Keeping You a Secret

I really enjoyed reading this book because it was a a beautiful and amazing love story about how these two girls met and how they fell in love with each other. I rated this a full 5 because I extremely loved every minute of the book and I so wish that it could be made into a movie? I think it would be so cool if the author decided to produce a film based on the novel Keeping You a Secret.... M

We were impressed to get the coffee maker in less than a week, considering it shipped from Calgary to Maine. We read numerous reviews on the unit prior to placing our order. We wanted a Bunn, but did not really want the inconvenience of shutting a tank unit down to save energy, so the HG seemed like a great alternative. No tank of heated water to maintain. We read several reviews about leaking pots, but assumed that Bunn would have fixed the problem by now. Guess what? We got a real leaker. Water all over the counter when filling the unit and then coffee all over the place when pouring a cup of coffee. What a disappointment! I feel like running a bead of silicone caulking all around the perimeter of the pot. We will call Bunn tomorrow. Leaking pot aside, we are happy with the unit. The instructions note that the heat cycle takes six minutes and the brew cycle another four minutes for a pot of coffee in less than ten minutes. Our unit heated the water in a lot less time and we had a pot of coffee in less than five minutes. We have been adding hot tap water and the unit makes coffee very quickly, 3 or 4 minutes. Great tasting coffee and it's hot. We have tried numerous brands of coffee makers and this produces the best tasting coffee. Bunn, just fix the stupid leaking pot and we would recommend this unit to anyone.

At first, I wasn’t very into the romance, maybe because though I liked Holland, I didn’t like Cece enough (I don’t think she’s my type), though I definitely respect her. However, it did become romantic and sweet for me in the latter part of the book, so that was a relief!

Nevertheless, even if I didn’t click with the romance, I still loved the book itself. It’s interesting and that web of friendships and relationships between the characters was nice to read about. I unexpectedly quite like Faith, as well as Leah, Dayna, and even Winslow. I didn’t like Seth, sorry, and I hated Kirsten and Holland’s mom. What I enjoyed most about the book, however, were the parts on homophobia. They made me cry, but in a good way, because they make you more aware of how frightening the society is for LGBTQ+ folks, especially for those who have come out or have been outed.

On the romance again, I liked that theme where there really is a difference between loving someone as a friend and loving someone romantically. I liked how Cece put it, that the latter feels like fireworks. My own description of true romantic love (as opposed to mere infatuation) is that it feels “soul intense” or “soul absorbing.” Stories that make you think more deeply about what true love means are fantastic! :D

Another thing I appreciated about Keeping You a Secret is the idea that sometimes, our first judgments or stereotypes about someone or something can be completely wrong, as in the case of Faith and the Goth culture.

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon.com. Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Holland is a typical senior - great grades, college aspirations and a steady partner. Everything changes one morning though when a new person at school who has transferred gets a nearb locker. Suddenly Holland's life is changing, everything is falling apart.

I've attempted to keep this review gender neutral, because some of the beginning of the book is based on suspense. I think I've failed, but for me, when I first started reading I didn't know if Holland was male or female - I didn't even know it was queer fiction! I suppose the cover should have given it away to me, but I can't say I pay that much attention most of the time.

Holland is a good character. You feel along with Holland, you worry about Holland, you don't know what is going to happen next! At the same time, Cece seems a little typical, in that she doesn't want to share Holland with anyone else. It is remarkable the level of maturity shown by these two main characters - but perhaps getting a driver's licence at 16 does that to US teens.

Something that irritated me about this book and also Scars, is that the two protagonists have a gift at drawing, and so are able to express themselves in that way. For someone like me, who has never been creative in that way it is difficult to connect with them in quite the same way.

One of the problems I have with this novel it the used of 'she sneered'. Maybe it's a big thing in the US, but every time I read it, I felt myself getting annoyed! And perhaps because I was unfamiliar with it I noticed it every time, and felt it was over-used.

One of the key things from this novel is that coming out is your own choice. It should happen when you feel ready, even if other people don't feel that way. I can understand Cece's misgivings about coming out in a homophobic environment, but sometimes you just have to do it, particularly if you are in love and young.

