Customer Reviews

Deadly Little Secret (A Touch Novel) (Touch Novels)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Deadly Little Secrets is a fast paced, plot and mystery driven start to what I believe will be an incredible series. The book is fun and easy to follow, and the characters are believable. The main characters, Camelia and Ben flawed and likable. The elements of their personalities that make them flawed are the elements that make them believable. As a hero, Ben is torn and broken, dangerous and struggling with himself and the things around him. He is a loner just trying to be normal when normal is not an option. Camelia is quirky and artsy and is mysteriously drawn to Ben. Camelia and Ben are a couple that just shouldn't happen, but does, and you want to see it work. But Camelia is plagued by strange and scary calls, and even more frightening photographs. And Camelia just doesn't know who she can trust or believe. The secondary characters are fun and could easy be people walking the halls of any high school. They add just the right amount of fizz to the story.

Part of the story telling strategy is filling in chapters with journal entries, which works incredible well in setting up the suspense and the whodunit. The progression of the entries from thoughtful to scary creates a curiosity of who exactly is stalking Camelia. And just when you think you know who, you start questioning it.

Some people may compare this book with the Twilight series but please, read it as a stand alone. While there are scenes that seem familiar, like a near fatal car accident and Ben and Camelia being Chem partner's, the plot and storyline are different. The road that it starts to create as a series will lead down a different path. Not to mention the characters are not like Bella and Edward. I am a Twilight fan, but as characters, Edward is near perfect and Bella is a damsel is distress. Ben is not perfect, he's not rich, he's got problems and conflicts that are along a totally different wave length and you love him more because of that. Camelia is not weak, she's independent and curious.

Stolarz is an incredible writer who has a way of setting up and unfolding the plot. After finishing this book, I was definitely left wanting more. I can't wait to uncover more of this world, and these characters.

This book was extremely entertaining with a great plot and storyline- there are no slow parts in the book (unlike what some reviewers said) and the ending just screams for the next book in the series. I loved the stalker-ness of the book, becasue the whole time I was reading it, I was trying to find out who the lingerie-leaver was.... is it really Ben? Spencer? Wes? Matt? John Kenneally? I would recommend this book to anyone who is hunting for an entertaining book.

Oh, and the Twilight-ish part is this:
-Ben and Camelia meet when he saves her from being hit by a car.
-they are lab partners in chemistry class.
-the whole "I don't want to hurt you, but I love you" thing.

Anyway, it's really good!

Sixteen-year-old Camelia leads a rather normal life. She has a group of interesting friends and loves art. But then she is almost killed one day. A car almost hits her, and a young man saves her life. He is darkly handsome and somewhat mysterious. He is also hated in town and in school. After all, it is believed that he murdered his girlfriend. So when someone begins to stalk Camelia, leaving her creepy presents and making harassing calls, everyone is certain that Ben is the one doing those things. Ben does have a dark secret, one that Camelia had never thought possible. At least it explains why he seems to go out of his way to have some form of physical contact with her...

This is a good premise for a paranormal mystery series. The characters are fun and bubbly and this lighthearted aspect is mixed in with a darker language and theme in the book. I agree with the other reviewers that this novel is somewhat similar to the Twilight series. There aren't any vampires in this book, but there is plenty of romantic tension between the two main characters as well as a paranormal subplot. I give this three stars because I was disappointed with the mystery aspect. The stalker is the person I suspected all along, which made the ending somewhat anticlimactic for me. Other than that, I enjoyed the romance and mystique surrounding the Ben character. I don't know if I'll give the second book a whirl, but this is worth looking into if you're in the bargain for a series similar to the Twilight saga.

**My rating is 3.5 stars - I'm rounding up 'cause I'm in a good mood today.**

I've read Laurie Faria Stolarz' "Blue is for Nightmares" series and, while I didn't find it a fantabulous, can't-put-it-down-for-one-second-must-read, the series was an engrossing and entertaining escape. I expected more of the same from her new Touch series and got just that.

In Deadly Little Secret we meet Camelia, a well-adjusted teen whose life is pretty ordinary. But after Ben, the mysterious boy who rescued her from a car accident returns to town as the new guy with a dangerous reputation, Camelia's life takes a darker turn. In short order, she is feeling threatened and is left wondering who to trust and who to fear. Since Ben, on the surface, seems to fit into the "someone to fear" category - or at least a "someone to be wary of" category - her attraction to him complicates her life and affects her decision-making abilities.

I found Deadly Little Secret to be a mostly satisfying read, but it wasn't perfect.

While I liked Camelia, I did get annoyed with her from time to time, feeling that she occasionally acted foolishly or in ways that might have endangered her. Because of the overwhelming evidence that she was being stalked - and by someone who was growing increasingly aggressive and threatening - she shouldn't have been seeing ANYONE alone. But, of course, if she would have behaved in a completely rational manner, going to her parents or the police, we probably wouldn't have had much of a story. :-)

I really liked the relationship between Camelia and her friends, Kimmie and Wes. They obviously knew each other well and I felt there was a believable, long-time friend mix of being alternately supportive of and almost completed oblivious to one another. Their conversations were witty and amusing and served to move the story forward.

