The Secrets We Keep is such a great read. It's not an entirely original concept - twin sisters, identity struggles, loss of a family member and the emotional and psychological damage that follows - we've seen all of this before. And yet, Trisha Leaver managed to put together a fascinating, completely unputdownable story. A story of losing yourself in order to truly find yourself for the first time. A story of lies, secrets, rejection, guilt and grief. 
 I devoured this book in just one evening. The pages really flew by and once I stared reading I knew there would be no putting this book down and going to sleep until I have finished. Trisha Leaver's writing style is pretty straight-forward and easy to absorb, and yet it is charged with incredible energy. Her writing really pulls you in and the way she navigates the events, slowly revealing all the dark secrets and the character's complex emotions and motivations, it is just so masterful, you can't resists it, you're drawn to this story like a moth to a flame. 
 There is something utterly mesmerizing about the idea of one twin assuming the identity of the other - a deceased one, in this particular case. It shows love, dedication, the pain of losing someone so incredibly close, and yet I think it also shows deeply buried envy, the feelings of guilt and the longing to be someone else entirely. It's both moving and incredibly creepy. 
 Maddy was always the popular one - the one who did everything to fit in with the popular crowd. She dressed up, put tons of makeup on, attended all the important social events, dated a popular boy and hung out with the mean girls. Her sister? She is the exact opposite of Maddy. Ella is said to be shy and socially impaired, but in truth she just isn't interested in impressing anyone, she prefers jeans and t-shirts over pretty dresses and high heels. Maddy pretty much shut Ella out of her life. Their relationship was strained. Maddy would only reach out to Ella when she needed her help - a cover story, help with school, a ride back home from a party. But as much as Ella would like to act like she didn't care about all that, she did. Deep inside,she felt hurt and betrayed and used by Maddy. 
 It was only after Maddy died that Ella began to truly get to know her own sister.. And herself. 
 I loved this book. It really pulled on my heartstrings. I felt bad for Maddy from the very beginning, her hurt and pain was so obvious, I can't believe no one else noticed it - not her sister, not her parents, not her friend, sometimes not even herself. She always felt like she wasn't good enough, like she wasn't the one who deserved to survive, like she wasn't the one OTHER PEOPLE wanted to see survive. That resulted in the decision to become her twin sister - a decision that couldn't have been easy. It was emotionally riveting to witness Maddy struggle through all these events and deal with the loss of her sister.