Review: Tell Me a Secret

Title: Tell Me a Secret
Author: Holly Cupala
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: June 22, 2010

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own. Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own. In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

Tell Me a Secret is emotional and intriguing from its very first chapter. Holly Cupala perfectly captures her main character's teenage response to her situation. Rand’s emotions and choices are also thoughtfully depicted, and her narrative manages to be imbued with both the uncertainty of youth and a quiet, growing maturity.

That said, Miranda (Rand) is a difficult main character to connect with, as she’s too preoccupied with living up to the legacy of her dead sister - while simultaneously striving to prove to her parents that she is the ‘good girl’ - to form her own coherent identity. The decisions she makes relating to her personal life are far from smart, and she often seems much too willing to pretend problems don’t exist. At the same time, explanative flashbacks and her dysfunctional family make it impossible not to sympathize with her to a certain extent. Rand also inevitably matures throughout the novel, as her circumstances force her to come to terms with aspects of her life that she’s been avoiding.

My most significant issue with Tell Me a Secret is that I found it difficult to really like any of the characters, with the exception of Rand’s boss, Shelley. Rand’s best friend Delaney is a transparent mean-girl, and while boyfriend Kamran’s callous reaction to Rand’s pregnancy is semi-understandable, it does nothing to endear him to readers. The parental figures are, for the most part, deplorable in their inability to deal productively with the daughter they have left. It’s not necessarily that the characters are unrealistic, but that their collective lack of redeeming qualities makes it difficult to be fully invested in the story.

It’s a testament to Cupala’s simple-yet-poignant writing and pacing that I was compelled to continue reading despite these character issues. There were, in fact, a lot of things I liked about Tell Me a Secret. The story kept my attention the entire time, especially during its revelation-propelled latter half. The ending is suitably bittersweet and feels natural given the events of the novel. I especially loved the art references and how they’re integrated into Miranda’s character.

Though ostensibly about teen pregnancy, Tell Me a Secret is equally concerned with self-discovery and dealing with the fallout of a loved one’s death. Despite its largely unsympathetic cast, Holly Cupala’s debut novel is sensitive, riveting, and well-written.

Rating: 3.5/5

Cover Thoughts: Prior to reading the book, I thought it was intriguing and reflected the title well. In retrospect, I think it’s a bit misleading since the romance elements of Tell Me a Secret are a relatively minor aspect of the story.

Review: Mistwood by Leah Cypess

Title: Mistwood
Author: Leah Cypess
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Release Date: April 27, 2010

The Shifter is an immortal creature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats to the Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes. Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have. Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat. Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them. Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

Mistwood is a solid fantasy novel that reminded me of the books I worshiped as a tween – and that’s definitely a compliment. Fans of Tamora Pierce, Robin McKinley, and (more recently) Kristin Cashore will likely appreciate Mistwood's strong heroine, magical kingdom, political intrigue, and hints of romance.

Isabel is standoffish and cold, but also so achingly human in the complexity of her emotions and her inability to deal with them in a productive manner. She is often conflicted about whom she can – and should – trust, and her background and abilities are cloaked in mystery for much of the novel. Her growth throughout Mistwood is well-handled and entirely believable. The other characters are also well-developed, from the cute assistant sorcerer to the implacable princess. Clarisse is particularly interesting. Despite being callous and cunning, she’s an empathetic figure, with motives that become clearer as the novel progresses. Both Clarisse and Kaer work well as foils for Rokan, a light-hearted, mischievous, reluctantly dutiful prince with repressed daddy issues.

The setting is effective but not overly explained: many geographical locations and duchies are sort of mentioned in passing, but never developed so explicitly that they are memorable. It’s typical fantasy fare – a kingdom in peril, sorcerers and magic, and mythical creatures – but the simplicity works for Mistwood, allowing the focus to stay on the characters. The plot sometimes seems aimless due to Isabel’s inability to remember her past, but gradual revelations keep the story progressing at a steady, comfortable pace. Political intrigue and shifting loyalties also add undertones of uncertainty, and the twists weaved throughout are well-planned, and, even better, surprising. There's even a touch of humorous dialogue, which I appreciated.

The romance could have been better developed, but nevertheless I liked its slow progression; it isn’t an instant love connection or over-dramatic affair, just two characters that fit well together. I’m disappointed that Leah Cypess’s next novel, Nightspell, appears to follow different characters in the same world, but standalone books are always refreshing amid all the trilogies (and never-ending series) currently being published. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Mistwood as a standard example of well-executed YA fantasy and look forward to reading the companion novel.

Rating: 4/5

If you liked Mistwood, you may enjoy reading:

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Review: It's Not Summer Without You

Title: It's Not Summer Without You
Author: Jenny Han
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Release Date: April 27, 2010
Other Titles in Series: The Summer I Turned Pretty (Bk. 1), We'll Always Have Summer (Bk. 2)

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come. But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started--at Cousins Beach.

It’s Not Summer Without You is even more captivating than the first book in Jenny Han’s summer trilogy (and that’s saying a lot, because I pretty much inhaled The Summer I Turned Pretty). I read it in one sitting, savoring each word and getting caught up in Belly’s boy drama.

The occasional flashbacks in It’s Not Summer Without You are even more crucial to the story than in the first book. Rather than revealing the characters’ shared history of summers, as they did before, the flashbacks expand on crucial moments of the past year. A few succinct chapters are told from Jeremiah’s point-of-view; these are a great addition to Belly’s narrative, as they set up future events and clarify his feelings, making him an even more sympathetic character. Conrad, of course, continues to be inscrutable, the quietly compelling opposite of his brother.

Like the first book, It’s Not Summer Without You mixes in some mature subject matter – the death of loved ones and family issues – with its romantic drama. Han’s writing conveys a lot of subtleties and character nuances despite, or perhaps because of, being fairly simplistic. The way she words Belly’s feelings manages to be poignant without shifting into an overly poetic or flowery style, and I really loved that understated eloquence.

One minor point that another review pointed out is that Belly offhandedly mentions that she can’t whistle in this installment, even though her whistle is something she’s proud of in the first book. This is a tiny inconsistency – hardly worth mentioning – but it pulled me out of the story a bit. That aside, Belly’s flaws and occasional immaturity are beautiful. Really. She’s such a teenager, but also so funny, heartfelt, and earnest in everything she does that she remains likable throughout. Her best friend Taylor is as annoying as she was in the first book, but her personality doesn’t seem contrived: I can imagine a person like her existing in real life, so their strained friendship is realistic even if it kind of got on my nerves.

The last chapter offers the same sort of abrupt cliff-hanger that concluded The Summer I Turned Pretty. I don’t really favor that kind of ending, but it certainly left me pining for the third and final book. It’s Not Summer Without You is full of boys, tequila, sand, and decisions, both good and bad. Even more so than the first book, it eloquently conveys all the turmoil, tragedy, and elation of growing up.

Rating: 4.5/5