3.2-3.5/5.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! i have a soft spot for YA thrillers, and this book was delightful. I really liked (most of) our cast of characters - especially Haran and our main Sam! I would have loved to read more about the friend group. I'm a bit iffy on their secrets - none seemed all that important or wild to me, but I guess it's also the perspective of teenagers and their thoughts on what's a heartbreaking secret as well.

The plot was kind of eh though. I was certainly interested in the mystery, but there weren't many (if any) clues to point us to the plot twist. Being surprised is great, and I didn't think the plot twist was bad, just to clarify. But I think something thrillers struggle with is toe-ing the line between "making a plot twist out of nowhere to shock the reader" and "making it completely obvious what the twist would be." I wish we had gotten at least a few clues to point us towards that plot twist, so that readers could attempt to figure it out on their own - that's half the fun with mysteries/thrillers! The motivations after the plot twist also didn't feel fleshed out - I could deal with the kids not having great secrets, but every other person involved seemed to have reasonings that made little sense/weren't very important to me.

I think with a tighter plot and raising the stakes a bit more, I could really LOVE this book, because I appreciated the cast of characters a lot and cared about their dynamics.

2.5 stars

On the upside, the pacing for this YA mystery/thriller is really fast. I listened to it without breaks while doing so many weekend errands and chores, and while I didn't find the characters or story as compelling as I'd hoped, it's worth noting that it's still a pretty engaging read.

The biggest struggle for me with this one was the two-dimensional nature of the characters and their affiliated secrets. Because I wasn't particularly invested in any of the characters, I didn't much care who was terrorizing them or why. The m.c. is ridiculous. He's a former child star who is absolutely incensed that people lie but also deeply protective of his own secrets. Ugh. The reveal and resolution are interesting but mostly because it's surprising that any of these people took these specific measures or had these kinds of fears over...what seems like not that big of a deal.

Again, I found this engaging enough to listen to, but will it be hitting the top of my YA mystery/thriller list? Unfortunately, not.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

I think SECRETS NEVER DIE will hit well with teens who haven't read a ton of thrillers about a group of friends with a bunch of secrets between them because the pacing is fast enough to keep readers engaged through the slow burn until everything is revealed. For readers that have read similar setups before, they'll have the mystery figured out before the details are revealed in the plot, which can be slightly disappointing if looking for a new take on this thriller trope.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was a twisty/turny fast-paced read that I really wound up liking. A group of friends goes to a secret place to one by one whisper their secrets into the dark, where they can leave them behind. However, this year is different. They start getting tons of messages from someone who not only knows their secrets but is willing to use this against them.

I loved the short chapters. For some reason I just fly through any book with short chapters. I had an easy time reading this and did not completely expect the ending!

Out August 29, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an ARC of this book

This book was so is fast-paced, I loved that it had so many unpredictable twists and turns, I love this genre and can usually guess what is going to happen but couldn't with this. I was so into it! I need more from this author ASAP. Really enjoyed Sam, his friends, and the thrill of it all.

4.5 Stars! Definitely rereading for spooky season and getting a personal copy!

Sam and his friends have a ritual that every Halloween they go to a special place and reveal all their secrets to the dark. This year, however, it seems that someone has discovered the secrets and is not only terrorizing our group but blackmailing them as well.

This YA mystery is fast-paced, has a ton of twists and turns, and never knew what was going to happen next or where the story was going to go. I would definitely read more by this author in the future.

Sam is a former child star with a closet full of skeletons. I wanted to really enjoy this, but it fell flat.

This was so juvenile and I could not connect to the writing. These kids are mid to late teens, like drivers licenses, going to parties, in relationships… but the way they were written didn’t seem to match that vibe.

A group of friends spend every Halloween taking a little while away from the annual party to go into the woods and reveal their darkest secrets to the darkness (not each other, but each separately). But, tonight is different. Something happens and starts a whole series of events that unravel their lives. From this point I was fully intrigued, excited for the secrets and devolution of their bonds to play out. Unfortunately, the way it proceeds was quite silly.

