I cannot believe that that was the ending we were left with. The suspense throughout the novel and how it continued to build was so good. One reason I always love Vincent Ralph’s novel is because of how short the chapters are which makes it easier to get into due to the fast pace. There’s no boring parts used to fill up space or add to a flow, we just cut from one scene to the next (and it’s done in a great way). The premise of this book didn’t have me as excited as his other books but grabbed my attention very quickly. I loved how it made me question everyone (even though I did not guess the villain). I grew to really like the characters and the idea of their secrets coming to life. The fear really started to build as betrayals were revealed. It made me question a lot of things and made me consider if we really know anyone at all. There were some very surprising plot twists that I did not see coming at all. I haven’t read a thriller quite like this before and it was super enjoyable!

Okay, so, I didn’t like this book as much as I liked Ralph’s prior offering, Lock the Doors, but I did enjoy it. I just enjoyed it on a different level. I found myself enjoying it like one enjoys a slasher flick or a fun horror film that you watch for kicks (yes, I’m one of those people who adores horror films and doesn’t get scared): You just lay back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Suspend your disbelief, beware the red herrings, and be aware this book can be extremely derivative at times. Because it is. I’ve seen more than one review comparing this book to one of my favorite horror films, “Scream”, and while that’s not totally on the mark it’s not totally wrong either.

Things I loved:

1. How each main character has trauma. They may almost all be in high school, but if any parent thinks their teenager hasn’t dealt with some sort of trauma by the time they get to their senior year of high school then they haven’t been paying close enough attention.

2. Flawed parents. I can’t count how many YA books I’ve read where there has to be one set of parents who are perfect. None of the parents in this book are perfect. If any kid gets to be 18 and thinks their parents are perfect, well, see above: you haven’t been paying enough attention.

3. The ending. I can’t spoil it, but I liked it.

4. Our main protagonist, Sam Hall, and his dynamic with his little sister, Molly. If only all big brothers loved their little sisters that much the world would be a better place.

5. The friendship between Sam and Haran. Their friendship is GOALS.

Things I didn’t love:

1. How many loose ends were left. Spoilers there be, so I’ll leave that there.

2. There were just too many twists, turns, and convolutions. The writing could’ve been tighter.

3. Did it really have to be so derivative? Or could Ralph have gone a little darker or deeper instead?

4. The book as a whole felt rushed because there was so much stuff packed into it. It felt a little green, like it could’ve used another editing round or two.

5. As much as I loved the teen horror-flick feel, I would’ve loved to have seen this topic taken on as a more deeper, darker, tone.

All that being said, Vincent Ralph is an incredibly talented and entertaining writer. It’s a fun book to read, even if it’s not something that’ll keep you guessing or have you quaking in your fuzzy socks. It’s a great bit of fun.

I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.

File Under: Coming of Age/YA Fiction/YA Mystery/YA Suspense/YA Thriller

Each year Sam and his friends visit the Dark Place, an abandoned hut in the woods, to confess their secrets and then leave them behind. It’s helped them to unburden themselves of deeply held secrets, but this year is different. Someone has been listening to their secrets, someone who wants revenge.

This is a well paced YA Mystery Thriller. We follow this group of friends as they are stalked and blackmailed for the secrets they revealed in the Dark Place. With several twists along the way, I suspected just about everyone at one point. While I didn’t love every twist along the way, I did love how the book leaned into the importance of true friendships.

This is a perfect spooky season book for YA readers; and adults who are looking for a fun read with a little bit of spooky sprinkled in.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

Thank you to @netgalley @macmillam.audio @wednesdaybooks and @stmartinspress for the gifted copy of this book.

Personally, I had a hard time getting into this one. I liked the concept, but the writing style wasn't for me - I felt like the way the characters talk didn't feel like the typical experiences I have with most of the teenagers in my classroom all day. That being said, I found the story concept very unique (kind of a mix of thriller and supernatural?) and I will be recommending it to my students to read!

An atmospheric, fast moving thriller.

The story is about a group of kids that go into a cabin in a forest to shed their secrets. But after this last time, someone starts to follow them and threaten them to expose their secrets that they thought were safe in this cabin.

At first it felt like it might be a paranormal/horror thriller. There's a feeling of impending doom. That these secrets are going to implode their worlds. And that something evil and paranormal came out in those woods. I loved the atmosphere.

