I haven't read Jane Anonymous, but I don't think you need to read it to be engaged in this story. I found myself finding any spare second to read and figure out what in the world was going on. Terra was definitely an unreliable narrator, but with good reason when the climax hits. I didn't see anything in the ending coming, but I thought it wrapped up nicely. It was hard to follow right at the beginning, but I definitely get why the author had to bounce back and forth from now-then. This was one of the best suspenseful books I have read without involving murder or language. Also, throwing in the dangers of an online community is a great insight for kids these days.

This one was just okay. It should have been a sure thing, since these type of books are like crack to me. However, I found it super slow, and I honestly didn't like or connect with Terra, like AT ALL. I found her annoying, and rude, and a whole host of unpleasant things. 😂 Plus I thought the whole reveal, and the baddie was a little..."huh". Oh well, it happens. Can't love every book, right? 🤷

(I am waffling between a 3 and 3.5 Star rating)
The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep is a companion novel to Jane Anonymous, set after the events of that book but completely independent with no character crossover and can be read as a standalone with no issues at all.

Terra already has a past full of trauma and mental illness, but she never expected to be kidnapped and when she escaped her story was not believed. When she joins a chat group for victims, she finally feels heard. But Terra refuses to give up her search for the truth, especially when an online friend has a story that sounds too much like Terra's for her to stop looking for the answers she desperately needs.

I will admit that I was expecting a story with a very strong mystery backbone, with a little bit of psychological trauma mixed in. Instead this was predominantly a story dealing with the after effects of trauma, the healing process after grief, an unreliable narrator with unknown actions and a lot of confusion (for both her and me), as well as the terrible consequence of disbelief and scorn from all sides, and just a tiny dash of mystery. I went into this expecting something different and was disappointed, which is probably on me and not the book. And yes, I know this was about escaping a bad situation, but I felt predominantly depressed during most of the story, and not because of what happened to Terra in the past but because the attitude of others and her own compromised attitude towards herself in the present- and this is probably really what can happen to those with trauma who are doubted or not given the correct care, which makes the situation even more awful. If you go into this with no expectations (or new ones based on my description of the story), you will probably really enjoy this book about a very damaged girl looking for truth.

Keep in mind that this story deals with all kinds of triggers/traumas due to kidnapping, drugging, all kinds of mental health issues, dead parents (and the worst aunt ever!), bullying... I am sure I am missing something. But know this is a hard read in a lot of ways, and the ending was not the answer I was really looking for (I like clear cut answers which this was lacking). I will for sure keep my eyes out for more books from this author in the future since Jane Anonymous was a great read for me.

I did not realize this is kind of a second book in a series when I requested it, whoops! It was fine, but I feel like I would have appreciated it more if I had read the first one? I don't know, it was perfectly fine and I don't have much more to say about it which isn't necessarily bad, but isn't me waxing poetic about how everyone should read this either.

On the surface #thelastsecretyoulleverkeep is delightfully charming but when it pulls you in and gets into your head and heart you find it is one of those books that stays with you and shades the world as you know it in a different way. I found it hard to put down and couldn’t wait to see what happened next and how Terra would react to what was next. The back and forth of NOW and THEN as told in the book was very compelling to understanding the story and helped make it so intriguing. Thank you to #netgalley and #wednesdaybooks for this to read and review.

Wow! I didn't know anything about The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep before reading it other than that it was a young adult thriller. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres and this one did not disappoint. It is a sequel though, so I recommend reading Stolarz's first book before this one.

Twisty, gripping, thought provoking psychological thriller. I enjoyed the author's previous book too but you don't have to read that one to understand this one. I wish it was a tad bit more fast-paced, as the first half of the book was drawn out too much but overall, an enjoyable read!

(TW: kidnapping, neglect, mentioned sexual assault)

Terra does everything right and follows all the rules. She was taught from a young age to always be vigilant. And still, one night after a party, she was taken from her home. Now, however, no one believes her story. Can Terra convince everyone of the truth?

This book, while still dealing with traumatic events, was way less heavy-feeling than its companion novel. I felt less emotionally drained this time around. I’m pretty thankful for that.

I do appreciate that her characters are all flawed, though I wish someone closer to Terra could have been more understanding; a lot of the moments with her aunt are heartbreaking. And I’m still a little uncomfortable with the relation between Terra and Garrett.

One thing that was different in this novel from the companion novel was that the chat site had been developed by this point. Using the chat site to move the plot forward instead of dialogue was an interesting move. Sometimes too much dialogue can drag a story down, but the chat didn’t drag the story down at all.

