Deadly Little Secret

Book Title: Deadly Little Secret ~Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
~Pages: 252 ~Publisher: Hyperion Books
~Why did you decide to read the book? I chose this book to read because when I read the back of the book I thought it was really interesting. It is set in high school, junior year, so I thought it could be possible that I could relate to the book when reading it.
~Brief Summary of Book (6-8 sentences): It was junior year in high school, everything was normal for 16-year-old Camelia Hammond. Things started to alter when a mysterious boy named Ben came to the high school. As rumors started to spread, Ben is ostracized by everyone in the school. But for Camelia, she is strangely attracted to him and his touch. Camelia then gets strange phone calls and packages with notes inside. Ben indicates that she is in danger but Camelia starts to figure out that he is hiding something from her and from everyone else. Everyone has a secret, but some secrets shouldn’t be kept...
~Audience: I think the audience that would most likely enjoy reading this book would be teen girls because it is about secret love and relationships. It is filled with emotion, fear, longing and trust.

~Writing Style:
-Description: The author’s writing style is very effortless and straightforward. Her writing is unique compared to other writers because it confuses the reader but despite the confusion, it leaves them wondering what will happen next. She uses moderate vocabulary and detailed descriptions that allows the audience to understand.
-Passage: “My heart pounded, and my insides turned to bubbling lava,” (Stolarz 61-62).
~Vocabulary:
~Word: Agoraphobia
-Definition: A morbid fear of open spaces (as fear of being caught alone in some public place).
-Sentence & page it came from: “Others say it’s because he has a phobia –either claustrophobia or agoraphobia, or possibly a blend of both,” (Stolarz 62).
~Word: Psychometry
-Definition: The ability or art of getting information about people or events associated with an object solely by touching.
-Sentence & page it came from: “And so I camp out at my computer desk and Google the term psychometry, half hoping it’s just some made-up word, that Ben doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” (Stolarz 133).
~Passage #1: “He takes a step closer, his eyes fixed on mine. I can feel the heat of his breath on my neck,” (Stolarz 52). This passage from the book struck me in some way because they way Stolarz described it pulled together an image in my head. The way she writes the book in a very expressive manner and builds up the intensity of Ben and Camelia’s love for each other makes Deadly Little Secret a great read.
~Passage #2: “He gazed into my eyes and smiled an irresistible grin –as if we shared some secret,” (Stolarz 61). I chose this quote from the book because it I thought it had a great meaning behind it. The way our gestures and movements appear to others is like a language that is unspoken. It made me think of how there are times in our lives when we have those moments with your closest friends and look at each other and know what they are trying to say.
~Theme: I think the theme of this book is believing in yourself. In the book, there are numerous accounts where the main character, Camelia, struggles to find help from others. She finds herself in a state of confusion where the only person she can trust is herself and to follow her heart.
~Letter Grade: I would give this book an A because it was a suspenseful, scary, and funny book that I enjoyed a ton. The whole basis of this book was interesting and well developed. I liked how Laurie Faurie Stolarz based this on how a stalker was following Camelia around and on the ridicule and hate Ben got on his psychometric ability (the ability sense things by touch). I never heard of psychometric before so it was interesting to see what it was all about and how it affected Ben's every day life. Also, I loved the way Stolarz always kept me on the edge of my seat wondering throughout the book.