I found this book to be quite interesting, however I do feel that I have read this story multiple times throughout my time reviewing and editing books. The characters were a little forgettable but the writing was quite intriguing. If you are new to thrillers then definitely pick this up as it has a lot of small town charm.

A neighborhood party of adults and their children to celebrate the start of the school season turns tragic when a loaded gun is fired and fatally wounds one of nine children playing inside an adjacent barn in Nina Monroe’s mystery suspense novel, “The Children’s Secret.”

As the tragedy unfolds, unanswered questions abound, but no one is talking. The children appear to be in shock and aren’t saying a word. Grieving parents and police need to determine the cause of the child’s death. Who is to blame? Who brought the gun to the party? How did the gun get into the hands of these children—ranging in ages from toddlers to young teenagers? Who shot the gun? Was it intentional or accidental? This is a tragic tale with no easy answers, but it offers lots of opportunities for reflection on a plethora of issues.

JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Nina Monroe, and Publisher Sphere an imprint of Crooked Lane Books for this advanced reader’s copy (ARC) for review.

The Children's Secret is kind of a mix for me. The idea of it sounds great and the story is pretty fast-paced. My only issue is that there are some aspects of it that kind of seem unrealistic. I still recommend this book for those of you who really enjoy thrillers!

"The Children's Secret" is a captivating story that delves into the hidden lives of a small town's residents. When a child is accidentally shot in an unsupervised barn, the community is consumed by blame and questions. Through multiple perspectives, secrets and personal struggles are unveiled, exposing the dark underbelly of local communities.

While the engrossing narrative offers an intriguing premise, some readers may be distressed by a medical incident. Although the ending feels saccharine and abrupt, this book provides an enjoyable exploration of psychological depth in a familiar setting.

This could have gone somewhere, and once or twice it even seemed like it was gearing up to do so, but, alas, no.

Several neighbors get together for a suburban party in America. It ends with a child being shot. While she fights for her life, none of the children present are explaining what happened and it tears the community apart.

This story was difficult to read as a very strong gun hater with a desire for gun control. While it tells an entertaining story on its own, gun control debate is at the heart of it. I’m not sure if a second amendment fan would like this, but that is a-okay with me. The characters, adults and children, were done well with conflicting and changing emotions. I also liked how the children are holding a secret not only from the adults in the story, but the readers as well.

“The children are fine, she thinks. There’s nothing to worry about: They’re just playing. But it’s hard, at this age, to let go of their hands when their palms are still soft and fleshy from childhood.”

This book was genuinely engaging and the story was told in a great way. The main plot is one that has been explored a lot, but I found that this story had enough unique elements that I was still shocked when certain twists and thrills were introduced. A great thriller with a fantastic setting!

I hate to say this, but this book didn’t do it for me. The premise was good and even important, but the execution felt preachy and confusing. On the one hand, it definitely read like I was being hammered with the author’s personal opinions on gun control. On the other hand, I couldn’t quite suss out what those opinions were. The characters were such stiff, wooden stereotypes that it was impossible to like any of them and that made me curious about the point: for example, did the author make Priscilla an absolute shrew so that you would disagree with her? Or were you supposed to sympathize with her plight (spoiler: I didn’t)? It was just not good from really any angle. At best, it was fine.

This was a book about pointing fingers and finding others to blame. As a Parent, you never want to admit your child was the one wrong. The beginning started off a bit slow for me. After about a few, things started to pick up and the characters personalities came into play. One event totally changed several families in just one day. I found myself trying to figure out who pulled the trigger and why. I really enjoyed the end with how everything came together.

This was a difficult read for me. It took me awhile to get into, I started and stopped reading it many times before I was finally pulled in and finished. It probably would have been better if I'd started reading this before knowing anything about it. I was interested in the premise and also very much agree with the authors views on gun control. That said, it felt very much like the gun control "agenda" overtook the storyline/character development at times which really detracted from my ability to stay invested. That said it was a good mystery, I wasn't positive who fired the gun until it was revealed and I'd def be interested in reading more from this author in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the chance to read this book in exchange for this honest review.

There's no question that gun ownership and gun violence are current hotly debated topics in the United States. Nina Monroe has spun a story around the right to bear arms in her novel The Children's Secret, a book that shines a spotlight on the aftermath that follows a shooting among children at a back-to-school party.

The Children's Secret highlights a slice of America; an ordinary neighborhood filled with families from various walks of life. Monroe strings her story along the thread of gun ownership, dividing the families into pro- and anti-camps. After the party shooting occurs and the children make a pact to keep secret what really happened in the barn that day, national attention swoops in on this sleepy New Hampshire community. The Children's Secret examines how fact and opinion can be exaggerated, misconstrued, and used against people, as well as how the media can tear apart otherwise peaceful communities.

