“You probably think you know who I am, but I’m here to tell you that you don’t. I used to be a bright star of a girl, but that girl burned out of existence, like a fire swept through my life and left nothing but ash and smoke.”-Mellie from ‘What They Don’t Know’



Hello people of the internet!!! On today’s ‘Monday Memos’ I am very excited to bring you a book that discusses` a lot of very deep topics. Today we are reviewing the book ‘What They Don’t Know’ by Nicole Maggi, which was provided for review by Sourcebooks Fire & will be released tomorrow October 2nd, 2018. As always I will try to keep this review as spoiler free as possible however I will issue a trigger warning for the following subjects: rape, pro-life vs pro-choice debates, abortion, abuse of pills, harassment (if you are easily triggered by these topics then do not read this book). So this is definitely a book that requires A LOT of discussion so let’s get straight to the review. Ready? Ok, let’s go!!!



‘What They Don’t Know’ revolves around two teenage girls named Mellie & Lise who live in a small, conservative town in Colorado. Although Mellie & Lise were friends as children, they have grown apart over the years but soon find themselves forever woven in each others lives. Mellie has grown up in a very strict, religious household, is a good student, & is determined to remain sexually abstinent until marriage. Unfortunately her entire world changes when she is raped at her home a few days before Christmas. Mellie soon discovers that she is pregnant & must wrestle with whether she should give the baby up for adoption or get an abortion. Feeling alone & unable to tell anyone about her assault, Mellie begins to question everything that she previously believed, & this lead her to some dark & scary places. On the other hand, Lise is a free-spirited tern who isn’t afraid to speak her mind & help anyone who needs her. This trait of helping anyone who needs it leads Lise to figure out Mellie’s secrets & stopping at nothing to help her. However, when helping Mellie risks Lise’s own secrets coming out in the open, Lise must decide if she really can help Mellie or if some places are just too dark to climb out of.



Ok I’m going to start off by saying that this is one of the most captivating books I’ve read all year. ‘What They Don’t Know’ takes you on a roller coaster ride of emotions, that will make you truly think about all of the topics in this story. Obviously this book is a 5 smiley face read, but I will say that you do have to be emotionally prepared when going into this one. Nicole Maggi has an incredible talent of making her truly become emotionally involved with the characters she creates. She is also able to present the topics brought up in this story in such a way that you feel as lost as Mellie regardless of your personal opinion on some of the topics. Also, I love how not every character reacts exactly the way you expect in certain situations in this book, which really gives you characters to root for. One concern that some people have had with this book is the depiction of Christian characters, however I truly disagree with this concern. Although I wish we did see more open-minded Christian characters, it’s perfectly believable to not see this due to the fact that Mellie’s parents have kept her far away from anyone who believes in things contrary to what they believe. Also, we do see that Mellie finds more open-minded Christian people towards the end of the book, which I think really helps Mellie’s growth as an individual feel more powerful, while allowing her to keep some of her religious foundation that makes her Mellie. The last thing I want to talk about is the fact that the two girls perspectives are told in journal entries, which really makes the narrative feel more personal, as if the girls are telling us this story themselves. I’m truly excited to read more from this author, & hope that everyone checks out ‘What They Don’t Know’.

I'm going to start this off by saying I didn't finish the book. The writing and story were alright but I couldn't distinguish the two characters from each other. I wouldn't have known that there are two points of view if it weren't for the name of the character at the end of the chapter. I think if the author did a better job of making the characters more distinguishable I would have really enjoyed the book. I also liked that it was in diary format.

A very deep and intense story. I read this book in one sitting. A vital topic to be discussed, this story delivered.

I’m excited to be a part of the ~*Official Blog Tour*~ for What They Don’t Know by Nicole Maggi, out today!

When their high school teacher assigns journal entries as homework, Mellie and Lise find they have plenty to offload into their diaries.

Mellie is the daughter of the mayor, who makes it well-known that he is super conservative — plus, now he’s running for senate. Mellie’s family is in the spotlight all the time, and it becomes increasingly more urgent that she deal with her secret. She was raped. And now she’s pregnant.

Lise has always felt that she was intuitive to people’s feelings. When her grade-school friend, Mellie, starts behaving differently, Lise is the only one who notices. She’s the only one that reaches out. And to Mellie’s luck, Lise is just the friend that she needs during this difficult time in her life.

What They Don’t Know takes a good, hard look at what it is like for someone to go through the tough decision to have an abortion as an unwed teen in a conservative world. Plus, Mellie has the added trauma of her pregnancy being a result of a rape. Stories come out daily of these abuses against women (and others, too), so it’s a poignant topic.