This has to be one of my most favourite YA queer books of all time. I love it. I can't emphasise the way this book changed my life enough. Every time I read it, I pick up something new. This was the first book by Peters that I read, and it paved the way for the rest of the YA queer fiction I have read.

This is almost certainly teenage fiction only, sadly enough. I feel that most parents would not be comfortable with children reading this book, although I feel that perhaps I would have been ready to read this book at age 11. I think it's likely that girls will be more excited to read this book. It's an essential for people who have questions about their sexuality, or want to understand a queer person better. This book has a set of discussion questions in the back, so you can provoke quite a lively talk if required! Peters has a number of books for younger readers that I believe also comment on important things about life, if you love Peters as much as I do, but want to share it with someone younger.

I really enjoyed Julie Anne Halpern's By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead, so I had high hopes for Keeping You a Secret. Unfortunately, Keeping You a Secret fell flat for me. Maybe it's because of my high expectations, but I felt underwhelmed by every aspect of the novel.

I loved Julie Anne Halpern's simple but elegant writng in By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead, but her writing didn't work for me in Keeping You a Secret. Compared to By the Time You Read This, it felt amaeur-ish and choppy. It just doesn't flow as nicely as it does in By the Time You Read This.

What annoyed me most is the preachiness of the whole novel. Of course a book like this should send a strong message of acceptance, but I think it was overdone. There are so many times when Holland goes on and on about how important it is to accept everybody for who they are and to do something about all the hate and homophobia in the world, even though, at least in the beginning, it doesn't fit to her character at all. It seemed too much like the author was directly telling the reader to be more tolerant instead of letting the story carry the message, especially since that took from the authenticity of Holland's character.

Holland as a character is just okay. For the most part, she's easy to relate to, but there are a few things that really bugged me about her - like I said, the preachiness made her voice somewhat unrealistic, but there were other issues, too. For example, I didn't get her problems with her mother in the beginning at all. Her mother keeps pushing her to apply to the best colleges, but Holland isn't sure she even wants to go. That would be fine, but she never does anything about it - even if she doesn't want to go to college, she needs to figure out what she wants to do, since it's her last semester of high school. How she went on and on about how annoying her mother's nagging about college is bugged me - I wated to shake and make her take charge of her life, instead of floating along doing nothing and blaming others.

Cece's character is just okay, too. Actually, she as her own character is fully-developed and complex, but I didn't get her either because of her relationship with Holland. The romance is way too insta-love-y for me. I mean, I guess it makes sense how Holland is so fascinated by Cece in the beginning, since she's never met anyone who's as open about their homosexuality before. Their chemistry in the beginning, before they get together, is well-done, too. But once they get together, their relationship moves way too fast. How they say they love each other after just a few days and always talk about how incredibly important the other one is to them, planning their whole life around each other and saying they couldn't live without the other one... all of that just didn't seem realistic to me.

That being said, I did like some of the seconday characters and sub-plots, for example Holland's relationship to Faith, her stepsister, and her friends Kristen and Leah. It was interesting to see how differently people reacted to Holland's coming out. I also liked reading about such a strong LGBT-community.

I did not enjoy this book nearly as much as I thought I would, but maybe that's just because of my too high expectations after reading By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead. Many aspects, like the fast development of the romance between Holland and Cece, and the preachy tone of the novel, didn't work for me. Still, I wouldn't say it's a bad book - I could see this being of great help to someone who's going through something similar to Holland's situation. But if you haven't read anything by Julie Anne Halpern, I would suggest starting with By the Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead and not Keeping You a Secret.

Holland’s life seems perfectly put together at first glance. However, looking deeper, we see the Holland is hiding from herself, struggling with her life choices. Meeting Cece seems to be a turning point for her - she finally has to deal and accept who she really is, if she wants true happiness.

This book was so enjoyable! I listened to it on audiobook and it has kept me company on late nights when I was too tired to really read on a bright white page, but not tired enough to sleep. Also, I haven’t read much experience with audiobooks, but this was the first one that I truly enjoyed. It was a lot easier to focus on than the previous audiobooks that I’ve read, which could be because I’m better at focusing on them but it probably is because it’s a contemporary. The writing style feels more conversational, like Holland is just your friend telling you her story, which a type of style that I enjoy because I can fly through easily and it keeps me entertained and happy.

