A fun, YA thriller that held my attention initially, but eventually lost its hold. A quick read with a predictable ending, "Secrets Never Die" was a good book, just not great.

I loved the beginning of this novel – an eerie, atmospheric Halloween party that sets a dark tone. When Sam and his three friends leave the party to sneak off to the Dark Place, an abandoned hut in the woods where they privately confess their worst secrets, the action starts immediately. With short chapters and a brisk pace, this novel is a pretty quick read.

If you can suspend your disbelief, this is an entertaining story that kept me flipping the pages. Someone from the past is stalking Sam and his friends and blackmailing them with the secrets they thought only the Dark Place knew. The threats soon involve his younger sister, Molly (both a heart and scene-stealer), which makes Sam even more determined to discover who’s behind everything. Several twists and surprises are tossed into the story, but it’s not terribly difficult to figure out the culprit. Still, that didn’t lessen my enjoyment. I especially liked the ending, which leaves the door cracked for a possible sequel.

I’d recommend this to readers who enjoy entertaining, fast-paced mysteries with surprising twists and dark secrets.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this book, I want to add it to my collection, I wanted more answers and more on the characters. I wish it was a little bit longer. I liked the writing style.

I loved that they made this book use apps to make everything more spooky but it’s also so true nothing stays secret anymore when you can post it on the internet

Pub: August 29, 2023
Genre: YA thriller/horror

Thank you @wednesdaybooks my gifted copy 🖤

"We call it the Dark Place. I don’t know who built it or when but, for us, it’s special."

✨🖤

Vincent Ralph knows how to write fast-paced action and suspense.

Secrets Never Die is no exception. The short chapters and engaging writing style are what kept me interested in the story.

When Sam and the gang’s secrets are finally revealed, I was left wanting more. A lot more. After being blackmailed by the very cleverly named Sasha Craven, I was expecting some dark and juicy info! Alas, that wasn’t the case.

That said, I thought the book ended on a strong note. That's all I can reveal without spoilers.

This is a light YA thriller so it’s good option for readers new to the genre or people who like to stay away from dark stuff.

I'm a big fan of Vincent Ralph's work in general and look forward to read his next book!

"I’ve learned that secrets can come back from the dead no matter how deep you bury them."

Sam is a young ex-actor living a quiet life with his family in his small, English town. But Sam has a secret no one else knows. So do his two best friends and his girlfriend. And once a year, they meet up and speak their secrets into the darkness of an abandoned hut in the woods. It makes each of them feel just a bit better getting the weight of their secrets off their shoulders. But then one night, their secret telling ritual is interrupted by a weird prank. Then they all start getting messages, videos and photos from someone who shouldn't exist...someone who knows all of their secrets and is determined to use them to torture and torment Sam and his friends. As the threats get more serious and the stakes get higher, Sam and his friends will learn that some secrets don't stay buried.

This book was an enjoyable, fast-paced and quick read. The chapters are short, the prose is well-written, and the mystery and plot twist are believable. I'm not fond of the use of strong language in any kind of book, but this was a bit toned down compared to similar YA releases.

This is the second of Mr. Ralph's books I've read, and I've enjoyed them both equally. They're great if you enjoy a good suspensful little mystery you can complete in probably two or three days. Overall, I give this book four stars and would be very likely to pick up the next book Vimcent Ralph releases. Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the free advanced reader's copy. This is my voluntary review, and all opinioms are my own.

Perfect for Halloween, this book tells the creepy story of what happens when hidden secrets risk exposure. Once a year four teens gather at a run-down shack in the woods to tell the cosmos their most coveted secrets. Each takes a turn in the shack and reveals their secret in solitude. When they are done, they feel better at least for a year. But this year is different. Someone overhears and begins to blackmail and terrorize the teens. Why? Were their secrets that terrible? What would one do to keep their secret hidden. How far would someone go. The pace of this book is quick and the impending terror is heartfelt. I raced my way to the ending which I found very satisfying.

I liked this book initially but quickly grew tired of it. It's a fairly standard thriller set-up - a mysterious force revealing characters' secrets. While the individual character details were interesting, especially the former child star, this interest doesn't carry through the plot on the whole. The eventual reveal of the truth was tiresome, lacking in sufficient foreshadowing.

Teenager Sam Hall and his group of friends have a unique Halloween tradition. They go deep into the forest to a small hut they call the dark place and hold funerals for their secrets. But this year, someone has found out their secrets and will stop at nothing until everything has been brought to light.

Secrets Never Die caught my attention from the beginning and quickly sent me hurtling down a dark, twisted path to the truth. The pacing and overall events within the story were pretty intense. However, the cast of characters needed to be further explored. Most characters felt a little flat, and most of the secrets weren't really that big of a deal
There were a few that packed a wallop though. I did enjoy the tense atmosphere of the novel. I definitely did not figure out the villain.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all views expressed are my own.

This was definitely spooky and creepy. I thought the ending was a little predictable, but otherwise I thought this was a solid mystery. It had lots of atmosphere and good horror. The thing that lowers my rating is that I just found all the characters to be so annoying and selfish. But this isn't really character driven so it is still pretty good in regards to everything else.