In these political climes, with laws governing women’s bodies being created and passed by those without female parts, (cisgender, transgender, and all who identify similarly), books like this will become increasingly important. Abortion is a difficult life choice to make, and Nicole Maggi explores the feelings Mellie has — the knowledge she obtains, that no one can know how this situation feels until they find themselves in it. The decision to control one’s own body, to be free to make their own choice.

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You can also click here to enter to win a copy in this giveaway sponsored by Sourcebooks Fire!

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Links in post are affiliate links whose proceeds go toward the maintenance of this blog.

Wow, my emotions are in turmoil! I am feeling anger, frustration, and outrage. I am feeling compassion, sadness, and loss. Most of all, I am feeling like I want to discuss this very powerful and controversial novel with others. There is so much to talk about, to debate, to educate. There is so much wrong in this world, and this book discusses an important topic, actually many topics, that unleash fury, hate, and ignorance. But these topics are real, and need to be addressed and not hidden under a rug. Most of all, there needs to be unbiased education that addresses all points of view, with facts and not opinions.

I loved the format of this book. I remember when journaling was introduced to me in school and I remember loving to write in it, just like Mellie and Lise did. Reading their entries, which were so open and raw, was compelling to me, and helped me to connect with the characters and feel their emotion.

This was a great book and is one that I will be encouraging others to read.

Whew! This one was intense.... but so incredibly important. I was sent an ARC of this book & the blurb didn’t really give any clues to what it was about other than two friends & something life changing happening to one of them. I am guessing that was intentional so I won’t give it away but I will say that it was heartbreaking in the best way. I was heartbroken for Mellie and all of the real life girls that can, unfortunately, relate to her but also so proud of her & so awe struck by Lise’s heart. May we all be Lises for others & have Lises in our lives because she was just amazing - everything the world needs more of. And Hannah? She didn’t have a huge part in this story but she’s a rockstar, too. I hope that this book reaches the eyes & hearts it needs to because it offers some perspectives that I think we could all be better for considering. Nicole Maggi did a phenomenal job. Don’t skip the author’s note at the end!

*4.5 Stars*

I have to admit it. I judged this book by its cover. I was certain it was a mystery & thriller.
Turns out, it wasn't. This was a contemporary novel about equality, abortion and girl power.

Mellie was raised in a very religious family, is anti-choice and wears a chastity ring. But she really starts questioning everything when she gets pregnant after being raped.
Lise is hiding a secret from everyone and can tell something is wrong with Mellie. She'll do everything she can to help her.

This story is mostly told through journal entries, both Lise's and Mellie. They're addressed to their teacher who made the journal an assignment. We also get to read some notes and letters between Mellie and Lise.

I really liked the format. It made for short chapters of sort and that's always good!
The story itself was captivating and I couldn't put the book down.
I loved Lise and I felt for Mellie.
It made me feel a lot.
I found the characters layered and deep. The relationship between Mellie and Lise was very interesting and their relationships to their families too.
I saw the last twist coming but I didn't mind all that much...
I thought the whole abortion subject was well brought up and the entire thing was well constructed.

All in all, an important and captivating book.

Politics aside, because I don’t necessarily agree with the politics in this book, I feel that this was an amazing book. Writing in journal format can be difficult because you have to find creative ways to explain things, and I think that Nicole Maggi did this flawlessly.

It was a powerful and emotional book.

WOW. I was definitely NOT prepared for this. Oh my gosh was this novel sad and brutal.

I'm going to say right off the bat that this novel delves into some very deep core issues that revolve around rape, pregnancy, abortion, friendship, men vs women gender roles, religion, and safety.

Nicole Maggi explores a coming of age story about sixteen year old Mellie who becomes pregnant from being raped. Mellie comes from a strong fundamentalist family... and she thinks that she will ultimately be blamed for her choices and the pregnancy.

Mellie's classmate Lise thinks that she can help Mellie with her situation. The story is told from alternating POV through diary/journal entries that are written to their English teacher. I really liked the journal aspect to the novel.. I felt that it added more depth and strength to the novel.

What I didn't enjoy about this novel was how deep Maggi went into TOO many emotional/deep topics. I think if she would have focused solely on a few topics I would have been able to connect on a deeper level to this novel. I just felt it was a tad bit depressing that I lost some of the interest in the novel.

I also felt like the author was pretty much beating a dead horse with the continued same messages throughout the entire novel specifically about feminism, abortion, and pro-choice.