I liked Camelia's parents and the fact that they were still so attracted to each other after many years of marriage (a state of affairs seen far too seldom in novels, IMHO). It was a nice touch in the story, adding depth to characters that didn't have a large role. Since Camelia didn't confide in them, leaving them with no idea what was going on, I can't fault them for their failure to take action to protect her.

In contrast, and somewhat to my surprise, I found Ben much less interesting. First off, he managed to be broodier than the Whedonverse vampire Angel, which I didn't think was humanly (or inhumanly, as the case may be) possible. Secondly, we learn very little about him or about his "touch" abilities. And lastly, his relationship with Camelia didn't strike me as particularly engrossing. From their conversations, most of which went something like this:

Ben: "You have to trust me."
Camelia: "I want to trust you."

Ben: "I'm losing control."
Camelia: "I want to trust you."

Ben: "I got kicked out of school."
Camelia: "I want to trust you."

Ben: "The police are questioning me."
Camelia: "I want to trust you."

to the rest of the interaction between the two of them, I just wasn't "feeling it". There did seem to be some chemistry there, but as yet, I don't have a lot invested in whether or not they're able to form a lasting romantic relationship.

And, because this is Laurie Faria Stolarz, perhaps they're not destined to. Stolarz can build and deepen relationships over several books and she can also shift things around so that the heroine's romantic interest in book one is not always the romantic interest at the end of a series. It will be interesting to see what direction this series takes. The second book, Deadly Little Lies, is due in November, 2009 and, incidentally, it introduces Adam, a "hot new guy". Hmmmm...

On a final note, the climactic sequence and the ending of the book felt very rushed to me, almost tacked on. It was one of those times that I strongly felt telling the story from a third person POV would have added a lot to the overall suspense because we could have experienced the action from more than one perspective.

Conclusion? Not perfect, but I liked the characters and have enough interest in learning more about the touch plotline that I'll read the follow up.

Miscellaneous book notes:
Deadly Little Secret has a lovely jacket design by Elizabeth H. Clark.
I found the font used for the stalker's thoughts somewhat hard to read.


Note to teens (because I'm a mom and can't help myself): You do not live safely between the covers of a book. If you're being stalked in any manner, talk to your parents immediately. I don't care if they're in the midst of a family crisis or have other problems or seem detached from your life. If they are in any way normal, YOUR SAFETY is much more important to them than anything else. After you've spoken to them, if you feel they didn't take you seriously, or didn't seem concerned to the level you felt they should be, go to a trusted teacher or to the police. The possibility of being looked at as being paranoid or as a drama queen (or king) at first is much better than doing nothing and possibly being harmed.

A unique take on a paranormal story, this story drew me in from the first page. A stalker has sprung up at the high school at the same time a boy with a troubled past enrolls at the school, drama ensues. It's just not as simple as all of that. The details put into developing the characters within the book make the story feel as if it could have been taken out of the headlines. Nearly everything in the story is feasible in real life as well, nearly everything.

I hold back a star because even though the characters are well written, I didn't feel much for them. I liked the mystery of the story and I didn't figure out what was really going on until it was revealed and I'm always happy when an author can mislead and misdirect me. I look forward to book 2 of this series, Deadly Little Lies, to see what comes of Camelia.

Until three months ago, Camelia's life had been normal, with good grades, good friends, and a good job. But three months ago, Camelia almost got run over by a car, only to be pushed out of the way at the last minute by a mysterious guy with an intoxicating touch. Her friends told her to put it out of her head, but Camelia couldn't, and three months later, she finally gets to thank mystery boy Ben for saving her life when he moves to town. Although rumors of Ben's involvement in her girlfriend's death make others way of and rude to Ben, Camelia still thinks he's the good guy. But when she starts receiving strange and creepy notes and gifts, she no longer knows who she can trust. Her friends think it's some practical joke that will blow over, and her parents have their own issues to worry about, but Ben insists that she's in danger. Everyone's hiding something, but hopefully, Camelia can unravel these little secrets before she meets her end.

Deadly Little Secret is a fantastic paranormal thriller with a romantic twist. The story starts off with action, builds up a lot of suspense, and culminates with a band that I didn't see coming. Stolarz definitely has the unpredictability factor down pat; my guesses as to the Stalker's identity were completely off target. I enjoyed reading the dual perspectives, both Camelia's and her stalker's; the stalker's scribbling increased the sense of danger, and Camelia's point of view revealed her to be an intriguing character. There isn't anything about Camelia that is too exciting except perhaps her total disregard of the opinions of others; I wouldn't say she's boring, but her rather uniform life doesn't define the plot, the action due to the stalker does. Ben is an elusive character with some odd inconsistencies, but he is still my favorite character because of his uniqueness, and I hope to learn more about him in subsequent novels.