The ending was open, leaving room for possibilities in the character’s life, which I enjoyed, but I wished we got a little bit more closure on what was going to happen to her in the future.

There were many things I liked about this book, and only a few minor reservations. Here are my pointers:

Good Things:

I related to the main character so much. Holland is going through more than just coming out and accepting that she is a lesbian. The way she feels about planning for her future, the pressure from her mum and her teachers, her opinion on other people’s behaviors - I really related to that. When I was a teen, I completely had some of the reactions that she has to things, and even now as I face some difficult “planning for the future” times this struggle resonated with me. I don’t always have to identify with a character to enjoy them or a book, but what I’m trying to say is that Holland felt especially real to me because of all that.

This book is so important for LGBTQ teenagers, but also enjoyable if you’re not. I’m guilty of not reading a lot of books with gay main characters, but I wonder why not. A lot of the same subjects of romance, personal life struggles, finding love and acceptance - anyone can relate to that. I have to say, though, for someone struggling to come out, this book would be specially important. Coming out is a tough choice and a tough journey for most people, and it is so for Holland. I think someone could identify with this and thus find the strength to face their own struggle. This branch of literature needs to exist so that gay teens are able to see themselves, realize that they are okay, that there’s nothing wrong with them, that other people are experiencing this same thing. It is also important for heterosexuals, so they can see that being gay isn’t so completely off the norm.

Some things hurt. There were some tough parts in this book, some bad things that happened with our main character that really made me physically hurt and rage. I consider this a good point in favor of the book, because it was capable of making me feel strong emotions.

Not So Good Things:

Relating to the audiobook: Some of the narrators acting choices just felt a little off for me. Yes, this was the audiobook I’ve enjoyed the most so far, but I have to mention this. Some of the voices she used for the secondary characters were just so weird. It really annoyed me. The story was enjoyable enough that I could get past it though.

Insta love. Yes, the romance is sweet, but I just couldn’t help but feel it was rushed. Holland and Cece have literally just met, and they go from being weird acquaintances to friends, but not really friends to “oh, my god you are completely the love of my life” in a spam of what feels like days. I might be wrong with the timeline, because I’m not sure how much time has actually passed from when they met to when they get together, but to me it felt rushed. Sometimes they would gush about how much they loved each other and I would roll my eyes. I just feel like their relationship could have taken more time to develop, that’s all.

Who is Cece? I don’t feel like we really got to truly know aspects of her life other than being a lesbian and dealing and being proud. I wished we could have seen more about her - which also would have helped with the rushed aspect of the romance. I understand why the author made these choices though. This book wasn’t about the romance, it was about coming out and discovering yourself. Cede and the romantic aspects worked as a vehicle for this story to work.

To Sum Up:

I really liked this book, I was entertained all the way through and I enjoyed and related to the main character. It was an important book to read, it had a strong message and it made me feel things. It wasn’t an all time favorite or a perfect book, but it was really well worth the read.

This is the story of Holland and her regular life as a high student just trying to get by until she can figure out what to do with her life. She has great friends, a boyfriend that she loves, and makes great grades. She deals with the pressures from her mom to do everything she never got to do being a teen mom, puts up with her stepsister she cannot stand, and works part time at a daycare center. Everything is going along great until Holland meets Cece. Then everything Holland knows is turned upside down, but possible for the better.
I know I am very behind reading this book but honestly I didn’t know it existed until recently, and I hate that. This book had to be a very hard thing to write about and promote at the time it was written. I say this because I believe it would still be now, which is horrible to say but true. Many people don’t like reading about things they don’t understand or agree with. And that is one reason this world is in the shape it is in now. For the time that this book was written it is very well done. The topic is covered with truth but care, and I think it is a great book for people to read to see another point of view. I love Julie Anne Peters for this fact. All I have read by her covers tough topics for some people but are written in a way that helps people be more comfortable with the topic. If you want to branch out into books with touchy subjects I suggest Julie’s books for sure.

Holland Jaeger's mother's version of Holland's future: Girl goes to school, girl gets good grades, girl goes to Harvard or Stanford or Antioch College, girl meets boy, girl gets married, gets great job, has children and lives happily ever after.