What They Don't Know was an enjoyable novel but it was nothing that stood out or memorable for me.

3 stars for me on this one.

Thank you so much to Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Publication date: 10/1/18
Published to GR: 9/17/18

A powerful look at the anti-choice movement and its effects on the women suffering the most as a result. Mellie is the daughter of the mayor and part of a very strict fundamentalist church. Her entire life is ruled by religion. She has shied away from Lise, who turns out to be the daughter of the local women’s health clinic doctor. When Mellie is raped, she has no one to turn to and Lise can see her struggling and she steps forward to help. Everything Mellie has grown up believing is called into question.

The friendship between the girls is strong and believable. At times, the rhetoric is too heavy-handed and can feel a bit like a diatribe against the anti-abortion movement rather than a story. But the story gives good information for anyone who might want to know more about the facts.

Hi everyone!
I recently read What They Don’t Know by Nicole Maggi (which is going to be released October 2nd!) which I received thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review. I am going to give a few content warnings for what this book discusses because your well-being is so much more important: What They Don’t Know has a main theme of discussing rape as well as abortion and the opinions people can have about these subject matters.
We follow Mellie (the daughter in a conservative family with her father being the town’s mayor and now running for senate) and Lise (an old childhood friend that she drifted away from due to Mellie’s parents pulling her out of their girl scout troop in order to honor their conservative beliefs) in the form of journal entries (they’re written in both girls perspective) for an English class assignment. The story opens up with Mellie admitting that she no longer fits what’s expected of her in being Mayor Rivers daughter because as of December 21st, she’s not a virgin anymore. In fact, sixteen year old Mellie Rivers is pregnant.
As I got further into this story, I was blown away by how well these two characters were written. While Mellie and Lise’s upbringings are very different (Mellie coming from a very conservative family where she’s expected to feel the same way as her father towards subjects such as abortion and Lise has more of an open household where she can discuss her beliefs and feelings with her mom and not worry about what her reaction could be), I admired how the author was able to bring these two characters together to become friends again. I also enjoyed reading about Mellie’s growth individually; she goes from being afraid of questioning the beliefs her family has stood for her entire life to openly admitting that she feels an abortion is the choice she wants to make.
I loved this book so much. For me personally, it opened my eyes to how impactful the debate between pro-life and pro-choice is and the lengths people are willing to go to get others on their side. If you are in a place where you can read What They Don’t Know, I can’t recommend picking up a copy for yourself on October 2nd enough!

The journal writing was supposed to be just a school assignment. But for two months, it became a sort of Mellie’s confidante and Lise’s sound-board. In Mellie’s first journal entry, she revealed that she was raped and...wait...I think I’ve said too much already. I have to stop giving any background ‘coz it’s much better to dive blind into this book. Fortunately the Goodreads synopsis is very vague, so I will also try to be vague as much as I can to avoid spoiling anything.

The synopsis hinted at some secrets surrounding our characters. One such secret is that Mellie was raped. As a daughter of the mayor with tight moral values, Mellie cannot bring herself to tell anyone about it. So, she used journal-writing as her emotional outlet. Through this journaling style, the book was able to play out effective stunts of dramatic irony. As a reader, I am privy to these info and secrets before some characters do and I read in anticipation on how these characters will react when these things unfold upon them. Like, I know before Mellie and Lise know themselves that their paths SHOULD cross and they SHOULD become friends. Highlight, emphasis and all-caps for SHOULD because this friendship is simply PERFECTION. After a slow-burn build-up to their relationship, I felt rewarded for waiting for their friendship to blossom. Also, the rapist’s identity is heavily hinted at pretty early that at 11% of the book, I am pretty much sure of who he is. But the longer his identity was held unknown to the other characters, the longer the tension is for the impending family confrontation. When Mellie finally reveals it to her family, it was a glorious moment of release for me as a very invested reader.

Let’s talk about Lise, who is a dynamic character in her own way. Lise’s experiences in the book lead to her journey of self-discovery about what career she wants to pursue in the future. She is the source of a much needed comic relief and woke wisdom. Her first journal entry is a gripe about the school board that turned down her petition for a gender-neutral dress code. She is the organizer of a Women’s Day Fair in school. Being a youth activist is part of her personality. But she has her own secret which holds her back from fully helping Mellie. She became more endearing as a character when she decided to take the risk of revealing this secret just to be a real friend to Mellie. Basically, I have a big space in my heart for both girls in this book.

