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly!” Wholesome? Yeah, I don't know about that one. It turns out that using your adoration for your partner as a marketing ploy to try to trick people into believing you’re some kind of shining beacon of light is just... fake as hell. Anyway, no matter how much the narrative wanted me to think that Sean was "one of the good ones," he just reminded me of one of those "I love my wife" guys. Here's my thesis statement: Want to Know A Secret? works as an in-depth exploration around the idea that hiding growing resentment under a thin veneer of heteronormative bliss can only ever lead to tragedy. ...Okay, I changed my glasses back. This book was okay. But there's really no secret there.
Now, this gon' be the hardest thing I think I ever had to do / Got me talking to myself, asking how I'm gon' tell you.
Hey, I have a secret too! Every time I watch a horror movie that’s less jump-scare dependent and instead laced with anticipatory tension, being more heavily focused on the doormat main characters remaining polite at all costs and every encounter with other people being an incredibly unpleasant affair, then I’m terrified for… hm, let’s just say about maybe half the run-time? If things don’t get a move on soon enough though, then my fear quickly turns to irritation which turns to anger. I mean, this isn’t me trying to put on some kind of tough guy, He-Man act, I think it's probably more like a self-defense mechanism or something. I’m just saying that I can’t stand it when a story’s main source of dramatic tension is forcing the reader to witness the main character being hit with a constant barrage of passive aggressiveness and snide remarks, only for said remarks to then be ignored by our heroes because they're soo~ooo good and pure. "Oh, I'm sure they didn't mean anything by it!" Okay well, I'm sure, so it's time to do something about it! Look, I’m already an anxious person, and just reading the synopsis for something like The Watcher is too much for me, so I definitely don’t need all that mess in the books I read too! Of course, that’s not to say that stories that are less reliant on supernatural monsters and creatures and place a heavier emphasis on the human drama can’t be done well, but if I had to choose, I'd bring out the ghouls and Nostferatu’s bald ass any day. Because damn, if you want to read a book about people being bad to each other, subscribing to the “Hate thy neighbor” mantra, only to then pretend like everyone's still all happy and cheery afterwards, then Want to Know a Secret? is the book for you! Look, it's selfish, but I think the main reason why I find stories with timid and overly polite characters so frustrating is because I always have a hard time imagining myself in their shoes; just constantly taking every lick, dealing with all the little snippy remarks in stride, and then continuing to help out wherever they can!? Nah, couldn’t be me. Again, this isn’t a “tough guy” thing for me, as my main solution to any highly tense situation is to just evacuate the dancefloor ("Hey, Mr. DJ, let the music take me underground"). I just think that most of the problems in this book could have been solved if everyone just left, and reading this book seriously made me feel like I was in the "Am I the asshole?" subreddit, where every time there's a post of someone asking for advice on whether or not they should leave their shitty partner, it's always like, YES, leave! It's time to go ghost! And were I stuck in April's situation, then I’d at least start squaring up with people. Like hey, it's time to stop baking and start fighting. But pushing aside my own personal frustrations for a second, I will say that that if nothing else, Want to Know a Secret? sure as hell was an entertaining ride! Sorry, that sounded hella fake after all that complaining, but it’s not like I hate these kinds of “pile on” stories on principle, as I do think they can be done extremely well (Midsommar comes to mind, but then again I’ve literally just watched it for the first time yesterday), just as long as the story foregoes the silly heightened story beats that thrillers often fall into and instead focuses on telling a more complete and narratively sound story. That's not too much to ask, is it?
