The Secrets We Keep
The Secrets We Keep by Cassie Gustafson is a young adult novel published by Simon and Schuster on November 14, 2023. This reprint edition spans 352 pages and is presented in English. The story follows high school freshman Emma Clark, who grapples with a deeply buried secret that threatens to unravel her life when her best friend, Hannah, accuses Emma’s father of a serious crime. As Emma faces the turmoil of loyalty and family, she must navigate the complexities of her past and present.
Readers will find a poignant exploration of friendship, loyalty, and the emotional struggles that accompany trauma. The narrative delves into themes of social issues, including physical and emotional abuse, as Emma is forced to confront her painful history while deciding whether to support her friend or protect her family. The Secrets We Keep invites readers to reflect on the difficult choices that shape our identities and relationships, making it a significant addition to the genre of juvenile fiction.
Official synopsis Publisher
“Visceral…a vital, heart-wrenching account of one teen’s harrowing experience.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
In the vein of The Way I Used to Be and Kelly Loy Gilbert’s Conviction, this “exceedingly well-written, powerful, and suspenseful” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) young adult novel follows a girl’s struggle to reconcile friendship, sexual abuse, and the secrets we bury deep down inside to survive.
High school freshman Emma Clark harbors a secret—a secret so vile it could implode her whole world, a secret she’s managed to keep buried…until the day her best friend, Hannah, accuses Emma’s father of a heinous crime.
Following her father’s arrest and torn between loyalty to Hannah and to her family, Emma is devastated to learn she must testify against Hannah’s word in order to keep her family together. As Emma wrestles with this impossible decision, her fractured past begins to resurface piece by painful piece—causing the line to blur between her present-day reality and the dark fairy tales she writes to survive, all of which threaten to expose Emma’s long-buried truths.
The Secrets We Keep explores the complex, powerful bonds of friendship and family, asking the difficult question: At what point does Emma’s loyalty to another become a betrayal of herself? And perhaps the toughest question of all: Can Emma find the strength to finally unbury her secret?
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