The most important thing about “What They Don’t Know” is how it showed me a perspective that challenged my own prejudices. The book pointed out to me that I have never ever been in Mellie’s situation before so I have no right to judge her. Yes I have my own set of beliefs, one of which is that I am a Christian. But being religious does not give me any excuse to condemn anyone for making a choice about a horrible experience that never happened to me. The overarching theme of the book is choice. Not a few times did Mellie end her journal entry with a heart-wrenching, <i>“I don’t have a choice. Do I?”</i> I teared up for all those times when Mellie felt ashamed, alone, isolated, and out of options. I walked into this book with the pre-set opinion prescribed by the social norms and walked out shookt, confused and asking: Why should women feel awful when deciding for our own bodies?

Note: The blog link provided below is scheduled to go live on September 29. :)

What They Don't Know by Nicole Maggi
I have to say this book wasn't at all what I was expecting, I felt like I went through everything with both of the girls! I have been through part of the same thing and I will never forgot that day I was one who didn't report it and always thought it was my fault. This book showed so much strength and courage in everyone of the characters in it. I think every girl should read this book to know if they ever have something like this happen to them not to be afraid and to know that you will find care and support in the most unlikely people! I couldn't put this book down!!
5 Stars!!!

This review is based on an ARC of What They Don't Know which I received courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher (Sourcebooks Fire).

You probably think you know who I am, but I'm here to tell you that you don't.


What They Don't Know is a story of two high school girls, two unlikely friends, told through alternating journal entries as a part of Ms. Tilson's English assignment. The synopsis says something about "three big secrets", but really there's just one of any significance, and that is Mellie's. (Since I don't want to spoil anything I'll leave it at that, but the secret is revealed to the reader in the first chapter.)

I'm still just a girl, but I'm starting to feel how hard it is to be a woman in this world.


I am all for feminism and the featured topics (rape, abortion, pro-choice, etc.) and how they are handled in this book. However, the author was really beating a dead horse with the same message over and over and over. Yes, women should have a choice regarding their own bodies. Yes, many people are confused, close-minded, sexist, or just simply don't understand their stance on the matter. Pro-choice is an important thing that needs to be discussed, but not with the exact same lecture every other chapter. It was tedious.

I know some people will say things happen for a reason or are fated, but I think we all have a choice. This is your life. You have a say in how you want to live it.


I do admit that this is an intensely modern coming-of-age, which I really enjoyed. The writing was so-so, nothing special to me. I do think I would recommend this novel, depending on the reader. What I kept thinking while I read What They Don't Know is that it is a novel-version of something Ellen Hopkins would write. Imagine Burned meets Crank but written as a full novel (rather than in verse poetry) and you basically have What They Don't Know.

What They Don't Know is enjoyable for what it is, but certainly not a very memorable or a favorite book for me.

Told through journal entries, What They Don’t Know is a young adult novel that deals with sensitive topics such as rape and abortion. This one definitely deserves a TRIGGER WARNING.

And while this novel had been engaging, I didn’t like how the sensitive topics were addressed as if there was no middle ground. Some topics were pretty much black and white. One side is portrayed negative than the other. It wasn’t done in a constructive way (bias). All difficult topics require thought-out (tough) decisions and only one side has been portrayed in this novel in a negative light and favoring the other side.

I definitely would not recommend this for everyone because, again, the topic was addressed in a black or white way. There was no middle ground in this novel, as it felt like some things were bordering to the extremes. For instance, the influence on religion in this novel just rubbed me up the wrong way. I wasn’t really sure what the author’s message was. I think the author’s definitely biased on one side though so you’ll just have to read this novel to find out.

Finally, if the reader had something to say about being pro-life and/or pro-choice, the reader may or may not like what they’re going to read (assuming they have chosen a side based on their beliefs). This book is only recommended to those who are open-minded.

2.5/5 ~ The book wasn’t bad. It was just okay. I just thought the execution (when conveying controversial topics) could have been addressed better without favoring any side at all.

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the chance to read an advanced copy of this book.

A beautiful story about a difficult subject. This book is very hard to review without revealing some spoilers. So I am going to warn in advance that there will be some spoilers in this.

Once upon a time, a long time ago back when they were in Girl Scout Mellie Rivers and Lise Grant were friends. Though they were very young when Mellie's parents took he out of Girl Scouts because one of the girls had two Dads Lise never stopped feeling as if Mellie was her friend. So many years later when the girls are sixteen and Lise notices that something terrible is going on with Mellie she sets out to do what she can to help her.

