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Savannah Brown
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The Truth About Keeping Secrets Kindle Edition

by Savannah Brown (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 446 ratings
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A stunning coming-of-age tale from poet and writer Savannah Brown.

Sydney's dad is the only psychiatrist for miles around in their small Ohio town.

He is also unexpectedly dead.

Sydney believes the crash was anything but an accident. And when the threatening texts begin, and June Copeland - homecoming queen and golden child - appears at his funeral out of nowhere, she's sure of it.

But through Sydney's newfound relationship with June, she's given a glimpse of a life without the darkness of an unresolved grief and the chance, just maybe, of a fresh start.

Until it's clear that the secrets won't go away, and the truth might bring everything crashing down...

Imperfect friendships, the shadow of grief and the sweet pain of romance - this is a poetic, thrilling ode to being human.

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  1. Reading age
    12 - 16 years
  2. Print length
    321 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Penguin
  5. Publication date
    March 7, 2019
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0241346303
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Both ominous and deliciously twisted, and populated by an unreliable cast of characters, Brown's debut novel is a low-burn, character-driven thriller that will satisfy fans of mystery who yearn for a proverbial path of breadcrumbs leading to a hopeful, satisfying conclusion." ― Booklist

"Visceral, pitch-perfect...A captivatingly moody, introspective drama." ― Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Savannah Brown is the author of The Truth About Keeping Secrets and Graffiti, a self-published collection of poetry which was a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards. Savannah grew up in Wadsworth, Ohio and currently resides in London, England. When she isn't writing, she can usually be found watching conspiracy theory documentaries, making faces at her cat, or worrying. Visit her at savbrown.com.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B07B9JFHM7
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin; 1st edition (March 7, 2019)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 7, 2019
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3617 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 321 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 446 ratings

About the author

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Savannah Brown

Savannah Brown

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Savannah Brown is an American writer and poet based in London. She’s the author of two novels (Penguin Random UK) and two poetry collections with a third, Closer Baby Closer, forthcoming in 2023.

Her work deals with themes of existence, vulnerability and intimacy in the digital age. i-D called her 'the poet articulating your deepest existential fears'.

Savannah oversees Escapril, a poetry challenge where participants are tasked with writing a poem every day in April. She also founded and runs Doomsday Press.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
446 global ratings
Best new book out this year!
5 Stars
Best new book out this year!
A complex plot full of grief and loss, love, heartbreak, frustration, and so many other emotions I cannot even begin to word. I felt Sydney's grief, and fell in love alongside her. The characters were lovable, flawed, and above all extremely human. You can tell how much research went into this book along with the author's own experiences. And the representation included! It's so rare to find well written LGBT characters who have a personality outside of "gay" but this book gave us multiple. I've followed Savannah for years, back when she was doing slam poetry on YouTube, and I'm so excited she was able to achieve one of her dreams of publishing a novel. Excited to see what else she has in store for us! Read TTAKS, it's worth it.
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Top reviews from the United States

Joanna
5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't stop reading
Reviewed in the United States on May 9, 2021
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This book is so much more than I thought it would be. It was a beautiful story about grief and loss. It realistically captures how it feels to be left behind when someone you love dies. It captures the way that death makes its way into your every thought and movement. Savannah Brown handles every element of this story with such precision and poise. The prose was poetic and poignant. She effectively breathed life into every character. Each character was interesting and multifaceted. Also, THIS BOOK IS SO THRILLING! I did not expect that twist!!! If you are looking for an amazing book that will grab your attention and refuse to let you go until you finish it, then this book is for you.
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Caveat Emptor
5.0 out of 5 stars More than you expected!
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2023
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OK, I paid for both the Kindle book and audiobook, so this is not a paid review or a "Vine". I was inspired by her poetry books and YT videos. And before I forget, there are two new poems that are inspiring as a bonus at the end of her book. And the text for the book is a bit different from the audiobook, I suspect she's working on a "version 2" of the book and that's what she reads from which is a hoot when you're using a Fire Tablet to read the Kindle book in "immersive reading mode" as the highlight either pauses or jumps when it comes to an addition or deletion in the audio version. Sometimes it is brief and other times it's a more extended addition for clarity. Good experience either way. No, I won't do a spoiler alert, Stick to it if you're ADD and you'll be glad you did. I promise you that it has a good ending. I cried for joy. I wasn't surprised by the cell phone plot twist, but how they used it blew me away! And the character development was #1. I sincerely hope they make a film of this with the author or another autistic playing the key roles. Search YT for Savannah Brown for more info.
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Katie K.
4.0 out of 5 stars Utterly gorgeous debut novel!
Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2019
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There's so much to love about this book!

