
Member Reviews

This novel is beautifully written and incredibly engrossing, despite the underlying sadness caused by Becky's grief; it shows a picture of a complicated family, with all the joys and problems that come when family members tell each other lies in an attempt to not upset each other. I read it in a day.
This is a novel I wish had already been written when I was Becky's age; there simply were no books about Jewish tweens that treated Judaism as a normal, everyday fact of life. I did not realize until I read this one how much such a novel had been missing in my life. So many novels about Jewish youth involve the youth giving up some part of their Judaism to fit better into modern society, but this one doesn't; instead, it shows Becky grappling with significant religious rite - her Bat Mitzvah - and how to fit it into all the other things that she needs, and wants, to do. Her sister Sara's struggles with falling in love with a wonderful young man who happens to not be Jewish - especially when their cousin has been largely disinherited by her parents for marrying her non-Jewish husband - is another theme that is often missing from young adult literature.
Yes, there is grief here; the loss that Becky experiences is deep and profound, but it is told with such compassion that it enhances the story, rather than overwhelming it. This novel is appropriate for all readers ages middle school to adult, although younger readers - especially those who have experienced the loss of a family member or close friend due to accident - may benefit from discussing it as they read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book provided by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lovingly written, telling the story of a Becky, who is reluctantly preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, with the extra pressure of being the daughter of a rabbi and standing in the shadow of her two older siblings who Becky feels did far better with their bar/bat mitzvahs than she could ever do. Besides, she’d much rather be playing her flute and competing to be in the all-county band. Defying her parents, she secretly auditions. Confiding in her older sister, she discovers her sister has some secrets too. And of course, secrets have consequences. Highly recommended. Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for preview copy.

Man. One of the biggest gut punches in kid lit since Bridge to Terebithia. I was really into Part One of the story, and I kept hoping that the ominous "now" segments would be revealed as less of a crisis than they seemed. But no, the story really went exactly where I was so scared it was going to go. It feels a little choppy and a little uneven, but I think that actually makes the tragedy ring truer. On a happier note, it was refreshing to read about a close-knit family, and I loved all of the insights into Judaism and life as a rabbi's kid.

This book was surprisingly tragic despite the cutesy cover and somewhat vague description of a coming-of-age story that tackles aspects of grief. I did enjoy the book as I was reading it but found myself hesitant to pick it up and settle into it once I reached about the midway point of the book. Naomi Milliner's writing is engaging and relatively fast-paced, which is perfect for the middle grade audience that it is aimed at. The structure of the first half of the book, in which we jump back and forth between "before" and "after" the incident, builds tension with regard to who our protagonist, Becky, will be grieving the loss of. The characters are well established and likable, which makes the reveal so much more heartbreaking.
Without giving too much away, the book takes place over a few months within the lives of Becky Myerson's traditional Jewish family. Becky is the third child of four with an older brother and sister and one younger brother. Her relationship with her family, friends, and her faith are centered in the text. Becky is in middle school and a talented musician. Her older sister Sara is a gifted singer. The two sisters have a strong bond and share everything with one another. This includes some major secrets that neither wants their rabbi father for fear of his disapproval. Eventually, the family is dealt a tragic blow, and the family is left to process their grief in varying ways. The depiction of which is shown with both productive and harmful outcomes. Overall, this is a book that can be beneficial for young teens that are dealing with loss and attempting to navigate their own grief.
I will add that there was one part of the text that really bothered me and continues to bother me still. No spoilers, but at the opening, Becky is trying to figure out what to wear to a funeral. The scene is written as intentionally misleading, and it left me with a slightly soured opinion of the book. I was bothered that Milliner immediately set up the book with an event that shifts at the halfway point. It felt unnecessary and cheap as it seemed to be a way to intentionally throw the reader off when making predictions based on the context. If the narrator was fully unreliable it would have fit, but this is the only time this happens, and I was bothered enough to keep from giving it a full five stars. Otherwise, I still think the book holds a lot of value for young readers that are able to handle emotionally heavy material.

I am still recovering from the book. It was such an amazing read. I formed a connection with each character and every event seemed personal. It was wonderfully written and navigates the life of Rebecca in a quite invigorating way. I am not a jew and didn't know much about their traditions but this book was relatable in so many levels. It is heavy with feelings but sways you into reflection. Not just middle schoolers, this book should be read by anyone looking for a close knit family scape. The only weakness was the description which was partially misleading.

Despite reading the synopsis, I was unprepared for how sad this book would be. This is a story about the consequences of keeping secrets, whether they are mostly harmless, like forging your parents' signature so you can audition for all-county band, to the more serious, like hiding a relationship that you know they would disapprove of. But it's also about grief, how it can affect people differently, and how to move past it.
I really loved the characters - they were all so endearing and had strong relationships with each other. Which made this story hurt so much more. I was sobbing by the end, which is why it earned a five-star rating. If a book can make me cry like that, it's worthy of that rating. I also loved the emphasis on music and its healing power.