I guess if I had to compare Want to Know a Secret? to anything else, then it’d have to be Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Mostly due to the similar nature in which both stories force the reader in the helpless position of watching a seemingly upstanding person’s life implode around them. The only respite from the break-neck pace being that even though things keep getting worse, we start understanding that maybe there’s a darker side to our heroes after all. Dun dun dunnn! Naturally, Nick from Gone Girl is wack because he's cheating on his wife, and April from this book is a YouTuber, so soullessness is a given. But I’m afraid that’s where the similarities end, because without Flynn’s penchant for dry humor and a starker emphasis on feminist themes, unfortunately Want to Know a Secret? settles for spectacle over substance and failed to explore anything deeper than whatever you could find in any other thriller novel of its kind. Oh, and here’s another secret for you: I hate Black Mirror. With a passion, even. Hold up, I feel my hipster senses tingling, because I hated the show when it was popular, and guess what? I hate it now that the general consensus is that it fell off. It's funny because sometimes I have such am ironclad grip on my unpopular opinions for so long that they actually circle back around to becoming popular opinions over time. Look at me, being trendy! And not to pile on like I wrote Want to Know a Secret?, but I'm of the mind that every twist in that show is made in bad faith and is more interested in tricking the audience so that Charlie Brooker can laugh at us like Nelson from The Simpsons rather than writing a story that holds up on its own without gimmicky twists. “Ha ha! It turns out the main character you’ve been rooting for is the most awful person you could think of, ha ha, don’t you feel stupid now!” No, Black Mirror, I don't. Anyway, if you’re wondering what any of this has to do with this book, well, I don’t think I'm being too much of a spoilsport in saying that Want to Know a Secret? is structured in the exact same way as a Black Mirror episode. The only difference here is that this book lacks a corporate mandated depressing Black Mirror ending, which is a good thing, to a point. The only problem is that it instead lands firmly on the opposite side of the pendulum swing; an overly optimistic ending that gets too hung up on what's right and what's wrong with characters we’re not given enough time to know. Sorry, but this book is hardly Psycho (1960), where the narrative switch not only subverts classic story conventions, but also contributes to and makes for a more complete and satisfying story in hindsight. Looking back Want to Know a Secret? only left me thinking: "Okay? So what!?" I suppose the comparison I'm making here in and of itself is a bit of a spoiler, but considering the title, I don't think anybody should be surprised that things are not all that they seem within the story. Besides, I've already made this joke a couple sentences ago, but I do think that just the fact that April is a YouTuber is a clear enough indicator that her nice bubbly act is... well, an act. Lies come naturally to the Youtuber's forked tongue. In all seriousness though, I thought that her career as an influencer was an aspect of the story that remained thoroughly unexplored, as the false nature that Tubers put on in front of the camera could have easily informed April's character without any need for exposition or jaw-dropping twists.
“Men cheated. That was just what they did. I would make him grovel, but ultimately, I would forgive him.”
I will admit that the book makes a valiant enough effort in showcasing how even a simple switch in perspective can make for a surprisingly effective turn of events without betraying the reader’s trust, but in that regard, this story's twist still ended up feeling like a course correction more than anything. You know, “actually, everyone you thought were bad were actually the good guys all along” and all that. Sadly, as a result, all the intended “Ah ha!” moments became "Well, duh!" moments instead. Oh, and spoilers for Gone Girl, but what made the narration swap over there work so well was because the only time we learn anything about Amy, it’s all second source info. The beautiful wife, the perfect friend, the friendly neighbor, these are all things that are said about Amy, so when the perspective shifts to her and we learn what’s really going on in her brain, it not only works as delicious twist, but it also makes us retrace our own steps and reevaluate everything that’s been told to us so far. Wife, friend, neighbor; were these roles Amy willingly participated in? Or did societal expectations have a lot to do with the choices she made and informed who she ended up becoming in life. I mean, there's a lot of other shit going on with her, like her being evil for one, but even when proving that there aren’t any real justifications for her actions, examining her place in the story from a feminist lens is never rendered incorrect. Right words, wrong person saying them. Cool! With this book, the difference is that because it starts out with a character who already has all the knowledge surrounding the big reveal in their pocket, there’s no real in-universe justification as to why they wouldn’t just divulge this information to us from the start. Like, the narration is literally their thoughts, so why would they keep all this a secret in their own head? And sure, maybe it’s a denial thing, but after the big twist, they then just start villain monologuing all the important information like they suddenly knew we were arriving at the end of the novel. Not cool! There’s a pretty good chance that I would have seen this book in a more favorable light had it not been so self-serious with its presentation. I think thriller novels always get too wild for their own good, what with the fact that they always focus on escalating events and surprising the audience above all else. But because of this, instead of contemplative Twilight Zone-esque endings, I always tend to walk away thinking “Well, that was kind of dumb” to myself. Really though, I wasn't expecting something too deep here, but if this book had a little fun with its premise, then we could have at least had something like a Ready or Not on our hands. You know, a silly yet fun story that still manages some semblance of poignancy for us to discuss at the Socratic Seminar. I mean, the subject matter is about things that should definitely be taken seriously (some parts, at least), but if it had taken on a dry sense of humor about it all, then I think a lot of the annoying interactions peppered throughout the story could have gone down a bit easier. The cringe scenes could then have been labeled as… cringe comedy.
