Can I start with how AMAZING queer horror is right now? Despite what the Governor of Florida is saying, it's a golden time to be gay. 🌈

Stay true, my queer weirdos.

Now, to THE BOOK OF LIVING SECRETS. I've been a fan of @authoroux since ASYLUM. She's an expert at that classic gothic-style creeping dread, and she doesn't disappoint in SECRETS.

Connie and Adelle are obsessed with the gothic romance novel "Moira," and when a creepy guy in a witch store (very R.L Stine evil costume shop style) offers to bring them into the world of the book, they go for it.

The girls are transported into a Silent Hill-esque nightmare version of "Moira's" Boston. Roux juggles a lot here: the plot is layered as a story within story within story, and characterizations evolve as the people who populate the original world of "Moira" are affected by Connie and Adelle, the interlopers from the real world.

The style keeps the narrative fresh, but it also requires close attention. I re-read passages a lot.

SECRETS sticks to its Gothic genre promises but also packs the punch of cosmic horror monsters (hence all the tentacles on the cover). Roux delivers on jarring, gruesome descriptions of tortured beasts. My imagination wanted to block out the Befouler. YIKES.

There's one part of this book that left me heartbroken: Mississippi McClaren. Missi the fierce, queer, cowgirl is a character I wanted to adore. But, I wasn't able to get past the cartoonish, Wild West dialogue. I don't doubt Roux is thoughtful about characterization, but Missi didn't land for me. She was Yosemite Sam in my head, always. "Giddy up and yee haw!"

SECRETS discusses sensitive topics like suicide (under mind control conditions, but still), anxiety and panic attacks, and coming out.

Thanks to @harpercollins and @netgalley for the advanced reader e-book!

What's next? Time to dive into MY DARKEST DEAREST by @kcottcan. Are queers reclaiming Lovecraftian horror as their own? I'm here for it.

The Book of Living Secrets has an absolutely fascinating premise. Who wouldn’t want to go into the world of their favourite book with their best friend? But of course, it’s much different and darker than anyone could have expected. I’m actually a bit miffed that the blurb didn’t focus enough on how dark, eerie and horroresque this was going to be, complete with monsters and all.

I love how both Adelle and Connie get dropped into different times and circumstances of the book which makes it all the more interesting to stumble around and grow. Connie lands up with the vagabond villains while Adelle is partying with the rich main characters. It’s beautiful how the author paints a contrast in the society of Moira and the social class differences that form the so-called villains and heroes of the book. I found it to be a fantastic way to explore the worldbuilding of Moira quickly and effectively. It was also really fun to read excerpts from the actual book Moira and then look at the changing world as our two protagonists stepped into it.

There is something to be said of how much you can read into characters when you’re reading a book. As readers, we get attached to their strengths and the beautiful parts of their souls. Sometimes we ignore their darker sides or follies and vice-versa with villains and side characters. We put these characters on a pedestal and at some point, these characters are not what the author wrote them to be but become characters who carry all our desires and wishes. We mould them to be who we want at times and I love how we see a reflection of that in The Book of Living Secrets.

I got 10% into the book and just couldn’t connect with the writing style. The characters seemed more immature than usual YA characters and I just didn’t quite understand what was happening. The POV was confusing especially when it changed from Adelle to Connie. I wasn’t always sure who I was reading about.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this to review! The premise of this book sounded fascinating, so I was excited to pick it up. Especially looking at that cover! Even if I prefer to read dark and spooky things in fall. This will be a great book to add to that list!

I definitely got Lovecraftian vibes all throughout this book. I mean, look at the tentacles on the cover. Should have been your first clue that there might be some Cthlulu action going on. While it was always easy to follow what was happening when Adelle and Connie were in the world of Moira, I think that was part of the point. It added to the mystery of the novel, and also kind of fit that kind of horror genre.

For the most part, the characters were pretty well developed. Connie's struggle coming to terms with her sexuality and figuring that out especially felt well done. Her and Adelle have some great friendship moments, which helps balance some of the darker elements of the gothic horror plot.

Book lovers who have always wanted to dive into their favorite books will also find Addie and Connie relatable. Even though some of the world building could have been a bit stronger, the characters and the basic bones of the plot definitely make up for it.

All in all, if you're looking for book themed horror, you'll definitely fall in love with The Book of Living Secrets!

