Thought this was such an interesting concept but I wasn’t completely sold on the execution - did just find myself getting frustrated at times.

Advanced Reader copy - Enjoyed this book, really opened my eyes and made me seek out other similar books to read.

I FLEW through this! I was immediately hooked and couldn’t stop turning the pages. I absolutely adored Jemma and her foster siblings and their story alone would have been lovely but the added mystery/thriller was great! 👀

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

This was absolutely heartbreaking and I know for a fact that I will want to reread this sometime in the future. Something about Jemma and her story really touched my heart and I found myself tearing up on multiple occasions. To read what Jemma went through was such a journey and I'm glad I went on that journey with her.

Unfortunately I didn't finish this book, as I couldn't get into it - nothing against the author or book, just not to my personal taste. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

My goodness I LOVED this book!
It was such an addictive thriller ride for someone who has no voice.
I think this idea was very clever and it definitely makes you think more about people who can't speak or who are paralysed that they can understand. It teaches us to treat everyone the same.
A powerful message comes with this book and I adored it.

I Have No Secrets by Penny Joelson (Electric Monkey) is about the importance of having a voice. Jemma's cerebral palsy means she can't communicate but Joelson has written her character beautifully. The focus is on her thoughts, wishes and personality, making her a rounded character, rather than focusing on her cerebral palsy or using it as a plot device. She feels real and believable and we want her to succeed.

This is a fast-paced, easy to read book filled with fab supporting characters. Jemma's foster family were particularly intriguing and I'd love to get to know them more. It was refreshing to see the foster parents - who were coping with children with autism and a wide-range of emotional and physical difficulties - show their flaws and their own emotional ups and downs. They were immensely believable and I applaud Joelson's decision to not sugar coat and to show them making mistakes and struggling.

Although this is billed as a YA read, I would suggest it's more suited to a younger teen audience.

Told from the POV of Jemma, who has Cerebral Palsy and cannot communicate with anyone but has full brain function, this story is a fascinating one. I can't begin to imagine what it is like not to be able to talk to anyone, or even gesture to let them know what you need, but I think Penny Joelson has done a brilliant job of capturing the struggle.

The fact that Jemma knows someone is a murderer, yet can't tell those closest to her they may be in danger makes this a tense and exciting read. There are some very emotional moments too.

I highly recommend this book.

This was such an interesting story! It made me want a Miss Marple style detective story about a detective who's in a wheelchair tends to overhear things from people around her because people just assume she doesn't understand and then she could use it to her advantage. I think it would be cool if this turned into a series with Jemma at the center, but I don't think it would happen.

It was so interesting to see things from the point of view of a person with no way to communicate at all. It really opened my eyes to the feelings of humiliation that can come from being stuck like that. Jemma was such an amazing character and she had so much going on in her mind and yet people around her couldn't do anything but just guess at her needs. And even the most kind and sensitive person in the world would never be able to get that right for her.

I love this book most because it really made me think of things from a different viewpoint and I hope to find more books like this.

Jemma has to be up there as one of those teenage characters in a story that you can't help but fall a little in love with. We are given unrestricted access to her thoughts, as we watch her and her family go about their lives. This is no cosy drama though...Jemma has been told that someone she knows is responsible for the murder of one of her neighbours. She was told this by the person himself, her carer's smarmy boyfriend, Dan - a rather caricature villain, but one I took great delight in disliking. While we might find it unusual for a murderer to confess to someone - he only does this because Jemma has severe cerebral palsy and cannot communicate with anyone. Dan's secret - like so many secrets revealed by characters close to her - is safe with Jemma, at least for a while.
I did think the ending was a little too neat, but it makes sense within the narrative and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

This book is wonderful. Yes, it overreaches in it's plot arcs, yes, Jemma's communication appears instantly and is a poor representation of this part of her condition, but for a tween look at disability this is great. Jemma is smart, kind, funny and fully three dimensional. As a character she is a triumph and as an "issue read" for severe cerebral palsy this is sensitive and well researched. No one pitied Jemma or even underestimates her, except the police officer who blames it on her teenagehood! The lost-twin plot is poorly done and underexplored, although it's function, to show a healthy Jemma, just about works, although we never learn much about Jodi and her life. That said, this is a great, great book.

I Have No Secrets is a character-driven YA thriller, made unique by its wonderful first person perspective of Jemma, a teenager who cannot effectively communicate to those around her. We join Jemma at a point in her life where she has trialled various communication devices but none have been suitable for her. She describes herself as 'happy to watch', until suddenly there is something she so desperately needs to say. She has the understanding and ability to help solve the mystery, but not the means to do so.

