Book Review: All Your Twisted Secrets

Author: Diana Urban

Genre: YA Mystery/Thriller

Release Date: 03.17.20

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: Purchased

My Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis: “Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.

What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill … or else everyone dies.

Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead. As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something. And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?”

This book is everything I wanted it to be. Oh my gosh!! It was gripping, spooky, and the way the story built was masterful. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I cannot wait to read more from this promising author.

So, I initially discovered this book from Twitter and I’ve been obsessed with the premise ever since. Seriously, it’s a murderous escape room with an unlikely cast of characters. I live for stories like this! Thankfully, this book nailed the premise. I was very impressed with how it was structured and with how the plot played out. The narrative between the past and present brought the story together perfectly and made the tension brutal!

For me, personally, when I’m reading I find it very hit or miss when stories are told through two timelines. However, Diana Urban did this so well! The structure of it added well to the overall narrative and made the story more dramatic. I enjoyed watching things slowly build together until the very end.

And oh, THAT ENDING. I am still such a mess. I had a few mild ideas of how things were going to play out (and although I was thinking in the right direction) the ending still crushed me. It concluded the story perfectly while also providing for a huge twist!

Overall, I loved this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. The writing, plot, and character were all phenomenal! If you’re looking for your next addicting read I’d highly recommend picking this up.