SuitabookSummer of Secrets
Paul Langan
- Reading
- Consider checking in before reading and agreeing that either of you can pause or skip a discussion. If the subject feels personal, let your child choose whether to continue the conversation.
- Themes
- Recovery after assault: Darcy is still dealing with an assault and struggles with anger, suspicion and the secret surrounding it. The story is described as addressing the complicated emotions of rape and the stigma that can contribute to secrecy.
- Friendship and looking out for others: Darcy turns to friends and warns an old friend about a questionable new boyfriend; she also faces a crisis involving a friend’s secret. The book presents this favourably.
- Family strain and change: Darcy’s parents seem distracted by problems at home; later they tell her they are expecting a child. The family situation contributes to Darcy feeling alone, but the story’s broader judgement of the family dynamics is unclear.
- Worth knowing
- The story addresses sexual assault, described in one account as a near rape, and also mentions teen sex and domestic violence. Darcy’s anger, suspicion and recovery are part of that treatment.