Review: The Secret Year

Title: The Secret Year
Author: Jennifer Hubbard
Pages: 208
Rating: 3/5

Take Romeo and Juliet. Add The Outsiders. Mix thoroughly.

Colt and Julia were secretly together for an entire year, and no one—not even Julia’s boyfriend— knew. They had nothing in common, with Julia in her country club world on Black Mountain and Colt from down on the flats, but it never mattered. Until Julia dies in a car accident, and Colt learns the price of secrecy. He can’t mourn Julia openly, and he’s tormented that he might have played a part in her death. When Julia’s journal ends up in his hands, Colt relives their year together at the same time that he’s desperately trying to forget her. But how do you get over someone who was never yours in the first place (www.amazon.com)?

I had heard and read amazing things about this book when it was first published, and I kept picking it up at Borders, reading the synoposis, looking at the price and putting it back. Now that I've read the book, I'm glad I didn't pay the $17 for the book, and waited until I found it within the new releases at the library.

I enjoyed the idea of the book. A secret relationship with the rich girl, and the poor boy. Rich girl dies. Poor boy must deal with heartache all alone and by himself. However, despite the fact that I enjoyed the idea, I'm pretty sure I've seen this movie before. It just seemed...flat.

I don't think the story had any oomph. It could have gone so many places, and taken so many turns, but instead I think it remained stagnate. I just don't ever feel like the situation was every really fully resolved.

Plus, I thought the sex in the book was kinda raunchy for a book directed at young adults. This kid would get with anyone!

So, all in all, it was ok but it wasn't mind blowing. It definitely didn't leaving me wishing to read more by this author.