Tell Me a Secret

In short: Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala is a touching read with characters that are sure to insight a strong reaction.

I am not a big contemporary reader. Nor would I say I have ever had an interest in reading a book about teen pregnancy. But I found that despite this I really enjoyed this book. This may be because Tell Me a Secret was about much more than teen pregnancy which we find out when we delve into the complicated life of Miranda Rand Mathison.

The thing that struck me the most about this book were its well developed characters. Characters that were able to insight a very strong reaction out of me. Some characters were utterly engaging, others utterly infuriating. One character in particular actually made me so angry I wanted show more to strangle her: Delaney, Rand's new best friend, was just such a - ugh! - female dog! Major kudos to Cupala for creating an antagonist that was able to get my blood boiling. An antagonist hasn't created such a strong emotion of hate in me since the last time I reread Order of the Phoenix. (Keenan doesn't count because I believe Melissa Marr intended for him to be a likeable and sympathetic character; I just didn't agree).

And at the same time that I hated Delaney, I loved and sympathized with Rand in equal amounts. Especially near the end of the story, things get so bad for Rand that I just ached for her. She hits such a low point in her life and I wanted so badly for her to make it through all of her problems. She was such a relatable and realistic character. You just can't help but root for her.

A note on the audiobook: Fantastic! Jenna Lamia did a brilliant job with all the voices of the characters. I will for sure be looking into whether she has ever done any other audiobooks because I would love to hear more from her. This audiobook is available as a podcast on iTunes for free but from what I understand, it's for a limited time only. I strongly recommend that you download it while you can! show less

Have you ever read a book that made you want to leap into its pages and throw cats at the characters? No, well I guarantee that Tell Me A Secret will change that. I can't remember the last time a book pissed me off so much. I don't mean this in a negative way. Sometimes it is good when a book pisses you off. I gave Tell Me a Secret 5 purrs because I cannot remember the last time I became so emotionally invested in a book. I experienced anger, sadness, and happiness at different periods throughout the book. I even found myself getting a little teary eyed a couple of times (actually cried like a baby shhh...).Miranda is such a well written character that you cannot help but react emotionally. The loss of her sister Xanda leads her to make show more some very stupid choices. One of which is ditching a long-time friend to become besties with the ultimate mean girl. Looking for a replacement for her sister, Miranda instead winds up pregnant and friendless. There were time when I wanted to throw a cat at Miranda for being so stupid, but alas I loved her too much to stay mad at her. Miranda was impossible for me now to like because she was so strong. I don't think I could have handled her situation as well as she did.It also doesn't help Miranda that her family is completely dysfunctional. Miranda basically has no one to help her through her pregnancy until she meets a new friend at work. I thought that the issue of teen pregnancy was handled rather well in Tell Me a Secret. Miranda considers her baby to be a replacement on sorts for his dead sister, but the author never shies away from the negatives of being a teen mom. Miranda's pregnancy is never romanticized nor glamorized.Miranda's relationship with her family is very complex. Her mother is a judgmental bitch and her father is emotionally distant. However, as Miranda's pregnancy progresses her relationship with her family changes drastically. By the end of the story they come to an understanding of sorts. Though I honestly don't know how Miranda could ever forgive her mother for some of the things she did.I could go on and on about how amazing this book was, but I don't want to bore you all. Tell Me a Secret was a real page turner. The pacing and format of it was perfect. I was never bored or confused by anything that was happening. I pretty much picked Tell Me a Secret up and didn't put it down again until I was finished. show less

