BOOK REVIEW: KEEPING YOU A SECRET

Just finished reading this book – seriously, I started and finished it in about 1 day!

Keeping You A Secret was so different than I expected. Sure, it’s a coming of age story. It speaks to every LGBT member that discovered its sexuality in high school and let me tell you: it ain’t always that pretty.

Our protagonist is Holland (awesome name by the way) and she has known and been dating her boyfriend Seth for ages. I immediately dislike him, but let’s be real: I’ll always be rooting for the girl-girl romance in books.

Holland is popular and very actively involved in her school and community. She loves kids and providing for people. She loves her mom, who had her at a very young age and expects maybe a little bit too much of her (and her future). And she loves her baby sister, Hannah.

When she meets a new transfer, Cece, her life changes. She’s immediately attracted to her and it’s fun to read that Holland doesn’t even worry about it too much. It’s more about figuring out she’d like to be with this girl more than her boyfriend while her sexual orientation doesn’t freak her out that much. The more she runs into Cece – or not – the more she’s discovering she’d like to kiss and date that very out and proud girl.

The book progresses rather fast – and it’s an easy read, which is great on a normal day or a holiday.

I’m completely addicted to these sort of stories, because they make you enjoy reading even more.

Sadly, it isn’t all fluffy and gay in this one and that is GREAT. It focusses on the harsh part of being gay as well. *SPOILER ALERT* Holland gets kicked out of the house by her mom and has to resort to a LGBT community center to help her so she won’t end up on the streets. Luckily, her love for Cece is unlimited and it’s AMAZING to read a story where the lesbian won’t even consider hiding herself to keep hanging on to her old life.

It’s the tragic reality of young lesbians all over the world and it’s god damn sad. I myself was sort of kicked out once, by my mom, when I told her I had a serious girlfriend and her dreams of it being a ‘phase’ dramatically got shattered. I too decided to leave all of the drama behind and even though the relationship didn’t last, I didn’t care at that time. Because I was young and in love and best part of it: I was myself and nobody (apart from the ones I left behind) seemed to mind. Later, my relationship with my mom got better again, but I can tell she’ll never really be okay with me being gay. It’s just that I don’t care anymore. I don’t rub it in her face and she won’t comment on my girlfriends anymore. She discovered that I had healthier relationships than other peopel – who dealt with cheating, almost divorces, relationship drama and stuff. I don’t live with her anymore, which makes it easier too. Point is: I’m not going to hide or change for someone I see once a week. I’d rather spend my life with a girl that loves me instead of being lonely just because my mother (who lives an hour away) can have a peaceful mind. Is that selfish? Perhaps, but hey, isn’t she selfish to wish the same thing?

Because not being yourself it the worst thing that can happen to you. It consumes you, it eats you up from inside out, it devours you and there is nothing – absolutely nothing – you can do to change the way you feel, even if you try really really hard.

So, girls and gay, feel free to buy this book. I loved it …

And DUH – they got the happy ending ❤

– SapphicBooks.Com