Loved the concept of this book! Connie and Adelle were fun characters to get to know. I really enjoyed how the aithor portrayed Connie's struggles with admitting her attraction to girls and Adelle wanting to meet her bookish crush. I loved that by entering the story and interacting with the characters it created an almost butterfly effect causing the story they entered to morph and change. I appreciated the snippets of the Moira at the beginnings of the chapters, giving you a glimpse into the original story. I enjoyed watching these characters learn about themselves, their strengths and to change their views on the orginal story. The ending - wow - so surprising!!!

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it the young adult group who love paranormal romance.

Unfortunately, this book felt full of promise based on the cover and the summary but ultimately and unfortunately was a letdown.

Starting with the characters, of the two Connie is easily my favorite. My biggest hangup about the characters in this book is that they all felt flat to me (same with the rest of the book, but we’ll get there). Adelle was so dull! It’s like the only thing that was driving her in this book was her obsession with the world of Moira. And then, when she realized that not everything was as it seemed, she just kind of moved along with the story and didn’t seem to do much of anything on her own. At least Connie was doing her best to take steps toward reuniting with Adelle and escaping the book. She risked a lot throughout the book and helped the plot move along. I still feel like she was a little dull, however. Nothing really drew me close to her. There weren’t really any bonding moments that I felt between the reader and the characters, so ultimately I was disinterested in them.

The plot was, again, theoretically really cool and yet ruined upon execution. I guess objectively the events were interesting and thrilling but I still just wasn’t feeling anything while I was reading. I find it so hard to be interested in a book when I’m not interested in the characters, so I’m sure that readers more interested in the characters will be much more into the plot than I was. I don’t want to spoil anything but a lot happens throughout the book that’s meant to be exciting.

I will say that other than right at the beginning, I think the pacing was good. Connie’s portion at the beginning was a little confusing because it’s made to sound like she just sits around for a few days, if not weeks, before deciding to do anything. I know it must be shocking to find yourself inside an inside out version of your favorite book but it just felt like it was really brushed over to the point where I was wondering why it was even included in the first place. Other than that, the pacing remained fast and consistent.

There were quite a few parts of the book that were predictable that I think were meant to be plot twists. Not predictable like how in romance books you know that the characters will fall in love but the journey there is still filled with surprises. Instead it was obviously seeing where the “twists” would come in and finding yourself wondering why it took so long to get there because you saw it coming for so long. This book just really wasn’t grabbing my attention at all. I didn’t care about the characters because they were so dull and I didn’t care about the plot because it was so predictable. Despite the fast pace and the plethora of action scenes none of it felt thrilling or shocking.

I liked the cover, the majority of the pacing, and I didn’t hate the ending. There was some lgbtq+ rep in the book and that’s always nice to see more of in media. That being said, I personally wouldn’t recommend this book. I just didn’t feel any connection to what I was reading and often contemplated dnfing it. It’s not like it was bad per say, like there wasn’t anything that I hated or that drove me crazy. The problem is there wasn’t anything that really made me feel much of anything. Like I said before, I think that readers who like the characters will really like the book. I’m just not one of them.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order this year and will recommend it to students.

Rating: 1⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for gifting me an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the idea of this book. Falling into one of your favourite books sounds like a booknerd’s dream! Adelle and Connie seem to think so, but their favourite book isn’t all it seems to be.

I read the first 100 pages before becoming bored and skimming the next 100ish. Then I decided to jump right to the end. I was able to predict the ending just from skimming the first little bit. That was a let down.

This story moved so fast and left no space for growth. Within the first few chapters, the girls had fallen into their favourite book and one had been whisked off to the mansion and the other had been kidnapped. There’s was a lot of action in this book but there was no story growth. It all felt like it was there just to be there. Like the characters that kidnapped Connie. There was no mention of them in the book Connie was familiar with but they were present when she was magically transported into the story. That’s just weird. The majority of the beginning had me rolling my eyes at the cliches that were included. And the end wasn’t anything spectacular either. It was predictable and cliche.

I really wanted to like this book but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

This book immediately pulled me into the story, I Mean who doesn’t want to magically be a part of their favorite book. I loved the writing style and how perfectly the characters were written, Once Adelle and Connie arrive at the book separately, all is quickly revealed to be not as perfect as they thought. This was a very well written and sometimes spooky gothic novel, and I loved every second of it.

