Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

This book would be a great book group read. I would love to discuss it in a group setting with other readers.

It is thought provoking and has stayed with me for days.

The story line and characters are so good. I have already recommend it to several friends a pre-ordered a hard copy for my library.

Five stars. Recommend.

'The Secret Year' by Jennifer Hubbard is a YA book that quietly tugs at your heartstrings. Reading a story like this from a male perspective felt refreshing—I’m so used to these types of first-person narratives being told from a female point of view. It added a layer of uniqueness that pulled me in right from the start.

What stood out to me was how linear and straightforward the storytelling was. There wasn’t any fluff to wade through, which made it easy to follow and kept me hooked from the very first sentence. The simplicity of the writing was definitely a strength, but I also found myself craving more depth.

Since the story revolves so heavily around Colt and Julia’s secret relationship, I wished there had been more flashbacks to their real-time interactions. That would have helped me feel their connection even more deeply. The same goes for Julia’s diary entries—I wanted more of those, too. Colt’s silent grief over her death was palpable, but I felt like a bit more insight into their relationship could have elevated the emotional weight of the story.

Overall, 'The Secret Year' is a great, bittersweet read. It’s quick and compelling, though I found myself wanting more layers and complexity in the characters. Perhaps that’s part of what made it so easy to breeze through, though!

Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for providing the earc in exchange for an honest review.

I'm afraid I didn't connect with this book. It felt very light on plot. I kept expecting something big to happen - some shocking twist or revelation - but it never really did. The story remained a flatline for me. And although it's mostly told via Colt's first-person POV, I always felt held at a clinical distance. I was told how Colt feels/felt but never truly FELT anything. An example of the distance with which this story's told is when Colt's brother Tom announces he's gay at Thanksgiving. It's handled capriciously, almost with a shrug, with none of the truly emotional impact, positive and/or negative, that this type of vulnerable moment generally brings about. Julia's diary feels chatty and inconsequential. Similarly, when Colt's secret is finally revealed in front of everyone at his school...the fallout is ultimately pretty minimal.

I'm sure there are some readers who will connect with Colt's story. Alas, I just wasn't one of them.

I really wanted to like this one but had a hard time feeling connected with any of the characters. The storyline had great potential, but the lack of character development in this book kept me from being very invested in any of the characters' fates. I do think YA readers may enjoy this as a lighthearted, simple read, but they won't find much depth as far as characterization goes. Had there been more detail, this would have had much more potential. Thanks for the ARC!

In the synopsis of the book, the characters Romeo and Juliet serve as comparative figures to Colt and Julia, denoting the latter pair as reflections of the former's romantic dynamic. However, upon examination, the depth and complexity attributed to Romeo and Juliet's relationship appear to surpass those presented in Colt and Julia's story. The portrayal of their love as forbidden and extraordinary lacks the novel essence and emotional depth that might engage the reader more profoundly with the characters. Additionally, while the narrative navigates teenage heartbreak with an appreciable underlying message, the overall plot and character development may benefit from additional elaboration to enhance the story's depth and engagement. The consideration of extending the narrative to include more detailed exploration of themes and character dynamics might address these concerns, potentially enriching the reader's experience.

Book:
THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer Hubbard
Thank you Netgalley and PenguinTeen for the earc (Jan 7)
Review:
2⭐
I'm not sure how I felt about this one. Did I love it? Hate it? Honestly, it was just eh. I liked the idea of the book: a secret romance torn apart by death, grief overtaking the one who lived---it was a nice premise. The execution felt off. Almost like the story was incomplete. It needed more heartbreak and description---maybe a scene from Julia's pov to add to what she was feeling right before she died to allow a glimpse into her grief. Especially with the comparison to Laura Nowlins work. I don't know. It just needed more...

As much as I wanted to love this, I just had a hard time with it. It all seemed so far fetched to read.

If you’re in a relationship with somebody and it’s a secret, is there really a relationship?
Colt and Julia we’re in a secret relationship for a year when tragedy strikes… Coltis handed Julia‘s diary,
He gets to relive that year from her words!

Emotionally heartbreaking, a total ugly cry!
My first book this, but it definitely will not be my last!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group I Viking Books for Young Readers for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review of Jennifer R Hubbard's The Secret Year. The idea of the book intrigued me; the Outsiders meets Romeo and Juliet. Honestly, I don't think I saw the Romeo and Juliet so much as their families didn't know about their relationship so they didn't forbid them from seeing each other but this book definitely had an Outsiders vibe.

Julia, a wealthy girl who has a boyfriend decides she wants to have a secret, no strings attached relationship with Colt, a poor boy from the flats. They are still secretly together when Colt gets the news that Julia has been killed in a car accident. The book explores the loss Colt faces alone since no one knows they were together, to stop feeling like he is to blame for the accident, and his trying to move on.

This book was a fast read and I had a hard time putting it down because I wanted to know what would happen next. The book didn’t really dig very deep into feelings and was surface level but perhaps it is because this book is meant for high school, however I know high schoolers can handle more in-depth writing than this. I liked the book being from Colt’s point of view but I felt like it ended abruptly with no real resolution.

2.5 stars. This one fell flat for me. I really like to read YA, but this one had such a juvenile tone to it. I notice that this is a re-release of one of Hubbard's earlier books, and I venture to bet her writing has gotten much better over the years. The storyline was good, but I just couldn't get very into this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group for the eARC.

