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readergirlz is a literacy and social media project for teens, awarded the National Book Foundation's Innovations in Reading Prize. The rgz blog serves as a depot for news and YA reviews from industry professionals and teens. As volunteers return full force to their own YA writing, the organization continues to hold one initiative a year to impact teen literacy. All are welcome to "like" us on Facebook!

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Story Secrets: THE SECRET YEAR by Jennifer Hubbard

Secrets, secrets...I'm very excited to welcome a fellow debut and writer of secret stories, Jennifer Hubbard, author of THE SECRET YEAR!

(If you've missed previous Story Secrets, check them out here.)

*****
After his secret girlfriend's death, seventeen-year-old Colt finds the notebook she left behind, but he is unprepared for the truths he discovers about their intense relationship.


The premise of THE SECRET YEAR is so intriguing - where did the idea begin?

I started where the book starts: with a boy whose secret girlfriend has just died. A notebook she kept about their relationship falls into his hands. I wanted to know what was in the notebook and why the relationship had to be secret.

The way Colt and Julia explained the secrecy was that they were in totally different socioeconomic groups, groups that clash a few times in the book. Also, Julia had a steady boyfriend, Austin. But I want readers to really think about these reasons—are they reasons or just excuses? Was secrecy the true appeal and, if so, why...

...read the rest here!

3 comments:

Melissa Walker said...

This book sounds so compelling!

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