There were moments in this book that I found really interesting. I liked the stalker plot. I didn’t like everything else. I didn’t much care about the characters. Our protagonist’s little sister, Molly was the character I enjoyed the most, even if she was written a little too mature.

thank for you allowing me to read this early release! i loved the atmosphere of the book throughout l, just like his other work! I would say the character development was the downfall, I had a difficult time grasping and connecting to them.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC of this book &or an honest review.
This book has potential but fell flat for me . A group of friends get together once a year and go in a small room and tell their secrets just as a way of letting go of them. They don’t even tell each other but someone knows and is blackmailing Sam. Sam was a child actor but doesn’t talk about what happened. They all start getting crazy texts and get freaked out about them and who would be sending them . I don’t normally read YA books but I couldn’t connect with the characters.

'Secrets Never Die' dives into the intriguing tradition of burying secrets in the foreboding 'Dark Place', an abandoned hut deep within the woods. Every year, Sam Hall and his friends venture there to bury their deepest secrets. This annual ritual, however, takes a sinister turn when their very secrets begin to haunt and terrorize them.

Sam, an erstwhile child star whose meteoric career met an abrupt end in flames, is the story's captivating center. The enigma around that fateful night, a secret he shares with his friends, keeps the tension palpable. The sheer weight of the past looms over every page, making you question every character's motives. Who can Sam trust when every friend holds a shard of that haunting night?

The dynamic between Sam and his sister Molly adds a layer of emotional depth to the otherwise suspenseful narrative. Their bond stands as a beacon of genuine love amidst a backdrop of treachery and blackmail.

What I truly appreciated was the unpredictable nature of the plot. Just when you think you've figured it out, a twist pulls the rug from under your feet.

For those looking for a YA thriller that masterfully blends emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense, 'Secrets Never Die' is a compelling pick. Dive in and get lost in the shadows of secrets that refuse to stay buried.

first off, thank you to netgalley & vincent ralph for the chance to read this arc!
generational trauma x you never know other people’s battles.
after being stalked and chased by secrets, our mc learns all about the trauma caused by his parents and the outcomes when you just run away from it all. 3.5 ⭐️

Every Halloween Sam’s best friend Dom throws a Halloween party and every year they leave this party to go to the dark place a little shed in the woods where they take turns telling their biggest regret of the year. It’s always the same five friends Dom‘s sister Lauren, Beron and Sam’s girlfriend Elijah. What they tell in the dark place or things they’ve never told anyone and has no intention to doing so that is until they start getting texts from someone named Sasha. When Sam was eight he became the main character on a TV show that was really popular and although he did it because it made his dad happy Sam couldn’t stand it. Due to something he totally regrets his career ended abruptly and it’s something he’s only told at the dark place and no one was supposed to know. It seems however not only De Sasha no Sam’s deepest secret she also knows the secrets of his best friends and girlfriend and they’re all getting text messages. Eventually this will escalate to demands and Sam tries to take it all in stride but when they involve his little sister Molly they’ve gone to far he starts investigating who the Sasha is and the things he uncovered it’s not only surprising but runs way deeper than he ever could’ve imagined. This was a phenomenal story I love teen horror thriller and in this genre like most genres most authors follow a trope and although this is about secrets in the past it is also much more than that I have never stopped reading a story to go and follow the author and look up his books are usually wait until I am done but in the middle of the story I definitely did that Vincent Ralph is a great writer with original energetic ideas that kept me glued to the page not only could I not guess who did it but those that were involved the ending is surprising and definitely full of twist this was a great book I know I said that but I must reiterate if you love horror especially teen horror then you definitely need to read Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph this is definitely the kind of book I will read again in the future because it is that good. Kudos to the author and I hope they make this an audiobook. I want to thank Saint Martin’s press and Minotaur books along with NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This dark YA novel is the perfect book to read this fall.

