The Secrets We Keep

February 16, 2015
Although the idea of twins masquerading as each other isn’t new, Leaver (co-author of Creed, written with Lindsay Currie) gives the premise a twist by having a twin step into her dead sister’s shoes. High school seniors Ella and Maddy Lawton might share the same genes, but their lives have been drifting in different directions. Studious, quiet, and quirky Ella is headed for art school while popular and gregarious Maddy is in line for an athletic scholarship. After a car accident leads to Maddy’s death, Ella decides to impersonate her sister—forever. Leaver illustrates just how complicated a decision that turns out to be, weaving together a jumbled web of secrets and lies that make Ella’s deception that much harder. Readers will be caught up in the very real grief that Ella feels at losing her sister, as well as her desperation to keep her secret. The final pages are not terribly surprising, but watching Ella grapple with questions about life, death, and love makes for rewarding reading. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.