I really really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded so good and I felt the setup was intriguing from the start.

But this book dragged on and on for me. The suspense of the stalking wasn’t quite the terror that I was expecting. The secrets themselves didn’t have the build up of anticipation. It was more like “oh they have secrets.” Not, “ I can’t wait to find out what he’s hiding!”

And honestly, the secrets weren’t the terrible life threatening secrets they were made it to be.

The last bit of the book picked up a bit and was a little more interesting, but for the most part, I was bored.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph was such a creepy book and i loved every second of it. The characters and the plot was was so good. I definitely want to read this again.

Fans of Pretty Little Liars will love this book! What starts as a fun Halloween ritual a group of friends created to rid themselves of their darkest secrets, quickly turns into a scary mystery—that gets more and more dangerous until all their secrets are revealed. Or are they? And how deep does this mystery go? This read keeps you guessing until the deadly end!

My favorite aspects of this novel are the characters. All of the characters have hidden motives and mysteries. It’s like the author picked the best aspects of thrillers, such as the aforementioned, Pretty Little Liars, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, and formed a thriller for a new generation.

Secrets Never Die is about a group of high schoolers who go into the woods every Halloween to whisper their secrets in the Dark Place. Even secrets we think we've buried have a way of coming into the light and this year, Sam and his friends will learn that the hard way.

After reading the premise, I really wanted to like this. However, it just didn't quite reach the hype for me. The plot felt a little shallow; I was expecting these huge, massively horrible secrets to come to light, but they were pretty lackluster for the effort everyone made to hide them. None of them seemed like something that you would choose to die for instead of come clean like the author was trying to portray.

The characters didn't have nearly as much depth as I had hoped they would. Each of them were portrayed fairly one-dimensional, and I don't feel like any of them really grew over the course of the book. Lauren is a liar who can't face up to reality; Dom is a bully but it's okay because he's reformed now; Sam is a disillusioned former child star; Elisha is the emotionally aloof outsider; and Haran is the friend who'd do anything for a buck then blame someone else out of guilt. And let's not forget Molly, the 5 year old professional photographer who can read minds. I'm still unsure if that was supposed to be a paranormal element or just to show that she's highly perceptive. And how did no one know about a certain someone having a daughter? It's a small town and everyone knows everyone's business, so how did no one know about that?

This book sounded really cool, and it's not a bad read by any stretch, but it just didn't live up to its premise for me.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the review copy! Everything in this review is my honest opinion.

I was hooked from the very beginning of the story but as the story progresses there were many twist and turns. Each one pulled me deeper into the story. The characters were slowly developed and I enjoyed unpacking their secrets a little at a time. By halfway through I couldn’t put it down. Spent a rainy Sunday finishing. I throughly enjoyed reading this one. I will be looking for other titles by Ralph.

This was a super good book, besides the first chapter which I thought when a little slow, everything else was really fast paced. The chapters are very short, so it makes you feel like you’re accomplishing a lot and it keeps drawing you in.

This book is great, and unexpecting it in so many ways. It’s a book where secrets never die and they are going to force you to come clean. It has to do with past coming to present, making you face the reality.

There are so many pieces that are placed in the book that you don’t think about and that don’t make a whole lot of sense until later in the book. It was great when they ended up mentioning things that had to do within the first few chapters of the book that you didn’t pick up as important.

I’m not sure how I feel about this book. Maybe 3 stars rounded up 3.5 ⭐️ or 3.75 ⭐️? The plot was just all over the place, like there was A LOT going on, and it didn’t always make sense. But, at the same time, it was suspenseful enough for me to want to continue reading to find out what was going to happen next. It’s just unfortunate that what happened next didn’t always make sense.

In fact, the entire ending didn’t really make a whole lot of sense. If there (at least) three people tormenting Sam and his friends and one of those people is now dead, how does that it make over?? There are (at least) two other tormentors still out there. And now Sam’s neighbors might be involved, which isn’t revealed until the last page? Like I said, there was just A LOT going on.

Maybe Vincent Ralph books just aren’t my cup of tea? I liked 14 Ways To Die, Lock The Doors was a DNF and now this book has me on the fence.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A twisty, fast paced read with short chapters and tons of actions! Engaging. Entertaining

While this is a great book for some readers to spend their time, the characters could have been greatly helped by the addition of backstory and depth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I am just now getting in to mystery/suspense/thriller books, so I’ve only read a couple, but this book made me want to get more into them!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end. It kept me thinking and questioning all the characters in my head. I haven’t read anything else by Vincent Ralph, and now I want to go read everything he’s written!! I definitely recommend this book!