It’s hard to be perfect. Becky needs to have the perfect Bat mitzvah to live up to the expectations of her rabbi father, and those set by her older siblings. Except that she doesn’t feel comfortable, like herself when doing the prep for it-but she does love playing the flute, and really wants to make the honor band.
Her older sister, Sara, faces pressure, too. She’s a star actress and singer, but has requirements placed on her due to being a Rabbi’s daughter as well-meet, date, and marry the right, Jewish, guy.
When both sisters end up keeping each other’s secrets, things go bad. Really bad. Tragically bad. Can’t ever be fixed bad. Yet somehow, life needs to go on.
Kids who feel pressure will find this book very familiar and, hopefully, ultimately comforting. Kids who have experienced losses may find it difficult to read, overall, an excellent MG novel.

What started as a cute story about a middle schooler wanting to play flute in a prestigious group turned really sad but ended with a message of hope. This is a very on-target read for its intended audience. While there is a sense of foreboding sprinkled throughout which foreshadows what happens, it makes the struggle of family members and grief accessible for pre-teens.
This book did get a significant reaction out of me, and I always appreciate the stories where that happens. As a former flute-playing middle schooler, I really connected to Becky. I would definitely recommend for kids 11-14, especially ones who have siblings and love music.
Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

60/100 or 3.0 stars
I am sure the target audience will like this one. I couldn't get into the story. The characters were falling a little flat for me and I couldn't get into the story. I got to the 25% mark and realized I did not care what was happening, so I decided to DNF. I do think there will probably be good messages and lessons in here for middle grade readers, so I am giving it 3 stars.

This book is a treasure.
This book is by turns funny, heartwarming, sad, and sweet but ultimately its a tale of love, hope, and family. While Rebecca and her family Jewish and her father a rabbi, this book is a classic coming-of-age story that would appeal to all readers. The themes are universal. I completely fell in love with this family! (If it matters, I am not Jewish. )
I just really fell in love with every character in this book. Each person is finely drawn, authentic, and feels like they could be somone I know. As a middle school English teacher, I think this one that many of my students would relate to (family, siblings, school, growing up, secrets, romance) and definitely would enjoy. I loved it as an adult! I cried three times! It was so heartwrenching and hopeful!
While I read this one in e-book format, I would love to check out the audiobook version. I feel like this one would really lend itself to strong performances. I will be checking out other books by this author.

Secrets overwhelm twelve-year-old Becky in this coming-of-age MG book.
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Becky feels a lot of pressure as she prepares for her bat mitzvah, tries to live up to her perfect older siblings’ and stay on top of flute practice—the one thing she believes she’s good at. When she secretly auditions for all-country band against her parents’ wishes, she also finds out about a secret her older sister is hiding too. Secrets have consequences and the choices we make can live with us forever.
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Sometimes MG books will make such an impact on your life that they will stay with you. Such is the case for The Trouble with Secrets. The first half of the story will pull you into a loving Jewish family with a Rabbi for a father. The second half will create a new reality for Becky and her family to navigate as best they can. I truly enjoyed this one—reading it in one sitting! Special thanks to Naomi for sharing a copy of this novel with me. You’re going to want to add this to your middle school library It releases April 8.
CW: death of a sibling, car accident, grief
4.5 ⭐️

Lovingly written, telling the story of a Becky, who is reluctantly preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, with the extra pressure of being the daughter of a rabbi and standing in the shadow of her two older siblings who Becky feels did far better with their bar/bat mitzvahs than she could ever do. Besides, she’d much rather be playing her flute and competing to be in the all-county band. Defying her parents, she secretly auditions. Confiding in her older sister, she discovers her sister has some secrets too. And of course, secrets have consequences. Highly recommended.

The first part of the book was just okay. It was nice to see a family who values each other and their time together and their relationships. It’s the second part that really got me. It showed raw and real emotions. I cried on and off through the whole second part of the story. It moved me.

This is a heartfelt story about a close, loving Jewish family and how tragedy can be overcome. With her father a Rabbi, Becky has always had to do the best she could and with her bat mitzvah coming up she is becoming a disappointment. Secrets can be bad and good but it's best not to have secrets from your parents. Love how the story reveals the life of a Jewish family.

