Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen M. McManus // BOOK REVIEW

"When you come into the world with another person, they’re as much a part of you as your heartbeat."

SPOILER ALERT!!!

Book: Two Can Keep a Secret

Author: Karen M. McManus

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Contemporary

Synopsis: Echo Ridge is small-town America. Ellery's never been there, but she's heard all about it. Her aunt went missing there at age seventeen. And only five years ago, a homecoming queen put the town on the map when she was killed. Now Ellery has to move there to live with a grandmother she barely knows.

The town is picture-perfect, but it's hiding secrets. And before school even begins for Ellery, someone's declared open season on homecoming, promising to make it as dangerous as it was five years ago. Then, almost as if to prove it, another girl goes missing.

Ellery knows all about secrets. Her mother has them; her grandmother does too. And the longer she's in Echo Ridge, the clearer it becomes that everyone there is hiding something. The thing is, secrets are dangerous--and most people aren't good at keeping them. Which is why in Echo Ridge, it's safest to keep your secrets to yourself.

What I thought about it...

The Storyline / Writing

Well-written, I would say.

The story alternates between Ellery and Malcolm’s POV. It was a mediocre story for me – not so bad and not so, so good, too. I would not say though, that it intrigues me or that I’m excited with what’s gonna happen in the next chapters. The ending I did not expect because I didn’t expect anything much at all. But what kinda puts me on edge is that this small town has a lot of stuffs to deal with, huh. And that’s what confused me, actually. But it’s good that all the confusion died down in the end cos everything was well-explained there.

The Characters

I like all of them especially Nana – Ellery’s grandma. I think Sadie (Ellery’s Mom) is kinda cool, too. Ezra, the twin brother, is fine by me and I would like to have a friend like him. I can’t comment on other background characters though cos they don’t have enough exposure but I hate Katrin (Malcolm’s stepsister) and Viv (the school’s journalist) that I think they deserve far worse ending than that ending. I wanna see them catch up with their karmas, I guess.

I love Malcolm though. I was so drawn to his character because I think he is so reserved and well-mannered and I like that in a guy. Ellery, on the other hand, I felt indifferent with her. I don’t like that she’s making assumptions and putting her nose on things that are not her business. I actually thought that if, in the end, she’s gonna be right about all her crazy theories, I will throw this book to the ground and say goodbye cos the police can’t solve this crime and she can? What? But well, she’s not right… so here I am.

Also, is it weird that I kinda like to know more about the town’s drunkard Vance Puckett?

MY VERDICT

I find this book really problematic because of a lot of crimes involved – Sarah’s disappearance from more than two decades ago, the hit and run, the vandals all over town, the death of the Homecoming Queen five years ago, the disappearance and the eventual death of another girl who’s one of the Homecoming court and the twin’s father. But overall, a fairly pleasant read and again, I got all the answers to my questions in the end. So, great.

MY RATING

★★★☆☆