Not to get too off-topic (when has that ever stopped me before), but there’s this scene in season 2 of The Last of Us where Ellie sings “Take On Me” by a-ha to her girlfriend, and while it's a really nice moment, I also thought the scene was kind of pretentious due to the fact that she was singing a “dark and gritty” acoustic version of the song. The Last of Us already started as a video game that hated the fact that it was a video game, so it's kind of interesting to watch as the show gets to take that sentiment even further, with everything all somber and understated. I’m just saying, don’t bother singing “Take On Me” if you’re not even going to try singing the “aaaaaa~aaaaaah bit! Off of that, I figured since I'm already in the mode, I’ll do something real crazy here and take off my normal glasses and switch them for my pair with queer lenses in them. Give me a second… okay, there, now I'm seeing the world in Terminator vision. Anyway, I'll be looking at this book from a queer perspective now… which is basically the same as usual, but now it’s gay... -er! I’d say that whether intentional or not, the story does stumble onto a few interesting discussions around the toxic gender roles embedded in "traditional" marriages. The main school of thought pushed by Want to Know a Secret?'s overtly heteronormative narrative boils down to this: women will give up everything to go along with what society deems "the correct path," and also men always cheat. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a perfectly fine theme to center a story around, but I just wanted to point out that while it’s interesting to be shown a more typical, Revolutionary Road type hateful relationship through April and Julie’s respective marriages to their shitty husbands, I’d also like to look at Sean and Maria's “the good couple who loves each other” dynamic. I’d argue that through them, this book allows us a glimpse into the false nature of the “I love my wife” narrative that a lot of men subscribe to. You know, those guys who'll tell anyone that’ll listen that their love of their wife is transcendent and unending, without realizing that what they're really doing is using their significant other as a prop to their “good guy” routine. Not to name names, but to name names, a few names come to mind, John Mulaney, Chance the Rapper, and the Jonas Brothers! “ I'm a sucker for you. Say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly!” Wholesome? Yeah, I don't know about that one. It turns out that using your adoration for your partner as a marketing ploy to try to trick people into believing you’re some kind of shining beacon of light is just... fake as hell. Anyway, no matter how much the narrative wanted me to think that Sean was "one of the good ones," he just reminded me of one of those "I love my wife" guys. Here's my thesis statement: Want to Know A Secret? works as an in-depth exploration around the idea that hiding growing resentment under a thin veneer of heteronormative bliss can only ever lead to tragedy. ...Okay, I changed my glasses back. This book was okay. But there's really no secret there.
Now, this gon' be the hardest thing I think I ever had to do / Got me talking to myself, asking how I'm gon' tell you.
July 16, 2023
the story was interesting and fun but the ending angered me. it felt like a quick way to try to make a twist w no explanation at all. 😀 and the epilogue??? goodbye.
September 29, 2022
WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? is a psychological thriller by bestselling author Freida McFadden.
This is the seventh book I have read from this author, and having loved her novels, I was eager to start reading Want To Know A Secret? As an avid reader of psychological thrillers, I can only say, treat yourself and read all of her books! Her books are so good!
Her Standalone Books Include:
Baby City (2015)
The Surrogate Mother (2018) (Read)
The Ex (2019) (Read)
The Perfect Son (2019) (Read)
The Wife Upstairs (2020) (Read)
One By One (2020) (Read)
Want to Know a Secret? (2021) (Read)
The Locked Door (2021)
Do Not Disturb (2021)
Do You Remember? (2022)
The Housemaid (2022) (Read)
The Inmate (2022)
Never Lie (2022)
This is my review of Want to Know a Secret?
April Masterson lives in a rich neighborhood with her husband, Elliot, and seven-year-old son, Bobby. The neighbors are all snobby, out to impress, typical wealthy housewives, until Maria and her family move in next door and change the dynamics.
April Masterson is a YouTube baking star of YouTube's 'April's Sweet Secrets' but has secrets she needs to keep hidden…secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.
But where does Maria fit into their world. The beginning is a little slow, but halfway through, the suspense level rise drastically and the story takes off. The ending shocked me and had me on the edge of my seat.
Another great read!
This is the seventh book I have read from this author, and having loved her novels, I was eager to start reading Want To Know A Secret? As an avid reader of psychological thrillers, I can only say, treat yourself and read all of her books! Her books are so good!
Her Standalone Books Include:
Baby City (2015)
The Surrogate Mother (2018) (Read)
The Ex (2019) (Read)
The Perfect Son (2019) (Read)
The Wife Upstairs (2020) (Read)
One By One (2020) (Read)
Want to Know a Secret? (2021) (Read)
The Locked Door (2021)
Do Not Disturb (2021)
Do You Remember? (2022)
The Housemaid (2022) (Read)
The Inmate (2022)
Never Lie (2022)
This is my review of Want to Know a Secret?