Holland's version of Holland's future: Girl goes to school, girl gets good grades, girl gets rejected from Harvard, girl meets girl? Girl wants to be an artist, or maybe work with kids?

Holland knows she's in love with Cece Goddard the minute she sees her, wearing a t-shirt that says "IMRU" with a small pink triangle underneath. Cece becomes Holland's biggest secret, the source of her greatest happiness as well as her biggest fear. They begin a relationship, but when word gets out that they are dating, Holland faces ostracism. Through all of Holland's troubles, Cece remains a steadfast companion, sacrificing time and energy when Holland's family turns on her. Holland knows her life will never be the same.

Though the writing is smooth and Holland is a likeable, well-developed character, this is not as strong a story as, for example, Nancy Garden's ANNIE ON MY MIND. The peripheral characters are underdeveloped and somewhat stereotypical, except for Holland's friend Leah. The reactions from Holland's friends and family are painfully, undoubtedly real, but the reader ultimately begins to despair as to whether Holland will have any kind of redemption, as she seems to have no support system other than Cece. Holland turns her life in a positive direction in the end, but not without a lot of sacrifice.

--- Reviewed by Carlie Kraft

Now that her senior year has arrived, Holland Jaeger finds life is not so simple. Her mother is pressing her to go to law school. This is not Holland's dream, however her mother seems intent on living vicariously through Holland's life. She wants only the best for Holland. Therefore it is up to Holland to get the best grades, apply to the best schools, and meet everyone's expectations.
When Holland finds herself attracted to a new student, she realizes she's going to have a very serious problem with her current boyfriend; he's too needy. Since they began having sex, that is all he seems to want to do. The new student, Cece, is an 'out-and-proud' lesbian, and Holland finds herself in the greatest relationship ever. What price will she pay when she decides to follow her heart?
KEEPING YOU A SECRET tackles a tough subject in a lighthearted manner. Now there is a lot in this book to which I cannot relate. My parents did not force me to follow their dreams and, as a heterosexual woman, I have no experience with the discrimination that lesbians face. I know when I was in high school there were no gays or lesbians that I knew of. In retrospect now that some of them have "come out", I am surprised that they did manage to keep it hidden so well, and saddened that they felt they had to hide the essence of who they were.
Those issues aside, I found myself intrigued with Julie Anne Peters writing. Her views are honest and handled well. Teen sex is not ignored; instead it is handled honestly with both the pros and cons taken into consideration. Birth control is discussed without being preached. All of these were issues we hated listening to as kids, but they are important nonetheless.
I honestly cannot say this book will appeal to every teenager. But I do hope that those with an open mind will read it and take the message to heart. In the end, it's your decisions, the ones that change your life, that are the most important.

Tracy Farnsworth

The plot and characters were both good but the relationships between Holland and her mom and Holland and CeCe didn't click. The love story between Cece and Holland seemed sorta of like an obsession.

Holland is a person who makes herself perfect for other people until she meets Cece. Cece wakes something up inside her and makes her feel things she's never felt before. Could Holland be in love with Cece? If she is how does she tell everyone espically her mother who tries to control everything in her life. When Holland does come out the reader can expect a major fallout with Holland's mother and one of her so called "friends."

The character were all well rounded. I could see where Holland's mother was coming from but she just didn't make me feel for her. Kirsten was a character you could love to hate. Leah is the friend everyone needs. Faith the step-sister from hades who has a heart. Seth the good boyfriend who turns mean after dumping him and then Holland and Cece two girls whose love borders obsession.

Somehow I wish Julie would do a sequel even though she said she wouldn't just so we could see where Holland and Cece are now and if Holland's mother has came around.

Penny Lane

It was like reading a book filled with stick figures. There was no real character development and with no plot, the reader wasn't left with much. I also wasn't wowed by their chemistry. Seemed like there were more sparks when Holland talked with and about her best friend, Leah. Lastly, where was the ending of the story which should have included prom and life after graduation? I rushed through just to finish and move on to the next book.

Okay, so I just finished this lesbian coming of age novel & I'm going to say it's not to my taste. I found the book to be a little shallow: My preference is for books that have a little more depth to them, especially on the school side of the equation, from say authors like Barry Lyga. However having said that it's a decent enough book, if a little shallow.