Thank you to the publisher, Harper Collins Canada, HCC Frenzy, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Best friends Adelle and Connie are huge fans of an obscure gothic romance novel called Moira. When the owner of an occult shop they like to frequent tells them of a spell that would allow them to enter the world of Moira and experience it for themselves, they are skeptical, but agree. But when they enter the book, nothing is as they remember it from the story. Far from the setting of fancy balls and secret romances that they expected, a monster lurks in the shadows, causing terrifying dreams and luring people to their deaths with a mysterious hypnotic power. The longer they stay in the world of Moira, the more things change, and the friends must figure out not only how to stop the monster, but also return home before it’s too late.

When I saw the blurb for this book, my first thought was the Inkheart series, which I absolutely loved back in middle school that also starts on a very similar premise. I daresay it would be any reader’s dream to enter their favorite book and interact with the world and characters, so there was little chance of me not picking up this book. Despite knowing from the synopsis that this was going to take a dark turn at some point, I wasn’t really prepared for something quite so H.P. Lovecraft-esque. Horror is not my genre of choice, yet this book jumps straight into the action, which is always a plus point in my book and it had me curious enough to keep reading. The world building unfortunately was quite choppy, and I couldn’t wrap my head around Moira’s Boston, or even properly visualize the setting, making this a rather confusing read at times. The writing was pretty good however, and the pacing remained consistent throughout.

The characters were interesting, though not very well developed in my opinion. This book is really more plot focused, and while there was a decent character arc for both Adelle and Connie, they were not as in depth as they could have been. One thing I did like was that upon entering the book, the two friends are separated immediately, landing in completely different places, which not only provides the opportunity to see what later turns out to be the two sides of the conflict, but also allows the reader to get to understand each of their characters separately. The two of them see a drastically different side of the world they love and come to understand the vast social and economic disparities that exist even in this fictional world (something the main character of the book, Moira, was utterly oblivious to), which was a nice touch. The other characters they know are also quite different when they meet them in person, and are much more than they seemed on paper.

Ultimately, I think it was the shaky world building that caused me to lower my rating of this book. More logic and explanation about the monster would have helped things greatly too. There were also several plot points left unresolved at the end of the book, which was rather annoying. Additionally, I didn’t like that the epilogue took place a couple of years after they return from Moira. Their returning to the real world, and whatever consequences followed (there should have been plenty considering they were missing for several days at least and one of them was seriously injured) was all completely glossed over.

While the ending itself turned out to be a bit rushed and chaotic, the last few lines of the epilogue were the shocking part. And given that particular reveal, I really hope that there will be a sequel – I would certainly read it! Overall, this was an enjoyable read and I would definitely recommend this book for fantasy fans!

☆☆☆☆ /5
(english review below)

Ce roman raconte tout simplement une jolie histoire d’amitié entre deux jeunes filles qui vont entrer dans leur livre favori. Et quelle histoire sombre et intéressante.
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Peu importe à quel point Adelle et Connie sont différentes, une chose qu'elles ont toujours eu en commun est leur amour pour un roman d'amour gothique peu connu appelé « Moira ». Ainsi, lorsque les filles sont tentées par un homme mystérieux d'entrer dans le monde du livre, elles se doutent à peine que cela fonctionnera. Mais soudain, ils sont dans le monde de « Moira », vivant parmi des personnages qui les obsèdent depuis des années.
Sauf que… tout n'est pas comme elles s'en souvenaient. Le monde a été bouleversé : les bals somptueux et les amours maudites sont désormais entrelacés d'horreurs indicibles. Les filles se rendent compte que quelque chose de sombre se cache derrière leur incursion dans la fiction - et elles devront réécrire leur propre histoire si elles espèrent échapper à ce cauchemar.
¤
J’ai beaucoup apprécié l’idée principale de faire plonger les protagonistes dans l’histoire de leur roman favori. Cela donnait l’impression de lire une histoire dans une histoire. Mais ne ressemblant pas du tout à une fanfiction de la dite histoire, impression que j’ai pu avoir avec d’autres titres ayant eu un fil conducteur similaire, l’autrice a apporté des petits twists qui ont rendu son roman original.
Adelle et Connie sont deux jeunes filles que j’ai beaucoup aimé découvrir. Bien que différentes, elles se complètent. Leur amitié était belle à voir, c’était touchant. Je pense qu’elles sont la définition même du ou de la meilleur.e ami.e que chaque personne rêverait d’avoir. Leur amitié s’est d’ailleurs retrouvée plus solidifiée au fil des aventures auxquelles elles sont confrontées.
J’ai bien aimé voir que le monde du livre qu’elle connaissait après l’avoir lu maints et maints fois soit totalement différent, sombre et désordonné. Cela a donné une impression d’urgence et de tension qui s’est ajouté à l’ambiance lourde que l’autrice a instauré dans son récit. Finalement, Adelle et Connie ont dû réécrire l’histoire pour se sortir des problèmes et c’était franchement intéressant de connaître leurs choix et donc de voir l’intrigue changer en conséquence.

