Genre
Audience
Author’s Worldview
Year Published
2023
Themes
Reviewed by
Tiffany Buck
A cute boyfriend, a rich best friend, and a spot on the cheerleading squad: Elise, has it all. At least she thinks she does, until a queasy stomach and two little blue lines change everything. Being pregnant will ruin her perfect life. Abortion seems like the obvious solution, until her grandmother gives her a bracelet with supernatural powers that gives her telepathy when wearing it.
The choice that Elise has to make will affect her life forever. Nearly everyone around says it’s only a clump of cells, and after the procedure, everything will go back to normal. Will it really? The only people giving her alternatives are the Catholic teens at school that go St. Ann’s Church. Whom should she listen to? Wanting this to all go away makes having an abortion tempting. With the bracelet’s help, Elise is able to see who has the best intentions for her and for the life growing inside her.
Secrets: The Truth Will Out is a fast-paced pro-life teen novel that mixes a little fantasy with the bite of Mean Girls. Regina George will quickly come to mind while reading about the relationship between Elise and her best friend, Nikki. Although the comparison is not mentioned, fans of Mean Girls will quickly see the resemblance. This is an enjoyable Catholic teen novel free from graphic scenes and harsh language that’s far from dull. The characters are relatable. Finn is the dreamboat boyfriend that most girls would love to go out with. Nikki is the classic frenemy that most girls have at some point in their life experienced. Elise is beautiful, but it turns out that she’s not perfect. She’s a girl with real problems, and not just because she finds herself pregnant at sixteen.
I think this would be a great addition to every Catholic teen girl’s library. The pro-life message is solid and even includes a list of helpful resources in the back of the book along with a precious ultrasound of a nine-week-old baby. Although Protestants will appreciate the message, they will definitely feel under-represented since all the characters are Catholic. I love the fantastical element of the bracelet, and would like to read more books in the series. As a mother to a tween daughter, I am grateful there are books like this available.
