3.5 stars

The Secrets We Kept by Lily Velez is a heartwarming young adult novel about family, friends and forgiveness.

Sulligan "Sully" Graham and Cadence Gilbertson's relationship began as friendship then gradually blossomed into romance. As foster kids, neither of them is used to things working out for them but Sully and his younger brother, Spencer, were finally placed with a loving family and Cadence was eventually adopted by a terrific couple. However, soon after her adoption was finalized, Cadence's father received a promotion that meant the family had to relocate to California. Afraid their relationship would prevent her from making a new life for herself, Sully broke up with her before she moved but the two remained friends. However, a few months after she left, Cadence inexplicably cut off all ties with her New York friends. A year later, she and her family have moved back to New York and while she has resumed her friendship with Novah, a mutual friend of hers and Sully, Cadence refuses to let Sully back into her life.

Sully is kind-hearted and very protective of the people he cares about. Now aged out of the foster system, he is working three jobs trying to make end meets and since his split with Cadence, he has distanced himself from everyone he cares about. His heart was in the right place when he broke things off with Cadence but he was pretty miserable within months of her leaving. Sully knew he made a mistake but before he could broach the possibility of a reconciliation, Cadence abruptly cut him out of her life. He is stunned to discover she is back in New York, and although Sully would like nothing more than to get back together with her, Cadence vehemently refuses to explain what went wrong nor is she willing to resume their romance or their friendship.

Although Cadence is glad to be back in New York, she is still pretty unhappy. She absolutely refuses to discuss what happened in California so she maintains a rather distant friendship with Novah. Although she does try to smooth things over with Sully, Cadence has no intention of letting him back in her life.

Learning the truth about what happened to Cadence is the main focus of The Secrets We Kept. However, Cadence is not going to give up her secrets without a fight and sharing this journey with her is a bit frustrating but it is also quite illuminating. Although it is not too terribly difficult to guess what she is so afraid to reveal, part of her revelation comes as a complete surprise.

For the most part, The Secrets We Kept by Lily Velez is well-written but it is incredibly slow paced and a little overly dramatic. The majority of the Cadence and Sully's relationship is revealed through flashbacks and some of the transitions between past and present are a little confusing and hard to follow. All in all, a well researched young adult novel that is heartfelt and engaging. ( )

I don't often review without providing a summary first, but The Secrets We Kept is the kind of book you need to read to experience and understand. It's a young adult book that transcends the genre confinements, with dual POV from a high school girl and a newly-independent male. There's no cliche insta-love, over-the-top smut, or easily handled drama. What there is, however, is a lot of harsh realities in the form of a beautiful fiction story. There's teenage love, emotional foster family situations, loss, and a profound discussion on childhood mental illness and depression.

We begin in the present, learning the current lives of our hero and heroine, Sully and Cadence, separated for a year, and as time goes on we revisit the past and learn the history that both brought together and tore apart the young couple. Their stories are much more than you expect, with a non-traditional family, the characters have fundamental relationships with the minor characters within the foster system. They take on the roles of being older siblings, of hosting parties for one another, and assisting with homework although there are capable adults around. The minor characters were so important to the story and the shaping of the main characters; I really enjoyed the relationships between them and the unique dialogue each had. The bond between the foster children is what really keeps this book moving forward, with the minor characters the tie between the two main characters.

The story itself is hard to read emotionally, because the depression and mental illness discussions feel so real and are real for many. The characters are all dealing with their own individual situations, leaning on each other and sometimes hoping they had some one to lean on. The characters come from all walks of life and have situations to face that make you both sad and hopeful at the same time. I really appreciated how Lily detailed the feelings of every character and dealt with the individual situations uniquely, using the characters to show that you don't have to face anything alone. I finished this book and felt like I should take it down to the local high school library and recommend they share it with students, because I think it contains a valuable lesson on sharing feelings, not judging, and how childhood depression is far more common than many like to acknowledge, to share that there is no shame in any of it. Lily Velez's detailed writing brings to life the characters and I feel like she shared a lot of understanding of childhood depression and mental illness with the depth of her writing. ( )