1) The pacing Savannah Brown writes with is masterful. I was hooked early on and couldn't stop reading, and I'm a generally not a person who seeks out thrillers.

2) Brown handles her themes masterfully, from friendship to the brutality of chance to abusive relationships to self-discovery. So. Good. SO GOOD.

3) Brown dives deep into the relationships in the novel, portraying them with all the complexity they deserve. The romantic relationships, the tension between the protagonist and her mother, and friendships—Brown does justice to them all.

4) Lastly, and most importantly for me, the characters are so perfectly drawn! Everyone is flawed. Everyone. It creates such realistic, profound conflict between the characters. My favorite example of this is the friendship between Sydney and her best friend—they both screw up, but it's so easy to connect with both their stances. There's only one villain in any of the conflicts in the novel, and it's not who you'd expect. ;)

After googling the author, I was blown away to learn her age. I can't wait to read everything she writes.
2 people found this helpful
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Lynzie
5.0 out of 5 stars Such a Beautiful Book
Reviewed in the United States on June 11, 2019
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I’ve been following Savannah since the upload of her slam poem circa 2014 when I started Speech and Debate in Ohio. I’ve always been fascinated with her personality and way with words. This book has only made me fall more in love with her writing style. Beautifully written, it features a diverse group of characters (with storylines that don’t revolve around their diversity!!) and a relatable topic, as my friend’s father recently died in a car crash. The emotions captured in the book are accurate and I felt them along with the characters. I read the whole thing in one sitting because I was so utterly transfixed.
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Gwen Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars Best new book out this year!
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019
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A complex plot full of grief and loss, love, heartbreak, frustration, and so many other emotions I cannot even begin to word. I felt Sydney's grief, and fell in love alongside her. The characters were lovable, flawed, and above all extremely human. You can tell how much research went into this book along with the author's own experiences. And the representation included! It's so rare to find well written LGBT characters who have a personality outside of "gay" but this book gave us multiple. I've followed Savannah for years, back when she was doing slam poetry on YouTube, and I'm so excited she was able to achieve one of her dreams of publishing a novel. Excited to see what else she has in store for us! Read TTAKS, it's worth it.
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Gwen Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars Best new book out this year!
Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2019
A complex plot full of grief and loss, love, heartbreak, frustration, and so many other emotions I cannot even begin to word. I felt Sydney's grief, and fell in love alongside her. The characters were lovable, flawed, and above all extremely human. You can tell how much research went into this book along with the author's own experiences. And the representation included! It's so rare to find well written LGBT characters who have a personality outside of "gay" but this book gave us multiple. I've followed Savannah for years, back when she was doing slam poetry on YouTube, and I'm so excited she was able to achieve one of her dreams of publishing a novel. Excited to see what else she has in store for us! Read TTAKS, it's worth it.
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3 people found this helpful
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duck
5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the wait
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2019
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Stunning novel by Savannah Brown. I waited years in anticipation for what would be her first novel and I can tell you it was very much worth it. I was either gripping my seat, or laughing or tearing up at every point throughout this book. I loved it so very much. It's so special to me. I cannot wait to see what Sav releases in the future!
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G
4.0 out of 5 stars A page turner with great humor and voice
Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2019
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A great YA read with relatable characters and realistically fleshed relationships. Even the characters with less page time were tangible. The main character had a unique voice and sense of humor that made me snort in the middle of White Castle (no, I could not put it down while eating but thanks for asking). I felt the love interest's voice was a little too similar to the protagonist and there were points in the beginning where the voice was heavy handed, but it mellowed into perfect quipiness after the first few chapters. The end was expositive. I understand the intent, but I have personal experience with a similar situation as described, and the surface level account left me feeling dry. All of the negatives should have been addressed during editing, so isn't necessarily the authors fault. Tighter editing could have made this book shine like it deserves.
Negatives aside, I had a fantastic time reading and I hope to see more from Savannah Brown!
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Majesta Cox
5.0 out of 5 stars I love this book!
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2019
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Savannah Brown is wonderful! The Truth About Keeping Secrets has connected with me more than any other book I can remember. While I was reading this book I felt like any one of these characters could live right next door to me. Now that I've finished, they live inside me.