April Masterson lives in a rich neighborhood with her husband, Elliot, and seven-year-old son, Bobby. The neighbors are all snobby, out to impress, typical wealthy housewives, until Maria and her family move in next door and change the dynamics.
April Masterson is a YouTube baking star of YouTube's 'April's Sweet Secrets' but has secrets she needs to keep hidden…secrets she’d rather you didn’t know.
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. April’s secrets are enough to destroy her.
But where does Maria fit into their world. The beginning is a little slow, but halfway through, the suspense level rise drastically and the story takes off. The ending shocked me and had me on the edge of my seat.
Another great read!
January 22, 2022
Audio - overall - 3.25 Stars
Narrator - 4 Stars
Quality - 2.5 Stars. Seriously, get a soundproof booth.
Story - 4 Stars
Narrator - 4 Stars
Quality - 2.5 Stars. Seriously, get a soundproof booth.
Story - 4 Stars
September 22, 2022
I mean, it’s ridiculous. But it’s entertaining.
March 5, 2025
I got through half of this book and literally wanted to throw it against the wall! Wtf is up with these reviews?
The POV in the book is a YouTube sensation baking star who is a married mother of one son, Bobby. She lives for baking and throughout the book continues to try to shove baked goods down your throat to make you like her. When you don’t give her the attention she feels she deserves she cries and can’t figure out that everyone in her life doesn’t even want her around including her husband. Inside she’s an insecure little girl who keeps going back to people promising this or that just to like her and it’s nauseating. The way she begs her husband’s employees to let her talk to her husband is a whole other level.
From the start of the book she starts to get these omnibus text messages that are slightly threatening but in April fashion of rainbows and unicorns she blows them off. She even gets a rock thrown through her window and does NOTHING. Next, a text comes and says if she mentions the text she’ll release the secret that is SO terrible. The “Want to Know A Secret” part is so juvenile too I just can’t deal with reading another word. She shared a kiss with the soccer coach and not to mention whomever is sending her these text messages JUST HAPPENED TO BE THERE TO TAKE A PICTURE?! Yeah, RIGHT.
Omg, if anyone can get though more than 50% then my hats off to you.
EDIT:
Now that I forced myself to finish I’m even more baffled at how this book has the reviews it does. April turning out to be a psycho who murders people and somehow is able to put her mentally sound mother in a home for dementia was a surprise but not a good one considering the reality of it being absolutely insanity and could most likely never happen.
Then a supposed dementia patient (her mother) just happens to escape the nursing home and kills and innocent woman thinking it’s her daughter? Come on.
The POV in the book is a YouTube sensation baking star who is a married mother of one son, Bobby. She lives for baking and throughout the book continues to try to shove baked goods down your throat to make you like her. When you don’t give her the attention she feels she deserves she cries and can’t figure out that everyone in her life doesn’t even want her around including her husband. Inside she’s an insecure little girl who keeps going back to people promising this or that just to like her and it’s nauseating. The way she begs her husband’s employees to let her talk to her husband is a whole other level.
From the start of the book she starts to get these omnibus text messages that are slightly threatening but in April fashion of rainbows and unicorns she blows them off. She even gets a rock thrown through her window and does NOTHING. Next, a text comes and says if she mentions the text she’ll release the secret that is SO terrible. The “Want to Know A Secret” part is so juvenile too I just can’t deal with reading another word. She shared a kiss with the soccer coach and not to mention whomever is sending her these text messages JUST HAPPENED TO BE THERE TO TAKE A PICTURE?! Yeah, RIGHT.
Omg, if anyone can get though more than 50% then my hats off to you.
EDIT:
Now that I forced myself to finish I’m even more baffled at how this book has the reviews it does. April turning out to be a psycho who murders people and somehow is able to put her mentally sound mother in a home for dementia was a surprise but not a good one considering the reality of it being absolutely insanity and could most likely never happen.
Then a supposed dementia patient (her mother) just happens to escape the nursing home and kills and innocent woman thinking it’s her daughter? Come on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
I recently read Freida McFadden's book, The Teacher and could not put it down. I rated it five stars. So then I placed quite a few McFadden books on my TBR.
Want to Know a Secret? was okay but not great. It wasn't riveting but I kept hanging in there hoping it would get better. The main protagonist, April, receives creepy text messages about her son, her husband, and herself.
