All Your Twisted Secrets audiobook

First, I'm big into thriller, mystery, and horror movies, but it's very hard for me to connect to those types of books. I'm glad I found one that broke through that barrier! What I really liked about this one was that it was like the Breakfast Club meets Saw but not bloody or with crazy contraptions!Even though the story is told from Amber's perspective, I felt that each character was well developed. I felt bad for some, wanted to slap some, and wanted to hug some of them. I don't always read books fast, but I flew through this one! I especially loved the timeline of the story going back and forth between past and present to get the full story. I can't say too much because I don't want to give the story away, but I will say it was fun yet also with life lessons that make you think about things, especially bullying and mental health. Loved it!

HA!I actually intended to rate this book three stars, but since Diana Urban is a debut author and I think this is one hell of a powerful debut, I’m adding another star of appreciation *slow hand claps*Funny thing, I actually found out about this book right after I finished One of Us Is Next. It came up on my recommendations and the synopsis sounds intriguing enough so of course I have to add it to my ever-growing TBR list. I was brimming with detective theories for One of Us Is Next and the fact that this book came to me at the exact right moment! It could’ve been destiny. Fairly enough I might add, the synopsis sounds a hell lot like Karen McManus’ debut novel One of Us Is Lying with the breakfast club style squad. But All Your Twisted Secrets has an escape room… and a bomb! I didn’t just fall for it because I don’t think ‘escape room’ would make such a good story (have you watched the movie called escape room or something? It’s horrible and ridiculous) but apparently it didn’t and I ended up liking this one!First of all, let’s start with the basics: enter our narrator, Amber Prescott, an ambitious music prodigy who dreams to be a scorer for Hollywood movie soundtracks, hence the reason she was so hell-bent on getting to USC during the entirety of the book. Amber might not nail her SATs, but her talents are dayum so it’s no surprise that she got invited, along with five others, to this scholarship thing-y, supposedly held by the mayor (I think it’s the mayor???). So there’s that, there’s food and stuff. But once six of them were in the reserved room, the door closed on them and they’re locked. Unsurprisingly, there are two things along with the food on the table, a bomb and a syringe, along with a note to kill one of them or the bomb will go off. The story is told in intersecting parts, one in the present, and another taking place in the past.*rubs hands*Just like I said, I ended up liking this book despite feeling discouraged. But this book is kind of one of my most anticipated releases, I’ve been dying to get my hands on another YA mystery-thriller that isn’t Karen McManus (not like that Karen, I love your books okay? It’s just a genre that’s easy to find) and I’m glad to see that this book met my expectations, for a debut author. I like the pacing and the book is such a page turner (I even finished it in a day!) I can’t put it down! Though I admit the ‘past’ chapters went a bit slow and I was kind of hoping that it would end so I could get to the ‘present’ chapters. I like it when thrillers also insert mundane teen stuff like stealing your boyfriend, the bitch queen bee or shit but like I said, some of them are unimportant and doesn’t contribute to the main story we’re working on here, and when you read thrillers, are you care about is the revelation. These parts were too repetitive and too long. The ‘present’ chapters were fast and nerve-racking enough that I want to know what happened next, it’s basically the only thing that kept me going. The plot, and the events leading up to the present is plotted in a good way and Diana Urban added some cool foreshadowing that would leave readers (especially the ones new into the genre) scratching their heads and saying “WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT?!?!”