Me and My Deadly Little Secret (I'll Give You a Hint: It Starts with Give and Ends with Away)

(Book image from Barnes & Noble)

Camelia Hammond should be dead. After all, Gloria Beckham's car came barreling straight toward her in the school parking lot. If it hadn't been for a handsome stranger saving her Edward Cullen-style, she'd have been a goner. She hasn't seen the guy since, but Camelia can't forget him, especially the strange electricity she felt when he placed his hand on her stomach. She tries to dismiss the whole episode, but she can't deny the weirdness of it - guy comes out of nowhere, saves her from sure death, touches her stomach, looks alarmed and takes off on his motorcycle before the ambulance even makes it to the school. Definitely an abnormal experience.

Three months later, Camelia sees her mystery man again. It's the first day of school and Ben Carter's just registered as a new student. His reputation has preceded him, however - rumors are already swirling about his alleged involvement in the death of a girl he was dating. Camelia's never been one for gossip; besides, he saved her life, he deserves a thank you. Only he denies he was ever in the school parking lot that day. She knows it was him - if nothing else, she recognizes the scar on his arm - but his strange denial is not the only odd thing about Ben Carter: He does his best to avoid people, even Camelia, who's been nothing but friendly. Still, there's something about him she can't resist, something about the way he keeps purposely touching her that she finds intoxicating. Her friends warn her away from the alleged killer, but she can't stay away. No one believes her, but the more time she spends with Ben, the more she believes in his innocence.

And then things get really weird. Someone's sending Camelia photos of herself adorned with hearts and freaky little notes. Then, there's the gift on her windowsill, the message on her bedroom mirror, and the anonymous phone calls. Is it someone's sick idea of a joke? Or is Ben Carter really the psychopathic killer everyone says he is? Could she be next on his hit list? Camelia knows Ben's different - in fact, she's the only one who knows exactly how different - but a murderer? It doesn't seem possible. Still, someone's watching her every move. Someone's sending her warnings. Someone wants her all for himself ...

Deadly Little Secret's the first book in a chilling new YA series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. It's a creepy story about obsession, paranoia and the fragility of the human mind. A hint of the paranormal makes it even eerier. The characters are simply, but skillfully drawn. Even though I found some of them annoying (especially Camelia's best friend, Kimmie), most of the players come off as round and real. I had Camelia's stalker pegged pretty early on, but the story still held me spellbound. I raced through it in a couple of hours, after which I immediately cracked open the sequel. My only real complaint about Deadly Little Secret is the abundance of sexual innuendo - I'm sure it's commonplace in the average high school, but still, it got distracting. All in all, though, this one really sucked me in. I enjoyed the fast-paced, deliciously chilling read.

I'm not sure how I feel about book trailers, but this one dramatizes Deadly Little Secret pretty well (even though the acting leaves much to be desired):

Grade: B+

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG-13 for heavy innuendo and some violence

To the FTC, with love: Disney/Hyperion provided me with 5 copies of Deadly Little Secret, but no monetary compensation.

Okay, now for my little secret. Thanks to the generous folks at Disney, I have 4 copies of Deadly Little Secret to give away. These are beautiful, brand new hardcovers. All you have to do to win one is comment on this post by midnight on November 24. Tweet about the contest or mention it on your blog and I'll give you extra entries. That's it - I won't even make you answer a question. This giveaway is open internationally. Oh! Please, please, please leave an email address if you don't have a public blog. I need a way to contact the winners. Thanks and good luck!