Review: Seven Dirty Secrets by Natalie D. Richards

Book Summary

On Cleo’s 18th birthday, she finds a note in her bathroom about a scavenger hunt. Thinking it must be her best friend or boyfriend, Cleo isn’t as worried as she should be. But when no one knows anything about the note, Cleo thinks she’ll play the game and collect her prize.

Along with her best friend Hope, Cleo embarks on a journey throughout Columbus, Ohio to see who is behind the birthday surprise. But shortly after starting, everything about this scavenger hunt feels eerily familiar. All the locations point to Cleo’s ex boyfriend Declan, who drowned on a rafting trip last year.

As the game gets darker, Cleo’s stalker threatens that she finish the game, or everyone will know what really happened to Declan. Join Cleo on this thrilling day of mind games.

1. How did you feel about the characters?

Everyone agreed that Cleo was a great MC. She’s clever and plans on studying forensics in college. We felt bad for her since her parents are always out of town and emotionally distant. While she does have a cool older brother named Connor, the two have been distant since the rafting trip. last year At least she always has her best friend Hope by her side.

As for Declan, he’s one of the worst boyfriends we’ve seen, which was the point. The book deals with heavy relationship topics, such as domestic and emotional abuse. Be prepared for this if yo decide to read it.

2. Did you suspect who was behind the scavenger hunt?

Yes and no! While there is a clear villain in the book, this person also had some help. But one character did stick out to us for their lying and deception. The big reveal was dramatic and pretty terrifying, especially if you can’t swim. But that’s all we’re going to say! Just know that your heartrate will spike after reading the ending.

3. Was the scavenger hunt handled well?

We all agreed that the scavenger hunt was done extremely well. The clues and the pacing made everything feel seamless for the reader. Each destination gave us more backstory on Cleo, Hope, Connor, Declan and their other friends. They also had incredibly high stakes and became much more dangerous than we initially anticipated.

4. Did the book live up to your expectations?

Yes, Seven Dirty Secrets lived up to our high expectations for the book. While we wish the villain had been slightly more difficult to figure out, we found the story compelling, the characters exciting and the writing to be impressive. If you need a thriller to put you on edge, go out and pick this book up.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