When we first meet 7th grader Becky, she is getting ready for a funeral, and feels that her family will never be okay again. We don't find out about the tragedy for a good half of the book, and this creates a lot of tension, so I don't want to spoil it. Becky lives with her family, which includes her mother, father who is a rabbi, older siblings Jon and Sara, and younger brother Benji. She plays flute, and is very interested in trying out for the All-County band, but she hasn't been working on the preparations for her upcoming bat mitzvah. Her best friend Nipa is also in band, and encourages to keep practicing in case her parents allow her to try out. Becky is sad when Jon goes off to college, and concerned when she finds out that Sara is lying to her about where she has been. Sara is involved in a high school production of Les Miserables, and when Becky and Nipa go to school to offer to help with the play (when they really just want to spy on Sara), they find out that she is dating Sean, the son of a new pastor in town. Since their father is constantly saying that they can only marry Jewish men, and their cousin Miri is at odds with her parents because she has married a gentile, Becky is concerned. Becky is so desperate to try out for the band that after her parents say she can't, she forgets her mother's signature and does well on the audition. On New Year's Eve, hoping to start the year as a better person, she tells her parents, and they give her one week to convince them that her bat mitzvah preparations are progressing. Shortly after, a series of events spirals into tragedy, and Becky and her family spend the rest of the book navigating their way through their new reality.
Strengths: I enjoyed spending time Becky's family, and watching her relationships with her siblings. There is not enough of this in middle grade literature, considering how important family members are to tweens. Often, they are portrayed as annoyances, so the fact that Becky truly loved her siblings but got involved in their problems was refreshing. This is a great book for Jewish representation, and the fact that Becky's bat mitzvah is not quite as important as her All-County band tryout to he is also a nice change of pace. The grief that takes up most of the last third of the book is handled in a contemporary way.
Weaknesses: For the family of a rabbi, there is a lot of lying and subterfuge. There are some good cultural details about activities the close knit family does that relate to their Jewish culture, but there is surprisingly little about the religious aspects of their life. I would have expected the entire family to spend a lot more time hanging out at the synagogue; my friends whose parents were pastors practically lived at their churches. Also, the father's insistence that his children only marry other Jewish people seemed problematic in today's cultural and political climate.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked Milliner's entry in Baron's collection On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories or the extreme grief of Millington's Once For Yes.
I'll never be convinced that the way to help children process grief is to put the idea in their minds that they will "never be okay". People die. Every day. If this were true, the entire world would grind to a halt. While Becky does make some progress in coming to terms with what has happened, this is still a very sad book. I know a lot of teachers and librarians love books like this, but they will never be my favorite.

This book was extremely well written, engaging, and thought-provoking. Although it was advertised as a middle-grade novel, I felt like the main character (a 12-year-old) was much more mature than her age. She didn’t act like any 12 year old I know, especially when dealing with tragedy.. I’m glad the author showed the consequences of secrets, but agree with other reviewers who said there had to be a less tragic way to communicate this. I loved this as an adult, but wouldn’t share it with my 12-year-old granddaughter. This is the only reason I didn’t give it 5-stars. This author is highly skilled. I’ll definitely read her work again.

In this heartbreakingly and hauntingly beautiful story, Becky is preparing for her Bat Mitzvah but she really wants to be part of the All-County concert. So, she keeps her audition secret from her rabbi father and the rest of her family. Except for her big sister. Sara and Becky tell each other everything. They share secrets the way sisters always do. Sometimes secrets are fun. Othertimes they can be devistating. This book perfectly encapsulates Jewish grief and identity in a way I've rarely seen.

This is a beautiful look at being Jewish and trying to find where you fit in the world.
I really liked Becky and her family. Her father is a Rabbi and the family does have some expectations which are weighing on her sister Sara. Becky also feels the pressure as she prepares for her Bat Mitzvah.
Becky loves playing her flute, just like her sister likes to act and sing. She is very close with her sister and they both do some things that create secrets that they end up keeping for each other. But Becky learns that keeping secrets can weigh on you and be hard to keep.
I loved the Jewish representation in this book. The family is close and supportive of each other.
I really liked Becky's friend Nipa too and how they are there for each other.
What happens in this book is tragic, I was crying along with these characters. But I liked watching Becky figure out how to continue and pour herself into music.
A beautiful Jewish middle grade book.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

Despite the mention of grief in the book's description, this book was much more intense than I had anticipated. I began reading thinking it would end up being a fairly light-hearted book about a relationship between sisters and an impending bat mitzvah, but I quickly realized that was not the case. I was a bit disappointed because I enjoyed reading about Becky and her family dynamics, particularly so because her dad is a rabbi, which provides a different and important perspective that I've rarely seen in middle grade books, and I would have been happy reading about them without the tragic event that occurs near the end of the book.
While I understand that the plot twist in the book is supposed to be just that, I wish the description had been more forthright about the subject matter. I found the two separate parts of the book jarring, although I suppose that is the point: grief is jarring. I also wonder just how many middle grade readers would relate to the discussions about Jewish continuity and Becky's parents' insistence that their children marry other Jews. I think it's an interesting topic to address in a middle-grade book, but the way it was handled was not my favorite. Despite that, I still think this is an important book for its representation of a Jewish family.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a predictable "twist" that makes me hesitant to recommend it. I enjoyed the relationship between younger sister Becky and older sister Sara. Throughout the story, both are keeping secrets that would disappoint their parents and the secrets inevitably come out. The reaction to Becky's secret is underplayed while Sara's secret leads to over-the-top consequences for her.
I am not from a Jewish background, so I did like learning about the traditions of a Jewish family and the amount of work it takes to prepare for a bar mitzvah.
Spoiler Warning:
Sara's fate really rubbed me the wrong way. I'm not sure if the author was going for a modern Romeo and Juliet tale, but Sara seemed smart enough to not drive in a snowstorm in the middle of the night. She could have used her phone to text Sean (and most teens would nowadays). It also felt like she was being punished for daring to go against the wishes of her father. I would have preferred if the parents found out about the forbidden relationship and confronted Sara leading her to dash away in the car.