My main dislike of the book was that it felt like catty, mean women doing spiteful things to each other. There were antics around PTA meetings, children's playground fights, and shoplifting as well as more serious situations like extramarital affairs and murder.
Three stars.
Want to Know a Secret? was okay but not great. It wasn't riveting but I kept hanging in there hoping it would get better. The main protagonist, April, receives creepy text messages about her son, her husband, and herself.
My main dislike of the book was that it felt like catty, mean women doing spiteful things to each other. There were antics around PTA meetings, children's playground fights, and shoplifting as well as more serious situations like extramarital affairs and murder.
Three stars.
January 13, 2025
You know I love the unhinged women trope. This one was delightfully chaotic! Agree with Getlyn’s review. Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl energy.
My Freida McFadden Ratings:
Want To Know A Secret 3.75 Stars
The Housemaid- 3.5 Stars
Never Lie- 3 Stars
My Freida McFadden Ratings:
Want To Know A Secret 3.75 Stars
The Housemaid- 3.5 Stars
Never Lie- 3 Stars
July 17, 2023
I thought that this book started very well and I enjoyed the writing, but the development of the story is very slow.
I don’t mind unlikeable or unreliable characters, as long as I feel engaged and not being lied to.
Unfortunately this one was a nosedive.
It became predictable and very repetitive, especially after adding a second POV.
I don’t like when authors change a character’s personality just for the sake of causing a shock.
The twists here did not impress me and felt unrealistic.
That ending was so shocking, and not in a good way. It was like a desperate decision because there was a deadline to be met.
This was my 10th book by this author, within the same month.
Yes, I have to agree that she is addictive.
And I’m rating it 3 stars because I felt entertained, otherwise 2 stars would be fair.
Paperback: 397 pages (57 chapters)
Audiobook narrated by Alyson Krawchuk: 8h26min (great narration but low sound quality)
I don’t mind unlikeable or unreliable characters, as long as I feel engaged and not being lied to.
Unfortunately this one was a nosedive.
It became predictable and very repetitive, especially after adding a second POV.
I don’t like when authors change a character’s personality just for the sake of causing a shock.
The twists here did not impress me and felt unrealistic.
That ending was so shocking, and not in a good way. It was like a desperate decision because there was a deadline to be met.
This was my 10th book by this author, within the same month.
Yes, I have to agree that she is addictive.
And I’m rating it 3 stars because I felt entertained, otherwise 2 stars would be fair.
Paperback: 397 pages (57 chapters)
Audiobook narrated by Alyson Krawchuk: 8h26min (great narration but low sound quality)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 3, 2021
I have read many McFadden books and have rated all 5 stars. This one just didn’t come through like all the rest. It seemed to go on and on. Even the twist at the end didn’t make me feel better about the book. By the end, I was just exhausted and ready to be done.
June 22, 2022
Want to know a secret?
"Want to Know a Secret" is a "popcorn thriller" with a very, very, very slow start, an enticing book cover, many unreliable narrators, and a surprise twist ending.
As soon as this book reached the 50% mark, the book magically transformed itself into an unputdownable page-turner and really started to move.
Author Freida McFadden is a gifted storyteller who has mastered the art of misdirection and, as a result, I did not guess the ending.
I did feel that the book had too many eye-rolling moments and this negatively impacted my rating.
I listened to the audiobook and narrator Alyson Krawchuk did a fabulous job with the narration.
I am a Freida McFadden fan and I look forward to listening to her future titles.
3.5 stars rounded up.
"Want to Know a Secret" is a "popcorn thriller" with a very, very, very slow start, an enticing book cover, many unreliable narrators, and a surprise twist ending.
As soon as this book reached the 50% mark, the book magically transformed itself into an unputdownable page-turner and really started to move.
Author Freida McFadden is a gifted storyteller who has mastered the art of misdirection and, as a result, I did not guess the ending.
I did feel that the book had too many eye-rolling moments and this negatively impacted my rating.
I listened to the audiobook and narrator Alyson Krawchuk did a fabulous job with the narration.
I am a Freida McFadden fan and I look forward to listening to her future titles.
3.5 stars rounded up.
May 24, 2023
2.5
Turns out i actually don't want to know a secret thank you very much
Turns out i actually don't want to know a secret thank you very much
Read
July 20, 20233.5*
June 29, 2022
I saw this coming. I was really hoping McFadden would not do this "literary trick" once again. The whole lying to the reader thing for the first half of the book then switching to another character who gives another perspective/view of the first character was good the first 5 times, but now its like okay been there done that. It makes reading these types of books frustrating because for the last 1/2 of the book you have to pretty much re-read what we read in the first half, just from the other characters point of view.