The question I think remains: Is this book any good. The problem in answering that is that I have two mutually exclusive answers, which are as follows.

Is it a good story: Yes

Is it good fiction: Not really.

It is totally a good story, it has all the elements of a good story, it has a beginning, a middle & an end, it has narrative conflict, an the characters have a personality. The problem in many ways lies in that while it has all of that it's not very good fiction. The characters are not necessarily all that compelling, nor do the characters have all that much in the way of drive, so when bad things happen to them you don't care as much as you would had the characters possessed more depth & the supporting characters more complexity, less binary pro/anti LGBT views.

Not to mention the quite dysfunctional relationship the main character immediately gets into upon "becoming" a lesbian. It practically reinforces every negative stereotype used by the same people who un-ironically utilize the term "the homosexual lifestyle," or worse yet the more crass "homosexual death-style" statement.

So yeah I suppose what I'm saying is that this book is very simplistic & would probably suffice a reader who is a lesbian teen, possibly one with a chip already on their shoulder. It's basically a readable book, but it has many flaws in it, but none that I personally would consider a deal breaker.

This is an absolutely amazing book about teens, sexuality, and society. Peters does a wonderful job in capturing the issues surrounding coming out for young people, and deals with them courageously and realistically. She delivers a story of one girl who is supported by her parents and another who is disowned. One girl who is openly and comfortably gay, and another who is closeted and dealing with her newly-realized sexuality. These girls find comfort in each other as they deal with internal and external forces. If a book like this had been available 20 years ago, I might have made different choices in my own life. I might even have my own pre-teen daughters read it.

The book is well-written, thoughtful, and easy to read. I haven't read a story this good in a very long time.

Recommended for anyone of any age who is dealing with issues of sexuality... accompanied with a Coke and a bowl of Bing cherries...

Did I mention I really liked this book?

Peters' second novel, Keeping You a Secret, shows undeniable skill in writing and plot, yet does not live up to her previous effort, Define Normal. Protagonist Holland Jaeger seems to have what every teen girl wants in life, seems to be on the right path to a somewhere. Then, new girl Cece Goddard arrives, and Holland's seemingly perfect world is turned upside down - and not for the worst. She feels something for Cece, feels love for her, feels understanding, feels compassion for the torment she deals with due to being an out-and-proud lesbian. Having no shame whatsoever, she incessantly dons t-shirts bearing out of the closet messages: IMRU? Just Do It (With Girls). Holland realizes these new feelings, this brand new awakening, cannot be ignored. She also sees, that while the road will tough and rugged, life filled with obstacles that weren't there before, it will be worth it to be with the girl she loves, to be herself. Though Peters' paints a picture of an issue becoming more and more a staple in today's high schools, the character of Cece Goddard is unrealistically out-and-proud.

This book portrays an excellent example of discovering your true sexuality when your younger and having to overcome all of the negativity around it. It also shows people just how much a same sex couple love each other. Holland and Cece are, what I would call, a dynamic duo. They are perfect together, despite all the obstacles that get thrown their way.

I would recommend this book to anyone over the age of 12, maybe 13. You have to keep an open mind when you read it. For some young teens who are gay or bi or whatever, it will comfort you, and let you know that your not alone. It did so for me. I've read it a billion times, and each time I read it, I feel a stronger connection with myself.

Awesome read! Very realistic story line! Would recomend to ALL LGBTQA community members & any of their friends or family who aren't sure how to feel abt things or have questions that they might not know how to ask.

Julie Anne Peters has written an excellent book about two teenage girls who fall in love, and the challenges they face because of their relationship. This is a difficult subject to write about and easily could drift into several directions. But Peters stays focused and true to the story and her characters. She gets the message across to the reader without being preachy. Although this is written for young adults, I think adults -- especially parents -- can benefit from reading this book. Although fiction, the characters were real to me, and the story a compelling one. It reads fast and is hard to put down. This is a keeper for me, and I'll read it again. But in addition to being a good story, it has a message and theme to it, which taught me a lesson about the particular challenges gay people face with assorted prejudices from peers and family alike. If anything, this novel has taught me -- I hope -- to be more compassionate and understanding, to be more open-minded. This story touched me. I'm glad I read it.

