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.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph is a young adult story full of suspense and mystery. This story has a vibe very similar to pretty little liars for a new generation and shines in showing what types of things the characters consider secrets worth keeping. Readers looking for excitement and intrigue has come to the right place.

The description of the book pretty much sums up the gist of the story. I won't write anything more that would spoil the mystery or suspense.

The book is touted as a novel for fans of Diana Urban and Courtney Summers. Since I have enjoyed Diana Urban's novels, I jumped at the chance to read this book. Well, it didn't quite live up to all of the hype. And I probaby expected a lot more than normal.

As far as the characters go, they were typical teenagers that ran the gamut of school bully, the intellectual, and the underprivileged. I didn't particularly care for any of the main characters. And I didn't quite appreciate the insertion of a non-binary character as well. The only character that I did like was Molly, the youngest sister of Sam. A child prodigy in the making...

There are a number of plot twists that slowly reveal the blackmailer and the motive. I thought that the secrets that Sam and his friends had were pretty thin to warrant blackmail threats, however. But it is what it is. In any event, there was enough suspense in the narrative to keep me interested and moving forward. But in the end, there wasn't anything surprising about the big reveal. Three stars.

I received a DRC from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

“Secrets Never Die” by Vincent Ralph follows Sam and his group of friends as they are terrorized by an unknown person in a mask. Every Halloween Sam and his friends confess their darkest secrets. No one is supposed to know them, not even each other. But when they start getting messages and videos they realize someone knows everything. The pace keeps you wanting to read, and the plot twists superb.

If you liked Pretty Little Liars, this is the book for you. I thought I had it figured out and then it kept twisting and turning. This would be a great thriller YA for the classroom.

I enjoyed this book and the pacing of it a lot. The chapters were very short and there was action from the beginning. Overall, this was a twisty thriller that left me guessing until the end!

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Sam and his friends to the same thing every year. They each have secrets, that they would like to remain buried. Someone wants those secrets to come out. I liked this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for a review.

Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph

Once a year Sam and his friends go to a hut in the woods they call the Dark Place. They go into the hut one at a time and tell it their secrets. This year someone is listening and begins blackmailing them with their secrets. Who is watching and listening to them? Who can they trust? Will their secrets be exposed to the whole world?
Overall, the book was very enjoyable. The action is fairly fast paced and keeps you reading. However, in the beginning the transitions between current action and past events seems very haphazard. This makes the book a little hard to follow. This does improve as the events unfold but I had a hard time getting into this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday books for this eARC to read and review.

This was a medium paced, entertaining, YA book. I think it’d be perfect for those who are just getting into thrillers. All around a well written book.

I wasn’t sure about this one at first. It was slow and while we slowly learn some secrets there wasn’t this wow factor to them. The group keeps getting messages from someone that will reveal their dark secrets and they are set on figuring out who is behind this. Towards the end there is this twist and instantly the story is giving me Riverdale vibes.
If you can get through the slow parts (the chapters are pretty short), it has a good twist and ending.
3.5⭐️

I enjoyed the quick chapters and pace of the book. I was expecting the secrets to have more substance and be a bit more exciting. I did not see some of the key players that came into play so I did enjoy the surprise of that. Overall, good for a quick read.

“Some secrets should never have been buried” Secrets Never Die by Vincent Ralph is a YA crime story that is a thriller and suspenseful. This story is about 4 high school friends who grew up together Sam (told from his POV, and was a child actor), his girlfriend Elisha (she is a tutor), Hasan (who is into sports and slasher movies), and Dom (the mean guy of the group). Every year at Halloween they go to the “Dark Place” which is a hut in the middle of the woods where they each take a turn in the hut admitting their darkest secrets. There is a rule where no one asks the others what they confessed to because once the secrets are said in this hut, the secrets die in this hut. Or so they thought.
Someone named “Sasha” knows all of their secrets and is using them to blackmail. I spent this entire book trying to figure out who did it and thinking I knew who it was and at times during the book I thought each of them did it. This was not my favorite book. There were parts in the book where I was really into and some parts that were really slow. I feel let down by the way the book ended, I was left with more questions then I had answers. I won’t say anymore then that because I don’t want to give any of the story away. I read that he has other books that I will check out for sure.
Thank you to Vincent Ralph, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for my honest review. I give this book 3 stars.