This particular attempt by McFadden was really laborous. April is a YouTube baking star who seems as sweet as her treats, but a new neighbor moves to the neighborhood. Upon Maria's arrival, April's friendship with the other women becomes strained, people start blaming her for things and her marriage becomes unwound.
The book kept my interest enough for me to finish it, but I guess after having read a few of this authors books I could anticipate what was going to happen.
-Cheating husbands
-Using birth control to fake infertility
-Unreliable narrator
-Unrealistic Murderer (*The epilogue was just so far out there, that POV was so frustrating, it was like she wanted to throw in a twist, but I am not buying it--since when can a frail woman kill a young woman, escape from a prison of a nursing home (I have worked in a LTC and they change the codes daily on the doors, have double locking system, cameras everywhere) kill person, escape and yet make it back in like what 10 min I think is what she said..... Yup sorry McFadden I guess you had a deadline to meet and couldn't think of something else??
I think I will tap the breaks on reading another book by this author for a while. I am pretty mad I wasted my time and hoopla credit on this book.
This particular attempt by McFadden was really laborous. April is a YouTube baking star who seems as sweet as her treats, but a new neighbor moves to the neighborhood. Upon Maria's arrival, April's friendship with the other women becomes strained, people start blaming her for things and her marriage becomes unwound.
The book kept my interest enough for me to finish it, but I guess after having read a few of this authors books I could anticipate what was going to happen.
-Cheating husbands
-Using birth control to fake infertility
-Unreliable narrator
-Unrealistic Murderer (*The epilogue was just so far out there, that POV was so frustrating, it was like she wanted to throw in a twist, but I am not buying it--since when can a frail woman kill a young woman, escape from a prison of a nursing home (I have worked in a LTC and they change the codes daily on the doors, have double locking system, cameras everywhere) kill person, escape and yet make it back in like what 10 min I think is what she said..... Yup sorry McFadden I guess you had a deadline to meet and couldn't think of something else??
I think I will tap the breaks on reading another book by this author for a while. I am pretty mad I wasted my time and hoopla credit on this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 5, 2021Want to know the secret?
I had to stop reading - and I honestly never do that. The main character is so self-absorbed and unlikable, and I couldn’t stand reading another page. I found myself rolling my eyes numerous times - particularly when another “sweet secret” was given. Unfortunately, a year supply of April’s cookies that “no one says no to” couldn’t get me to finish this book. I rarely leave negative reviews - and I always try to get to the finish especially after investing time in hopes that it will somehow surprise me - but this one was just not for me.
I had to stop reading - and I honestly never do that. The main character is so self-absorbed and unlikable, and I couldn’t stand reading another page. I found myself rolling my eyes numerous times - particularly when another “sweet secret” was given. Unfortunately, a year supply of April’s cookies that “no one says no to” couldn’t get me to finish this book. I rarely leave negative reviews - and I always try to get to the finish especially after investing time in hopes that it will somehow surprise me - but this one was just not for me.
January 10, 2022
Biggest Waste of Time
This book was a huge letdown. It had potential, but the characters were stupid and the whole story was too far fetched. I’m proud of myself for finishing the book (when multiple times I swore I couldn’t handle another page), but I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. Not this author’s best.
This book was a huge letdown. It had potential, but the characters were stupid and the whole story was too far fetched. I’m proud of myself for finishing the book (when multiple times I swore I couldn’t handle another page), but I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone. Not this author’s best.
October 11, 2023
the woman was too stunned to speak
August 16, 2023
5/5 🌟 for that twist at the end alone!! Granny for the win! 🤣🤣🤣!! Once again McFadden has amped up my anxiety and made my stomach knot up. This is why I love her books 💖💖.
On the surface April appears to be a well put together lady with a handsome, successful husband, Elliott, and son, Bobby, about to start second grade. She has a YouTube channel devoted to baking and her special secrets in the recipe. She has tons of followers and is considered a local celebrity. She’s on the PTA and in a book club. Everything seems to be going well for her until Maria moves into the neighborhood.