Secrets Never Die was such an atmospheric read. A hut in the woods where a group of teens visit each Halloween to tell their secrets to, a slaughterhouse, creepy doll heads....need I say more? The spooky vibes came off SO strong which was probably my favourite aspect about this book! The short chapters made this one to be a quick read, but I personally felt the middle was a little slower as I just wanted to know who was taunting Sam and his friends and what secrets they were hiding from each other. Once the secrets started unravelling, I needed to know how the story was going to end, which kept me turning the pages. That being said, I think I would have loved a little more of a shock factor in this one.

Overall, I liked this one and rated it 3 to 3.5 stars. If you are looking for a fast-paced YA thriller that brings the spooky and atmospheric vibes, check out Secrets Never Die!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sam and his friends were excited for their annual Halloween ritual, but things took a turn when it was Sams turn. After that night, they all started getting messages from an unknown instagram account and the tormenting began. As they try to figure out who is doing this to them, they begin to uncover that it’s bigger then what they thought.

I’m just getting more into thrillers and I loved this.
Was fast paced, the perfect read for the spooky season.

I felt like the secrets weren’t huge, but you also have to remember they’re teenagers and to them they were big and they felt guilty about them.

I was not expecting the plot twist about who was involved, that genuinely took me by surprise, and I love when I can’t tell who’s involved.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

will be posting on instagram Oct 23rd

Secrets Never Die was a decent young adult thriller that had ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’/Fear Street’ vibes. It was a quick and interesting read. I loved the shorter chapters.

The story revolves around a group of teens that go into this creepy hut by themselves once a year to tell their deepest and darkest secrets. When they visit the hut this year, strange things start to happen. They soon start receiving anonymous threatening messages.

I thought the whole thing with the hut was really weird and I can’t see actual teens doing this. The teens were also just aggravating and annoying.

I think younger teens would enjoy this book. It felt way too young for me, but I’m not the target audience.

3/5 stars

Secrets Never Die finds Sam and his friend visiting an abandoned shack in the woods every Halloween. One by one, they sit in the shed in the dark and offer up their secrets. This year, someone is listening and plans to use their secrets against them.

I though this was a solid and creepy YA msytery. I liked Sam and found his story as a child actor interesting and tragic at the same time. It was understandable that he had a need to protect his little sister from the same fate. There were a lot of twists that kept me guessing. I will admit that some of the "secrets" were a little bit of a let down. Despite that, I had a good time reading it and liked the ending, It was a surprise and came a little out of left field, but it was a good ending. I do recommend this one.

Secrets Never Die is the perfect book for teens who like a good scare. Reminiscent of the horror movies of the '80s and '90s VIncent Ralph's latest book is filled with a slow burning thriller vibe where four teens are being harassed anonymously online for secrets they have kept close to the chest for so long.

Sam Hall has lead a less than normal life, as a previous child actor he has had to deal with passionate fans, online haters and the delicate balance his young stardom had on his family and their interactions with each other. When secrets from his past, along with his friends secrets are threatened to come out, Sam and his friends must figure out who is behind all of it and what exactly their end game is.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to read this horror novel.

YA horror novel written in short faced paced chapters that seemed to grab my attention but didn't really hold it to make it a book I read quickly. A decent story just not a favorite of mine personally. However others will absolutely love it. I prefer my murder mysteries to hold my undivided attention this one didn't quite do that.

3.5 stars!!!

This was a fun YA thriller and although I didn't absolutely love it, it's definitely because I'm not the intended audience. I found myself frustrated with all of the characters for just not calling the police when someone started threatening them, blackmailing them, then eventually trying to kill them. Otherwise, I had a fun time trying to figure out what was REALLY going on and was caught offguard when it was revealed. If this had come out when I was a teenager, I would have raved about this! But as an adult, it's becoming more and more difficult to get past the "stupid teenagers will be stupid teenagers" trope.

First I would like to thank Net Galley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book before it released. I apologize for the delay in my feedback.

I have read two other books by Vincent Ralph and loved them both. This one was no different. I'm a huge fan of the short chapters! It makes it so easy to just read "one more chapter."

I loved that the book started out on Halloween as we are currently in the spooky season. 👻 Secrets Never Die will hold your attention and keep you wanting more/ wondering what's going to happen from the very beginning. I highly suggest this book to anyone and everyone who likes thrillers.

And of course I have to mention the cover•• I love it. Beautiful piece of art.

You can read this book free with your Kindle Unlimited subscription.

#netgalley #stmartinspress #arc #advancedreaderscopy #secretsneverdie #vincentralph #ku #kindleunlimited

Thank you to NetGalley, Vincent Ralph and St Martin’s Press for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was perfect for the season with the creepy mask and taking place during Halloween. I enjoyed the pacing of this one, it really kept me on my toes and lots of action. The twists were stellar so overall, I would recommend!

Thanks for the advanced copy for review.

Bro, this was such a good story. I don't usually go for the creepy books, but this one was very good and very creepy. I really loved it.