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Reviewed by Lit Amri for Readers' Favorite
In Buried Secrets, when a senior high school student Mercy Worthington went missing, it rocked the peaceful small town of Oakridge. No one really knows what happened and her body was never found. Five years later, 18-year-old James Clearwater moves back to the town that he hates and where the memory of Mercy still haunts him. He also reluctantly gets reacquainted with his only friend in Oakridge, Andrew James, aka AJ. His hope to live his life as unobtrusively as possible in the small town is shattered when some girls start to go missing and his nightmares return. This gripping murder mystery is written by Brandi Salazar.
I understand why the younger James wants to keep his friendship to AJ a secret. He has difficulty making friends and suddenly a friend like AJ appears in his life – of course he wants to keep it to himself. It is sad when James finally learns the truth about his ‘special’ friend. The brutal attacks on the girls are horrifying, and readers will definitely feel their fear. As for Carl and Jeanie, even though they are far from perfect, I did feel sorry for them, having to face the dangerous side of their son.
The pacing of the story is faster than I expected, thus making it a quick read. The plot is satisfyingly good, and Buried Secrets is a solid read for YA mystery fans. The only minor drawback is the predictable aspect of the plot. Even so, I truly enjoyed the story so I wasn't really bothered by this matter. Brandi Salazar builds the climax beautifully and ends the story with a clever twist. Coupled with solid characterization, this is a great read, enough for me to look forward to the next volume.