At first Maria and April become fast friends. April notices that Maria’s husband, Sean, is extremely hot. They have an adorable little boy named Owen that will also be in second grade when school starts again in August. He will be in her own son, Bobby’s class. Both boys play soccer and love it. Sean volunteers to help Bobby improve when Bobby who used to be considered good, isn’t any longer thanks to Owens’s arrival and his best friend Leo. Bobby has some anger management issues that he may or may not have inherited from his mother. Maria confides in April about not being able to bear children and that Owen is from Sean’s previous marriage. His former wife had passed away. Maria adopted Owen when he was very young and for that reason he thinks Maria is his biological mother.
April’s best friend is former DA Liz Braswell. Liz is the community group leader for their street and the president of the PTA. Her son Leo is also about to start second grade and plays soccer. He’s the best on the team because his parents paid for him to receive coaching from a professional. Liz misses being in the courtroom and doesn’t really care for being a housewife but she’s good at that too. She secretly hates her husband. She runs 5 miles a day and kickboxes.
Below the surface April has had to put her mom Janet in a nursing facility for early onset dementia where her doctor keeps her over medicated at April’s request. Her husband Elliott has cheated on her again for a second time. Both times were with his assistant/secretary and both times the assistant has turned up dead. The second assistant Breanna was pregnant with Elliott’s baby. April has also dallied with the possibility of an affair with one of the ladies from PTA & Book Club’s husband, Marc.
It seems that things start to fall apart for April when she gets a text from someone texting her from an unknown number telling her her son isn’t where she thinks he is while she’s filming a new video for her channel. Things only get worse from there when she gets a photo sent to her of her and Marc kissing. The kiss is all that happened because April pushed him away and told him she can’t go further that she doesn’t feel right about it. The older lady who lives across the street calls her a whore and several days later, Liz finds her dead when she goes to check on her because she hasn’t seen her getting her mail. One day April notices that Maria has a burner phone. Then things start to come together in April’s head. Maria is trying to set her up for several things. The least of which is stealing from the PTA funds after their fundraiser and silent auction that Maria and April worked on together. She then gets framed for theft at Helena’s a boutique that Maria is the manager of.
April has secrets she can’t let become public. It’ll ruin her reputation and her YouTube channel.
So who’s behind the 3 deaths? Who’s framing her and setting her up. Who’s making fake Facebook accounts under her name and posting lies? Will her marriage survive? What is Maria’s motive for setting her up?
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS⛔️⚠️
Drugs
Murder
Forced death by overdose
Death during pregnancy
Affairs/Infidelity
Gaslighting
Harassment
Threatening/Blackmail
Theft
Bullying
Stalking
Sneaking into other’s homes
Possible kidnapping or luring a child
Lies and deception by adults and children
Intentional harm from one child to another
On the surface April appears to be a well put together lady with a handsome, successful husband, Elliott, and son, Bobby, about to start second grade. She has a YouTube channel devoted to baking and her special secrets in the recipe. She has tons of followers and is considered a local celebrity. She’s on the PTA and in a book club. Everything seems to be going well for her until Maria moves into the neighborhood.
At first Maria and April become fast friends. April notices that Maria’s husband, Sean, is extremely hot. They have an adorable little boy named Owen that will also be in second grade when school starts again in August. He will be in her own son, Bobby’s class. Both boys play soccer and love it. Sean volunteers to help Bobby improve when Bobby who used to be considered good, isn’t any longer thanks to Owens’s arrival and his best friend Leo. Bobby has some anger management issues that he may or may not have inherited from his mother. Maria confides in April about not being able to bear children and that Owen is from Sean’s previous marriage. His former wife had passed away. Maria adopted Owen when he was very young and for that reason he thinks Maria is his biological mother.
April’s best friend is former DA Liz Braswell. Liz is the community group leader for their street and the president of the PTA. Her son Leo is also about to start second grade and plays soccer. He’s the best on the team because his parents paid for him to receive coaching from a professional. Liz misses being in the courtroom and doesn’t really care for being a housewife but she’s good at that too. She secretly hates her husband. She runs 5 miles a day and kickboxes.
Below the surface April has had to put her mom Janet in a nursing facility for early onset dementia where her doctor keeps her over medicated at April’s request. Her husband Elliott has cheated on her again for a second time. Both times were with his assistant/secretary and both times the assistant has turned up dead. The second assistant Breanna was pregnant with Elliott’s baby. April has also dallied with the possibility of an affair with one of the ladies from PTA & Book Club’s husband, Marc.