Fans of Stolarz's Blue is for Nightmares series will not be disappointed in this fast-paced paranormal mystery, which will also be enjoyed by fans of Sleepless by Terri Clark, The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong, and The Missing Girl by Norma Fox Mazer. I eagerly await the sequel, Deadly Little Lies.

Sixteen-year-old Camelia Hammond leads an average life, going to school and working at the pottery shop in town. She hangs with her friends, the boy-crazy and outlandish style designer Kimmie, and the socially challenged Wes. There's even an ex-boyfriend named Matt and the popular John, who seems to be interested in Camelia, though it's not mutual. This all sounds rather uneventful. But then someone new comes into the picture, and all of the rules change: an accused murderer transfers to Camelia's school!

His name is Ben Carter, and it's only a matter of hours before the rumors are flying around school about Ben, who went on trial for killing his girlfriend. Even though the charges were dropped, that doesn't prevent students from feasting on this juicy chunk of gossip. However, Camelia doesn't believe what she's hearing. How on earth could Ben do something like that? After all, he saved her life by pushing her out of the way of a car. Then there's the way she feels when he touches her, almost like an electric shock. And even though there is something Ben refuses to tell her, some big secret that obviously frightens him, she just doesn't feel Ben is a threat to anybody. But someone is.

Someone is watching Camelia, taking pictures of her, following her, and leaving her notes, gifts and phone calls. And not in a good way. He even breaks into her room and leaves a horrid message on her mirror. Camelia confides in her friends but hesitates to tell her parents, who are overwhelmed with other problems. But then the threats grow worse, and Camelia is very frightened. The mysterious stalker is dangerous, and if he can't have Camelia, he'll make sure no one else can either.

Laurie Faria Stolarz has written many exciting books for young people, and DEADLY LITTLE SECRET fits perfectly into that category. Fast-paced and attention grabbing, the tension and mystery here builds quickly and is deliciously creepy. Stolarz cleverly packs her plot with lots of dubious suspects, keeping the reader guessing as to who the mysterious stalker is. Yet at the same time, she keeps each character distinct and memorable; there's no forgetting who's who in this book. Stolarz also skillfully alternates the chapters from Camelia's point of view to spotlight the thoughts of the stalker. She adds in some humor with her boy-crazy and outlandish style designer best friend, her health nut and Yoga instructor mom, and an interesting side view into the world of pottery.

Fans will be happy to know that there is another book scheduled in the Touch series, titled DEADLY LITTLE LIES, which will be released later this year.

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

So it is true it has been a very long time since I was in high school. But this sucked for me. Maybe for a younger reader this might work. But after reading complex and historical fiction that left me breathless, this was vapid. THis is the first book I've read in years where I actually gave up and skipped most of it just to find out the end of the whodunit. Bleah.

I had been eyeing the sequel to this book for awhile now. Every time I walked into Borders actually and decided to give in and just get the book. I didn't realize it was the sequel until after I bought it so I had to go back and get the first book. And I'm glad I did (I originally thought maybe I could just read the second book and get away with it. But it gnawed at me)!

Deadly Little Secret is the first book I've ever read in one sitting. This book was good. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and it hooked me and pulled me in for an awesome mystery. I needed contemporary, a break from Dystopia and this is exactly what I needed. The book was fast paced and every page left you wanting to know more and most importantly, who was stalking Camelia? I had a few ideas of who it could be as the story progressed but I was not expecting who it really was. I did not see that coming! Wow, just... whew, wow. I admit, reading it was like watching an episode out of TV show which was kinda cool. And also the journal entries written by the stalker also added to the suspense!

There wasn't anything I loved or hated about Camelia. She's just your average chick living an average life. Her best friend Kimmie however...! I could not stand! The way she would slam Ben without even knowing who he is and how boy crazy she was.... was just annoying. I wanted to smack her so many times! I really liked Camelia's other best friend Wes. He was funny and if he was a real person, I'd totally want him as my friend! As for Ben... I feel bad about all that he's been through, it must suck to have rumors about you whenever you go. Everyone thinking you're a killer and a freak. I couldn't imagine how I would react if I was in his position. Ben was a likeable character. He was a bit hot and cold in the beginning but I liked him. He seemed like a nice boy, and he seemed to really care about Camelia, or else he wouldn't had done what he did.

The ending however, reminded me a little bit of New Moon. You guys know I hate saying stuff like that but that's exactly what I thought of! I understand Camelia feeling like she needed Ben, especially after everything that happened but she should know that now she's safe. And that Ben only wants her to be even safer.

I can't wait to see what happens next in Deadly Little Lies!

Very similar to Twilight...as a matter of fact, the first few pages is identical. Follows the same age ranges. Writing is pretty good.