Sam and his friends held a funeral for their secrets, but now there is someone out there blackmailing them for those same secrets. Now he's not sure who to trust. Is someone watching him, or is it one of his very own friends blackmailing him. All his friends know about his past about being a child star, but no one, not even his best friend, know about how it all came to an end.

The summary of the book had me very intrigued, so I decided to give this book a try. The basic plot of this book is essentially this group of friends have a place where they go to share their secrets once a year, but one year bad things start happening at the hut. Some positives were that the chapters were very short and easy to get through, and there were many twists that caused the book to be very action-packed. However, I will say that at some points the plot could get very confusing because there was a lot going on. And in my personal opinion, the ending didn’t really match everything that was going on in the story. Another reason it wasn’t one of my personal favorites is because I can be a little picky with my thrillers, but that’s on me and not against the book. With all of that being said, I still did enjoy reading this book and I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is a thriller fan and thinks it sounds interesting.

4 stars / This review will be posted on goodreads.com today.


This was a slow start, but a gradual roll to quite the ending.

Sam is unhappy. His life just isn’t perfect and it shows. He has a great girlfriend, Elisha. He has amazing best friends, Dom and Haran. He has the Dark Place to leave his secrets.

Halloween is special to them because they leave their utmost, worst confessions in the Dark Place during Dom’s annual party. But this time things are different. This time their confessions don’t fall on deaf ears. This time someone is going to come after them for what was said in their secret confessional.

Like I said. Slow to start, but boy, when it gets rolling, it rolls. All teens have secrets and this bunch of teenagers have their share. But when someone violates their most sacred place and confessions, they need to know what is happening. These teens are fearless in their pursuit of what they consider justice. They never expect to find what they find. And that is when the story gets really interesting.

While I felt like it was a slow start, the book definitely redeemed itself with unexpected surprises. I remember being sixteen and seventeen, and I remember feeling both invincible and utterly terrified. This book exemplifies being a teen. I loved it and would definitely recommend it.

Although slightly repetitive and slow at times, this is a great read for a younger audience. The writing is strong for a YA novel

I am a sucker for a good cover and blurb. I was really excited to read it as I’ve been in love with YA Thrillers lately. But I quickly found that I was not thrilled with this one, rather confused. I didn’t like any of the characters. I felt they were shallow and written without adequate depth. They were also very stereotypical which was annoying. The plot twist was alright, but the secrets were kind of lame. Definitely not worth the blackmail.

I would read another book by this author. I think there is a lot of potential. Unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and Vincent Ralph for the arc of 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐢𝐞 that comes out August 29, 2023!

I really enjoyed this one. It was a quick and easy read with enough mystery to keep me guessing. Perfect for fans of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street as well as YA thrillers like There’s Someone Inside Your House by Stephanie Perkins.

This was...interesting.

I didn't hate it. But I didn't *love* it. There were parts where I felt the terror the characters were feeling but overall, Vincent Ralph's book always feel like a silly goofy time. (Not necessarily a bad thing). I enjoyed 14 Ways To Die, though I felt the same way. I couldn't really suspend disbelief when it came to the person behind it all. Like get therapy and stop torturing innocent kids. I feel there was a better way for that person to deal with life but again it's a thriller so who knows?!?!

The characters were mediocre. Sam was kind of annoying and his relationship with Elisha felt so *forced*. I get where they all were coming from but every single one of them just felt eh to me. I didn't really care what happened to any of them. Granted whenever I read thrillers during the climax, I usually care somewhat but all I could was 'wtf is wrong with *person whose name I can't say because of spoilers*?' I do think if you enjoy YA thrillers loaded with secrets and dysfunctional friendships, you'd enjoy this! It just wasn't the greatest. If you're looking for a Vincent Ralph to pick up, you should definitely try 14 Ways To Die!

Overall a good read but not earth shattering. The plotline is interesting but I had difficulty connecting with any of the characters. Easy read in one sitting and would recommend.