Welcome to Splinter Bridge, where "The Group '' not only runs the school but the entire town.

Secrets took me by surprise in an absolutely fantastic way. I relished the inability to pinpoint exactly what was happening and this uncertainty kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last page.

Secrets start off as a high school tween drama with the typical shy, quiet, reserved new girl (Lila) who just wants to fit in. As the story develops and we see Lila in a different light, struggling to break free from her alcoholic father and his mercurial moods I was utterly engrossed. While Lila's inner monologue was true to her age, I actually did not mind this at all as it leaned itself to a simplistic overview of life (popularity, boys, family troubles) which the book is heavily focused on.

There is a thick veil of secrecy surrounding the popular kid's AKA The Group that I simply could not put my finger on. The connection between Denny and Lila was utterly explosive and was such a fantastic slow burn that I completely overlooked the cliche, "everyone warns her away from him but she can't help but be drawn to him" scenario that plays out.

There is no denying the oddity that is Splinter Bridge but the one question I bet readers everywhere will have is, "What makes this group of teens above the law?" To be quite honest, at the end of this book I myself can't quite articulate the answer based on the scraps the author has teased me with but I can say that I am ferociously hungry for more.

I love when authors play with my emotions and Rebecca E. Parks played me like a fiddle, gentle stroking my strings with vague pieces of a complex puzzle as she skirts around the truth behind the secrets. There are a lot of unknowns left to be explored in Splinter Bridge and I am equal parts excited and afraid for what's in store for The Group and Lila.

Thank you to Reedsy Discovery for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.