The Children's Secret is an easy-to-read, yet heavily issue-oriented novel that covers topics such as gun violence, disabilities in children, immigration, marriage and children, adoption, and media scrutiny. Although often predictable and stereotypical, this novel is also thought-provoking and eye-opening. At its heart, The Children's Secret is a study of Americana: the types of families that make the United States the country that it is, and the issues that fuel and drive the current political environment. Anyone interested in current events that affect the average American family will get something out of this timely novel.

This is a story about wanting someone to blame.

I thought this book was a thriller, and it definitely wasn’t- so to be fair to it I started off with an incorrect perception… but I’m still unsure who the target audience for this was. The book clearly had a message (and not one I disagree with) but the delivery felt really heavy handed, which to away from the mystery element.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Crooked Lane books for the eArc!

"The Children's Secret" by Nina Monroe tackles the challenging topics of gun control, social anxiety (in children and adults), the lives of immigrants in America, and the wider issue of our national debates over hot-button topics.

While it initially took me a bit to get interested in the story line, after a few chapters I was invested in the lives of all of the characters and could sympathize, as it often is in real life, with multiple perspectives even when they were on opposite sides.

I think the author did a good job of portraying both the children's and adults' points of view and building suspense throughout the book as it moved toward finding out what really happened.

Set in an upscale American neighborhood, "The Children's Secret" is what the nation is dying to know. Following a shooting at a children's back-to-school party, one girl is in a coma and none of the others are talking.

The neighborhood features a pastor and the siblings she recently adopted - one of whom has a history of violence. There's also a wealthy new Muslim family that moved into town, and they live in a giant mansion that sticks out from the surrounding houses like a sore thumb. There's the girl who bullies everyone and the British girl who moved to the US with her family but whose mom is missing the UK desperately. The hippie, liberal parents have also raised a child here, and there's a weird boy who would rather play with his rock collection than with other kids.

The media are trying to find out what happened at the party. Some parents are rabidly anti-gun and would never let their parents attend a party at a home with guns, while another is a police officer who carries a gun for work and hunted with his family as a child. With so many different backgrounds and points of view, the shooting is a hot-button incident that even leads to politicians taking sides.

I really enjoyed this novel & couldn't read it fast enough - I just had to know what the big secret was and why the kids weren't telling the whole story. I found the ending to be satisfying, if perhaps a little too neat and tidy.

This one was definitely an interesting read! A little suspenseful yet also a little bit of a thrill... at times I think I was overthinking the storyline but the writing was fantastic and so were the characters. Overall an excellent book and worth the read!

The Children’s Secret by Nina Monroe was an arc i received from and @netgalley and read earlier in the fall. At a back to school party in small town America ninechildren wander unsupervised into a barn. While inside, one child is shot by another and the rest refuse to talk about what happened. The event becomes enormous fodder for the media and press and how the children had access to guns takes center stage. Meanwhile the police investigating the incident become frustrated by the silence of the other children involved. What happened in the barn that day and why won’t anyone talk.

This is a thriller that I enjoyed quite a lot and thought it was really well written. Told through various characters points of view it creates real suspense and mystery around what happened that fateful day. The author is obviously tackling the controversies surround gun control and gun safety but manages to do it in a way that makes the reader think about the issues without being offended by them. I found this to be a gripping and suspenseful thriller and I look forward to seeing what this author does next.

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest and fair review

When a group of children are playing in a barn, a gun goes off and one of the children is shot - but what happened? The children refuse to tell when asked by their parents. This story centers on the issue of gun control in the US, but rather than provide a typical social commentary, Nina Monroe writes from the perspectives of the adults and children involved. This approach makes the book feel more authentic; like you've met these people in your lifetime.
**Thank you to NetGalley , Crooked Lane Books, and Nina Monroe for the opportunity to read and review this book**

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

I was given an advanced copy of this text by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This was a tough read for me. Monroe writes a fascinating novel that focuses on timely issues, but it made for a chilling reading experience. Trigger warning for sure because of kids using weapons and the fallout that arises. Recommend with reservations.

I received a free advance reader's copy and am leaving this review voluntarily...

Gun violence among minors is a real issue in the US as well as other countries. That's why I wanted to try this book. In my opinion, however, it fell flat..
I understand that guns should not be within reach of children. However, I felt like a better approach from Priscilla would have been better. I did not like her at all. Even though I understood why she felt the way she did, she seemed nearly rabid when trying to get her point across.
The children also seemed to be older than their years. As a parent myself, I felt like the author was trying to force the children into bringing across what the adults should have.
My main issue was that the Muslim woman was made to seem as if the only way she could be free was to become more American. That truly grated on my nerves.
The small town atmosphere was done quite well by the author. That whole "borrow a cup of sugar from my neighbor" vibe was very present.
I also was very invested in finding out who shot the gun and I was a bit surprised when I eventually found out who it was. I was, however, not surprised by the motive.
Based on this book, I won't mind reading more work by this author.
This book can be read by teens or adults who enjoy mystery / drama. Some of the scenes may be upsetting for younger children