Grave Little Secrets
Seventeen-year-old Alex Spurlock finds herself burdened with a tragic secret…
With no one to turn to and wracked with guilt over what she did, Alex shuts herself off from her family and the rest of society. She goes from being the popular girl everyone loved to the weird girl who never leaves her house.
When Alex’s twin sister, Anna, finally persuades her to venture out of her room, Alex can’t help but feel like someone is watching her, following her every move. Constantly looking over her shoulder, Alex tries to convince herself she is just being paranoid…until she starts receiving threatening letters and taunting text messages.
Someone knows what she did and is out for revenge.
Not knowing who to trust, but determined to find the person who knows her secret before it is exposed and her life is forever ruined, Alex takes matters into her own hands. She vows to do anything to keep the events of that fateful day buried… But is she willing to die along with it? When she learns who is behind it all, will she change her mind?
Royally Reviewed on Amazon wrote:Grave Little Secrets is the debut novel from author Stacy R. Collins, and for fans of Pretty Little Liars, this is definitely the book for you.
The story follows teen Alex Spurlock as she battles her inner demons about keeping a horrible secret from her family, a secret about something horrible she has done. A secret that landed her father in prison, her family name smeared in controversy and left her mother with no alternative but to pack up the family and move to a new town for a new beginning. As the rest of her family tries to move forward, Alex is thrust into a spiral of guilt and distances herself from her mother, sister, and brother. Life appears to continue, but someone knows Alex’s secret. They use the information to harass and threaten her entire existence. As Alex races to discover who is behind the threats, she finds herself in a deadly situation. It is only then she realizes what “keeping secrets” really means.
Collins delivers a strong debut with multi-dimensional characters and narrative depth. She has a strong grasp of the written language and her writing is easily accessible to both the young adult and adult crowd. The pacing of the story is just right—not too slow and not too quick. Collins uses dialogue to move the story along and conversation between characters is realistic and relatable.
All the elements of a thriller are present, with definite twists and turns along the way, and the storyline holds the suspense throughout the duration. I would definitely buy another book by this author. Perfect for a beach read or to add to your summer reading list!
*Full disclosure: I voluntarily received an ARC of this novel from the publisher and provided my honest review.
Grave Little Secrets (48fourteen, 2017) is the first novel of YA author, Stacy R. Collins. We meet Alex Spurlock early one summer morning, and immediately learn three things about her: she has a twin sister, their family has recently moved to a new town, and Alex is hiding a terrible secret. The once-popular Alex punishes herself by quarantining herself to her home and not associating with anybody in New Hope, Rhode Island. But soon, she begins to receive threatening notes, packages, and text messages from someone who knows what she did.
Getting to the heart of what Alex’s devastating secret is, where her father has gone and why, and who’s stalking her will keep readers eagerly turning the pages. Even when we discover the answers to these gripping questions, there are more twists to come. The third act takes on a darker and more tragic tone than expected; although, despite the serious subject matter, readers will find a certain charm and authenticity in Alex’s brusque humor. This is an edgy, contemporary new YA thriller told with honesty and grit. As a general advisory for this genre, I should note that it contains some explicit language. Congratulations, Mrs. Collins, on your debut!