Narrator: Rebekah Levin
Title: Keeping You a Secret
Genre: YA, Romance, LGBT
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 250
Published: May 4th 2005
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)
With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President, and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger.
At least, it seems to be.
But when Cece Goddard comes to school, everything changes. Cece and Holland have undeniable feelings for each other, but how will others react to their developing relationship?
A random find on Audible's Escape collection and it fit my reading challenge so why not?
The story follows Holland. She has a great boyfriend, Student Council President, good grades, a chance to get into some amazing colleges, a fun family, and good friends. However, when Cece comes to town everything changes. Holland can't keep her eyes away from her and it seems Cece can't stay away.
Okay. At first, I did not like Holland. She seemed...just bored with her life. I was worried she was just filling a void with her obvious crush for Cece. She seemed she was just looking for a way to not be bored with her bored life. I was actually mad at Holland because Cece deserves someone who LOVES her. BUUT as things progressed and before any feelings were even mentioned...you could tell that Holland had been suppressing these urges for way longer than she cared to admit. She really became an unreliable narrator in my opinion. It was refreshing and real. I felt bad judging her at first when I realized...she had always been gay...she just ignored her own feelings and true self. Poor girl. No one should have to lie to themselves like that.
Once I realized there was more to Holland I grew to LOVE this story. I wanted them to be together so bad and bless Cece's heart. She was a real trooper.
I did have to remind myself multiple times this is set in the early 2000s and being "gay" was still frowned upon and not as supported as it is now...especially in schools. Sure we still have our issues now in 2020. BUT near 20 years ago it was a different world and I even remember how many of our gay students in my school were treated SO badly. We still have a lot of haters in 2020, but I feel like it has gotten better and more accepted overall. Still have a way to go, but I feel like it has gotten better from what I can personally see.
There was one scene that made me cry! I was SO mad! I wanted to throw the book...but then I realized I was listening to audio from my cell phone... Sorry - *SPOILER ALERT* Eventually the secret is out and someone tells Holland's mom who FREAKS out and beats Holland and throws her out. Unbelievable! I can't imagine doing that to my future child or to anyone! Terrible woman. She should've been tossed in jail! And then what she said to Cece's mom!!! GRRRRR! *SPOILER ENDED* It upset me so much I cried. Poor Holland. Poor Cece. It's not crazy that it happened...it happens ALL the time. Sighs.
This was an amazing read. I do want more though. It sort of...just ended. It is left open-ended. I would love to have a sequel. I want...no....need to know what happens to Cece and Holland in the future! Maybe we can have a 20 years later story? I don't know. But I feel like their story is not completed yet. MORE MORE MORE PLEASE!
The narrator was fantastic. She sounded familiar, but I was looking her up and I do not see any books I have listened to by her. Mmm. She seems to have so few. READ MORE! YOU ARE AWESOME!
Overall, I really liked this. The story. The characters. The narrator. All around very good. The beginning was a little rough because I was very judgemental on Holland but once you realize she is not just "bored" of her a-typical life and looking for a distraction, then you realize this is a very touching story about two girls finding each other. I stamp this with 4 stars.