I recently discussed The Book of Living Secrets by Madeline Roux in my February Bedside table roundup post, but after weeks and weeks of reading, I have finally finished.

This YA novel was published in 2022, yet I feel like I have not heard anyone else reviewing or discussing this book, but I found this to be an advantage when reading. The Book Of Living Secrets is best when you know as little about the plot beforehand, so I divided up my review into two parts. The first paragraph is a short review if you plan on reading this book in the future, while the second section contains a much longer analysis of the novel for after you finish.

Review

I picked this book up from the library based on the cover and the intriguing book flap summary. I had known nothing of the book before or anything about the author, who has written other gothic stories in the past.

The Book of Living Secrets follows Adelle and Connie, two best friends obsessed with the romance novel Moira and the characters inside. But when they get the chance to step into the world of their favorite novel, they quickly learn that the world of Moira is not what they imagined.

My advice for those who are interested in this book is to read as little about the plot or reviews as possible before you start. I read a few reviews after I finished and I knew if I had read them before, it would have spoiled the shock of various twists and turns in the plot. Thus, this is all I can review about this novel if you plan on reading it in the future.

Verdict

The Book of Living Secrets is a surprising and twisting read for fantasy and horror fans, yet falls flat in the end.

Analysis (spoilers ahead!)

Overall, I liked how Roux subverted the audience’s expectations, or at least my expectations. Stepping into a book is nothing new in literature, and Roux subverts this convention by adding utterly creepy, gothic, and terrifying elements. Adelle and Connie discover that the characters they fell in love with when reading the novel, Moira and Severin, are the villains in this twisted reality. However, Kincade, Moira’s suitor, becomes the hero of the story. This subversion was fascinating to read and to watch the main characters struggle through.

What Roux also did well was the visceral body horror of the creatures and threats in this novel. The setting of Moira, 19th-century Boston, is transformed into a wasteland. The main threat of the novel is referred to as the Wound, which hypnotizes its prey into a comatose state as they walk into the ocean to join other victims in a mass of flesh and goop. Elements like this made knowing as little as possible about this author and her works so much better because I did not expect the levels of horrific elements in this novel, which was exciting.

I loved the premise of this novel, which is why it was so disappointing when I finished this novel. The premise and the worldbuilding were captivating, yet by the time I finished the novel there were still so many questions unanswered. The villain’s main motives, a deeper explanation of the Wound or the Dreamer’s City, and what happened to the main characters were glossed over. I think ending on a cliffhanger can be an effective way to terrify a reader, but it just left me with more questions. The premise was amazing, but the explanation for that premise was lacking.

Rating: 6/10