Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden

A YouTube star with millions of followers starts getting death threats hinting at hidden secrets in her own perfect facade of suburban life.

Author

Diego Dunne
December 18, 2024

Hey, it’s Diego.

And it’s not what I expected.

Let me give you my spoiler-free unbiased review.

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Want to Know a Secret? by Freida McFadden Review

Want to Know a Secret? takes us behind the glossy facade of a YouTube baking star’s life. April Masterson has millions of followers and seems to have the picture-perfect suburban life. But when she starts receiving threatening messages that hint at buried secrets, things unravel fast.

Trigger Warnings: infidelity, stalking, threatening messages, murder, toxic relationships, manipulative behavior.

This book sits in the domestic thriller genre, with its primary setting being a quiet suburban neighborhood—a perfect backdrop for secrets to simmer and explode.

Domestic thrillers: a subset of psychological thrillers that happen in a “domestic” location. This can be a family home or small town but can also be a hospital, prison, etc.

Freida McFadden keeps her writing straightforward and engaging. The short chapters make it a breeze to read, and though the writing can feel repetitive at times, it serves to keep the reader on track with the plot. It’s not poetic or imagery-heavy, but it gets the job done—think of it as more functional than flowery. And for this story, that works.

The pacing is classic McFadden: slow-burn at the start, building up the tension with a big reveal at the end.

The story is mainly told from April’s perspective, giving readers a front-row seat to her unraveling life. Unlike some thrillers that lean heavily on romantic entanglements, this one has no romance and focuses more on betrayal and manipulation. There are themes of infidelity present, but they’re not the main attraction. There are no explicit sexual scenes either, with clean language.

It is rare to see a YouTube star as the protagonist of a thriller, so I’ll give Freida extra points for originality there. The thrills and suspense are definitely there, especially as the story picks up in the second half. The mood is suspenseful and creepy, with just enough drama to keep you flipping pages.

And although there is mention of violence, there is no explicit graphic violence present.

So, what about the ending? (No spoilers obviously)

I love my stories to wrap up nicely, with a neat little bow at the end. I like to read a cathartic scene where everything our characters have been through finally pays off physically and emotionally. Then a denouement in another chapter (or chapters) following the characters decompress where things are resolved and I’m left delighted at how well things played out at the end, every plot thread resolved.

The ending lands, but the wrap-up felt abrupt. I wished for a bit more closure after the ending, to stay a bit longer with the characters.

As with all books from Freida McFadden, I always have an issue with the slow start, but can’t deny she can write great suspense. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely.

Similar Books to Want to Know a Secret?

  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

  • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

That’s all for this week.

See you next time.

— Diego Dunne

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