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ENGLISH REVIEW

This book simply tells a nice story of friendship between two young girls who will enter their favorite book. And what a dark and interesting story.
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No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, one thing they’ve always had in common is their love of a little-known gothic romance novel called "Moira". So when the girls are tempted by a mysterious man to enter the world of the book, they hardly suspect it will work. But suddenly they are in the world of Moira, living among characters they’ve obsessed about for years.
Except…all is not how they remembered it. The world has been turned upside down: The lavish balls and star-crossed love affairs are now interlaced with unspeakable horrors. The girls realize that something dark is lurking behind their foray into fiction—and they will have to rewrite their own arcs if they hope to escape this nightmare with their lives.
¤
I really liked the main idea of plunging the protagonists into the story of their favorite book. It felt like reading a story within a story. But not at all resembling a fanfiction of the said story, an impression I may have had with other titles having had a similar common thread, the author brought small twists which made her book original.
Adelle and Connie are two young girls that I really enjoyed discovering. Although different, they complement each other. Their friendship was beautiful to see and it was touching. I think they’re the true definition of the best friend that every person would dream of having. Their friendship has also become more solidified over the adventures they face.
I liked seeing that the world of the book she knew after reading it over and over again was totally different, dark and messy. This gave an impression of urgency and tension which added to the heavy atmosphere that the author established in her story. Eventually, Adelle and Connie had to rewrite the story to get out of trouble and it was frankly interesting to know their choices and therefore see the plot change accordingly.

Connie & Adelle are two outcasts who rather hang out at the local occult store then go to the school dance. When they are given the opportunity to enter their favourite cult classic novel , they jump at the chance. But the world within the novel is not as it seems and the girls must use their knowledge of the story to save it.

Imagine being stuck inside your favourite book...but it’s twisted and f***ed up, and so are the characters!

Roux created a very dark and creepy world that I was hooked on. From witchy vibes, to dark disgusting monsters, to chivalrous men, to badass cowgirls I couldn't put it down. Definitely curious to check out other works by her.

No matter how different best friends Adelle and Connie are, they always have their favorite book Moira to bring them together. When a mysterious stranger offers them a chance to enter the world of this gothic romance, they never think it will work. And yet, suddenly they’re surrounded by their favorite characters, in a world almost like that of their favorite book. Something dark lurks behind the star-crossed romance and lavish parties, however, and the friends must question everything they think they know if they want to survive.

I wanted to love this book, but just couldn't quite get there. It has so many elements I thought I would love, but once the girls jump into Moira, the world-building and development just isn't there. Time passes strangely and the climax feels dragged out over several chapters. The actual ending, on the other hand, is super abrupt. Utlimately, this one just wasn't right for me.

Adelle and Connie are two best friends that don't really fit in with the popular girls at school but have bonded over their love of the occult and a gothic romance novel named Moira . So much so that instead of attending their school dance, they participate in a ritual to get transported inside Moira . Once they arrive, everything is twisted and not how they remember their beloved story. The main characters they loved are not as they imagined, and the side characters are really given the chance to shine. But the most surprising thing is that the idyllic romance novel has turned into a dark apocalyptic horror filled with monsters, strange prophecies, and whispering voices. While trying to outrun the danger and make sense of what's happening, the girls must also collect the materials necessary to return back to their own world.

