Customer Reviews

Don't Tell

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Seventeen-year-old Lauren Brandt, daughter of a prominent Maryland senator, has returned to the small town where she was born - and where, ten years ago, her disturbed mother drowned under mysterious circumstances. But Wisteria is not the same as it was during Lauren's childhood. Aunt Jule, Lauren's godmother, refuses to get help for her increasingly mentally unstable daughter Nora, and she leaves all responsibilities for paying the bills to her other daughter, Holly. Nora seems convinced that the ghost of Lauren's mother haunts the house and its grounds - and a series of unexplainable events soon makes Lauren wonder if Nora, however disturbed she is, may be right. And soon, Lauren begins to believe that her mother's death was anything but an accident - and that she herself may be next to die. This was a suspenseful mystery full of unexpected twists and turns.

Seven years ago, Lauren's mother was mysteriously killed in Wisteria. Now, Aunt Jule has asked Lauren to return to Wisteria for a visit. While in town, Lauren meets her old friend, Nick, who at first flirts with her and even ends up kissing her the night of the prom, he becomes cold and hostile to her because he thinks she pulled his cartoon from the paper. Holly, who would be cold to Lauren when they were kids because of her mother's sickening admiration, seems to have warmed up to Lauren and be more friendly to her. Nora, who was always very timid, has become out of touch with reality, thinks that Sondra, Lauren's dead mother, has come back to haunt her. Lauren's stay at Wisteria becomes more baffling and more suspenceful as the book goes on. A disaterous prom night, warnings, things moving by themselves, and people acting a little off around her, Lauren thinks she's losing her mind until she's locked in the boathouse with Nora by someone she truly trusted. Will Lauren be able to survive her stay at Wisteria or will the murderer succeed once again?

Oh My goodness! This book IS every star it earned! Not only does it have romance, but it has suspence, and keeps you wondering. I read it during the end of the school year, and every day I couldn't wait to get home just to read it. It was SO good. The ending, well...Let me just say that if you are like me and read the ending before the rest of the book usually...DON'T! It will ruin the whole thing! And I actullay didn't read the end first on this book...And o am I happy about that decision!

'Dark Secrets: Don't Tell' centres around Lauren Brandt, a senator's daughter who returns to the holiday town of Wisteria seven years after her mother drowned there. Despite still coming to terms with her mother's sudden and enigmatic death, Lauren is delighted to be back at her godmother's house where she spent her childhood summers. But things have changed for her godmother Jules and her two children: Nora is disturbed and unstable, Holly moves between friendliness and jealously, and Jule seems to think the best course of action is to ignore them both. As well as this there's Nick, a friend from Lauren's youth who's grown into a charming handsome young man. Lauren falls for him instantly, but Holly informs her that the two of them are dating. Then strange things begin to happen - Lauren finds mysterious knots in necklaces, plants, ropes, cords and clothing that appear as if by magic, and Nora claims that Lauren's mother is in the boathouse - hiding there by day and swimming in the ocean by night to search for her little girl. When Lauren is thrown into several dangerous situations - small at first, but gradually more and more deadly - she begins to fear that someone is out to claim her life. No one will believe her accusations against Nora, and the only thing Lauren does know is that the series of events are linked somehow to her mother's death, and her own re-appearance in Wisteria.

Overall, this is an enjoyable book - it's pacing is quick and fluid and though it takes it's time with details of the prom and the beach party, it never moves too faraway from the mystery surrounding Lauren and her deceased mother. The writing is clear and solid, the plot coherent and the characters interesting. Lauren is overall a likeable heroine that one can relate to, though she has some strange reactions to events - I would have freaked out had I gone into my room to find everything tied in knots - however, Lauren is quite calm even after it happens *twice*. It is also difficult to understand Lauren's affection for Jules, Holly and Nora when they are written as being not very nice people. However, the romance is unique and therefore refreshing - Nick is a bit of a womaniser while Lauren is more naieve, and their first kiss takes place in the pouring rain with a shower curtain draped over their heads for shelter!The wind-up was a little rushed, with two rather life-changing truths being revealed in quick succession, with no time for reactions to either one, let alone adjustments to them.

