Reviewed by Me for TeensReadToo.com

The second book I've read by Julie Anne Peters, KEEPING YOU A SECRET is another sure-fire winner about the highs and lows of first love, the terror and joy of "coming out", and the good and the bad that is the thing called family.

Holland Jaeger is the "It" girl everyone envies--she has great friends, she's President of the Student Body, she's the girlfriend of Seth, she's the popular girl who can be counted on to always get along with everyone. That is, until Cece Goddard transfers in, and Holland's once-perfect life no longer seems so great.

The first time she sees Cece, Holland feels something that she's never felt before. Although sexually active with her boyfriend, Seth, having sex is more like a chore--she'd much rather sit around talking, the way they used to do when they were friends rather than lovers. As Cece flaunts her homosexuality, wearing shirts proclaiming herself out and proud, Holland wonders what it means when her attraction to Cece becomes almost an obsession.

College looms on the horizon and no one, especially her mother, will quit asking her where she's going. They have big plans for her, you see, both her mother, who became a single parent way too young, Seth, and the career counselor at her school. Forced into a role she doesn't want, Holland escapes into her art class, drawing away from her former friends as feelings and emotions she can't control rush to the surface.

As Holland realizes that she is, in fact, a lesbian, her perfect life is suddenly out of control. She's shunned by her former friends at school, her mother kicks her out of the house, she's forced to live in a run-down motel that's now a shelter, and she's not sure she'll be able to attend college at all.

Holland must learn what's really important in life, that it's not about being popular but about being true to yourself. As she loses old friends she gains new ones in the gay and lesbian community, and forms a bond with Cece that is beyond her wildest expectations.

KEEPING YOU A SECRET is a great, emotional read, perfect for anyone questioning their sexuality or their place in the world. A truly recommended read. ( )

This story provides a character who defies the stereotypes of a gay teen outcast. The characters are well developed, convincing, and written with a sharp understanding of their feelings. Readers who are gay and those who are not will enjoy Hollands journey of self discovery and while the writing style is simple, there are several layers of meaning to explore.

Student Review:
Keeping You a Secret is a good book, if you're not sure what your sexuality is. Holland is a good student and a hard worker, but when she comes out to her mom, her life gets all shaken up. I've read other books by this author and I liked them, but this book just wasn't the book for me.

Holland is on the swim team, the student council, and has a boyfriend. Cece is a new girl in school who is out from the start. They are drawn together, much to Holland's surprise. ( )

When Holland goes to school her senior year, she feels like it's going to be a drag. With her boyfriend and college coming up, it seems like all is done, but when she goes to a class she had to use just as extra credit time, she meets a girl name Cece, and notices something different about her. While hanging out with Cece, she realizes not only who she is, she realizes her true feelings. ( )