In fact, I finished all 250 pages in approximately 4 hours.
Bittersweet -- reminded me of my first love. The excitement of first seeing her, the awe when she told me she felt the same; that first kiss.
But it also shows that homophobia still exists in a big way; describes some of the fear that comes with just being who you are. I found myself crying hysterically through half of it. And yet, it points out that support <i>can</i> be found, if not in the places you'd most expect.
All in all I'd recommend this book, especially to anyone just coming out.

I absolutely love this book, it was a wonderful story. I was really caught up in the story, with the characters, I felt like I was back in high school with them! I love a book that takes you there and this one was very well written. I started to cry at one point in the book..won't spoil it but I wasn't looking for that to happen and it just..i don't know made me sad. I think this book is a great Y/A book and would especially benefit those who are afraid of being themselves.

In fact, I finished all 250 pages in approximately 4 hours.
Bittersweet -- reminded me of my first love. The excitement of first seeing her, the awe when she told me she felt the same; that first kiss.
But it also shows that homophobia still exists in a big way; describes some of the fear that comes with just being who you are. I found myself crying hysterically through half of it. And yet, it points out that support <i>can</i> be found, if not in the places you'd most expect.
All in all I'd recommend this book, especially to anyone just coming out.

I absolutely love this book, it was a wonderful story. I was really caught up in the story, with the characters, I felt like I was back in high school with them! I love a book that takes you there and this one was very well written. I started to cry at one point in the book..won't spoil it but I wasn't looking for that to happen and it just..i don't know made me sad. I think this book is a great Y/A book and would especially benefit those who are afraid of being themselves.

Peters, Julie Anne. Keeping you a Secret. (2003). New York: Little Brown.
Holland Jaeger's mother did not get the life she wanted, so she has decided to help her daughter live her life. So far Holland has the boyfriend, friends, and a stack of college applications which weigh her down but please her mother. But when Holland eyes Cece, an out and proud recent transfer to Holland's High School, she begins to have her own expectations and desires. Julie Anne Peters gives readers a love story that will keep them turning the pages to see what happens. More importantly, she goes into life in the post-Columbine High School, where there are rules against bullying, but when it comes to gender and sexual identity, people are still uncomfortable. Peters is able to capture in a very realistic voice the pain, anger, and fear of being an openly gay teen. Peters does not romanticize people's reactions, particularly a parent's, to the possibility that their child is gay. As more and more gay teens experience violence and hate crimes, Keeping You a Secret is both a hopeful love story and an honest reminder of the consequences of coming out.

Julie Anne Peters is one my all time favorite authors. She writes from the heart and her words, so beautiful written, touch the heart and soul.
And in this amazing book, she shows that giving up your world for love can break you down but people will be there to catch you if you fall.

What happens when you come out to yourself and your friends in high school?

How does it feel to fall in love for the first time?

How can teenagers live their own life when their dreams are different from their parent?s dreams for them?

Peters addresses these questions and many more in this book, ?Keeping you a Secret.? While I feel that this book is definitely written for a high-school-aged audience, there are elements of the story that should ring true to everyone. Peters discusses issues important to everyone in the LGBT community and everyone in general. This book will be great for someone who?s just coming out to themselves and/or the people they care about. I especially recommend it to anyone coming out in high school.

-Surprisingly well written for a young adult book-

This was an eye opening, amazing, heartwrending story about two teens struggling against adolescent angst, coming to terms with their sexuality, and learning to deal honestly with each other and the truth of their lives. Every teen should read this, gay or straight, as well as kids of any age. Julie Anne Peters, I want a sequel and more! You're amazing!

I greatly enjoyed this book, and I loved the idea of the older and more wise one falling head over heals for someone younger than her. I honestly hate reading but something about this book kept my interest. I had it read in 4 hours in 2 sittings the day I got it, and I am now reading it all over again. I can't say enough great things about this book. If you are young and just coming out or need to just get a way for a little while, this book will make you feel good about who are (and you should), when the world around you wants you to be ashamed.

