I recently had the pleasure of reading this, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations in so many ways. From the very first page, I was hooked by the engaging style and the intriguing characters. The author does an excellent job of building a world that feels both immersive and believable, making it easy to get lost in the story. The plot was full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out, the story would surprise me with something unexpected. I highly recommend this and all their work.

The reasoning is kinda thin, but I think that is probable based on the teenage characters; however, this is nicely paced.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The writing style and pacing were just a little off for me. I hope that this book has found its readers though!

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the free book in exchange for an honest review**

Vincent Ralph is an auto buy author for me at this point. His stories are quick, full of twists and turns, and keep you guessing until the last page.

Sam is a high schooler with a close group of friends. When a ritual they participate in every year goes wrong, they quickly learn that the secrets they've been keeping can't stay buried.

I honestly had no idea where this book was going. I feel like I often guess the ends of thrillers, but this one had me stumped! I couldn't tell who to trust, and thoroughly enjoyed every second of it!

Vincent Ralph’s Secrets Never Die is a gripping young adult thriller. The short chapters make it easy to read and perfect for quick sessions. The story has well-placed twists that keep you guessing. Some twists are predictable, but that doesn’t change the fact that is an enjoyable read. Overall, I enjoyed this book. Thank you Netgalley!

I don’t think I was prepared for this going in so I wanted more from it. That wasn’t really going to happen being the audience was for a younger variety. I enjoy YA occasionally but find as I get older they work less and less.

3.5 Stars
As long as you are going into this book knowing it’s a thriller/horror written for younger readers I think you’ll have a good time.
“We call it the Dark Place. I don’t know who built it or when but, for us, it’s special.” – Is a pretty cool tagline and works for the story.

Non-spoiler basic plot is for years a group of kids that use an abandoned shed in the woods as a type of confessional of secrets in a symbolic therapeutic way; but when those secrets start to be used against them chaos ensues.

The action and breakneck pacing of this book really helped to rachet up the tension. It has short chapters which left you wanting to keep turning pages. I ended up finishing this in one sitting.

The biggest struggle I think was the character work, they didn’t necessarily feel completely flat, but at least for me felt pretty short sighted and one-dimensional. It feels like a lot could have been solved through just a little bit of communication, but that’s often how I feel in even adult thrillers. Honestly despite a larger case of characters, Sam and Molly are really the only ones that really stick out.

There were some decent twist along the way, that worked for the story, although I think there could have been some more subtle foreshadowing put into place.

If you are a younger reader or can get into a younger mindset I think this will work for you, if you are a seasoned thriller/mystery reader you may be slightly underwhelmed by this.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph was an addicting and captivating YA thriller following a group of friends who are being harassed and stalked after sharing their deepest secrets on Halloween.

This book was very much an unexpected read for me, both in terms of how much I enjoyed it and how quickly I was able to binge it. I tend to start and finish a book within several days, but I read this whole book within 24 hours - I didn’t want to put it down! It gripped me from the first chapter, and there was action from start to finish. I had to know what was going to happen, which made it hard to put down. I don’t read a lot of YA anymore but have had this one on my NG shelf for over a year so needed to get to it, and I’m glad I did! I do wish we followed more POVs than just one, and the ending was a tad rushed or blurry to me, but overall, I had a great time reading this creepy and fast-paced thriller that kept me hooked from Chapter 1.

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph!

This was another fantastic read from Vincent Ralph! I've really enjoyed his books, these thrillers have all been so exciting to read, to figure out what was going on, and how to survive it. The idea of burning your secrets-but having them come back to bite you? Pretty creepy!

This was such an easy read! Like in his previous books, there's short chapters, which keeps the tension up and the pages turning, to find out what's going to happen next. Short chapters are always fantastic in thrillers, and I loved watching as Sam and his friends dealt with the blackmail.

One big mystery of this book is what happened to Sam's child star career, why it ended. Another big one, was what was going on and why, like who would use these secrets against them? I just wanted to find out, along with these characters!

The questions about who was behind it and why, and just how things might all be connected, I had to find out! Of course there were so many directions that it could've gone it, and I loved the way that was chosen, and how it all played out!

Loved reading this book and I can't wait to read more by Vincent Ralph!

Sam and his friends have a ritual every Halloween. They hold a funeral for secrets they don't want anyone else to know. One Halloween it all goes wrong. Someone knows their secrets. This person is now using the information against Sam. Ralph did a great job developing the characters and keeping them all under suspicion until the very end. There was something about each one that gave you cause to think they had reason to do the blackmailing. I was left in the dark up until the very end when the true villain was revealed.

This was a fun YA thriller. I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I’m a little out of the typical age range for a YA so I found myself a bit annoyed with the decisions made in the story.

