Mum has been away a long time. Clem secretly blames her for the loss of their life and entire belongings, for she had left a candle burning which caused the fire. Clem tells her friend Ellie that mum is dead. The shadow of this lie will create chaos for Clem's conscience.
Due to start High School, Clem's life is filled with change and new beginnings. Upstairs, Maggie's nephew Matt has come to stay indefinitely for some unknown reason. Total opposites, the two find mutual ground and a friendship forms.
Matt is a rebel with a secret background, some of which he tentatively shares with Clem, and Clem finds that she can reveal some of her untold truths to him. This brings comfort to both teenagers, who for their own reasons cannot share their secrets with anyone else.
Clem's friendship with Ellie and Bridge is suffering due to the secrets she keeps from them. Her mum suddenly moves back without a heads up from her dad, and Clem's world begins to somersault just when life was smoothing out.
Friendships are challenged. The truth about the past is revealed. This is instrumental in bringing mother and daughter together again. The secrets that Clem kept from her father, and the ones he kept from her about her mother, finally find their way out in the open.
Themes include the power of friendship and truth, the danger of unspoken words, the difficulties faced with growing up, and the importance of sharing emotions with loved ones - particularly between parent and child. Set in Australia, its fantastic characters and strong dialogue make this beautifully crafted story shine.
Read Nova Weetman's Guest Post on The Secrets We Share
Title: The Secrets We Share
Author: Nova Weetman
Publisher: UQP, $16.95
Publication Date: March 2018
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 780702259784
For ages: 10 - 14
Type: Teenage Fiction