. Well… I kind of guessed the culprit right, I actually guessed a lot of things right, but I think that’s because I read too much of these books already that nothing surprises me anymore. But all things aside, when the plot twist bomb dropped, I was actually intrigued and feeling victorious. Though the plot and pacing is good, the ‘past’ chapters are actually too repetitive for me and there were lots of unimportant stuff in there that I don’t really care about so I was mildly annoyed. All I wanted was to finish them and get back to the ‘present’ chapter which was more interesting.Since this is Diana Urban’s debut novel, I think she did a solid good work on this one but I think she could improve on some things, she has potential I can feel it. I mean she has to start somewhere right? The first problem I noticed was that few dialogues actually felt too forced and it doesn’t come naturally, especially in the beginning, for example: ”Fortunately I’ve been blessed with the talent of microwaving popcorn myself” I don’t know about you but who speaks like that? I mean there are lots of them but I didn’t keep track of it. That’s just the one I remembered because I stifled a laugh.As of the characters, I think Diana Urban needs to work more on them. I get these characters. Yes, I also felt sympathy and all that stuff. Also, weaving a story with six characters in the spotlight is no easy job. But some characters, even Priya! are like ‘paper characters’ to me and I find it hard to imagine them as… well, people.Also I kind of don’t like that Sasha is such a bitch. I mean I know she’s meant to be that way but I want some… conflicted feelings. Now writing about her as if she’s the biggest bitch in the world, and all of our characters agreeing to that statement too, makes her uninteresting. It seems like she’s only there to be the villain you know? And suddenly she’s another ‘paper character’. I also like Scott and I think his sarcastic remarks is like a candle in the dark and it keeps the situation light-weight even though everything was going to hell but his sarcasm came so often that he feels like he doesn’t have any personality because we couldn’t look past his sarcastic façade.SPOILERY SECTION:Actually if the book ended up differently I was going to say that I don’t like how Amber looked to be the only one who has a brain and the others were either panicky or has anxiety issues. If it ended any different, I was going to complain that the author doesn’t give the others the spotlight. So I kind of got suspicious of her. I actually wrote so in my reading progress and it basically spoiled the entire book (and I’m so proud of myself).When did I guess it might be her? I don’t know it’s just that my gut feeling said so and it would be such a good twist (it reminded me so much of Dangerous Girls, with all the unreliable narrator thing going on). Also along the way of reading the ‘past’ chapters, I can’t help but feel like Sasha was manipulating her all along (like do you really need booze just to convince someone? And how could the entire drama club not make it to a party? Surely at least somebody could make it. Unless of course, Sasha didn’t invite them at all). So in that case, if that’s true, then Amber must’ve been the person with a lot against Sasha. When I found out that ‘Natasha Jane’ is the name of the girl who bullied Maggie, well man that was the exact time I knew it was Amber all along. I actually had a friend whose name is Natasha and goes by Sasha. Who even name their kid just ‘Sasha’? It has to come from a longer name! I also find it hard to wrap around the fact that Amber didn’t fucking knew. You’re in the same class as this girl, you literally spent time with her. Okay, Sasha not knowing about Maggie is acceptable since Amber doesn’t talk about it but how can you not know the name of your so-called ‘best friend’ who actually have classes with you? That’s just plain ridiculous. Sherlock out