Whilst this is a mystery, and does a fantastic job of keeping you on edge, desperate for it to be solved, the focus of the story is very much Jemma. We see the frustration of not being able to express herself in tandem with the joy she experiences through the love of her family and the things she enjoys doing. It can feel quite uncomfortable at times as you realise how vulnerable Jemma can be, relying on others so much to understand her wants and needs. But it also very clearly shows how much she has to offer.

There was also a few brilliant scenes which challenge the assumptions people make about those who are non-verbal or have different ways of communicating. Jemma's perspective is so important and one that needs to be heard. It's definitely worthwhile putting yourself in her shoes for a while!

Recommended for YA fans looking to diversify their reading with a powerful, engaging protagonist who interacts with the world in a different way.

Jemma is 14 and suffers from cerebral palsy; her family know she is smart, but she is completely unable to communicate with anyone. People often confide in her because they know she can never reveal their secrets; this becomes dangerous when Dan, her carer's boyfriend, taunts her with the knowledge of a violent crime he claims he has committed...

A gripping thriller and a sensitive, empathic look at life from a different perspective, this is a page-turner that makes you think.

Perfect for fans of Wonder and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.

This was a really terrific read that encompassed many things - but the best thing about it was Jemma who's character voice shone through the entirety of the story and kept you on her side from the very opening pages.

So she has cerebral palsy - she cannot communicate but has an active and intelligent brain, misses nothing going on around her and is also somewhat of a deep thinker. Living in a family of fostered children, all with their own issues, one day somebody tells her a secret. A murderer. Thinking it safe to toy with Jemma, to scare her, they don't realise that she may soon be able to tell..

This was a clever story because it plays with the emotions, shows very clearly what life is like for Jemma but manages not to be saccharine or overly sentimental. Then you have a murder, various snapshots of life within the household and a fairly fascinating study of the new and innovative possibilities opening up for people with disabilities.

It is a compelling and utterly gripping story that is fast and effective, I loved Jemma, I loved all the family even the rather difficult Olivia and you just get absorbed into their lives and their ups and downs, it is almost like living with them for a while. The crime elements are layered into the character drama and its damned addictive I can tell you!

With a strong, engaging and intuitive character voice, I Have No Secrets is a top notch young adult novel that will appeal to all ages.

Highly Recommended

Jemma's fourteen and has cerebral palsy, all the children are adopted in their house and they all deal with separate issues such as autism and behavioral based problems too.


Ryan from their road was murdered, a teenager stabbed one night by an unidentified hooded figure.

Sarah her carer is seeing both horrible Dan and kind and caring Richard. Yet Dan is always turning up, wants Sarah to quit her job and whispered in Jemma's ear, he killed Ryan.

So for poor Jenna, who has also been hit by the fact she has a long lost twin Jodi to meet, dealing with going away to college, she now has a suspected murderer in her house and dating her carer!

Yet, the harsh reality is she can't tell anyone, Dan presumes as parts of her don't work or work right, nothing does in her like her mind. We witness that Jenna is a highly intelligent character and is very caring about those around her she loves.

This book is a read you can't put down, it's gripping and thrilling whilst also eye opening in a life with cerebral palsy.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to review this book!

**Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free e-copy of I HAVE NO SECRETS in exchange for my honest review**

GRADE: A

Jemma, confined to a wheelchair and unable to speak due to Cerebral Palsy, is used to listening. People tell her everything, even dark secrets, because they know she'll never know. Her carer's boyfriend even tells her he murdered someone. When he finds out she may be able to communicate through a new technology, she may not be safe.

I HAVE NO SECRETS is one of the most delightful surprises I've read in recent memory. I expected a Disney-type story of a differently-abled girl who learns to communicate. Instead what I found was an often heartbreaking thriller. Like real life, very little goes smoothly for Jemma. She has similar hopes and dreams to other fourteen-year-olds, and likewise similar disappointments. Her family and carers sometimes let her down, because we are all occasionally let down by those who love us. People are imperfect. Nothing is easy, for anyone.

I loved Jemma's foster family and her special need siblings, who had unique personalities and relationships with each other and with Jemma. Each, including Jemma, has positive and negative traits.

The plot and subplots kept me turning pages as much as any thriller. I especially like the realistic arc with her long-lost sister. Penny Joelson could have taken the easy way, with a fairytale reunion, but she never took the easy way out.

I give I HAVE NO SECRETS a strong, strong recommendation for anybody over age five, though younger kids should have an adult to discuss any questions that may arise.

I really enjoyed this book and found it difficult to put down. Although the plot is very well executed and the peripheral characters clearly drawn it's the narrator Jemma who steals the show and makes this book so very compelling. I actually started shouting out aloud when I read some scenes as I fell for Jemma so hard and really felt for her. This book is a soulful teen thriller with a character who will live with me for a long time.