Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters is a guest review by Brooklyn Goodrich. Brooklyn is a truly enthusiastic reader and when I asked her to write a review for me she very sweetly agreed.
Really quick I want to give a shout out to Sheena whose work has helped me discover a whole new world of literature and expand my horizons, I really appreciate her and you guys giving me a chance to review my favorite book. I hope you enjoy :]
Keeping you a secret is about Holland, a girl in high school whose mother has been living her dreams vicariously through her. Holland just goes with the flow until she meets Cece Goddard. Who is this Cece with all of her gay pride and confidence? Up until that point Holland never even realized there were lesbians at her school. Why is she so compelled to find out more about this newcomer? What will it cost her, and who is keeping who a secret?
The Characters
The main characters are Holland Jeager and Cece Goddard.
Holland, who is a high school senior, has been trying to fulfill her mother’s dreams for so long that she never really took the time to know what she wants and finds herself in her senior year wondering if she is headed in the right direction. I enjoyed watching her character grow up, come out and discover herself.
Cece is a junior who has just transferred into Holland’s school. She’s into art and self-expression and is out and proud. She is confident and I find that attractive.
Faith is a supporting role but I wanted to mention her because she really grew on me. She is Holland’s annoying step sister, but as the saying goes – Don’t judge a book by its cover.
The Writing Style
The book is written with a bit of comedy and at a steady pace, which I like. I tend to get a little antsy if the story takes too long for lovers to meet. It’s told from Holland’s first person perspective which adds to the mystery of Cece making the story all the more alluring.
The Pros
It has a great flow and the story is to the point. It also made me feel as if I was back in high school having my first girl crush which I thoroughly enjoyed. There is a passage I have book marked that makes me hold my breath every time I read it, and there is a passage in this book that makes me tear up every time I read it….OK I lied I totally cry.
The Cons
I would have liked to see more of a development happen with Holland and her best friend Leah.
Also it’s young adult. From a personal experience, when I graduated from young adult to adult novels, I never really had a desire to go back to reading young adult.
The Conclusion
This is an amazing book. It was the first Lesbian book I ever read and have cherished it and re read it time and time again. It still makes me laugh it still makes me cry.
Excerpt from Keeping You A Secret by Julie Anne Peters
The lights were still off in the pool area when I got there and it was so quiet my bare feet echoed. I dove in.
The cold surged though my veins – a welcome relief. I concentrated on my muscles contracting, my arms slicing through the water. Soon the rhythm of my breathing and stroking and breathing and stroking drowned out my thoughts. Banished my feelings to a dark recess in my mind, where they should be banished.
Forget her. Force her out of your head, get her out of you.
I don’t know how long I swam, lap after lap after mind-numbing lap. My lungs and muscles collapsed simultaneously, and I let my final kick propel me to the edge.
Where she was sitting, elbows on knees. She looked me in the eye and said, “I was in the neighborhood.”
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9780316009850
- Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
- Julie Anne Peters Online
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