Secrets Never Die is a dark and thrilling mystery. Sam and his friends spend one night a year confessing their darkest secrets. He is a former child star who has struggled with the aftermath of his career going up in flames. Confessing secrets has always been a cathartic experience, until an ominous figure steps out from the shadows. One of their secrets has come to life and is haunting them. Sam and his friends must figure out who is blackmailing them before all of their secrets are revealed one by one…

This was my first book from Vincent Ralph but definitely not my last! I read this book so quickly, it was very hard to put down. Sam and his friends are compelling characters with skeletons in their closets. I enjoyed learning the little clues that built up to their deep secrets. Sam’s secret was a heavy burden and his friends had equally oppressive secrets that were holding them back. I really enjoyed the reveal about who was blackmailing them and why. There was a heavy focus on the action and creepy reveals, so at times I didn’t feel deeply connected to the characters. Still, this was a spooky and fast-paced thriller that I think many readers will also enjoy!

Thank you so much to Vincent Ralph, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review

For publisher: My review will be posted on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc

This book was absolutely amazing. I loved the character development. It was fast paced I couldn’t put it down. It’s a perfect book for fall and Halloween! The twist and turns this book had was so much fun. I thought I knew what was going to happen. But I kept guessing wrong and the ending surprised me. It was a thrill and I loved the ride. I can’t til it’s released so I can buy the physical copy to put with my copy’s of Lock the doors and 14 ways to die.. Thank you so much Vincent Ralph and netgalley for allowing me to read this book early.

My review will also be on Goodreads.
Also on barnes and noble and Amazon when it’s released. Again thank you so much!

I love Vincent Ralph books because they are never what you expect. They are full of wonderful twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end and always have a huge shock factor.
This one was no exception.

The short chapters keep this book moving at such a quick pace that you could read this book easily in one sitting.

Personally this was not my favorite by Vincent Ralph but I still loved it!

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

Genre: YA Mystery
Pages: 368
Goodreads: 3.8
Release date: August 28, 2023

I don’t typically read a lot of YA books because I enjoy reading a book that scares me so much I don’t want to sleep for 3 days. Books for teens usually don’t get that intense, but this one caught me off guard so many times!! Like if I would have been reading this while camping, I would’ve been absolutely terrified.

This would be a great book to read as Halloween approaches due to it mostly revolving around that time.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every year Sam Hall and his friends hold funerals for their secrets in an abandoned hut in the woods that they call the Dark Place. But this year, their secrets are coming back from the dead.

Sam is a former child star whose career went up in flames - literally. And no one, not even his best friend knows why. His friends each hold a secret pertaining to the night. A secret they would all like buried.

Now someone is blackmailing them with their dangerous secrets. Sam isn't sure who he can trust, who's watching him - or how far he's willing to go to bury the past once and for all.

This book gave me Pretty Little Liars vibes but with dudes and with less juicy secrets. I really enjoyed the plot and the fact that it’s around Halloween is always amazing as well. I had a lot of fun reading this book and the twists and turns were a strong 4.5 I think the only reason why I cut half a star is because “Sasha” wasn’t my favorite character but she had her place in the story

My Thoughts
Forget sleeping, forget taking breaks for food or personal needs, forget about other YA mystery mind benders because their particular type has no bearing on this particular twisty tale.

Friends Elisha, Sam, Dom, older sister Lauren and Haran are privy to the Dark Place since childhood thanks to Dom.

However, as they learn its location is one secret that is known by someone they do not know. Not yet anyway.

As secrets unravel there are explanations given that prove once and for all to Sam Hall not every truth is 100% accurate just like every lie is not 100% without justification.

Scary yes, truly pure Horror No not to me anyway. The story does horrify its reader over and over though so there is that.

Along with an engaging premise, fast short chapters, clues that just take a while to add up and a really heartbreaking reason why everything goes a certain way for these plot points to work.

So, it looks like everything is over, all questions answered, all the problems solved.

But is it really that simple or is something missing that just hasn’t been thought of yet?

After the last few chapters were finished it’s clear that the truth still remains unresolved but the story has ended already.

Loved the premise, thought the characters were fleshed out just enough to be seen as individuals, the plot twists kept me guessing and even when things came together it still felt like there was more going on that was never revealed to make a truly conclusive statement meaning The End.

When I finished the final words, it still felt like this story had not ended which is a creepy feeling for me.

Solid read that will appeal to some more than others, as all reading is subject to readers moods as well as the quality of what they have just spent time immersing themselves in.
[EArc from Netgalley]
On every book read as soon as it is done and written up for review it is posted on Goodreads and Netgalley, once released then posted on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles as well.

