All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban Published by HarperTeen on March 17, 2020
Genres: Suspense, Thriller, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: Paperback
Source: Barnes & Noble, Purchased
Buy on Amazon/Barnes & Noble/Bookshop.org
“Welcome to dinner, and again, congratulations on being selected. Now you must do the selecting.”
What do the queen bee, star athlete, valedictorian, stoner, loner, and music geek all have in common? They were all invited to a scholarship dinner, only to discover it’s a trap. Someone has locked them into a room with a bomb, a syringe filled with poison, and a note saying they have an hour to pick someone to kill...or else everyone dies.
Amber Prescott is determined to get her classmates and herself out of the room alive, but that might be easier said than done. No one knows how they’re all connected or who would want them dead.
As they retrace the events over the past year that might have triggered their captor’s ultimatum, it becomes clear that everyone is hiding something.
And with the clock ticking down, confusion turns into fear, and fear morphs into panic as they race to answer the biggest question: Who will they choose to die?
My Thoughts
This was a gripping and suspenseful thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Diana Urban masterfully weaves a tale of secrets, betrayal, and unexpected twists that will leave readers guessing until the very end.
The story follows a group of six high school students who find themselves trapped in a locked room with a bomb and a syringe of poison. As the clock ticks and tensions rise, the characters are forced to confront their darkest secrets and make impossible choices.
Urban’s writing is fast-paced and atmospheric, creating a sense of urgency and unease throughout the book. The characters are well-developed and complex, each with their own motivations and secrets. I found myself deeply invested in their fates and constantly questioning who could be trusted.
What sets the book apart is its clever and unpredictable plot. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, Urban threw in a twist that left me reeling. The suspense and mystery kept me turning the pages, eager to uncover the truth behind the characters’ secrets.
While the book does contain elements of violence and intense situations, it is handled with sensitivity and never feels gratuitous. Urban strikes a balance between thrilling suspense and emotional depth, making it a compelling read for fans of psychological thrillers.
About Diana Urban
Diana Urban is an author of dark, twisty thrillers, including All Your Twisted Secrets, These Deadly Games, and Lying in the Deep (Penguin Teen, coming May 2, 2023). Her novels have been published internationally, and she’ll be featured in the Firsts and Lasts anthology (Penguin Workshop, 2023). When she’s not torturing her fictional characters, she freelances in video game narrative writing. She lives with her husband and cat in Boston and enjoys reading, playing video games, fawning over cute animals, and looking at the beach from a safe distance. Visit her online at dianaurban.com, on TikTok @dianaurban_author, on Instagram @DianaUrban, or on Twitter @DianaUrban.