One night a year a bunch of teenagers hold a "funeral" for their secrets. They call the place the Dark Place and it holds all their secrets. Little did they know someone has been listening to their secrets. And now that someone is blackmailing them.

I started and finished this book in a day because I was so curious who the person was that was blackmailing them plus how it would wrap up. It's a good one. All the secrets and buried so much deeper than these friends. It's a quick mystery about a town and their secrets.

Former child star, Sam, spends every Halloween night visiting the 'Dark Place' with his best friends and girlfriend. It is there that he goes into an old shack/shed alone and tells his darkest secrets, to feel lighter and less guilty. Only, something weird happens this Halloween, their secrets go interrupted by a supposed prank. An egg filled with blood disrupts Sam's moment to share. Sam is spooked, but brushes off the fear. That is, until a mysterious person, or persons, begins messaging them and blackmailing them with the very secrets they have been trying to hide in the dark.

This book was interesting enough to keep me reading, but overall it seemed a run of the mill young adult mystery. The parents are useless and often times detrimental to the health and wellbeing of their children. The friends clearly do not completely trust each other with their darkest secrets, only sharing them when threats are made to them.

I found the premise of this book to be a little odd. An abandoned shack/shed where you got at night, in a dark forest, to whisper your guilt away? Seems far fetched to me. What teens even have secrets that big or guilt enough to perform such a weird ritual? Sam I kind of understand, but at the same time he could have been honest with his parents and I found what he was hiding to be kind of a let down.

Sam's girlfriend gets mad at Sam for involving her and asking her to join in his weird ritual, but she has her own mind and can make her own decisions and say no. She should maybe re-evaluate and consider that she too was at fault and to stop blaming others for her poor decisions. I also found his two best friends to be not sympathetic characters and overall annoying. With little effort on their part to protect their friend, when Sam is forced into a terrible situation.

I found that Sam was at least a sympathetic character for all he has been through. His father clung to his fame and forced Sam in to a life he had no desire for. And now, his father tries to do the same thing to Sam's five year old sister, with a mom who does nothing to persuade even after seeing the trauma her son went through. The mom was just oblivious/useless and poor Sam was on his own trying to protect his sister from their parents and fame. Gross!

Overall the book was okay, but a little underwhelming in my opinion. The overall mystery fell flat and felt even more unbelievable than the kids shedding secrets in their shack. Also, the discoveries and truths were not connecting enough for me.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This one has great pacing and is full of twists and turns: my disappointment being that I saw a lot of them coming and that left me a little let down.

4/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Vincent Ralph for allowing me to read and review this book.

They release their secrets into the dark, but now their secrets are coming back to haunt them. Our main character is a former child star, with secrets that even his best friend doesn't know. Several friends go into a shack in the woods every year on Halloween night to tell their secrets to the dark. However, someone knows their secrets, and now they are blackmailing all of them. Who can you trust? Who is watching?

I really enjoyed this book. There were twists and turns everywhere. You never know who to trust. Everyone has a secret and you learn them as the main character does. The book is well written, and the characters are all interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes figuring out everything as the main character does.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph dives into the psychological thriller genre with a gripping premise centered around buried secrets and past traumas. The story follows Sam Hall, a former child star, and his friends who hold an annual ritual in an abandoned hut called the Dark Place, where they metaphorically bury their secrets. This year, however, the stakes are higher as someone from their past threatens to expose their darkest truths.

Ralph crafts an intriguing narrative with a dark and atmospheric setting that enhances the suspense. The idea of secrets taking on a life of their own adds a chilling layer to the plot. The characters, particularly Sam, are complex and their backstories add depth to the unfolding mystery. While the plot is engaging and the tension builds effectively, the resolution feels somewhat predictable. The pacing, at times, slows down as the narrative delves into character backstories, which might detract from the overall suspense. Nevertheless, Secrets Never Die is a compelling read with a strong sense of mystery and psychological depth, making it a solid thriller for fans of the genre.

2.5 stars

I just didn't jive with this. For most of it I didn't care for or about the main characters, however I did like the reveals at the end but it was almost a case of too little too late. It was ok but I wanted more thriller aspect.

I will provide my full review of Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph to my socials once the St. Martins Press boycott has been resolved. In place, I will provide a full 5 stars in respect to the author.

this book was the perfect fall read! It was super fast-paced and had short chapters that made it seem to go by even faster. I really enjoyed the eerie setting and how it took place on Halloween. The twists and turns were the best touch and kept me guessing the whole time. The only thing I didn't enjoy was how I wasn't able to connect with the characters. They seemed a little surface-level. This aside I still really enjoyed this one.

This is a nice twisty young adult thriller that hits all the points. It was a good read with very good pacing.