It seems that things start to fall apart for April when she gets a text from someone texting her from an unknown number telling her her son isn’t where she thinks he is while she’s filming a new video for her channel. Things only get worse from there when she gets a photo sent to her of her and Marc kissing. The kiss is all that happened because April pushed him away and told him she can’t go further that she doesn’t feel right about it. The older lady who lives across the street calls her a whore and several days later, Liz finds her dead when she goes to check on her because she hasn’t seen her getting her mail. One day April notices that Maria has a burner phone. Then things start to come together in April’s head. Maria is trying to set her up for several things. The least of which is stealing from the PTA funds after their fundraiser and silent auction that Maria and April worked on together. She then gets framed for theft at Helena’s a boutique that Maria is the manager of.
April has secrets she can’t let become public. It’ll ruin her reputation and her YouTube channel.
So who’s behind the 3 deaths? Who’s framing her and setting her up. Who’s making fake Facebook accounts under her name and posting lies? Will her marriage survive? What is Maria’s motive for setting her up?
⚠️⛔️TRIGGERS⛔️⚠️
Drugs
Murder
Forced death by overdose
Death during pregnancy
Affairs/Infidelity
Gaslighting
Harassment
Threatening/Blackmail
Theft
Bullying
Stalking
Sneaking into other’s homes
Possible kidnapping or luring a child
Lies and deception by adults and children
Intentional harm from one child to another
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2021
Terrible. This book needs a warning . Sigh. So no.
February 29, 2024
Back to the norm with a brilliant twisty and suspenseful Fredia McFadden book! I only have four more to read until she releases new ones (I have decided to stick to her thriller writing only)…….. there is going to be a Freida sized hole in my life within a few weeks 😂
July 1, 2023
2.75
I think the ending could have been longer so we get more of the fmc. Also I wanted closure in the ending, but I never got that. It was also kind of obvious that the fmc had done some “things” and what those “things” were (I know it sounds vague but I just don’t want to spoil it). Also STFU about those damn desserts! And the beginning was very repetitive. But overall it wasn’t the worse thing I have ever read. It did keep my attention…for the most part.
I think the ending could have been longer so we get more of the fmc. Also I wanted closure in the ending, but I never got that. It was also kind of obvious that the fmc had done some “things” and what those “things” were (I know it sounds vague but I just don’t want to spoil it). Also STFU about those damn desserts! And the beginning was very repetitive. But overall it wasn’t the worse thing I have ever read. It did keep my attention…for the most part.
December 26, 2021
Awful characters.
All of the women in this book were very unlikeable and did bad things. The first half of the book was from the perspective of one of the women and the last half another. All were conniving and untruthful. The main character had a cooking show and was constantly foisting her baked goods on friends. Reason enough to avoid her. There was a twist in the end but not particularly satisfying. I don’t recommend this book.
All of the women in this book were very unlikeable and did bad things. The first half of the book was from the perspective of one of the women and the last half another. All were conniving and untruthful. The main character had a cooking show and was constantly foisting her baked goods on friends. Reason enough to avoid her. There was a twist in the end but not particularly satisfying. I don’t recommend this book.
February 6, 2025
Rounding up to a four. First half was really tense. My brain was definitely in flight or fright throughout it, but then when the perpetrator was revealed and the full backstory, I was able to relax.
It was hard to tell whose point of view was the truth. It was clear both the victim and the vigilante both felt like they were wronged/justified. It was only at the end where everything is explained, and I realized I really hated every character, including the children.
Also, the little gimmick of the secret ingredient in almost every chapter in the first part of the book got super annoying after the second time.
Admittedly, the epilogue took me by surprise.
It was hard to tell whose point of view was the truth. It was clear both the victim and the vigilante both felt like they were wronged/justified. It was only at the end where everything is explained, and I realized I really hated every character, including the children.
Also, the little gimmick of the secret ingredient in almost every chapter in the first part of the book got super annoying after the second time.
Admittedly, the epilogue took me by surprise.
May 6, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Écouté sur audible. 🎧 Les livres de Freida McFadden sont tellement bons en audiobook! Celui-ci était tellement captivant. J’étais investie et elle m’a eu avec un revirement de situation, ou 2 plutôt!
February 23, 2021
An impossible story
First, I did not like most of the characters who were portraits of spoiled rich Moms. Things took a turn but the whole thing was so improbable that I was glad for the ending, which I could not believe either. It was like it was thrown together using a minimum amount of words.
First, I did not like most of the characters who were portraits of spoiled rich Moms. Things took a turn but the whole thing was so improbable that I was glad for the ending, which I could not believe either. It was like it was thrown together using a minimum amount of words.
February 25, 2022
Wow! The ending!!! 😮😮😮😮😮 Freida McFadden writes an excellent book!
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