Book Details
Publication Date: 3/3/20 Hardcover
ISBN: 9781629727325
Retail Price: $17.99 Page Count: 224
YA Fiction
Book Design: © Shadow Mountain
Cover Illustration: Danny Schlitz
Art Direction: Richard Erickson Design: Sheryl Dickert Smith
***I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own***
Book Summary:
Will I still be loved if I show people who I really am?
Four high school seniors. Four secrets about to be told.
If Indie had it her way, she would never choose to river raft with three other high school seniors, mostly strangers to each other, from her journalism class.
A loner, a jock, an outsider, an Instagram influencer. At first, they can’t see anything that they have in common. As the trip unfolds, the unpredictable river forces them to rely on each other. Social masks start to fall as, one-by-one, each teen reveals a deep secret the other three don’t know.
One is harboring immense grief and unwilling to forgive after the death of a loved one. One is dealing with a new disability and an uncertain future. One is fearful of the repercussions of coming out. One is hiding behind a carefully curated “perfect” image on Instagram.
Before they get to the end of Hells Canyon, they’ll know the truth about each other and, more importantly, learn something new about themselves.
What the Other Three Don’t Know is a poignant and gripping YA novel about the unlikely friends who accept you for who you really are and the power of self-acceptance.
Four high school seniors. Four secrets about to be told.
If Indie had it her way, she would never choose to river raft with three other high school seniors, mostly strangers to each other, from her journalism class.
A loner, a jock, an outsider, an Instagram influencer. At first, they can’t see anything that they have in common. As the trip unfolds, the unpredictable river forces them to rely on each other. Social masks start to fall as, one-by-one, each teen reveals a deep secret the other three don’t know.
One is harboring immense grief and unwilling to forgive after the death of a loved one. One is dealing with a new disability and an uncertain future. One is fearful of the repercussions of coming out. One is hiding behind a carefully curated “perfect” image on Instagram.
Before they get to the end of Hells Canyon, they’ll know the truth about each other and, more importantly, learn something new about themselves.
What the Other Three Don’t Know is a poignant and gripping YA novel about the unlikely friends who accept you for who you really are and the power of self-acceptance.
My Review
This is the second book I've read from this author and let's just say, he keeps it real. So far his books have been written for teens and young adults but they also have clear messages for adult readers too.
This book is about four teens with major troubles in their lives that they are trying to deal with. I could totally relate to how they felt and dealt with issues. You see, both of my kids have what other people would refer to as, "problems". They are/were not your average teens. Some reviews of this book say that they were stereotypes and were not believable; I want to say that I strongly disagree. Indie was dealing with the death of her mom who'd died in a river rafting accident and hasn't been able to forgive their river guide Nash who was there when her mother drowned. Skye was not only dealing with losing a leg in a car accident but one that he had caused to happen from driving and texting. Wyatt is a teen that is gay but afraid to tell the real world about his sexuality. The final teen is Shelby, a rich, beautiful "Instagram" girl who is hiding a secret and wears wigs because she has Alopecia. I liked their voices. I felt their journeys to find their true selves were realistic.
Being thrown into an adventure of five days on a river rafting trip together can change people. They all were out of their comfort zones. All of the teens had lessons to learn ranging from accepting others, being true to yourself, and forgiving others. I was very moved by this story and I want my teen to read it.
The action in the last half of the book was very intense. I listened to running river water on Youtube as I read this book and I felt like I was on the river with these characters. I have gone white water rafting and it is scary and exhilarating all at the same time. This story of finding friendship in an odd situation was a great read for me.
This book is about four teens with major troubles in their lives that they are trying to deal with. I could totally relate to how they felt and dealt with issues. You see, both of my kids have what other people would refer to as, "problems". They are/were not your average teens. Some reviews of this book say that they were stereotypes and were not believable; I want to say that I strongly disagree. Indie was dealing with the death of her mom who'd died in a river rafting accident and hasn't been able to forgive their river guide Nash who was there when her mother drowned. Skye was not only dealing with losing a leg in a car accident but one that he had caused to happen from driving and texting. Wyatt is a teen that is gay but afraid to tell the real world about his sexuality. The final teen is Shelby, a rich, beautiful "Instagram" girl who is hiding a secret and wears wigs because she has Alopecia. I liked their voices. I felt their journeys to find their true selves were realistic.
Being thrown into an adventure of five days on a river rafting trip together can change people. They all were out of their comfort zones. All of the teens had lessons to learn ranging from accepting others, being true to yourself, and forgiving others. I was very moved by this story and I want my teen to read it.
The action in the last half of the book was very intense. I listened to running river water on Youtube as I read this book and I felt like I was on the river with these characters. I have gone white water rafting and it is scary and exhilarating all at the same time. This story of finding friendship in an odd situation was a great read for me.
Meet Author: Spencer Hyde
SPENCER HYDE spent three years during high school at Johns Hopkins for severe OCD. He is the author of the YA novel Waiting for Fitz. Spencer worked at a therapeutic boarding school before earning his MFA and his Ph.D., specializing in fiction, short humor pieces, and essays. Spencer and his wife are the parents of four children.
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2HTcEx6
Deseret Book: https://deseretbook.com/p/what-the-other-three-dont-know?ref=Grid%20%7C%20Search-1&variant_id=180183-hardcover
