Deadly Little Secret - Review

My daughter Aubrey picked up the Blue is for Nightmares series also written by Laurie Faria Stolarz and really enjoyed it, I did not even realize that this, The Touch series was written by the same author – till I read the back of the book (I also have Project 17 waiting to be read, I guess her books intrigue me or, at least the summaries do). Then I read a review written about Deadly Little Secret, and the blogger (whom I cant remember now, sadly) stated that this was a good “vacation read” - nothing to heavy, and I was in a bit of a rut...so I figured, why not!

Anyway, Deadly Little Secret, is the first in the Touch Novel series...Though I cant explain why it's called the “touch” series...I can see where she got the series name and I am excited to read Deadly Little Lies next (the 2nd book in the Touch Series).

The novel starts out with Camelia being saved, from a car headed right toward her, by a good looking guy she's never met before...3 months later, and she still can't seem to get this good looking stranger out of her head. Her friends try to entice her with other's of the male persuasion, but for some reason Camelia seems to be waiting for him...searching to find him again.

When, on the first day of her Junior year, she spots him...now, suddenly he's a member of HER graduating class? Though the grapevine she finds out his name is Ben, along with some things she would have rather not known...it seems Ben has a dark past, a past that might be connected with another girls death...

About the same time, as Ben's arrival, strange notes and gifts start appearing in and around Camelia's home – which at first seem, creepy, but not overly scary...however they quickly turn into something dark and much more sinister! Could Ben perhaps be the one sending these gifts, can Camelia trust herself and her gut to trust him?

There's so much more to the story than this...things I can't reveal due to not wanting to spoil the plot...however – I can say this book is about, scary dark things that go “bump” in the night...and a guy with an interesting gift. (I read lots of reviews saying it's just like Twilight/New Moon, while I love Twilight, I did not see many similarities to Twilight at all...Cept the 2 main characters meet in a Science class. But then that's me.)

I liked Deadly Little Secret, was it the best book I have EVER read...no, but it was a good start to this series, and I will be surely picking up Deadly Little Lies next...I can assure you of that.

One of the things that I did not particularly like about this novel is that, no one seems to talk to the PARENTS. As a parent, I hope that no matter what I have going on in my life, Aubrey and Zachary both feel they can come to me with things...big and small – That's after all what I am there for!

Camelia, though she seems to have a good relationship with her parents always seems to want to figure it out on her own, and not “bother them” which, struck me as a bit odd, there is, a “reason” given as to why she feels this way, but for me – it was not strong enough, I felt I sorta missed that part of the story. (Perhaps it's something touched on more with in the next books?)

That being said, I did enjoy most of Deadly Little Secrets, there is quite a unique twist...not something I can share...since it's one of the BIG things which makes it so unique!

I was also scared in this book...not the “OH MY GOD, I want to crawl under my bed and never come out” kinda scared, but it was an eerie scared, and the person sending the notes/gifts was NOT one I thought it was, Laurie defiantly gives you several creepy guys to pick from...on that front.

I also enjoyed Camelia, she's a pretty smart girl, whom, minus the fact she does not talk to her parents about what's going on, does not dive head first into Ben's arms and never look back. She never looses herself, and keeps her head on her shoulders, which I liked a lot!

Deadly Little Secret while not a 5, does deserve a solid 3 – aww why not 4 Like I said I am looking forward to Deadly Little Lies...Laurie Faria Stolarz does a great job of drawing in the reader and making it hard to put down a book! Which, while I am waiting for Fallen and The Dark Divine to arrive, is exactly what I need!

Deadly Little Secret
Written by: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Published: November 3, 2009
252 Pages (Paperback)