Review: Deadly Little Secret

Title: Deadly Little Secret
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
Publisher: Hyperion
Date published: 2008
Type of book: Young Adult (stalker, psychic powers, love)
Pages: 252
I received this book from/at: Amazon.com
My interest in this book is: plot

Ideas expressed/message/plot: From book jacket: “SOME SECRETS SHOULDN’T BE KEPT… Until three months ago, everything about sixteen-year-old Camelia’s life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia’s life becomes far from ordinary.
Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend’s accidental death, Been is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She’s reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. Instead, she’s inexplicably drawn to Ben… and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he wants to help – but can he be trusted? She knows he’s hiding something… but he’s not the only with a secret.”

Favorite characters, quotes/lines: Ben: he was really intense and pretty well-adjusted for a guy with his issues

When I finished this book I felt: When I read the plot I thought that I would like this book. It had lots of elements that I usually like: romance, a major change, and a mystery. This book just wasn’t really that good though. Camelia ends up being stalked and her best friends basically just think that she’s imagining it or, if she is right, that the stalker must be Ben. All her best girl friend can talk about is the guys that Camelia should date. And Camelia doesn’t tell anyone (like her parents or the police) that someone is threatening and stalking her. Like the problem will just go away. When the identity of the stalker is discovered after Camelia finally is kidnapped and held hostage, everyone just accepts it calmly… And Ben is now a hot person that Camelia should date. Camelia seems to have just forgotten that she was stalked, tortured, and almost died: she’s just worried about dating Ben. The only character that seemed to have a brain was Ben. I was sorely disappointed by this book – I’m not sure I’ve ever liked a book less. I probably will read Deadly Little Lies when it comes out though, just to see what happens… The book ends kind of abruptly. The bright spots that the book did have were Ben’s powers and Ben and Camelia’s chemistry. I’d like to read about happens with those two aspects of the plot. The reactions to the stalking were just pretty ridiculous.

Other books to read by this author: Blue Is for Nightmares, White is for Magic, Silver Is for Secrets, Red Is for Remembrance, Project 17, Bleed, and Deadly Little Lies (coming soon)

I would recommend this book to: People who like the author’s other books, unless this book is just an unnaturally bad book