Actual Rating: 4.5Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the publisher, HarperTeen, via Edelweiss+ for an honest review.The Queen Bee.The Jock.The Brains.The Stoner.The Loner.& The Orchestra Geek.It’s The Breakfast Club meets Saw!And DAMN is it epic.What they all assumed was a scholarship dinner with the mayor at one of the local restaurants, quickly turns into a game of survival against the clock. Six seniors are locked in a banquet room with no way out, and forced to play a sadistic game. Upon being locked in the room, the teams discover a bomb, a syringe filled with a lethal liquid, and a note instructing them to pick one person to kill within the hour, or they all die. Frightened and unsure if the game is real or not, the teens try to find a way out as the clock starts ticking down. But why would someone throw them all in a room together, wanting someone to die? Who is the common enemy? As the hour goes by and they become frantic, their morals and judgments are put to the test, as well as their pasts. The real question isn’t about who has to die, it’s about what you will do to survive. “It was do or die time.” HOL–Y. SHIT.I did NOT see that coming!I came into this expecting a fluffy who–done–it with a little teenage angst, maybe some bully/slut–shaming, a few screaming matches and possibly a flying fist or two. But what I got instead, was so much more than that. With a collection of teens that resembles the cast of The Breakfast Club (with an orchestra geek) set in modern times, and a Clue-esque murder mystery styled game that has all the horrific appeal of Saw , it was bound to get a little wild. The high stakes of only having an hour, being stuck in a blistering hot room with people you know but also despise, and then having to choose who to kill or risk exploding?! “The thing about being trapped in a room with five other people, a bomb, and a syringe of lethal poison is that at some point, shit’s going down.” And down that shit went. The story is told by Amber Prescott – Orchestra Geek extraordinaire. From the beginning she comes off as a level-headed, conscientious and plain ol’ teenage girl. She has a passion for music that takes president in her life, as she hopes to one day score movies in Hollywood like Danny Elfman. She is dating The Jock – Robbie, who is a baseball star and again, proves to be a truly nice guy despite his popularity and dashing good looks. The Queen Bee – Sasha is of course gorgeous, intelligent, and has her toe in practically every aspect of their high school. She has big aspirations and is a go-getter, but also rumored to be a bit nasty towards her peers. Diego – The Brains, is exactly what you’d expect. Super smart and inquisitive, and he has a history with Amber that has now evolved into something complicated, to say the least. Scott is The Stoner who is rumored to sell drugs, do drugs and be an all-around pretty doped up guy. And lastly is Priya – The Loner. The former best friend of Amber, Priya is a super quiet girl who keeps to herself while practicing magic tricks and sleight of hand.The story flips between the present, where the teens are trapped in the room and the clock is ticking down, to different moments in the past year. Each “flashback chapter” gives a piece of insight into the relationships between these characters – the good and the bad. The reader learns how their lives are connected, the things that each of them has done to affect one another, and why they have all ended up in this room together. At first the teens start out assuming they are being pranked. But when the doors are bolted, their cell phones have no signal, and they can’t escape through the barred windows, they begin to worry that maybe it isn’t just a practical joke after all. “No matter how frantically you claw at rationality, how desperately you cling to common decency, you eventually give in to your basic instinct to survive.” This book is a web of lies, and I LOVED. EVERY. SECOND. OF. IT. I was hooked like Popeye on spinach, like Homer Simpson to doughnuts and beer. This story sunk its claws into my skull and refused to let me look away until the very last page. Not like I’d want to! I devoured this book and drank up every tiny detail the author left dripping on each page. The characters felt so incredibly authentic and developed, the plot had countless twists and turns that made me so unclear of who could have been behind it, and the amount of truly important topics this author included was executed perfectly!Bullying, peer–pressure, suicide, gun violence, drug abuse and societal and parental expectations are huge themes to the story. Each character’s backstory has been affected by one or more of these issues and it brings a raw realism to this YA tale. It made connecting with each character effortless because these are all issues, experiences and feelings that so many of us can relate to. And the best part is that each issue was weaved into the story in a very natural way. A lot of times when an author wants to include THIS many hot topics, it feels forced and rubs me the wrong way. But Diana Urban did an amazing job of blending each one into the story like a damn professional.I really wish I could unleash and give away every secret to this sneakily crafted work of fiction but I won’t ruin it for you guys. Even if it does pain me to keep my mouth shut about it! This book just blew my mind and I loved how sucked into it I got. It’s a twisted web of lies, deceit, manipulation, trauma, regret, anger and vengeance. It was phenomenal. So buy it and buckle in buttercup, cause it’s about to get CRA–ZY! “Now you all know who you really are.”