I'm puzzled as to why this book is in a series, as the only similarities to 'Dark Secrets: A Legacy of Lies' is the location - Wisteria - and a few passing comments to the Scarboroughs and Mrs Lydia. Other than that the two don't link at all, and I don't see why they aren't isolated novels.

Though this is not a memorable book, it is enjoyable, with an intriging plot, realistic characters, funny moments and a big twist. This would be a good book to take on a trip - an entertaining way to pass the time without straining too many brain cells.

this book itself may have started out a little slow but i still liked where it was going. the whole mystery of her mothers death and the pictures i was getting in my mind about the charactors kept me going. Lauren's finally going back to Wisteria after all those years to see how much it had changed. after i started i couldnt put it down my dad kept trying to get me to do something but i couldnt because i was hooked! this book is great for anyone from about 6th grade to 11th or more. i think i might say that just because i loved it! but i deffininatly think it is a must read. ps there is a twist at the end that is AWESOME!!

The first word I haved to say is - wow. This is one of my all time favorite books. I couldn't sleep without reading this book; literally! It's a perfect murder mystery story, with a little bit of romance and sci-fi. Now listen carefully to me, GO BUY IT NOW!

~An 11-Year-Old Book Geek

I bought this book because I had read the 1st book - Legacy of Lies. Elizabeth Chandler is a great author and I love the way she writes! This book is way better than first one and if you liked the first book you will definetly like this one. I have already read it twice. The characters are well defined and interesting, especially Nick. I can totally relate to Lauren and some of her problems.
Hope you like it!

It has been seven years since Lauren's mother drowned, now her Aunt Jule asked her to come back. Jule's daughter Holly appears to have accepted Lauren with open arms - but there is a friction between them. Holly's sister Nora is strange - a frightening figure who makes Lauren's skin crawl. A series of accidents makes Lauren afraid for her life - especially when two of the "accidents" almost kill her. There is a secret buried in the past that Lauren must uncover. If Lauren can not find the truth then she will be the victim of a fatal accident - just like her mother.

The first book in this series was so well written that I didn't think the author could make it better - but she has. The storyline of this novel is strong and keeps you reading until the last page. As with "Legacy of Lies" this novel has strong characters that draw you into their story and make it yours. I have been recommending this all over the place.

The other great thing about this book is that although it is part of a series you don't have to read the "first" one first. It's also pretty neat that both books have been set in the same small town so that you can build a mental image of the town and add to it each time you read another book in the series.

I've been reading this genre (i.e., paranormal young adult fiction) with a vengeance and am writing reviews for the few that really kept me reading (like this one.) Intriguing with a nice romantic sub-plot.

Dark Secrets: Don't Tell is about Lauren,a senator's daughter that returns to Wisteria seven years after the summer her mother drowned there. She thought she would feel comfortable with her Aunt Jule and cousins, Holly and Nora, but finds that her mother's death still haunts her. She notices that Nora has grown into a quiet and spooky girl. She gets along more with her other cousin Holly. She soon runs into Nick, a childhood friend, and develops a crush on him.
Things go well for Lauren until scary things start happening to her. At first she thinks that she's imagining the knots and that she's being paranoid about her mother's death, but soon the 'accidents' she's been having could've resulted deadly. She starts wondering if her mother's death was really an accident and feels that someone wants her dead also.
With Nick suddenly dating Holly, who has also turned against her, Lauren doesnt know who to turn to for help. Aunt Jule ignores Nora's weird behavior. If Lauren were to start accusing Nora of all the things happening to her, Aunt Jule might not be so hospitable towards Lauren.

This book is a page-turner with many twists in its plot. The author reveals both good and bad traits about all the characters, often confusing the reader about whether to like the character or not but at the same time not exactly leading you to a biased opinion of the characters. In the last chapters everything, including the mystery of her mother's death, unfolds and makes sense. It's ending is completely unpredictable, making this a good read if the events in the story did not.