I’m giving this book four stars. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC; sorry the review is so late.

Guilt can be a debilitating thing, altering your life and outlook, allowing you to do things you wouldn’t normally do. This story of mental health, abductions and surviving the guilt that plagues you is interesting and thought provoking. I admit I got lost a bit in the PTSD mind of Terra at times but the writing is worthy and the plot twists so much that you need to see the forest through the trees, and eventually you will.

It took Terra four days to get out of the wishy water well...but will she ever truly be free?

Six months after escaping the bottom of a well, Terra's life is falling apart at the seams. Despite being missing for four days, no one believes her story, as she has a troublesome history with her mental health. With no one searching for her abductor or protecting her, Terra is always watching her back and searching the eyes of every stranger to see if they are the same unique colour she saw that fateful night. As her paranoia increases, Terra's only comfort comes from an online anonymous chat site for trauma survivors, created by a girl who survived her own abduction. When the person she is closest to in the chat site seems to be in trouble, Terra will do anything to help her...and prove her story once and for all.
I really loved this novel. I found the story so unique and hung on to every word I read. I found it very hard to put this book down. I really enjoy books that feature an unreliable narrator, as I am constantly questioning what is true or not true, and I don't know what to expect. I had a few theories throughout the book. Some of my theories panned out, but not quite in the way I imagined. I recommend this novel to anyone looking for a creative, unique thriller with a lot of twists and turns along the way. I also look forward to reading the companion novel, Jane Anonymous!

The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep can be read as a standalone YA mystery, although it is a companion novel to Jane Anonymous. The story is twisty as hell and will enthrall readers through and through. 18 year old Terra is a survivor of an abduction where she was held in a well for four days before escaping. No one believed her, so she finds a community of survivors on the Jane Anonymous site. Terra meets a girl whose story sounds very similar to her own. And then the girl disappears and Terra investigates. This story is filled with suspense and twists. Readers will be on the edge of their seats throughout. Highly recommended to those who enjoy YA thrillers.

The premise of this book is what really caught my attention and what made me request an early copy on NetGalley. However, the execution of it just fell flat. It honestly had so much potential to be a great read if only more action would have happened and I didn't like how everyone made the main character out to be "crazy." I had a hard time coming to terms with who was the kidnapper. It just didn't feel believable to me. I loved the fact that every victim in this story had a place to go to talk with others who have experienced something similar. Also, the aunt should have believed her the entire time! Even if she didn't exactly understand the situation and what happened, she SHOULD HAVE believed her!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the early review copy. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for the arc of this title.

One sentence review. A crazy, wild ride with an unreliable narrator who will keep you wondering throughout.

I really enjoyed this book. The story revolves around Terra who was held captive in an abandoned well and then escaped. The problem? No one believes her. So Tara finds comfort in an online chatroom called Jane Anonymous.

What follows is a twisty road with an unreliable narrator who makes you wonder the whole time exactly what happened.

I won't lie, there were definitely points in this book were I just wanted to yell at Terra for her poor decision making. Overall though this book grabbed my attention from the beginning and wouldn't let go.

I'll also point out that this is my first book by Laurie Faria Stolarz. So I never read Jane Anonymous which presumably this is an adjacent novel to. The book was fine as a stand alone and I don't feel as though I missed anything by not having read the previous book.

I recommend this book for those who like an unreliable narrator or who are intrigued by stories of serial murderers/kidnappers. The book really delves into psychological trauma on a number of different fronts so if you are sensitive at all to this type of material I would recommend staying clear.

Even if it's well written it wasn't a story for me as I don't like the unreliable narrator trope.
It's not my cup of tea.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Interesting cover, but the blurb cinched it. My first by this author and I did not read the first in this series.

What did I like? I simply wasn’t prepared for such a confusing story. I’m not sure if it was because I didn’t read book one or if it was because it was written in a choppy manner between past and present. Terra definitely did not have a handle on her mental illness and it felt awkward because I wasn’t sure what was real or not.

Would I recommend or buy? I’d probably decline and even though the blurb caught me... the delivery didn’t. I’d have a hard time recommending because of the confusion but if you’ve already read the first then enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy to read and voluntarily left a review!

Reading Between the Wines book review #31/115 for 2021:
Rating: 2 🍷 🍷
Book 📱: The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers | Teens & YA
RELEASES TODAY on March 16, 2021!!!

Sipping Synopsis: Terra is a survivor who was abducted and escaped. Unfortunately, most of her friends, family, and community do not believe her story. Terra has to turn to the internet to an anonymous group where she can discuss her feelings. She meets a friend named Peyton who has is also a survivor who has been abducted and escaped. The more they talk the more they think that the abductor may be lying in wait to grab them again.

