That Secret You Keep

I really enjoyed this book lovely to read a story about a teenage boy with gay parents, dealing with everyday teenage angst as well as how people respond to his family.
I loved the friendships and relationships
Thank you for letting me read this book
Definitely recommend this book

I read this in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed both Max and Serena as fully fleshed characters. The romance that grew between them wasn't rushed and wasn't without its complications. I don't want to spoil too much of the pot, but the issues of grief, identity and how secrets can hold you back from healing are brought in the story. I would definitely recommended this book.

‘The Secret that you Keep’ is a layered, love story, full of wonderful perspective shifts which keeps you entwined with the protagonists. The musical theme that runs parallel with the relationship of Max and Serena suits the turbulent and realistic twists and turns of how young love blossoms and finds trouble at every turn. This story will make you laugh, sob and empathise with the realities of teenage struggles. This atypical protagonist family structure allows the reader to see an alternative dimension to family life and empathise with their experiences. The ending of the story, though happy provides an avenue for a sequel, which the readership would be excited to see where Max heads off to and whether he follows through with his plan. Great read, great characters, great ending.

It's no secret I love YA. That Secret You Keep seems to be a well kept secret though. This sweet coming of age story has some rough situations, plenty of secrets, and tons of awkward.

it also has some hilariously awkward, cringe inducing conversations. Don't forget...being a teen is awkward. Brenda Benny makes you revert to the awkward teen you were or highlight the potential for shame.

That Secret You Keep is a perfect example of the pressure, pain, and "uncomfortableness" that all teens feel at one point or another!I recommend it to fans of all ages.

I loved this book! I read it in one sitting and could not put it down. Very realistic YA love story about two teens who slowly fall in love despite the difficult situations they are both in. Ties in grief, healing, love and discovering each other. Highly recommend this one! Great writing, story and characters!!

3.5 stars

A sweet and tender debut by author Brenda Benny.

Follow awkward, gangly bassist Max and quietly grieving singer Serena stumbling their way through first love while trying to overcome and deal with heartfelt subjects such as loss, trauma, secrets, adoption, sexuality and self-discovery.

I loved the music-themed background, all those amazing father figures and Benny's light way of tackling rather serious subject matters.
I did struggle a little with the first half of the book, though, due to its slow pace and lack of tension. However, as soon as the first conflicts started to arise, I was all in.

This definitely deserves a lot more attention.

"Everyone is always trying so hard to be unique- to prove their individuality, and how different they are from others; yet they all so desperately want to be accepted as part of some group-
whatever group that may be. I guess we all want to be chosen by someone."

This was a precious, Canadian, YA romance that maintained its happy-go-lucky vibe while handles serious themes. Think Stephanie Perkins meets Becky Albertalli.

I always love starting the new year on a good note and this did not disappoint. It was just so cutesy.

And now for a more serious note; the loved how this book explored Max's relationship with his dads and his openly gay best friend Hayden. While Serena and Max's budding romance was definitely a headliner in this, the relationships that really shined for me were the platonic ones.

Overall, great romance for a free afternoon or even when you're just in the mood for something to make you happy.

3.5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for a free review copy of That Secret You Keep!

"Love is love, no matter who it's between, or how it happens--we all have similar experiences."

Holy moly this book is cute! I was really wowed by the incredibly diverse cast of characters and all the friendships and relationships going on. That Secret You Keep is a very well written book with multiple powerful messages about everything from sexuality to friendships to mental illness to grief.

All of the characters in this novel are believable and so fleshed out; even the minor character like Emily, or like Malik, who I think only had a handful of lines in this book. But even he was REAL and THERE, if you get me.

And, get this, a bitchy redhead character but NO GIRL HATING. Oh, thank you Brenda Benny, my mind has been blessed by the words you have written. You give me faith! Honestly, Serena and Vanessa's friendship and their struggles and rebuilding was a highlight for me! Same with Hayden and Max; seeing them grow up over the course of the book and develop what seems an even stronger bond and friendship--despite certain differences--was a really nice touch to the story.

The only reason why I rated this novel low while raving about it at the same time is that I just didn't connect with the characters personally, or really share any of their dilemmas. I have never questioned my sexuality and (thankfully) have never lost a loved one so close as Serena did. So while I deeply appreciate this book and all it conveys, it just didn't hit me as hard as it probably would for many others.

I definitely recommend that everyone check out this book by this brilliant author, Brenda Benny. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future!

(P.S. Just gotta pop this quote in here real quick because it is HIGHLY IMPORTANT.

" 'Although your symptoms may have improved, I'm wondering if Don might be serving as a distraction from the real issue here,' he muses. "

YES BECAUSE BOYS MAY DISTRACT YOU BUT THEY DO NOT SOLVE YOUR PROBLEMS AND CURE YOUR DEPRESSION OR ANXIETIES AMEN LADIES.)

That Secret You Keep was a wonderful debut by Brenda Benny. The story explores the aftermath of loss, and the struggle to keep going when you just want to give up. Max is a tall, gangly double bass player who has secretly pined for the same girl for years; Serena is a girl torn apart by loss, wondering how to go on. When events cause Max and Serena to come together, they must decide if their secrets will tear them apart or if they can overcome them together.

For one, I absolutely adored this book. The characters were relatable and easy to understand, at the same time being complex enough that you are left wondering what secrets they keep. The story keeps a good pace throughout, leaving me unable to put the book down. Not many books explore the idea of gay parents or young adults well, but this book hits it out of the park with every detail.

This was such a sweet, fun read. I loved the characters. I loved the backstory. I loved the plot that unfolded. This was overall just such a sweet book that felt so genuinely relatable to real life. So many teen books these days push to be over the top and put their characters in such bizarre, outlandish situations...and sometimes that's fun...but we need books that are closer to real life too and this one fell into that spot perfectly. I liked the way the story bounced back and forth between the two main characters so we got to see and feel what they were going through and glimpse a window into each of their close friends' problems as well. I really enjoyed the musical settings and references.

Overall, just a sweet, sweet book. that is a truly age appropriate read.