This book had the exact same plot as the last YA thriller I read, down to the reveal and the motive. While that was a bit disappointing, Seven Dirty Secrets gets the credit because it came out first and the writing was better overall.

I did love the scavenger hunt aspect and figuring out the clues. I liked Cleo and Hope's characters and their friendship--everyone needs a friend like Hope!

It was interesting enough, but I did want a little more from it.

This audiobook has a really good narrator. It’s a well developed dark thriller that’s such a neat topic with a scavenger hunt.
Thank you, Natalie D. Richards, Dreamscape & Netgalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

Told in first person point of view from Cleo, the reader is introduced to so many characters that I found it not only hard to keep it all straight, but started to get dizzy with all the who did what and to who merry-go-round.

In a nutshell, one year after her abusive boyfriend dies on a rafting trip, on her eighteenth birthday, Cleo finds a box in her home after she gets out of the shower. As she was the only person in the home, she has no idea who the sender is and the contents and clues are an invitation to a scavenger hunt. Sounds pretty interesting, right? Especially as the clues all point to her dead boyfriend, Declan, and the threat that if she doesn’t complete the scavenger hunt in time, this unknown person will ruin her life and tell everyone what really happened. Cleo ran track in high school and is looking to get into college to study forensics, so she has a lot to lose. Of course, I immediately assumed that Declan wasn’t dead, but has decided being the abusive jerk is fun and wants to torment Cleo, but that got old really quick and the only thing motivating me to continue was to just find out who was behind this and why.

There are several flashback scenes where the reader gets more than a passing introduction to Declan and the levels he would go to hurt Cleo, often without remorse. Major trigger warning for me and to be honest, pushed some hot buttons that nobody noticed what was happening to Cleo. It shouldn’t have surprised me as Cleo, her brother and all these so-called friends keep a lot of secrets, themselves. I didn’t rate this book higher than I am because I felt almost zero sympathy or compassion for any of them and when the identity of the person behind it is finally revealed, it wasn’t a surprise and really anti-climactic.

The narration performance by Natasha Soudek was well done. She demonstrated appropriate levels of emotion and tension to make the situation Cleo and her friends are going through realistic.

My Final Verdict: This was my first book by this author and though overall, I found the book to be just OK, I would be willing to read more of her work. The premise of the story was amazing and is what drew me to the story in the first place, but the delivery left me disappointed.

this was pretty good. it had a twist I didn't see coming however I did find the ending to be predictable. I really enjoyed the story line I just wish it ended differently.

unfortunately this book was
not for me. while the first book from the author, the narrator ruined it for me.

What a spectacular book! On Cleo’s 18th birthday she receives a box, inside it is a note sending her on a scavenger hunt around Columbus. That would be fun, except each stop has something to do with her and her former boyfriend. The one who drowned last year at the river. Did he not drown? Is he after her?

What a ride this book takes you on! Around every corner is a new twist, or at least a turn.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I previously read Five Total Strangers earlier this year and very much enjoyed it. This one was also a solid thriller.

This was incredibly fast paced; I didn’t want to put it down. Plus, I also thought Cleo and Hope specifically were well fleshed out characters. I need a best friend like Hope in my life ASAP.

Anyways, I don’t have much else to say. Though I did think this was a little predictable, I didn’t see the ending twist coming AT. ALL.

Overall, I would recommend this (and Five Total Strangers). I also hope to read this authors backlist books as well.

Thank you Dreamscape Media, Natalie Richards, and Netgalley for this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion. The narration was good, The plot kept you intrigued to find out who was behind the scavenger hunt. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 solid stars.

This book is based on a familiar thriller formula - something terrible happened and at the one year anniversary mysterious messages start arriving that seem determined to bring those secrets to light. We are presented with a person missing, presumed dead, so the clues suggest that the missing person might not be dead after all. This one was less successful than others I've read. The alternative realities that the characters never consider seemed obvious to me. While the scavenger hunt was decent and well paced, the ending was chaotic and dragged on a bit too long.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Hmmmm..... I enjoyed the plot. That was about it.

Just because the characters are not "Adults" doesn't mean that they have it easy and live carefree lives. Richards consistently writes one-sitting suspense. She has a way of making the readers think, whether it is about the situation or the characters, all are complex.

Thanks for #netgalley and #dreanscapemedia for a copy of this book for an honest review.