It seems Mellie has been raped and has fallen pregnant. Mellie is from an extremely religious family and he Father also happens to be Mayor. She is frightened and lost, feeling like there is no way out and beginning to become more and more desperate she needs help but has no one she can go to. Lise may be the one person in the whole school who can actually help Mellie but by doing so she risks everything she holds dear. WIll she risk everything to help a girl whom she really has had no contact with in ages?

Told through journal entries assigned by a teacher we see the growth of the friendship between these two girls. We learn their fears and hopes. Their secret thoughts. This is a story that could happen anywhere and to anyone. It is a brave and lovely book that moved me in too many ways even count.

As the author stated at the end we may not be aware of this but we all more than likely know someone who went through something like this. Is this book Pro-Choice? Yes, it is but it is also Pro-Life. The life of the person going through this. I think every girl should read this.

Thank you again for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the wonderfully written book.

I went into What They Don't know without knowing much about it or the author and found myself really enjoying it. The writing was great and the plot was somewhat reminiscent of My Whole Truth by Mischa Thrace. While the novel had some standout characters (such as Hannah), a lot of them felt rather stereotypical. I also felt the journal entry concept was poorly done as it was often confusing as to whose chapter it was and rather unnecessary.

Sometimes I pick a book thinking it sounds okay and it ends up being way better than I thought it would be and that makes me very happy. That is the case with this book. Lies, crime, secrets and shame. This book has it all. What I also loved was it was mostly strong female characters. Each girl having to deal with their own major issues and how they all came together in the end to make it right was just incredible. I also was surprised at who the perpetrator was, I thought it was someone else and I was wrong ! This book gets you right from the start, the style of writing is unique and you will not want to put it down. Great book !

In the very beginning of this book there is a note from the publisher, Sourcebooks Fire. They say their goal is to find books with authentic teen voices. This book absolutely does just that. It is an honest look into the lives of teens today, especially teenage girls. It is realistic, relatable, riveting and best of all readable and insightful book. The writing style is fantastic throughout and there are so many messages that abound in this book. Clearly there is abortion, which at first glance seems the main focus. However, even though the author herself says this book is about abortion, it was SO MUCH MORE! The focus on female friendships and empowerment is great. YA readers and teens and even older women should be reading more novels where there is a focus of female energy being used to form a support network for each other, instead of women tearing one another down. This book handles very emotional topics like rape and abortion, teen sex and finding your way through life as a teen girl and it addresses all of these issues that we may wish teens wouldn’t have to face, but unfortunately they do face them every single day, and this book walks us through all of those touchy topics with truth, grace and comfort. Comfort that even young women facing insurmountable strife, guilt and sexual stigmas can overcome—can find their own voice, their purpose and true friendships and support in a sometimes crushingly cruel world. I will be reading all of the books Nicole Maggi has written and all books she writes in the future because I find her writing honest, humble and extremely human. This book is something I think all young girls should read in hopes that they may feel not so alone in some of their struggles and as a parent I’m glad a book that is this down-to-earth, honest and relatable exists. It gives me hope that strong messages are accessible to girls and when delivered in such an entertaining and easy way as this book broaches these topics, girls won’t feel lectured, belittled or shamed for their feelings or experiences. Maybe with strong voices being heard and shared like the one the author clearly has and the strong voices she gives her characters, girls and women can move away from the shame and guilt of merely being female that society too often forces upon us. This book is great. Through and through the reading was fun and I haven’t read a YA book this good in a very long time, or any book of any genre for that matter!

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. All thoughts and opinions I’ve shared about this book are entirely my own and nothing influenced my 5 star review except for the amazing talent of an exceptional author who delivered a novel that spoke to my heart.

I had a whole different aspect of the cover when I requested this book to review from NetGalley.
I couldnt put it down,from page one to the end.
A young girl's decision about her future lies in the pages of her journal, a school assignment that opens up her heart,her emotional tribulations on something she didn't ask for but needs to protect her family from this heartbreaking event that changes Mellie's life.
Mellie's deep secret , changes her whole life, and becomes withdrawn and shame keeps her on an emotional journey trying to find the answer,to her decision.
There is always the pride a parent wants to keep in that neighborhood reputation no matter at what cost.
An old childhood freind,,Lise, has the answers to helping Mellie but it takes spying and stalking her to earn her Mellie's trust. They form a lasting friendship and a true freind in Lise proves she and her mother are loyal and will protect Mellie's rights.
A powerful emotional story that opened my eyes to pro life as well.