Have you ever read a book that made you want to leap into its pages and throw cats at the characters? No, well I guarantee that Tell Me A Secret will change that. I can't remember the last time a book pissed me off so much. I don't mean this in a negative way. Sometimes it is good when a book pisses you off. I gave Tell Me a Secret 5 purrs because I cannot remember the last time I became so emotionally invested in a book. I experienced anger, sadness, and happiness at different periods throughout the book. I even found myself getting a little teary eyed a couple of times (actually cried like a baby shhh...).Miranda is such a well written character that you cannot help but react emotionally. The loss of her sister Xanda leads her to make show more some very stupid choices. One of which is ditching a long-time friend to become besties with the ultimate mean girl. Looking for a replacement for her sister, Miranda instead winds up pregnant and friendless. There were time when I wanted to throw a cat at Miranda for being so stupid, but alas I loved her too much to stay mad at her. Miranda was impossible for me now to like because she was so strong. I don't think I could have handled her situation as well as she did.It also doesn't help Miranda that her family is completely dysfunctional. Miranda basically has no one to help her through her pregnancy until she meets a new friend at work. I thought that the issue of teen pregnancy was handled rather well in Tell Me a Secret. Miranda considers her baby to be a replacement on sorts for his dead sister, but the author never shies away from the negatives of being a teen mom. Miranda's pregnancy is never romanticized nor glamorized.Miranda's relationship with her family is very complex. Her mother is a judgmental bitch and her father is emotionally distant. However, as Miranda's pregnancy progresses her relationship with her family changes drastically. By the end of the story they come to an understanding of sorts. Though I honestly don't know how Miranda could ever forgive her mother for some of the things she did.I could go on and on about how amazing this book was, but I don't want to bore you all. Tell Me a Secret was a real page turner. The pacing and format of it was perfect. I was never bored or confused by anything that was happening. I pretty much picked Tell Me a Secret up and didn't put it down again until I was finished. show less

I don’t think it’s a secret that I read A LOT. If it’s a particularly good book I’m reading, I am absolutely swept into it and time passes too quickly. But then I finish the book, sigh and think about how much I liked the book, then move on. There is no moving on from Tell Me a Secret, though. This is, without question in my mind, the most emotionally powerful book I’ve ever read. EVER. I honestly can’t even write a review that will adequately convey how intense this book was for me.
Tell Me a Secret is a beautiful, perfectly crafted story filled with heartbreaking, gut-wrenching, soul-splintering secrets. Miranda is forced to find her way through the secrets that everyone around her is keeping. As her own secret is revealed, show more she slowly begins to discover those of her boyfriend, best friend, sister, and parents. My heart ached for her as she had to confront her fears. I wanted so much for her to catch a break, to have someone reach out to her and give her a hug and comfort her, but she was forced to move through a lot of the story on her own.
Cupala uses the imagery of labyrinths in the book, and there is no image more fitting of Miranda’s journey. A labyrinth is used as a place of reflection, but it can also be a place to get lost. Miranda’s journey in this book forces her to twist and turn, sometimes coming close to where she was mere moments before, but her situation forces her to keep moving forward. As with any labyrinth, she eventually found her way through it, and she was a changed person because of that experience.
This book made me cry. It made me want to pull hair out (my own, from the stress, but mostly that of some of the characters). I was disgusted and sympathetic and hopeful. And that – hope –is what I was left with. Yes, reading this book was a little like having someone chip away at my heart until it shattered into a million pieces and crumbled to the floor, but it also gathered up all those pieces and glued them back together.
Normally this is part of the review when I’d mention the characters or the pacing. Yes, the characters are amazingly complex and wonderful and the pacing was perfect (I started reading it at 11pm with the intention of reading one, maybe two chapters; almost three hours later I had to force myself to put the book down). But this book is greater than the sum of its parts.
Clearly I’m a fan of this book. There is so much I could say about it, and if I wasn’t paranoid of giving away anything that will ruin anyone’s experience of the story when they read it, there are certain aspects of the story (read: people) I could expound upon for pages. But I won’t.
Read the book, okay people? Seriously. It’s that good. show less

I am not a fan of books about pregnancy. This is mostly because they make me cringe and never want to have children. Ever. Luckily, Tell Me a Secret focuses not so much on pregnancy, but more on its consequences and how it changed the main character’s life (and also, how the main character confronts her past).

Miranda’s struggle was not only believable; it was powerful. Her emotions were so easy to feel as a reader, and the last hundred pages, especially, were gripping. I could not believe all the obstacles that popped up in Miranda’s path, and although she was realistically flawed, she managed to somehow overcome each of them in her own way. I felt so relieved and happy when something finally went right in her life. (Seriously, I show more couldn’t believe that Miranda’s life was so stinking awful! I felt so bad for her!)