However, towards the end.. It kind of fell flat. Yes, I liked the reveal of the secret person. But no, I did not like the secrets. It was one of those moments where having a conversation could have solved a lot of heartache and anxiety for these kids. From that perspective - the lesson is, please talk to those you think you hurt. Sometimes our secrets are bigger in our head and heart, than they would be in real life.

I liked how fast this moved. It was an easy and a fun read.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for my gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

This was quick-paced and has a fun ensemble. I liked the idea of the story more than the execution, but will still recommend it to readers looking for a thrill.

While I didn’t totally connect with the main character, the story still got my attention and kept me fully engaged from start to finish. Former child star, Sam Hall, and a small number of his friends have an odd Halloween ritual. They come together at an old hut in the woods every Halloween. They’ve named it the Dark Place and they take turns going inside, holding private ‘funerals’ where they burying their secrets and fears. This year is things are a little different. They get interrupted, but they don’t know by who. And then they all start to receive bizarre text messages from someone called Sasha Craven, a person who supposed doesn’t exist, that was made up as a way for one of them to get out of a relationship. That might sound odd, and perhaps I’m not explaining it well, but it’ll totally make sense when you read it in the book. But why is everyone receiving these messages? Who knows their secrets? And what do they intend to do with them? This is a quick read with short chapters, the kind that make you say I’ll just read one more again and again until you suddenly realize that one more chapter you intended to read has now become ten more chapters. The pacing is good, the story intriguing and twisting. Like I said the only real issue I had was not totally connecting with Sam, but maybe that’s just me. Totally worth the time. I’d like to thank St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Secrets Never Die.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1MSCJFOXEZJ3T/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I enjoyed the creepy moments and the twists in this book were lots of fun. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. Special Thank You to Vincent Ralph, St.Martin's Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an arc copy!

Secrets Never Die follows our heroine Sam and his group of friends as they complete their yearly ritual on Halloween at the Dark Place. There, they whisper their secrets into the dark of the woods, and leave feeling a bit light.

But this year, something sinister comes of their routine. Sasha Craven emerges, threatening and increasingly more violent as she stalks the group. It’s up to Sam to figure out what exactly is going, before his big secret goes up in flames much like his childhood acting career.

This book was a fun, easy read! The characters were a bit two dimensional, but it worked well enough with the story that it didn’t drag it down too much. The plot was fast and easy to follow. A bit convoluted at times, maybe, but all in all, entertaining. I loved the emotion and the rawness the author captured in his characters.

This story is both chilling and thrilling like a cross between a horror movie and a crime mystery. It is extremely compelling and hooks you in immediately and doesn't let go. The characters are interesting and the story is unique and satisfyingly unpredictable. It is quite an exciting ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

This listen was a wild ride. I picked this one up because I saw a lot of people hyping it up, and the cover is really cool. I went into this one blind, and I am glad I did. This book was a lot darker than I thought it was going to be, I thought it was going to be a YA thriller type, but it was a lot darker and it had so many scenes that had me on the edge of my seat. I listened to this book in 2 days because I was so hooked on finding out who was behind the blackmail and messages to this group of friends. There was a lot of sub plot in the beginning, and it was very interesting how it all came together at the end. I enjoyed the twists and turns, I did suspect a few things that were revealed at the very end, but the major person and mystery was a shock to me. A fun read and great for thriller lovers! Highly recommend if you're looking for a new fast paced thriller!

This is a great read for those who love the likes of One of Us Is Lying and Pretty Little Liars. Everyone has secrets and wishes they feel guilty about. In Secrets Never Die, a group of friends share their secrets in The Dark Place once a year. This year, someone else has heard their secrets and threatens to reveal them all.

Most of the book itself is pretty easy to guess. It's not hard to figure out what the secrets are, although I wish it was written in the third person and we saw other characters' POVs instead of just the main character, Sam. The twist at the end of who is after the group was one I didn't see coming, and I enjoyed how it all played out.

Fair YA mystery, didn't like the ending.

Every Halloween, Sam Hall and his friends visit this cabin in the woods they call "The Dark Place" where they go inside one by one and confess their deepest, darkest secrets, hoping to assuage their guilt for one more year. This year, someone else is there, and that someone is blackmailing them with their secrets.

The way the story is told is exciting and intriguing, but in the end there are two issues with this book:
First, the secrets are not really that deep and dark. Some of them could have been eliminated with an honest conversation.
Second, the ending was blah. I liked how the story worked out, the reveal of the person behind the blackmail...then we go OTTM (One Twist Too Many) and throw in some random extra thing that made NO SENSE.

