The Secret

by K.L. Slater

[zooloo1983]

Well, this book made my head spin, not in an exorcist way so don’t worry! How many secrets can one book hold, in the case of The Secret many!! Just when you thought you had discovered “The Secret” about 5 more turned up!

So we are guided through the story through Alice and her older sister Louise's eyes, not going to lie did not like Louise in the slightest, she was a bit of a bitch really, just putting it out their rather bluntly. She was a horrid sister to Alice! Their relationship has deteriorated throughout the years, now at a stage where Louise snaps at Alice everytime she pretty much opens her mouth! 

Alice has been carrying the world on her shoulders, as well as living with ME, anxiety and just constant pain every day. Now I don’t know much about ME but my heart went out to Alice (and everyone who suffers) where just the simplest of tasks causes her so much pain and discomfort, things we take for granted.  She is just a shell of a person, just existing in the flat she lived in with her late mother. Then one morning, she spots a man on the tram (I started getting "Girl on a train" vibes here!) and her heart stops. On her thirtieth birthday, she fell in love. It gave her a reason to get up in the morning and then one day he waved! I had a little cheer for Alice, short-lived as it was. She is struggling to move on from the guilt she holds for a past action,.

Louise, her sister, married and has a gorgeous little man Archie (more about this one later) she is busy with “meetings” and “appointments” that she just dumps her son on to Alice and moans at her constantly to move out the flat. She couldn’t imagine Alice for one second understanding her problems as she doesn’t do anything. All the while displaying mannerisms of not being able to cope, things going on at home and she is just rude, cruel (so very cruel) and aggressive all the time. She made me tired with it all!

Finally Archie, the person the who holds all the secrets. This little boy is so unhappy and something has shocked him to the core and he has to keep it a secret or else. Well, when I found one of the secrets out, my first thoughts was that it? But when you read on, my heart went to him, it was so much more. I just wanted to give him a big hug and bring him home to me. Then once we had done the first reveal we found out there was more! How this boy has coped I would never know and I am glad he found a trustworthy companion in Alice.

Whilst living in the present, we are whisked back into the past, to see what has occurred to lead us to where we are. Alice’s story was heartbreaking and for Louise to tell her to get over it made me want to slap her and hope she gets what she deserves.

The author has created a story with so many layers, it kept me going, and it is most definitely a page-turner! So much was going on, without it feeling too manic and it didn’t confuse things or take away from the main story, it showed growth in some of the characters. It showed me that sometimes nature wins over nurture when you are growing up if you let it. I loved Alice and Archie and I am glad I was allowed to step into their world and learn about their history and mistakes. I am hoping now I’ve closed the book that they will be ok, in fact, I am confident they will be.

This is my first encounter with this author, and broken record as I sound, this will NOT be my last one! This is her 6th book, so I have 5 to catch up on.....see you later.... need to cure my book hangover!