The Secrets We Keep

Starred review from October 3, 2022
Attentively tackling themes of self-harm, sexual violence, and suicidal ideation, Gustafson (After the Ink Dries) delivers a gut-wrenching account of high schooler Emma’s struggle to parse her own feelings after her father is accused of sexually assaulting her best friend. Having moved from San Francisco to small-town Oregon after an undisclosed scandal, previously homeschooled Emma becomes fast friends with “older, bolder, unapologetic” Hannah. But when Hannah suddenly begins avoiding her, and Emma’s father is arrested, she’s certain that the two things are somehow connected. As more information is revealed, Emma’s family grapples with the consequences of her father’s crimes. Via chapters told in alternating first- and second-person narration, Gustafson renders Emma’s present and past in striking detail, throughout featuring Emma’s journal entries—original fairy tales that offer brief glimpses into her memories and reflect her inner turmoil. The narrative’s dark climax and Gustafson’s visceral prose don’t shy away from the inherent trauma surrounding sexual assault, making for a vital, heart-wrenching account of one teen’s harrowing experience. A content warning contextualizes the topics addressed; back matter offers resources on sexual violence and suicide. Characters read as white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

Starred review from December 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-High school freshman Emma does not understand why her father was arrested, nor why her best friend Hannah seemingly ignores her. The two white teens supposedly share everything, including secrets. When Emma discovers that Hannah has accused her father of molestation, she finds herself caught between loyalty to family versus admitting the truth about her relationship with her father. Her mother does not make it any easier because she wants to protect the family and willingly supports her husband. As Emma grapples with long-buried secrets, she finally realizes that she must testify against her father. Gustafson's book deals with the difficult subjects of sexual and emotional abuse in a well-written and heartfelt manner. Emma, caught between her love of her friend Hannah and the demands of her father to lie about the abuse, is a sensitive yet strong character who, with the help of a psychologist, finds her voice. Hannah, also an impressive and brave protagonist, believes that Emma is the victim of incest and wants to protect both herself and her friend. The writing is solid, and while not graphic, presents an easily understood picture. Gustafson's content warning advises teens "If you need to take breaks while reading this book, please do. I really mean that." Resources are included in the back matter. VERDICT A much-needed book and an important purchase.-Janet Hilbun

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 1, 2022
When high schooler Emma learns that her father has been arrested, she suspects that it is connected to her best friend, but she can't imagine how much her world is about to change. Emma quickly learns that her dad has been accused of inappropriate sexual contact by Hannah, the girl who rescued her from an otherwise friendless existence. The accusation is a bombshell that threatens to destroy the girls' relationship as well as Emma's family, which consists of her mom, dad, and 6-year-old brother. The gripping story unfolds in chapters alternating between Emma's first-person narration of the present day and second-person narration of the past. This device builds suspense and helps readers string together clues. What was the scandal that made Emma's family move from San Francisco to a small town in Oregon? Why does she sleep with a knife under her pillow? Vivid descriptions bring scenes to life while imaginative metaphors compassionately depict Emma's interior struggles. In less deft hands the inclusion of fairy tales written by Emma in her diary might feel heavy-handed, but here they add to the thematic substance. Depictions of forensic interviewing and children's advocacy centers add to the believability of the plot. A content warning foreshadows the difficult topics addressed. All main characters are White. An exceedingly well-written, powerful, and suspenseful novel that lights the path toward truthfulness and healing. (resources) (Fiction. 14-18)

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January 1, 2023
Fourteen-year-old Emma's family is torn apart when her best friend, Hannah, accuses Emma's father of sexual abuse. He is arrested, and Emma's mother forbids any communication with Hannah. To prevent her family (which also includes her six-year-old brother) from being separated, Emma tells a social worker that her father never behaved inappropriately toward her friend. But she knows Hannah is telling the truth -- because she saw it. And Emma has another secret: her father abused her, too. These revelations are disclosed gradually in alternating-chapter flashbacks that are written in the second person, creating a disturbing immediacy (e.g., "You remember being in the shower and hearing the bathroom door creak open for the first time"). In the present day, Emma feels guilty for not protecting Hannah and conflicted about the charges against her father, a man "I love wholly and not at all." (Other characters aren't as multidimensional, like Emma's mother, whose anger toward her daughter is all-encompassing.) Written in lyrical, expressive prose, the story is unrelentingly (and appropriately) dark; interspersed are bleak fairy tales from Emma's journal, which add to the sense of foreboding. The ending, however, is a hopeful one: with reassurance from the staff at an advocacy center, Emma tells her story -- and finally finds safety. A list of resources related to suicide, bullying, and sexual violence is appended.

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)