Review by Lucianna, Thomas Telford School Shropshire
This Summer's Secrets by Emily Barr is a captivating novel that takes readers on a journey of intrigue, mystery, and self-discovery. The story follows a group of friends who spend a summer holiday in a remote cottage, only to uncover dark secrets that threaten to unravel their relationships and change their lives forever.

The plot is well-paced, with just the right number of twists and turns to keep readers engaged and guessing until the very end. Barr skilfully weaves together multiple storylines and time periods from WW2 to modern day, building suspense and intrigue as the characters' pasts collide with their present. I especially enjoyed how the book also included letters and texts to give the readers another perspective on the character other than how they are described.

The most intriguing character is Martha whose life changed when she went to Cornwall as an evacuee. Martha overall is a mysterious character especially as we as readers learn about her traumatic past.

However, the book is confusing at the start due to the multiple narratives going on and is slow starting but the narrative does get faster and more absorbing as you go on.

Overall, This Summer's Secrets is a compelling and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of friendship, betrayal, and the consequences of keeping secrets. With its engaging plot and well-drawn characters, it is a must-read for fans of mystery and drama and I highly recommend This Summer's Secrets to anyone looking for a gripping and immersive summer read that will keep you turning pages late into the night.

Review by Grace, Fortismere School, Muswell Hill, London
This book was one of the best! I loved every single chapter from beginning to end. I think I found Martha the most interesting as she had been through so many things and as I read further into the book the better her story got. I didn’t like Clem because I don’t think she was as developed as the other characters, and I think it would have been interesting to get to know her a bit better. One thing that I learnt from the past that I didn’t know before was that it was illegal to commit suicide. The plot was really exciting, some parts relatable and it was a page-turner too. I think what stood out from this book was it was a historical book as well as a murder mystery which are my two favourite genres.