{Book Trailer} Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

The book trailer for Holly Cupala's TELL ME A SECRET was released today... and I'm in awe. I've watched it multiple times in the last 10 minutes and I can't stop. It's absolutely gorgeous and, if I hadn't already read this amazing debut, I'd be scrambling to get my hands on a copy. Check out my review of TELL ME A SECRET and my interview with Holly!

Then watch the book trailer:

Are you freaking out? I'm freaking out. It's absolutely gorgeous!

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Holly is currently hosting a huge contest! Prizes include:

Signed TMAS books!

TMAS t-shirts!

Fan-made bracelets by Hannah S!

Music that inspired the book!

Sneak Previews!

Bookmarks and Handmade Magnets!

and...

A Tell Me a Secret handmade necklace!

HOW TO WIN? Share the Trailer Love!

Click here to go to YouTube, then click the Share button to send to your Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, or blog! 5 pts each

Click here to tell us where you posted and enter to win!

Plus Holly will be featured at readergirlz for the entire month of August, with a live Twitter chat coming up!

Review: Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

Title: Tell Me a Secret
Author: Holly Cupala
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub. Date: 6.22.2010
Genre: Contemporary YA
Keywords: Teen pregnancy, Relationships, Family, Friendship, Secrets
Pages: 256
Description (from GoodReads):
Tell me a secret, and I'll tell you one…


In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.

Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.


In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

TELL ME A SECRET is the story of a girl with a tragic past determined to find a hopeful future.

When I picked up TELL ME A SECRET I was expecting a straightforward story about a pregnant teen girl experiencing the issues that immediately jump to my mind: shocked parents, absent boyfriend, and maturity issues. Holly Cupala surprised me though; her debut is so much deeper than that. Miranda endures horrible treatment at the hands of her parents, classmates, and boyfriend, but she remains strong and fights for what she believes is right.

When Miranda first suspects she may be pregnant, she makes the decision to keep it a secret and avoids taking a prenancy test. She waits months to take the test, preferring to live in ignorance rather than face the facts. Though I was angered by Miranda's actions, I could understand why she made those choices. In fact, I've known teen mothers who waited as long as possible before finally taking the test, so I know that it isn't a far fetched idea. I'm thankful that, while Miranda didn't want to see the proof, she still knew, deep down, that she was pregnant and she avoided alcohol and other teratogens that could seriously harm the baby.

The novel is largely about Miranda's pregnancy, but it was her connection and relationship with her sister, Xanda, that I found most compelling. Xanda, and her death, have had an enormous impact on Miranda. Miranda constantly looks to her memories and the Xanda that resides in her mind for guidance. Xanda was definitely not a horrible person, but she also is not the person Miranda idolizes. It was interesting to see the vast differences between Miranda's childhood perceptions of Xanda and who she really was.. the good and the bad.

Holly Cupala proves that she can, and will, tackle difficult material with TELL ME A SECRET - I can't wait to see what she takes on next!

Grade: A- 

Review copy provided by publisher.

{Virtual Tour} Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

I was pumped when Holly Cupala agreed to visit The Hiding Spot and invited me to participate in her virtual blog tour. I hadn't read TELL ME A SECRET at the time, but I'd read rave reviews, so I jumped at the chance. Since then, I've experienced Holly's amazing debut novel and I'm so glad that I listened to my instincts! It's an honor to have Holly on my blog and to, hopefully, inspire you to pick up this book as well!

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A Brief Bio

Holly Cupala wrote teen romance novels before she ever actually experienced teen romance. When she did, it became all about tragic poetry and slightly less tragic novels. When she isn't writing and contributing to readergirlz, she spends time with her husband and daughter in Seattle, Washington. These days, her writing is less about tragedy and more about hope. TELL ME A SECRET is her first novel. Ten percent of the author's proceeds go toward World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls.

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The Interview

In the video below, Holly reads one of my favorite passages from TELL ME A SECRET and answers a few questions about the novel.

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You can check out Holly's next stop tomorrow, July 30th, at The Bookologist! Tomorrow is the last stop on the tour, but be sure to go back and check out all of Holly's adventures. The full tour schedule with links to each post can be found HERE.

Though her virtual tour is ending, Holly is the featured author at readergirlz for the entire month of August, so there's still plenty of time to learn more about her and TELL ME A SECRET.

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Contest

Holly is giving away some great prizes during her tour! Details about eligibility and how to win can be found below!


TELL ME A SECRET Tour Contest Entry Rules



• Leave comments at any official tour stop or Holly’s blog (www.hollycupala.com) throughout the tour! Each comment counts as an entry (one comment per post*).
• Tweet about the tour (@hollycupala) and tell us what you think!
• Post about the tour, then leave a comment at my blog.
• Prizes available to US/Canadian shipping addresses only.


Each week's prizes will be announced at Holly’s blog the following week - check back to see if you've won and contact us at the contact link at www.hollycupala.com (we will hold prizes for 2 weeks).


* Comment calculation: for instance, during week one you can comment once at every official stop, and once on any of my posts for that week to be entered in that week's prize drawing.

Waiting on Wednesday (22)

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (HarperTeen, 6/10)

It’s tough, living in the shadow of a dead girl…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.


Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.


In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

WoW is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine!

I've got two WoW books this week! :) Okay, who am I kidding, I have waaay more than that, but let's stick to two!

The Vinyl Princess by Yvonne Prinz (HarperTeen, 12/22/09)

With a summer job at Bob & Bob Records in Berkeley, California, teen music junkie Allie is ready for anything. She’s poised to fall in love, catch a thief, and make a mix that’ll break your heart. And when she blogs as The Vinyl Princess, Allie is the sort of mystery girl you can’t resist tuning into. Get ready for the vinyl revolution!

Author Yvonne Prinz, cofounder of Amoeba Music, the world’s biggest independent music store chain, brings readers into the inspired, obsessive, irrepressible heart of a teen who is head-over-heels in love with music. Like a great record, this read will rock your soul and rattle your bones.

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (HarperTeen, June 2010)

It’s tough, living in the shadow of a dead girl…

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda’s death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams—a best friend to unlock her sister’s world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all—Miranda has a secret all her own.
Then two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears. Stripped of her former life, Miranda must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister’s demons and her own.
In this powerful debut novel, stunning new talent Holly Cupala illuminates the dark struggle of a girl who must let go of her past to find a way into her own future.