What The Other Three Don't Know by Spencer Hyde

Four teens. Four secrets. A school trip. Life changing meeting. Check out my review of What the Other Three Don't Know.

Will I still be loved if I show people who I really am?

Four high school seniors. Four secrets about to be told.

If Indie had it her way, she would never choose to river raft with three other high school seniors, mostly strangers to each other, from her journalism class.

A loner, a jock, an outsider, an Instagram influencer. At first they can’t see anything that they have in common. As the trip unfolds, the unpredictable river forces them to rely on each other. Social masks start to fall as, one-by-one, each teen reveals a deep secret the other three don’t know.

One is harboring immense grief and unwilling to forgive after the death of a loved one. One is dealing with a new disability and an uncertain future. One is fearful of the repercussions of coming out. One is hiding behind a carefully curated “perfect” image on Instagram.

Before they get to the end of Hells Canyon, they’ll know the truth about each other and, more importantly, learn something new about themselves.

What the Other Three Don’t Know is a poignant and gripping YA novel about the unlikely friends who accept you for who you really are and the power of self-acceptance.

My Rating:

My Thoughts:
This was an interesting book. I went in with high expectations since I enjoyed Waiting for Fitz, however, this did not live up to it. This book follows four high school seniors during their senior trip and the secrets they each hold on to. As much as I appreciated the representation in the story for disability and LGBT. I also appreciated the stereotypes that high school students are put into: jock, influencer, loner and outsider.

Do I think this was executed smoothly? No, I feel like this could have been written in a smoother way to make the characters and story click more. However, I did enjoy the characters mainly Indie and Shelby.

I loved the internal issues the characters were dealing with, but I wanted so much more. This wasn't a bad book at all, just wasn't as phenomenal as his first release. Do I recommend this book?! Yes, it's definitely a book perfect for one sitting, but it may not really grab you completely through.

I'd say grab a copy for yourself and read it.

About the Author:

SPENCER HYDE spent three years during high school at Johns Hopkins for severe OCD. He is the author of the YA novel Waiting for Fitz. Spencer worked at a therapeutic boarding school before earning his MFA and his PhD, specializing in fiction, short humor pieces, and essays. Spencer and his wife are the parents of four children.

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What The Other Three Don't Know by Spencer Hyde