I listened to the audiobook of this one and the narrator does a great job at keeping the tension mounting throughout. I did speed up the narration, but overall I didn't get bored, I kept listening to find out what would happen.

Despite its ups and downs, this book will appeal to the YA audience and fans of Vincent Ralph's mysteries.

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

One night 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 taking on a life of their own.

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 from the past 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.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
*
My thoughts: happy pub day to this YA thriller, thank you so much @wednesdaybooks for the gifted copy! I would compare this to I know what you did last summer with that movie having much higher stakes. I found the secrets they were hiding to be not worth the black mail 😅I just kept having to remind myself that they were teens. Overall a good mystery with a fun concept but the secrets could have been more intense to warrant all the black mail.
*
This one reminded me of I Know What You Did Last Summer so my QOTD is what’s your favorite scary movie?! 👻
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#secretsneverdie #vinceralph #wednesdaybooks #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booksofig #bookworm #bookwormsunite #booklover #booknerd #readersofinstagram #readersgonnaread #readmorebooks #bookish #bibliophile #boo

Whether you're looking to add to your spooky season TBR or looking for a book to read around the evening campfire, Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph has got you covered!

Sam and his friends hold yearly funerals for their secrets until those very secrets suddenly start coming back to haunt them. Now Sam is trying to figure out who is blackmailing them, who can be trusted, and how to keep their secrets buried.

An abandoned hut in the woods called the Dark Place instantly makes for the perfect setting, and when you throw in a small town urban legend and "friendly" games meant to terrify even the unnerved, it all contributes to a spine tingling atmosphere. This thriller took me back to reading R. L. Stine's Goosebumps, and watching I Know What You Did Last Summer, and Scream from the 90s.

A roller coaster ride of terror, making my heart pound, and keeping me guessing at the who and why - this is one to read with the lights on!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for the complimentary copy to read and review.

“You can’t always look away from scary things. Sometimes they’ll come for you regardless.”

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Every year, a group of friends hold “funerals” for their secrets from that year. It’s a fun game they’ve played since they were young, it also helps lift some of the weight of the secrets. Except this year, their secrets are coming to tear them apart and be held out for everyone to see.

I found this one was creative in the creepiness. It starts out with a few events that really didn’t rankle me much. But as it progressed, the events got worse and worse to the point where I was feeling the creeps! The creepiness was done in a way that was purely psychological but was very effective. Brilliant planning on the authors part.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the copy!

The book releases August 29, 2023.

Oh I liked this story. The concept of stating your massive mistakes in secretive place on Halloween? Um yes! Where do secrets go? Where do those we create end up? Talking about it lends energy - these high schoolers quickly find out after their annual tradition. Creative and fun.

A place to whisper your secrets once a year so they don’t burden you? Sounds like a perfect setup for some fantastic secrets. Alas, we got something else. The secrets are so tame that they hardly seem exploitable. I felt like we were dealing with 10-year-olds who didn’t know any better, as the secrets weren’t worth hiding and definitely not worth what they did because of blackmail.

The cover and five-year-old prodigy Molly are the stars of this show. Her insight was thoughtful, and while the scenes involving her didn’t move the story along, I enjoyed them much more than the secrets.

And really, we learn that maybe you should actually deal with your problems instead of whispering them into the dark.

My thanks to St. Martin’s for the advanced copy.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph is his best YA thriller yet! IMO….
I’ve enjoyed his previous titles but SND was exciting.
This one had me absolutely glued to the pages.
The author does such a great job describing the characters and setting.
A perfect YA thriller with lots of suspense and twists that you don't see coming.
Extremely well written, suspenseful it will put you on the edge.
A wonderfully crafted story with a well-executed mystery at its core.
This book will keep you flying through the pages.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Wednesday Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4/5 STARS

Genre: YA Horror/Thriller

Similar Books:
Five Survive
There’s Someone Inside Your House

Synopsis:
Every Halloween a group of friends tell their darkest secrets in a secluded cabin to rid themselves of the guilt of their mistakes. Until someone finds out the secrets and blackmails them.

This is a YA horror perfect for fall/spooky season. The chapters are really short and I was able to read it in one sitting. There are a lot of twists and turns with a very surprise ending. Once I finished, I wanted to go back and reread some of the clues/foreshadowing I picked up on. This is my first book from this author, but I will definitely read more!

Thank you Wednesday Books for the gifted copy! 🤫