I am taking a chance to YA thriller. I do not have much experience in reading this genre. All Your Twisted Secrets is not disappointing. I do feel the writing is bit choppy and the plot lack of originality. All Your Twisted Secrets have many similarity with One of Us is Lying. Since that book became popular, similar books with similar twist appears. Good thing that Miss Urban writing is easy to follow. Although I wish each characters have more complexity instead of flat undeveloped characters. Miss Urban also putting distracting plot into her story to throw me out of balance. Overall, I do like this book. Maybe next time, I pick up another thriller. 4 stars

April 2, 2020:➝ Sum it up in points!✔ time-bound, closed doors thriller✔ high school kids trapped for a selection✔ past & present timelines✔ changing friendship dynamics✔ perfect for fans of Agatha ChristieAll Your Twisted Secrets brings a poison-filled syringe and a ticking bomb to the table where six high school students have been invited for a scholarship dinner, only to find themselves trapped in a basement with no exit and a letter that asks them to choose between everyone dying or killing one among themselves. The thrill is set up right from the first chapter and the progressively projected mystery through a dual timeline narration is perfect. Greatly oriented towards the changing dynamics between teenagers, the need to overachieve, end-of-school stress, old friendships growing apart, misunderstandings, and frequent judgements passed, this YA certainly impresses. Important themes like bullying, chronic stress, and suicide are well spoken about. The different personalities offered by this group brings a delicious variety to the commentary and while it isn't always easy to justify the happenings in a teenage thriller, this one does a good job at it. ➝ Trigger Warnings✔ claustrophobia, locked basement✔ panic & acute stress✔ hypoglycemic fainting ✔ glass shards, broken ankle✔ bullying & suicideMarch 31, 2020: YA thrillers are a tough nut to crack because the reasons and actions have to be so well justified, but this one certainly makes you believe everything that unfolds without questioning it as a mere move to falsely hook readers. Full review to come!January 30, 2020:- debut thriller- compared to Agatha Christie classics- multi-young adult-cast- R.L. Stine recommended it (!!!)Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this via my participation in a blog tour but that doesn't influence my opinion. Thank you, FFBC Tours & HarperTeen!

I absolutely love thrillers and mysteries; I was ecstatic after I found out I had won a giveaway for this book! (Thank you Diana Urban for such an awesome giveaway)All Your Twisted Secrets follows six characters who get lured into a nice dinner event, that they think the Mayor invited them too, only to find out that they are trapped. They only have an hour left to figure out what is going on or they will all be killed, because a bomb is going to go off.I really enjoyed the writing style; this went from present to the past and was told in Amber’s perspective. Slowly, but surely, we find out more and more of what is happening and the suspense really builds up. I thought it was unique to get to uncover how all the characters were connected and what had happened in the past year. I really connected with the characters and was heartbroken at times, but also wanted to scream because I was so angry.I was surprisingly shocked by the ending and didn’t see it coming. At all. I think what really made this much more than just a thriller, were the life lessons. I could relate to how they had been treated and how they were treating each other. You get to see what bullying does and how important it is to see mental health issues and to speak up if you see someone is acting differently. This was a tense and fast paced read that kept you guessing throughout the whole book.

A twisty locked room mystery with an ending that packs a punch. The book kept me guessing as it flashed back and forth between the tense last hour in a room with a bomb and the last year of school. I enjoyed piecing together the puzzle of the six teens and how they connected, trying to figure out who would do this to them. I guessed one half of the main twist, and was otherwise pleasantly surprised. The last third was a dizzy race to the finish, and I was impressed that the book didn't take the easy way out. Shit goes down. A good read if you like escape room tension and messy backstories between characters.

