Laura Tims

There's a lot to unpack in this book. In some ways it hit the mark - the author nails teenage anxieties and insecurities and rambling thought processes - in other ways - I think it took on too much. There's bullying and depression and eating disorders, sexuality and sex and rape and skin disorders and anxiety and a side step to Schizophrenia and police brutality and it was just way too much. I was also concerned that the eating habits both girls display aren't particularly highlighted as being eating disorders. Or at least tackled with less concern than I thought it warranted.

That said, she really did hit the mark with the teenage voice. Actual teenagers will love it. I know I would've. Frankly this book made me anxious and tense to read - she hit it that perfectly. I related to different aspects of both girls and I felt sorry for all of the characters. It made me regress to my teenage mindset and I didn't like it one bit. That or I'm getting to old for young adult books.

The mystery was not what I suspected. I did work it out towards the end but only after it was practically laid out in front of me. I'll be interested to see what else this author comes up with. Unless it's more YA and then I might have to take a pass. 2.5 stars.… (more)

3.5 stars

Please Don't Tell was well-written and interesting throughout. It kept me guessing, but I was expecting a huge plot twist that I don't feel ever came. The foreshadowing in the novel is well done and to an experienced reader does not slip through the cracks.

It is obvious that Laura Tims is a young author, which isn't meant to sound like a bad thing. I do, however, see room for improvement. I feel like her later novels are going to be better as she walks through life and gains experiences and falls in love with new stories and new characters. I will be on the lookout for her future novels.… (more)

Literary Merit: Very good
Characterization: Very good
Recommended
Grades: 9-12

Ever since the car accident that killed her mother and left her leg permanently damaged, Sam has had a hard time connecting with anyone. She still doesn’t remember the accident and can’t identify the driver of the car that slammed into them. She has cut herself off from her old friends on the lacrosse team. Her father seems lost and unable to parent, her older brother Rex is self medicating, and her sister Lena is in overdrive trying to fill the void. Then Sam meets Eliot Rowe when she rescues him from a potentially dangerous encounter with Anthony Moore, the rich kid drug dealer who was Sam’s childhood friend. Eliot is different from anyone Sam has ever met, and although she’s not really sure whether she likes him or not, the two loners strike up an uneasy friendship. Eliot has a condition called congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis, a rare genetic disorder that makes him unable to feel physical pain. Sam is dealing with constant pain from her leg injury and feels almost jealous when Eliot first tells her about it., but she soon realizes, Eliot’s condition is not a thing to envy.

Eliot has never really had any friends. His parents are out of the picture, and his relationship with his older brother is not an easy one. Since the accident, Sam has cut herself off from her friends and family. Eliot presents an opportunity to start fresh and relearn what it means to be a friend. Laura Tims has created two very well rounded and memorable characters in Sam and Eliot. Though this is a character driven novel, the plot has enough twists and turns to keep readers guessing and there are some surprises by the end of the book. The novel is also an exploration of grief and the different ways that people cope with the death of a loved one. Sam and her family express their grief in different ways, but it is clear that they are all hurting. Somehow in the midst of all these sad and emotionally intense situations, the author manages to inject humor, which makes the book a true standout. One final warning: the cover doesn’t lie, there is a dog in this book. You have been warned.… (more)