The storytelling in Tell Me a Secret was really nice, too. The readers are left in the dark about certain things, which makes it easier to get inside Miranda’s head. There are all kinds of secrets being kept, and the way they were revealed was very smooth. The subplots all worked themselves out beautifully, and the main issues did as well.

Tell Me a Secret managed to be an issue book without becoming preachy. It didn’t tell the reader to never, ever have sex, but through the story encouraged being oneself and having faith in the face of adversity (Miranda is my freaking hero. She got through so much! Let’s all follow her example! Except maybe not the pregnancy bit.).

So! If you’re looking for a contemporary novel with excellent themes and a heroine who has to deal with not only a pregnancy but family (and friendship) issues, Tell Me a Secret is your book. Don’t let the pregnancy aspect of the story scare you away. It’s worth the read. show less

TELL ME A SECRET is the story of a girl with a tragic past determined to find a hopeful future.

When I picked up TELL ME A SECRET I was expecting a straightforward story about a pregnant teen girl experiencing the issues that immediately jump to my mind: shocked parents, absent boyfriend, and maturity issues. Holly Cupala surprised me though; her debut is so much deeper than that. Miranda endures horrible treatment at the hands of her parents, classmates, and boyfriend, but she remains strong and fights for what she believes is right.

When Miranda first suspects she may be pregnant, she makes the decision to keep it a secret and avoids taking a prenancy test. She waits months to take the test, preferring to live in ignorance rather than show more face the facts. Though I was angered by Miranda's actions, I could understand why she made those choices. In fact, I've known teen mothers who waited as long as possible before finally taking the test, so I know that it isn't a far fetched idea. I'm thankful that, while Miranda didn't want to see the proof, she still knew, deep down, that she was pregnant and she avoided alcohol and other teratogens that could seriously harm the baby.

The novel is largely about Miranda's pregnancy, but it was her connection and relationship with her sister, Xanda, that I found most compelling. Xanda, and her death, have had an enormous impact on Miranda. Miranda constantly looks to her memories and the Xanda that resides in her mind for guidance. Xanda was definitely not a horrible person, but she also is not the person Miranda idolizes. It was interesting to see the vast differences between Miranda's childhood perceptions of Xanda and who she really was.. the good and the bad.

Holly Cupala proves that she can, and will, tackle difficult material with TELL ME A SECRET - I can't wait to see what she takes on next! show less

Miranda, no, Rand is a girl with secrets. Yes, we all have secrets but not many of us have secrets that could forever change the landscape of the lives of everyone surrounding us. Unfortunately for Rand her secrets have huge consequences. And it’s just one of many secrets that have sent her and her family in a continuous downward spiral even since before she was born.

Do you keep secrets? Secrets can be some of the most damaging things we carrying with us. Sometimes we do it because we think we are protecting others and then there are the times we are protecting ourselves. As the theme carries throughout the story from character to character you slowly discover that the secrets in Rand’s life began before her birth and don’t ever show more seem to stop. Again, some are kept with the best of intentions, like those from her mother, and others are intentionally kept from her, including those from her so-called friend Delaney. The most tragic secret is of course the one kept from her by her late sister Xanda.

Holly Cupala’s debut novel, Tell Me A Secret, is a tremendously well written story that explores not only the relationships we have with those around us, but the choices we make and their impact. It’s not often that I find myself enjoying a story about a young girl, still in high school, who after some poor choices ends up pregnant, but Rand was an amazing character. She was incredibly likable and I found myself relating to many of her doubts from when I was a teenager. Didn’t we all question whether there was that guy that would still like us after spilled some of our deepest feelings? Or wonder about the girls around us and whether their intentions were pure? There are so many feelings that get wrapped up into being a teenager and Cupala did a brilliant job communicating each of them in her novel.

It’s almost difficult to believe Tell Me A Secret is a debut novel. Holly Cupala does such an amazing job illustrating each facet of teenage life without sounding condescending or out of touch. Each of the characters in the book brought something different to the experience, even the minor ones. I’m also not an advocate of teenage pregnancy, but Cupala handled a touchy situation with finesse. Without a doubt Tell Me A Secret is a book I would eagerly share with readers of almost any age, especially those that enjoy a well written young adult novel.

Originally reviewed and copyrighted at There's A Book. show less