To begin I just want to mention that I regret not taking notes while reading bc I felt so much emotion while reading this book, I basically started crying in Ikea while waiting for my parent to pick out a wardrobe…anyways. Summary: We follow five senior year students who have been invited to a scholarship dinner. Soon after no one shows up, they realise they are trapped in a room with a bomb, a poisonous syringe and a note that says they have an hour to decide who dies or they all do. Everyone is seeking a way to get out but as they can see, it is impossible. Trying to understand how everyone is connected and why someone would want them dead, dark secrets start to unravel the real sides of who they truly are. Some are friends, some are ex-friends, and some have talked twice in their lifetimes but one thing connects them all that no one is willing to confess. Plot: The plot was the thing that intrigued me from the first time I heard about this book. The mysterious murderer, everyone is stuck in a room and they have to pick someone to die like that on its own sounds super duper fun…for a book hahaha. The story itself is something unique and not seen many times before (if y’all have any recommendations please tell me 😭) I also really liked how the book was divided into two different timelines, one in the present, and one in the past. Characters/Relationships: I’m putting relationships in here too just because I wanted to talk about some different relationships between certain characters :)Amber: Amber is the music kid who wants to get into her dream school but in order to get there she has to win a scholarship bc her parents don't have the money (same lol) I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Amber because one minute I feel sorry for her and the next I just wanna strangle her for no reason other than what a mess she made in her past. Her relationship with the other people were kinda weird? For example Her and Priah were very believable because I've ben through those things as well and can confirm but her relationship with Diego was like what?! Priah: She is Amber’s best friend since kindergarten but they got into a fight and aren't talking now. Honestly I like her because she is soo believable and I understand everything she did and why she did it, honestly me too girl. Bobby: Now this is our sports driven hot and rich athlete who also happens to be Ambers bf and Sasha’s childhood bestie. Yea I don't like him one bit. He was toxic and didn't appreciate Amber’s wants and needs andd that's a no from me!! Scott: He is our drug dealer and not really connected to any of them except supplying them with drugs and that's basically it… I do kinda love him bc of his humour, he always tries to make the situation less tense by making a joke. Sasha: Queen bee who thinks the wold revolves around her and is also rich so. I cannot even begin to describe my hate towards Sasha I literally hate her so much ~~she can go die in a hole all alone while she’s burning alive~~ yea…I strongly disliked her because those type of people really exist and I've had the pleasure of being involved with at least 3 o them…that was sarcastic btw but yea I've really been bullied by them so 👍🏼 Pros/Cons Pros: 🗡️The story itself🗡️The message behind the story🗡️Scott plot twisttt Cons: 🗡️Sasha 🗡️Sasha🗡️Sasha I hope I convinced you to read this book because I feel that everyone should at least once in their life because it has very very important topics that are discussed and the author makes a great job at putting it all out there.TW:BullyingDrug abuseMurderEmotional abusePanic attacksPhysical abuseSuicideViolenceBlood**Star rating on GR:** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐**Actual Rating:** ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐_______________________Holy ravioli*crying screaming throwing up pulling my hair out*PLOT TWISTPLOT FRICKING TWISTTHIS IS NOT REALTHIS CANT BE REALWHERE'S THE OSCARWHERE 👏🏻 IS 👏🏻 THE 👏🏻 TV SHOW 👏🏻JXJQJJXJS all I'm gonna say is... GO READ THIS MASTERPIECE OF A BOOK BECAUSE THE MESSAGE IS SO IMPORTAND AND MORE PEOPLE NEED TO SEE HOW AWDULLU AMAZING THIS WAS DONE!!When i tell you i cried, i mean i was sitting on a sofa at ike and was listening to the audiobook while baling my eyes out...yea people were staring but it was just tOO GOOD NOT TO CRY AND THE EMOTIONS OMYGOSHthank you 💞

ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS lives up to its title, throwing a group of high school seniors in a no-win locked situation and slowly peeling back their secrets as the clock ticks. It twists (pun intended) and turns, playing out in equal parts present-day tension and flashback to fill in the how and why, weaving the two seamlessly together until they become intertwined as the countdown nears zero. I kept guessing until the very end, and once I finished and knew how it all played out, I wanted to read it again to experience it from a new perspective.

A locked room, a ticking time bomb, and six teenagers all hiding terrible secrets — the perfect recipe for terrific suspense. In her smart and gripping debut Diana Urban crafts a classic Christie style mystery with a thoroughly modern twist. Cleverly plotted and full of surprises, ALL YOUR TWISTED SECRETS marks the arrival of an exciting new voice in YA suspense.

A heart-pounding thriller. When six teens are locked in a room with a bomb, they only have an hour to figure a way out alive. As tensions escalate, relationships are tested, accusations are thrown, and shocking secrets are revealed. Who will make it out alive? I devoured this book and was kept guessing until the very last page. An ending you will not see coming!

