Genre

Young Adult / Urban Fantasy

Audience

13 & Up

Author’s Worldview

Catholic

Year Published

2023

Themes

Teen Pregnancy, Family Drama, Abortion, Pro-life, Popularity, Frenemy, Trust, Enchanted Bracelet,

 

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.

I am Margaret by Corinna Turner

A dystopian nightmare that asks what you really believe and how far will you go to defend it.

The Eternal Spring By, Phillip MacArthur

A fairy tale about faith, hope, and the destruction they protect us from.

Idol Speculations by Karina Fabian

Can a dragon take on a monster ten times his size?

Best Books of 2022

Our favorite book finds of the year!

Roland West Loner by Theresa Linden

When his evil brothers lock Roland up in a dungeon he finds a locked box hiding a mysterious treasure.

Beneath Wandering Stars by Ashlee Cowles

A young girl goes pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago on behalf of her brother and finds her place in the world.

Blink and We’ll Miss It by Ginny Kochis

Back amongst her estranged best friends and former love, Mae tries to hide her time-hopping secret.

Brother Wolf by Eleanor Bourg Nicholson

Swept into a werewolf hunt with two nuns, a dashing guardian and a jolly priest, Athene Howard applies her intellectual skills to unravel this mysterious new Papist world.

Feel-Good Books For Pandemic Summer

Book Therapy to chase the blues away

Snares of the Nether World, by Mary C. Jones

A child and her guardian angel are sent out to rescue a man in danger.

Worth Dying For By Marie C. Keiser

In the shady corporate-ruled galaxy, a man can acknowledge no god. Yet having nothing worth dying for frightens Mark more than death itself.

Siren Spell by Karina Fabian

Immortal dragon Vern can handle anything—until a curse turns him human…

Ironcraft by Pedro Gabriel

Giants war in this Genesis-style mythological fantasy.

Why Flannery O’Connor is Too Dangerous for Catholic Book Stores (And why I love them both for it)

Why the promotion of religious fiction is just as important as the promotion of nonfiction and Apologetics.

Life Choices The Gift By Pat Wiedemer, Neil Thompson, Philip Kosloski

Casey’s birthday present to Josh is a little more than they bargained for.

Books to Deepen Your Lent

Whatever your needs or tastes these books explore the Lenten themes of repentance, confession and renewal.

Love, Treachery, and Other Terrors by Katharine Campbell

This quirky, fairytale fantasy is a fun and amusing read with a serious moral backbone.

Will Wilder and the Relic of Perilous Falls

Follow Will Wilder as he discovers a hidden world, fights demons and rescues a hidden treasure!

Nephilim Corruption by Ann Margaret Lewis

Jedi Adventure meets Christian Epic