This book had such an interesting premise, and I have been loving some YA reads this year. Unfortunately this one was too YA for me. I did not like Colt and his POV and so I struggled to get through.

Eh decent YA book similar vibes to He Should Have Been With Me but He Should Haven Been With Me was much better with likeable characters who your root for and grieve for… this one had characters that were annoying and not likeable and honestly at the end of the day I am not sure what the purpose or plot of the book was

Thank you, PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers group for the copy of The Secret Year by Jennifer Hubbard. I loved the premise, a teen in a secret relationship dies, leaving behind mourning friends, including Colt, who has to grieve in private. I could have loved this book but the execution was off. The male POV was so unemotional I never really cared about Colt. To be fair, I don't read many books with just a male POV so maybe I was expecting too much. The events felt choppy and weren’t cohesive. There were parts I loved and others that seemed just thrown in. I think people who enjoy an episodic narrative will love this. 3 stars.

This book was excellent I truly did not want it to end! There were also some unexpected twists and turns! Very well written this was my first time reading this author but I will be looking for more in the future!

The setup: a rich girl and poor boy in a secret relationship. A year later, Julia is dead and Colt is left to silently mourn her.

The premise of this story was intriguing and dealt with some tough subject matter. This story has a lot of great potential, but I do feel like some parts could have been executed better.

Overall, I've got some mixed feelings about this book as it is a bit hit or miss, but I'm still glad to have checked it out.

Colt and Julia live in different worlds, despite going to the same high school. The two of them have been in a secret relationship for an entire year. Julia is rich, popular, a senior and has a boyfriend. Colt is a junior from a much less wealthy family. On Friday night they have an argument, on Monday Julia is dead.

Weeks after that, Julia's younger brother figures it out and tracks Colt down to give him one of Julia's notebooks. For the past year, Julia has been writing down everything that's been going on in their secret relationship in letters she wrote for Colt but never sent. Now Colt has all those letter's and is slowly making his way through it, reliving the past year of his life while trying to be present in his current life as well. Like, his female best friend, Syd, clearly has a crush on him and he might be leading her on,

I enjoyed that this book was told from Colt's POV, as there isn't too many High School romances told in a male POV.

As a big fan of secret love stories and contemporary romance novels I was very excited to get my hands on this one. As an avid reader especially of this genre it's very hard to get a book that shocks me however this one completely left me speechless. This was unlike anything I've ever read in this genre and that made it all the more tantalizing. I love the characters however it was the plot that really had flipping the pages at a rapid pace. This isn't your typical contemporary romance. This one is all about secrets, mystery, and hidden affection. When a young woman, Julia, is killed in a car crash her whole community is devastated however no one is as crushed as Colt. The two ran in completely different circles and Julie had a boyfriend so Colts devastation was a little unexpected. Behind the surface of his devastation however leaves a heartbroken man who has to grieve the loss of a woman he was never able to claim in the first place. With a love that had to be kept under wraps for their social sakes they were never fully able to express how they felt and after Julia's death it's cemented their secrecy. When Colt manages to get his hands on Julia's journals he's able to relive their romance as it played out in her eyes and once more connect with the woman he loved. This book is all about morning a loss that no one even expected was there in the first place. I can't imagine having to go through that and have everyone looking at another person when you're the one who's heart is breaking into a million pieces. I love the concept of this book because it was such a roller coaster that I never wanted to end. It was heartbreaking to witness all of the happy times knowing how they ended. I love the flashbacks because it really gave the reader an insight on how close the two were and how they dealt with their secrecy. This book got me from the beginning but it wasn't until the journals that it really secured its hold on me. I found myself racing through at a record speed just devouring all of their moments together and knowing how it ended made it that much more heartbreaking. This is a short read that will leave a giant impact on its readers. Don't be turned off by the size as good things come in small packages. And this is one that lives up to that standard. It managed to take all of the important parts and leave all of the unnecessary fluff. Great read and I'm so glad I got the chance to check it out This is one book that even if you've read multiple times will always be able to make your heart flutter. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait until everyone else is able to check it out. This book will be the book of the year and I know all book clubs will be desperate to get their hands on it, and I'm very thankful to be able to say that I got to check it out first. The only negative thing I have to say about this book was I found the ending to be a little stunted. I feel it could have wrapped up a little bit better however that might just be because I didn't want the book to end.

If you are looking for a YA book that’s is based on a males POV this is a book for you. It is a good book that hits on some pretty serious subjects. Rich vs poor and the divide between them. And coming out to your family. And the power of words that can hold you to a person. A good read for someone in high school who is looking for a bit of romance and some serious subjects. A fairly easy read for an adult just looking for something to cleans their pallet.

I liked this book because it was from a High School boys' point of view. That doesn't happen much especially in a YA novel. It does have "The Outsides" feel to it. Like, problems between the Black Mountain kids and the Flats kids. They don't hang at the same places or date from the "other side". It's about 2 kids from different worlds getting together in secret and just enjoying each other until one dies and the other one is left to carry on like he didn't even know her. You hear from his point of view how he does with her ghost in his head and on paper. He deals fairly well and some don't once the truth comes out.

Thank you for 48 hours to read this novel.

This book claims to be great "For fans of Laura Nowlin's If Only I Had Told Her" and while I agree with this statement, I felt a bit underwhelmed by this novel. I think the author does a good job with the story but it was lacking a bit of feeling for me especially around Julia's death. I didn't feel sad at all and I feel like I didn't know her character or personality very much. For me this one was just ok.

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | Viking Books for Young Readers for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.