After reading the seven secrets in the blurb, I knew I had to request a copy of this book from this author. Those secrets--- "I know seven secrets: One caused the fall. One did nothing. One saw it all. One didn’t care. One used their head. One played the hero. One was left for dead." kept me compelled to finish the book sooner than I would have normally. I had to know what the secret was and I figured it out early. This is not a deal breaker for me, as I enjoyed the story and was invested into the characters. It had a good plot and twist anyways but I think the narrator could have added some emotionality to the reading to heighten the experience for the audiobook. This is not my last book by this author by any means!

One caused the fall.
One did nothing.
One saw it all.
One didn’t care.
One used their head.
One played the hero.
One was left dead

Cleo is determined to find the identity of the person who sent her a mysterious gift inviting her to a scavenger hunt. All roads lead to dead boyfriend. Guilt and fear are cleo's constant companios in this YA thriller. I was engaged from start to finish. The big reaveal was surprising and worth the wait. The narrator added to the feel of constant mystery and foreboding. . Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my audiobook.

Seven Dirty Secrets that no one is telling. Here’s a truth that’s not a secret - someone is dead and someone else is being forced to complete a deadly scavenger hunt so those secrets don’t get revealed.

Only two people know the significance of the scavenger hunt clues but one of them is dead. Or are they?

Who is behind the game and why?

The narrator and story had me hanging on to the story long after I’d finished listening to it. Can you figure it out?

I think a lot of people will like this book. Its starts off fast and you are right in the thick of things practically from page one. I listened to the audiobook and found that it just didn't keep my attention. Not sure if it was the narrator or the story itself.

The narrator was excellent and kept things interesting. The premise was great and this made for a good YA novel. Would recommend to a friend!

Natalie Richards is a favourite YA author who can deliver a plot twist. The narration for Seven Dirty Secrets was excellent, and brings the reader into the story. The plot was a slow burn leading up to a slightly predictable plot twist, but the scavenger hunt element compels the reader to keep reading/listening.

3 stars for enjoyment

I know seven secrets:
One caused the fall. One did nothing. One saw it all.
One didn’t care. One used their head. One played the hero.
One was left for dead.

For her 18th bday, Cleo get a mysterious invitation to a scavenger hunt. Two of her best friends deny sending it, but she is still convinced they are behind it. Cleo takes hope on her hunt and light fun starts to get darker when the clues begin to feel familiar - they all seem to be about Cyrus, Cleo’s bf who died the previous year during a rafting group outing.

As if the clues weren’t enough, Cleo soon starts getting phone calls from someone who sounds like Cyrus asking “You ready?”

As the clock on the scavenger hunt ticks down, it becomes clear that someone knows what really happened to Cyrus. And that person will stop at nothing to make sure Cleo and her friends pay. Can they solve the hunt before someone else winds up dead?

Seven Dirty Secrets had a lot of potential and unfortunetely it didn't quite deliver what I was expecting. I really enjoyed the plot, Richards played very fair, and the solution didn't feel forced. What really let me down was the believability of the characters - the characters themselves were fairly developed, but they read younger than their age in maturity and much older in the freedom they had. Also, let's say I have never met a group of people as connected to serendipity.

Natasha Soudek's narration elevated the plot, having read the book and listened to the audiobook, I can say that I enjoyed this version more. Natasha made it easy for me to be invested in the characters and on the edge of my seat to find out what is happening.

Not sure if I am making sense, so TL;DR this is a fast paced YA thriller, if you don't take it too seriously, it is very enjoyable. I am sure many people will love it, even though it didn't quite do it for me. I recommend the audiobook version.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Seven Dirty Secrets.

This YA mystery/thriller centers around a very creepy scavenger hunt, which captured my attention from the beginning and kept my focus until the end. I wasn't able to figure out who was behind the hunt until it was actually revealed to me which I appreciated. The reasons for it were quite interesting as well. I enjoyed most of the characters in this, despite how ridiculous some of their decisions and behavior were. I expect this in YA novels though given how immature the characters typically are. I really liked that this touched on some heavy themes and did such a great job of bringing up awareness of domestic violence and how it can affect various aspects of someone's life. I thought this was a nicely added element of the book and brought some real depth to it. Overall, I thought the plot was quite interested and enjoyed the audio narration. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape media for giving me an advanced review copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really fast read and I am glad that the pacing was good because the rest of the book was not...
The writing is bland and the characters are very stereotypical for a YA thriller. The twist was unexpected but not in a good way. In addition to that, the narrator did a very mediocre job.