CONGRATS TO THOSE THAT HAVE HAD THE COURAGE TO COME OUT AND BE YOURSELF, AND GOOD LUCK TO THOSE ON THAT PATH :)

The themes in this book are important for all people to read about (weither you are gay or straight), but the writing in this book is mediocre at best. The story is a compelling one, about two girls who fall in love at highschool, and have to help eachother through the homophobic world they live in. The writing however is not very compelling. It seems rushed, and the main charicters are very two dimentional in all areas except their sexuality. The book seemed to be overly moralistic, and to be trying too hard to get a message across, which distracted from the story-telling aspect of the book. There are many other books available that deal with the same themes in a much more thorough and enjoyable way.

This book was just absolutely amazing. It touched me in ways I never thought a book could. I wish I had this novel when I was a teenager, because it truly covers issues that should be addressed in everyone's life, gay or straight. The characters are relatable, true, and feel so very real. I really feel like I am Holland, I relate to her plight so much, and part of me is still experiencing her venture. I read the book, borrowed from a friend, in one night, returned it to her and went out to buy my own copy, and read it again, that is just how fantastic and highly recommended this book is. Young or old, gay or straight, this book is an emotional, thought provoking read.

This book was EXCELLENT!!!! It was awesome. This book actually made me believe that the characters are really. CeCe is such a loveable character. Holland was such a interesting character to read I really respected her from the beginning. I love this book. It hit so close to home that I was wrecked in tears for like 2 hours. And I'm so glad that I found this book. I can't even say how great it was. It was so realistic. Cece was so charming. And Holland was so caring and loveable. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

My disappointment with this book could somewhat be a result of expecting too much from it. I felt the story was extremely rushed, and there was not enough time taken for character development. It was hard to take any of Holland's friendships or relationships seriously - they just didn't seem realistic. All of the characters seemed "black or white."

This book did do a nice job of communicating to the reader the pain of coming out as a homosexual. But I personally feel the entire book could have benefited if Peters had slowed down and let things develop naturally.

This is a great book for anyone, gay and straight alike. It tells a story about honors student Holland, who is sure that she's straight, and finds herself falling in love with a new lesbian student, Cece. Its about finding yourself, as well as finding love. You will fall in love with the characters, and want to know what happens next.

Coming from a lesbian, it was like reading my own journal.

This book is not only for lesbians, everyone can relate to it.

I highly recommend this book for younger readers (age 13-16), especially if they're just coming to terms with their own sexuality, or maybe the sexuality of a friend. It's very well-written, and the characters are interesting and dynamic.

While I found this book to be fairly predictable, what really made me angry about it was how unhealthy the relationship between Cece and Holland actually was, although the author presents it as wonderful. I kept thinking that if Cece's character were male, people would be jumping all over this, because she's frankly rather awful. An unhealthy relationship doesn't become healthy just because both parties are female.

Let's look at what actually happens here: Holland begins her relationship with Cece, who forbids Holland to come out, even though she wants to, isolating Holland from all her previous friends. She refuses to introduce Holland to her OWN friends, because she is so possessive that she is afraid one of them will "steal" her (in describing a former relationship, Cece is furious that her former girlfriend broke up with her, saying about the girl "I found her! She was mine!" Alarm bells, anyone???) Then, after being booted by her mother, Holland gets into Stanford. But instead of calling them up and asking for financial aid, asking for a defferal, or ANYTHING, she decides she has to stay in the area because of her great love for this girl she's only been dating for... what? Two months? And she ends up living in a halfway house and going to community college. If a character in a novel did something like this for a boy, no one would be praising it. I don't see how it's different because the characters are lesbians. Cece isolates Holland to the point where she has no other friends at all, and then encourages her to give up a great opportunity because she wants to keep Holland nearby. This is not how love is supposed to look.

Julie Ann Peters is pure genius, and she proves it over and over again in Keeping You a Secret. I won't give up too much info. on the book, but wow. The story is touching, the humor is so witty that I found myself dropping the book as I fell to the floor laughing, and best of all the characters are real. The book tackles important issues which are often left untouched and overlooked by most authors. It couldn't be better if she tried- Peters writes brilliance with paper and ink in Keeping You a Secret.

This book is AMAZING! I myself being a lesbian and compleatly being able to relate to everything said in this book i was very happy to read it! i recomended it to my girlfriend and lent it out to a couple friends everyone who has read it so far has not been able to put it down! They all finish it in a day or so, even my non lesbian friends love it! i recommend this book to anyone who has a heart and an open mind