This book was so creepy! The descriptions of the monsters and the "wound" gave me actual chills. It had a very dark and disturbing overtone, so if you're into horror stories I think you will like this one as it certainly delivers on that front. However, there is no real logic or explanation to any of the things that happen which was my largest issue with the book. For most of it I didn't understand what was happening or why and there was no resolution or explanation at the end. So if you don't mind an open ended conclusion and you like really creepy settings, you'll probably like this one, but if you're like me and you like logical world building and everything to have an explanation, you probably won't like it as much.

As someone who is primarily obsessed with fictional worlds, falling into your favorite might sound like a good idea. For me, I'd just basically immediately die. My fictional worlds are not safe for me. So The Book of Living Secrets is perfect for fans of The Hazel Wood because not only does it have that vibe, but the supernatural elements are similarly eerie. It's like walking into a world you think you know, only to find it a shade away from what you expect. Except for them there's not only more privilege issues than their MC cared about, but also some supernatural monster?

There's a strong sense of suspense and mystery in The Book of Living Secrets. Roux balances not only a quest to unravel the secrets of this new world, but also the hope of Adelle and Connie to go home - if they can. It's a nightmare of deserted streets and empty houses. However, what initially struck me about The Book of Living Secrets was the inequalities. How Connie and Adelle are dropped into different economic stratas. They both discover that there is more inequity in their favorite fictional world than they thought. That the privileged lives of their favorites always come at a cost.

Wow—twisted, magical & such a strong friendship! 3.5 stars rounded up :)

This story is about two best friends who are transported into their favorite book. Except where they end up is not how they remember from their reading.

I really enjoyed the first half of the book. The main characters were well written and I liked learning more about their backgrounds, and the queer rep! I was spooked a bit by the mysterious magic that brings them into their favorite story. The jump into the other story was intriguing but really confusing at times. I felt the side characters were SO interesting but it never hit the mark completely.

Still looking forward to what the author does next—and i for one loved the last few pages!!!

The Book of Living Secrets is about two girls jumping inside their favorite book, but in doing so opening tears in the world letting the dangerous creatures and changes into their beloved story. When a wish goes wrong, what will you do to survive?

This book had really charming moments, especially as it explores a main character vs side character dichotomy. Main characters don’t necessarily get their flaws elaborated upon and can be disappointing to meet in real life, while side characters might just steal the spotlight if you have to live among them.

Without getting into spoiler territory, the C plot of magical curse summoning was really cool and the last two pages of the book absolutely shocked me. I was really impressed by it, but also really bewildered by how it could happen with no foreshadowing. These last two pages really defined my rating as it left me rattled and in awe, but also confused and slightly disappointed? The book is really solid until that point so I really think how you end up feeling about that last chapter will define everyone’s ratings for this really creative story!

When given an opportunity, by the owner of an occultist shop they frequent, to visit the world of a Victorian romance book they have adored for years, Connie and Adelle skeptically take advantage. Once they find themselves inside, they discover the book has changed from their version and continues to do so the longer they visit. Rather than all romance and fancy balls, a monster plagues the community with hypnotic, destructive powers luring citizens to their doom. Characters are not what they had initially seemed. Heroes are more villainous and lackluster secondary characters take the heroic roles. And what dark intentions are pulling the two girls into this dangerous world.

Roux is an autobuy for our high school library where her Asylum series continues to be one of the most popular in our collection. Roux’s authorship, the cover art and premise make The Book of Living Secrets a quick lure, especially for the bookish. Anyone who has considered the joy of jumping into a favorite book or readers who think they want a creepy book but get overwhelmed with “too much” are in for a treat. A book that easily spans grade 7 - 10 readers. For all the bookish hearts who see their stories as living beings of their own this is pure #booklove. A quick pick for readers who enjoyed Devil Makes Three by Tori Bovalino.

The Book of Living Secrets is a wonderful concept. I immediately fell in love with the two main characters and their friendship, but once they are transported inside their favorite book, the story kind of began to fall apart for me. Their first few days in this new world are just sort of skipped over, which disappointed me as a reader. I wanted to hear more about that part of the story.

DNF @ 15%

Unfortunately, this book just was not for me at the moment. The writing was okay and the premise is really cool, but it just didn't really captivate me and I don't find myself wanting to pick this back up. I may give this one another go when it is released on audio and see if I like it better in that format, but for now, I'm going to have to pass on it.