Interesting, funny, truthful, important!
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Alyssia Cooke
5.0 out of 5 stars Powerful and compelling
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 4, 2023
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This is one of those books that is beautifully written, thought provoking and haunting. It heavily focuses in on how grief affects different people and the different coping mechanisms everybody has to find their way through it. At the same time it touches on common YA themes such as sexual orientation, bullying, and unhealthy coping strategies. It's raw and poignant and caught my attention from the very first pages.

It's billed as a high school thriller, but I honestly don't think it is. There is a mystery of sorts, but it's less about the mystery and more about the exploration of grief, of relationships and of finding a new place in the world when everything you thought you had crumbles around you. If you go in expecting a thriller, you may well be disappointed. But if you take it for what it is, you will find a stunning and beautifully written piece.

Losing a parent is ground shattering at any age. Losing a parent as a teenager is world altering, as Sydney is finding out. One freak accident and her dad is gone. Her world will never be the same again and yet her friends lives go on unchanged. The world keeps moving and yet she is standing still. Her hyper-fixation on solving the mystery of her dad's death is more of a symptom of her own state of mind than anything else.

This is a powerful and compelling novel that strikes deep at the fear, the loss, the anxiety and the uncertainty surrounding death and grief. It's one of those books that will stay with me for a long time to come, I suspect.
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Gordon
5.0 out of 5 stars Savannah brown just tore through my heart
Reviewed in India on September 14, 2021
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I absolutely adore Savannah brown. Her poetry is fantastic and she radiates the kind of energy that few content creators on YouTube can, and her book reflects that as well. The Truth About Keeping Secrets is a book about trying to cope when you're in the worst of situations like passing of a loved one. It's also a book that deals with subjects like loneliness, friendship, abusiveness, self-worth, trauma and catharsis. On the surface it seems like a really simple story and tbt it is, but as a fan of savannah brown i can feel her writing just leap off these pages. It has stuck with me for a while now and i cant wait to read it again. A very pleasant and worthwhile read imo and also just watch savannah brown's channel too because she is amazing.
One person found this helpful
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Brooke289
5.0 out of 5 stars A thriller that tackles many real high school issues at the same time!
Reviewed in Canada on October 16, 2019
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In an interview with the author at the end of the novel she states "writing a story where the thriller elements serve as a backdrop to something more grounded in reality". I think that statement really sums up the theme of the novel, if you are looking strictly for a thriller, this book will only satisfy some of your need. While it has thrill and suspense, it also tackles real world issues such as sexuality and grief. The story is beautifully written and you can tell the author is also a poet. Definitely recommend for something different than the traditional YA thriller.
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Carla
4.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful prose
Reviewed in Spain on April 10, 2019
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If you are familiar with Savannah through her youtube channel, you can't help hearing her soothing voice in that story. It is moving and sweet and a very quick read.
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Susanne Gayosso Aguilera
5.0 out of 5 stars So good!
Reviewed in Germany on March 10, 2019
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This book definitely exceeded my expectations. I loved everything about it, from the story itself to the believable teenage characters and the representation. 10/10, would recommend!
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