Final sipping thoughts: This book started off so promising but then it got so confusing and choppy. I thought it was because I didn’t read Jane Anonymous which is the first book in this series. But after reading other reviews, I realized that this book did not have the same characters, so I did not miss anything. I guess the best and worst thing I can say is that is it written as a Young Adult book and while I like a lot of books in that genre this one might have been too young for my liking.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @StMartinsPress for an advanced copy of @TheLastSecretYoullEverKeep

#TheLastSecretYoullEverKeep #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers #TeensAndYoungAdult

The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep is a Young Adult mystery thriller. It is listed as book 2 in the Jane Anonymous series. But it can be read as a standalone.

The narrator is 18 year old Terra (1st person POV).

The book goes back and forth between THEN and NOW. Terra was missing in the THEN. And she is home in the NOW.

This book has very short chapters. So this is a super quick read.

The connection to the first book has to do with a Jane Anonymous website for survivors of trauma. I thought that this part of the story was interesting.

There are a few things listed in the book blurb (which I only read after) that to me were not made clear in the book. The blurb says that Terra is 18 years old. We see Terra in the THEN chapters as a 17ish year old high school senior. However, I did not know how much time had taken place since that time and the present. So either I completely missed it or it wasn't made clear. I honestly thought that she was at least 20, which made me wonder why this was listed as a YA book.

The present was interesting enough. There was the mystery of who took Terra. But honestly the story was just okay for me. The ending was more action-packed. But I wasn't overly satisfied. And the epilogue was super bizarre.

This was a good read It was suspenseful and the writing was easy to follow. The book started on a high note, but lost intensity. The book had many twists and turns. The author did a good job of making sure it was unpredictable. However, the characters were all unlikeable--to the point I didn't care what happened to any of them. The book was a good read--3-3.5 stars for me.

What a gem of a novel!

18 year old Terra spent four days trapped in the bottom of a well with no food or water, with only an old blanket, a toy, and a children's book for company. After managing to escape, she's now returned home to her aunt, with one little problem-no one believes her story. After losing her parents in a house fire, Terra is admittedly a little unstable, which translates into issues with authorities and her own family and friends believing her story. Terra finds a website, Jane Anonymous, where survivors of abductions come together to chat and give each other support. It's on this website that Terra finds a girl who has a story just like hers- a story of survival and escape. However, both Terra and her newly found friend are getting creepy clues that make it seem like whoever took them isn't quite done with them yet.

This was a wonderful novel of suspense and fear. I found myself anxiously reading from page to page, eagerly waiting to discover what happens next. We are given dual timelines from Terra, from the present and during Terra's time of abduction. I was left questioning from page to page and chapter to chapter what is really true and what isn't, and some questions never get quite answered. This only adds to the lovely intrigue of the story. I found myself hurting for Terra, because no one believes her story and she has no one to turn to. The only thing I didn't care for was the ending- for me, part of it felt a little rushed and unbelievable, but the rest of the novel more than makes up for it. I wanted to be truly shocked at the end, which I wasn't, but I wouldn't let that stop me from reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for my honest review. This review will also be published on my Instagram page (@bookish.marissa) on March 16, 2021.

Sequel to Jane Anonymous but reading Jane Anonymous is not necessary to get the full impact of this book

Content warning: kidnapping, bullying, deception

I received an ARC of The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep by Laurie Faria Stolarz thanks to the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Review:

I absolutely love the way this is told/narrated. There is an air of “did it really happen?”, “is she having delusions?” that kept me hooked until the end because I needed to know!

The story alternates between two times: then and now. Then refers to the time surrounding her kidnapping while now is present times. It was definitely a great writing decision to have it told this way, rather than through flashbacks or fully chronological, so the confusion Terra feels is more impactful and honest.

When Terra escapes from the well, she receives tons of sympathy and support from everyone around her(ish). But then a nasty rumor spreads that she did it all for attention. There is no proof she was kidnapped. No marks on her. Her struggle was not witnessed and there were no remnants that it occurred, despite her remembering that there should be, at the very least, broken glass. But there isn’t. So everyone believes the rumor. And she isn’t sure if she imagined the kidnapping completely, which made me wonder if it was too.

I will say that Terra’s family and friends, really f*ing suck because, proof or not, they should believe her. Yes, she is unreliable. Yes, she has a history of disappearing. So do I understand? Absolutely. But still!

This reminds me of Sadie and The Initial Insult so just from that alone I recommend it. But this takes those concepts and makes something new and I highly recommend!