Check out this review and others like it at BadAssBookReviewsI feel so fortunate to have received a copy of Four Secrets from the publisher, otherwise this book may have passed me by. And this book should not pass readers by. Four Secrets is an interesting and gripping read that I was reluctant to put down. Honestly, it takes a lot for me to read a print book these days — pathetic, but yeah I need my ereader. I find myself not finishing print books that I start, but not with Four Secrets. The text of this book pulled me in. Ms. Willey tells the story through journal entries of three 8th grade children and from the point of view of a social worker trying to help them. Each character has a distinct voice; but each is interesting and easy to connect with. The setting of the story in the present is a juvenile detention center, but there are flash backs to the halls of the middle school, parties, children’s houses and encounters with parents. The subject matter? Bullying, secrets and friendship.This is a book that I want my 7th grade daughter to read. Absolutely. It does, however, have appeal beyond middle schoolers. Parents, high school aged children, teachers, and fans of middle-grade and young adult books will enjoy Four Secrets. Four Secrets is a message book, but beyond that it is also enjoyable. The message is one that needs to be heard by parents, teachers and students (both victims and bullies) but I don’t think it is presented like an after-school special. Ms. Willey does a great job in moving beyond stereotypes of mean girls and negligent parents as the ones responsible for all the pain that kids go through. The tension in the book starts off right in the beginning and gradually readers learn the secrets lurking behind everyone’s story.Three friends are bonded together because they have been rejected by the cool group in their 8th grade year. They have been slammed and ignored electronically and in real life. Their parents don’t understand or can’t relate — and in some ways are neglectful. Teachers pretend not to notice troublesome and scary behavior that happens on their watch. And each child — despite being just a child — brings to the story their own baggage and their own deep dark secrets. Because these kids feel like they can’t trust adults and they don’t know how to get help, they make some really bad decisions on how to deal with this problem on their own. So read it, share it, encourage your child or students to read it – -and then discuss it! Because I think this story is so important.
