Romance Readers Retreat: Review: All Her Secrets by Kate Avery Ellison

****4 Stars****

So, when I first began reading All Her Secrets, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I don't read very many YA psychological thrillers (to be honest, I wasn't aware people really wrote those in the YA genre) and I don't recall ever reading any type of psychological thriller that is also a dystopian book. Being a huge fan of both dystopian literature and psychological thrillers, I could not wait to jump into this one.

The prologue grabbed my attention right away, though after that, it did have a bit of a slow start. Once all the background and world building was set up, I was definitely invested in this story and found it hard to put down. Victoria, the daughter of a famous genius inventor was attacked four years ago and very nearly died. Though she puts on a brave face and acts like it is in the past, she hasn't actually moved past the trauma. When she uncovers a secret about her father that may shed some light on why she was attacked, she heads home to try and uncover the truth.

Sam is in way over his head when he realizes who is cousin has kidnapped. He instantly recognizes Victoria and wants nothing to do with it, but Craig needs a fall guy. Soon, he finds himself locked up alongside Victoria in an abandoned cabin in the mountains as his cousin awaits a ransom payout. As Sam and Victoria begin to get to know each other through necessity, they begin to hatch a plan to escape. Just when things seem to be going to plan, secrets both are keeping may jeopardize their only chance at freedom.

This story fascinated me. It had a unique and interesting premise and the dystopian world Ellison built would make a great background for future books! I loved Sam and also really liked Victoria. There were just the right amount of twists thrown into the plot to keep things interesting without overly complicating the storyline. This was my first book by Avery Ellison, but I'll be sure to keep an eye out for future books by her.

Reviewed by Rosemary Feil

Nothing is as it seems in this psychological YA thriller set in a not-too-distant future.

A GIRL WITH SECRETS

Eighteen-year-old Victoria, the daughter of inventor and visionary-genius Bill Faraday, was almost murdered by a stranger four years ago. She's been trying to forget the incident ever since.

When Victoria discovers something that might explain why she was brutally attacked, she heads home from college to uncover the truth. Then, she’s kidnapped.

A GUY FROM THE WRONG SIDE OF THE TRACKS

Sam’s just a poor kid from Valley City, but he knows who Victoria is as soon as his cousin Craig drags her from the trees. He doesn’t want anything to do with what appears to be a revenge kidnapping, but Craig has a gun and needs someone to take the fall if things go wrong.

A DESPERATE PLAN TO SURVIVE

Craig and his buddies imprison Sam and Victoria in an abandoned mountain cabin to await ransom. Putting aside mistrust for tentative friendship, Victoria and Sam conspire to escape together, and the close quarters ignite a startling attraction between them. Then they discover strange tunnels beneath the cabin. And what they find inside the tunnels proves more bizarre.

With a plan in place to escape, freedom seems within reach. But Sam and Victoria are both keeping secrets about their past.

And secrets can be deadly.