It's been a couple of months since my last locked-room mystery, and I loved that this one was YA (my last were all adults books!). I was skeptical at first, because it seemed like a intricate plot, but it unfurled in the most shocking way. Even if I did see it coming, I couldn't believe it!What do a couple of popular kids, a stoner, and a couple of nerdy kids have in common? So much more than meets the eye!Many thanks to HarperCollins Canada for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.TW for suicide, mental health issues and bullying

Reviewed for a blog tour. Please do visit ynathemoodreader.com All Your Twisted Secrets is a book that drew me in, first and foremost, because of that beautiful cover. It promises a mystery slash thriller feel and I am all for that! I cannot ever resist reading books under this genre – especially in the YA age group.This book is like the type of story where a group of misfits (people who know each other but are not really friends) are placed in one place together. Then, they are stuck in a somewhat escape room where they have to decide on killing one person in the room or a bomb will go off. With a blurb and cover like this, I have to say that I was immediately sold.With a writing style that can draw in, this book can be read in one sitting within a few hours. As it is told in alternating timelines, past and present, the reader is given a glimpse on the context of the character decisions as well as a glimpse on who they actually are. Overall, this pacing was good and I enjoyed this part.Mystery wise, I was able to guess what was going to happen towards the latter part of the story. But, I don’t blame the writer for it. Maybe I just have read and watch too many mysteries.Still a good read overall. Perfect for this past weekend.

Thank you to Edelweiss for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!!! This is going to be the next One of Us is Lying, mark my words. The difference, however, is that I actually really really didn’t like One of Us is Lying, but I loved All Your Twisted Secrets. To me, this felt like redemption. Everything I wanted from One of Us is Lying I got in this book. This book was compelling from the first page. I was invested, I was intrigued. The ending shocked me, and I’m huge on endings with thrillers. I usually either guess them outright or find that the ending is just a cop out. But no, this was something I hadn’t even thought of. This book was so well thought out. All the plot points made sense, and they all tied together for the ending. I’m really impressed. I’ll definitely be pushing this book for 2020. It’s really worth it, guys.

Reminiscent of an Agatha Christie, All Your Twisted Secrets will keep you guessing to the end. A page-turner with characters you will love and hate. Simply, a fabulous mystery!

Tick…tick…tick…tick…tick…tick…KABOOM!6 friends…A locked room…A ticking time bomb…A toxic syringe…ONE HOUR…Kill a friend or get ready to die….Nail biting suspense and a locked room mystery that all fans of Agatha Christie are gonna devour, All Your Twisted Secrets offers one hell of a ride. The story alternates between events leading up to the year and the present room where Amber and her 5 friends are trapped together. When Amber decides to score a musical segment for the year-end play and has to request Sasha the queen bee of the school who is also the drama head permission for the same, little did she expect that her whole life was going to turn upside down. She gains Sasha’s friendship and starts dating the school jock Robbie, and scores an outstanding music that is sure to gain her a place in her dream college UVA. But by the end of the year, she has paid a huge price as her best friend Priya, who is also like a sister wants nothing to do with her anymore.Diego is the school nerd and Scott is the druggie that joins the celebratory dinner and forms the circle that gets trapped into a horrendous nightmare where in they are forced to choose one among them to die. The author’s writing is brilliant in that each character comes alive for the reader and the panic and the fear leaps across the pages as secrets begins to tumble out of the closet. The chapters beginning with the countdown minutes was outstanding as it adds to the white-knuckle tension in the book. All Your Twisted Secrets keeps the reader glued to the pages with its suspense but it offers so much more than that as the subject of abuse, online bullying, social and parental pressures, everything gets discussed with teenage angst and worries. The only sore point for me was that the final twist was a bit far fetched as it didn’t quite gel with the character.Unbelievably, this is a debut work by author Diana Urban and coz the writing was so fluid, I sincerely wish All Your twisted Secrets be turned into a movie.