Book: Secrets Never Die
Author: Vincent Ralph
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Wednesday Books, for sending me an ARC.

In this one, we follow former child star, Sam, and his friends as they visit the Dark Place. The Dark Place is a place where they can get rid of their secrets and move on. At least, that is it what is supposed to be. The Dark Place is alive and now someone knows all that they did. Someone is stalking them, making them do things, and is in complete control of their lives. Sam and his friends must find out who or what is behind this before their secrets not only tear their lives apart but those around them. They don’t know who is watching or what dark truth will come out next.

I loved the setup for this one. It’s kind of like Pretty Little Liar meets Karen M. McManus. We have a group of friends who have secrets that they don’t want out. Someone knows these secrets and is now in charge of your core characters’ lives. We see the measures that the characters will go to to keep their secrets hidden. As you are reading, you don’t know what these secrets are and why our characters want to keep them buried. Was it something illegal? Will these secrets end their friendships? You don’t know. This is why you have to keep reading. You want to find out what is happening.

Using the Halloween and fall seasons as a backdrop only adds to the feeling of the unknown. It adds another layer to what is happening. It’s in that in-between time between Halloween and Thanksgiving. We don’t have the magical feeling of Christmas. Everything is dead. The nights are cool. It’s the perfect set-up for the story. We don’t know if the Dark Place has some supernatural powers or what. We don’t know what is happening. The sun sets early, giving everything a ghostly feeling. I truly don’t think this story would have worked the way it did had it not been set when it was.

I enjoyed our characters. It did take me a little bit to get into Sam’s head. Once I did and formed a bond with him, I thought he was a great leader. I love how much he wants to protect his family, especially his little sister. Even within Sam’s family, we get a sense that something isn’t right. There was a fire when Sam was twelve and no one knows what happened on that day. It has torn their family apart. Not only that, but no one can tell his dad what they want and how they feel. He pushes them into things as if he is trying to make up for his failures. It makes people reach a breaking point.

The other characters were okay. We do have a pretty large cast. There were times that I felt like they are all trying to get screen time. I wish that they had been a little bit more developed. However, not knowing them did help the plot, I guess. It adds to the sense of the unknown and not knowing who to trust. Overall, I wasn’t as attached to them as Sam. They did do the job though.

The ending did and didn’t make sense. I can see where the author was going and the foundation was laid out. However, it could have been done a little bit differently. It needed a little bit more to make it believable. I’m sorry that I’m being kind of vague here. I don’t want to spoil it.

Overall, I did enjoy this. If you are looking for an action-packed young adult mystery/thriller with a male lead, then I encourage you to give this one a go. Also, if you like Pretty Little Liars and Karen M. McManus, I think you will enjoy this one.

This book comes out on September 26, 2023.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/x2okSuSEec0

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph is a pretty solid YA Thriller. It has I Know What You Did Last Summer vibes, with the whole 'our secrets are coming back to haunt us' horror trope. IKWYDLS is a teen horror staple, so I'm not mad at it.

I liked the characters and was invested early on. The tension that builds, as our MCs try to solve the mystery of who's terrorizing them, was well-written and well-paced. I was anxious for them, and desperate to find out what was going on.

And then we do, and I was underwhelmed. I found the "why" to be pretty anticlimactic and trite, and the "who" to be OTT. The story was a solid 4 for me, but the reveal was rather disappointing. For the most part, I enjoyed Secrets Never Die, but not as much as I did Lock the Doors. Though, I recommend both. I'm looking forward to picking up more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Horror-esk style book with lots of twists, turns, and secrets. I loved the writing and all the scenes that got you thinking. The Plot was good, the characters were great and I can't wait for everyone to read this

This book was not at all what I expected. I thought it was a multiple POV and instead we get just Sam's perspective. This I think is one reason why the story worked so well. It wasn't jumping all over the place.

The plot twists were a good mix of guessable with some that blew my mind. I was starting to think the author did it on purpose, you guess some twists just to be shocked later.

This was my first book by this author, I absolutely loved the fact that the chapters had names not numbers AND they were short.

I've been on a YA thriller kick - and I usually love Vincent Ralph, but unfortunately, Secrets Never Die just didn't hit it for me. While I enjoyed the different characters, the tension, and the fast-paced action, something was just lacking. I felt some of the stalker behavior was just so unrealistic and so ramped-up, dramatic, that it took away from my enjoyment.

It is a fast read - I finished it rather quickly on a plane - and enjoyed something that didn't require too much thought.

Ultimately, there was just a lot going on, but without a fantastic, surprising twist payout.