This book was interesting. The main characters are from such different backgrounds, yet in a difficult time they bond with each other, proving that there is more to a person than what may appear.

I loved the idea of communities like Tovio. If it worked I think it would be somewhere I would like to live.

I totally didn't see the end coming. Talk about a twist. ( )

“My family has secrets, Sam. I have secrets.”
“We all do,” he says quietly.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” he says.

This book has quite a few surprises in store. I had initially thought that it was a contemporary romance (maybe with some drama or suspense), so the sci-fi elements were a pleasant surprise to me. Plus, that ending was one huge plot twist. It’s like “so you think you know everything by now? WELL YOU’RE WRONG.” I’m honestly giving one star to the ending alone.

“The future is here, and it’s highly realistic fake cats and too many humans without jobs.”

Speaking of sci-fi elements, who doesn’t love a morbid vision of the future? ALL HER SECRETS features a city called Toivo, which was supposed to be a symbol of hope for the working population, but has now been completely ruined by a corrupt leader and the introduction of robots. It was created to test a utopian idea for community and growth where residents would have everything they needed to live a simple healthy, happy life. But there was a new leader, who slashed the city’s budget and now it’s residents live on barely enough money to survive. This is hauntingly reflective of the world we live. How many times have you heard about projects that started with good intentions but went downhill due to corrupt leaders? However, this book focused more on the robots. I guess it’s easier to hate on something that isn’t human. ¯_(ツ)_/¯

“Future, Inc. is also responsible for dozens of other inventions that have shaped the country, like the virtual realities that don’t require you to wear goggles, or the space elevator that lets people vacation weightless above the curve of the planet, but around here, they’re known mostly for the robots, because that’s what destroyed the city.”

Victoria and Sam were, well, okay characters. They aren’t annoying or dislikeable but I didn’t really care much for them either. The moment one reads the summary, it’s pretty obvious they would fall in love with each other, but their relationship was smooth sailing. Sam, despite living in Toivo and experiencing the effects of the robots’ introduction daily, does not hold any anonymity towards Victoria’s father and all who hold his last name. Basically, he doesn’t hate Victoria at all, and so he was willing to help Victoria escape when they were both trapped in the cabin. While it is important that they depend on each other during their time in the cabin, I would rather that there be some conflict between them at the start but they manage to work it out with time. Instead, we got bland scenes where they simply exchanged stories with each other.

“I can’t sort out how long we’ve known each other anymore. It has been days? Weeks? Months? It feels like a lifetime in that darkness.”

I never knew that the length of chapters in a book could ruin my enjoyment of it. Well, now I do.

“SAM

When I get off work, I discover my bike has been vandalized. Tires slashed, handles hacked, spokes bent. I can’t ride it, so I walk the three miles home.

I have a pretty good idea who did this.”

This, guys, is a legit chapter from the book. A full chapter. While reading this, I just felt really disjointed. It’s like “I really want to stick to this alternating POV thing but there’s nothing interesting going on with this character right now so here’s a short peek of what he/she’s currently doing.” I wouldn’t mind this as much if both POVs were two distinct voices, but I could barely tell the difference between Victoria’s POV and Sam’s POV.

“Everybody has secrets, and I don’t know all of hers,
but do I know the ones I need to know?”

Overall, this was a decent quick read that had enough mystery to keep my interest but could do better with longer chapters, more insight into the issues mentioned in it (i.e. corrupt leaders), and more conflict between Victoria and Sam.

Other stuff that didn’t make the cut due to my poor mastery of the English language… or me simply being lazy:

• As I was looking through the highlights made on my Kindle, the fragility of life was something that was mentioned quite a few times by Victoria
• Stockholm Syndrome was briefly brought up but quickly brushed away ( )

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.

What could have been a story we have heard before, about a kidnapping and the bond that forms because of it, is instead a unique and gripping tale full of surprises and twists.

Ellison's best move is the world she creates for her characters. The "experimental utopia gone wrong" gives Ellison a fascinating and unique world to play in, and sets up the great twists and turns to follow.

Even though much of the story takes place in one setting, with the two main characters trapped in a cabin, the revelations and secrets each character shares keep the story from dragging.

I would definitely recommend this book for fans of young adult books, especially psychological thrillers. ( )