"The Secret Year" by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Colt and Julia dated each other secretly for a year and no one knew, not their friends, their family and certainly not Julia's boyfriend. They were from two different worlds and they knew no one would understand. But to them it didn't matter, they just wanted to be together.


But then Julia dies in an accident and Colt's world changes dramatically. Unable to mourn openly, he's haunted by the fact that he may have a had a part in her death. When a journal of Julia's is discovered by Colt, he relives the year he spent with her while trying to move on. But how can he get over her all on his own?


The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard is a country club girl meets boy from wrong side of the tracks love story for teens but with a very serious twist. Julia and Colt feel an undeniable attraction to each other that goes beyond where they come from and what people expect of them. But the only way they can be together is secretly, or so they choose it to be that way. They ignore each other at school and meet secretly on the weekends when Julia can get away from her boyfriend. But Colt's life falls into a turmoil that no one can understand or help with when Julia passes away and he mourns while unable to tell anyone about their relationship.


This was an interesting book. The concept of the book drew me in right away and the character of Colt had a quality to him that I really appreciated in a young adult novel. Unfortunately for me, the other characters fell flat. It did feel like it breezed through the story and much more detail could have been provided. However, I do feel the plot and the character of Colt were enough to make up for that. I know it's rare to have a male teenager as the main character of a book so that is a big selling point for this book.


One thing I've noticed in my recent foray into the young adult genre is that there is a lot more sexual content than I was expecting! I don't know if it wasn't this way when I was a teenager or if I just wasn't reading those books, but it seems a bit different to me (and I'm not that old!) Either way, there is some sexual content in this book, which to me personally wasn't really needed. It's not graphic but is dealt with casually. Fans of young adult books can let me know if this is common to the genre.


If you're into young adult books then this would be a good one to pick up. But if you're like me and just starting to explore the genre, I wouldn't recommend this book as a must-read right away. It has its bright spots but is lacking overall.

Comments

  1. ItaliaFebruary 14, 2012 at 12:23 AM

    First love can prove disconcerting under ideal conditions, but when social, economic, race, religious difference also are part of the relationship, it can prove extremely difficult. Colt and Julia had a tough time of it due to the social class differences between them. Readers get to know Julia through the mindset of people like Colt but mostly via her dairy; she was a troubled teen unable to break down her feelings for Colt from her need for social acceptance by her peers. Colt is disturbed by how much he cared for Julia as he has to still conceal his feelings especially his grief as the other man and still find a way to move on. The Secret Year is a strong teen relationship drama.

    ReplyDelete
  2. ShanFebruary 14, 2012 at 11:14 AM

    Thank you for your comment Italia. While I get that this is what the author is trying to get across, I just feel like it didn't come through strong enough. Perhaps this is a difference between young adult and adult genres.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the form...
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t...
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a t...
Read more