I thought that this was a beautifully debut with gorgeous writing, a lovely middle grade read about the great outdoors and our connections to nature and animals, I loved it’s setting and it’s detail of rewilding was informative and really interesting . It covers issues such as grief and loss with great care and sensitivity, a beautiful read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I thought the keeper of secrets is a cute book for teenagers. The story themes are love , loss , friendship and secrets. The story about Emily who moves to new home with her dad due to her mum dying. In the county side Lynx are aloud to live free some people do not like this but Emily has secret that she’s keeping from her family and friends. I really enjoyed keeper of secrets and definitely read more books from this author.
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this book.

This beautifully written debut celebrates the great outdoors and the connection between human and animal I've so enjoyed books by Gill Lewis and Susanna Bailey, such as Swan Song and Otters' Moon and Keeper of Secrets will appeal to fans of stories that feature challenging issues, alongside the healing power of nature. 

This is a wonderfully wintry, Chrismassy read that is perfect for cosying up with in front of a roaring fire on a cold afternoon. The remote cottage and snowy fields are so atmospheric.

Eleven-year-old Emily doesnt think Badger Cottage - where shes had to move with her vet father after her mum died - will ever be home. But there is something out there that needs her: a bright pair of eyes in the darkness.

Soon she is amidst a fierce battle between a conservation project to rewild the lynx in the woods and the local farmers. Emily finds a baby lynx she calls Lotta and hides it in an outbuilding, afraid it will be killed by the illegal hunter who killed its mother. The pain of her own mother's death is raw and this binds Emily and the baby lynx together. She loves Lotta with all her heart, like a mother loves a child and is fiercely protective of her.

Emily discovers one tiny piece of evidence that could prove who the killer is. But with searches of the local community for the lynx taking place, it seems the net is closing in on Emily and Lotta. For how much longer will Emily be able to keep her a secret?

I was there with Emily all the way, trying to work out who to trust and reveal the killer and I completely fell in love with Lotta the lynx. This is a book to revisit again and again, a real winter-warmer.

A pleasant middle grade read with a nice atmosphere and growing dilemma. I loved it's wild setting and the way it encourages a connection to the natural world, and the rewilding detail was really enlightening. It handles loss and grief sensitively and is quite heartbreaking at times.
It has a lot to offer young readers and a chance to explore and talk about the natural, rewilding and coping with change.

Such a touching and important book covering some REALLY important topics for people (middle grade) to learn about and read about showing them what can happen and making them face there fears and show that you can help others, and it's okay to ask for help!

Since her mother’s death, Emily has been living with her vet father in a small rural community. There are lynx rewilding efforts being carried out and local farmers are viciously against the re-introduction of these beautiful, majestic cats. So when Emily comes across a cub that has lost its mother, she does everything she can to protect the animal from those who want to kill her. Ultimately, this gorgeous story is about grief and learning to live after devastating loss. Of course, it’s also about lynx rewilding and conservation which is a much-talked about topic in some rural areas of the UK. Emily seems like a very fickle character, but the heartbreaking scenes exploring what she has been through help the reader understand her better.

I loved reading this middle-grade book! It had so many things I love in a book: family, great characters, animals, a slight mystery! I loved the relationship between Emily and her dad, and how that developed throughout the book. This book was full of emotions and so beautifully written.

I loved the wintery setting of this book, it was very atmospheric and I could really picture everything. My favourite part though has to be Lotta, the Lynx! I loved reading about the topic of Lynx rewilding and lynxes so much, and actually found that I learned quite a bit too! This book reminded me of all of the animal/vet books I read when I was younger, and I can’t wait to read more from @sarahjdoddauthor 😍

Overall I gave this book 4 stars. This is the perfect book to cosy up and read in the upcoming Autumn/Winter, with lots of blankets and a hot drink of course!

Really enjoyed this book. The story was great and well written. Would definitely recommend read. Really like all the characters, I enjoyed finding out but about each of them and then ending was really good.

A poignant story about grief and the healing power of love after loss

I was not expecting this book to be so emotionally powerful. It is a beautiful story about a young girl who has lost her mother , the different ways people deal with the chasms left behind by a loved one's absence, and how, through caring about the fate of a young lynx cub, she finds common ground with people she never expected to and starts to heal.

It is such an empathetic story, everything about it is utterly believable, and beautifully told, and it really made me emotional at several points. I loved that it was told in the third person, but was completely from Emily's perspective, and that made sections like this really stand out to me:

"Sometimes it felt like Emily had lost two parents instead of one, and she was left with this irritable stranger who looked like Dad and talked like him, but who locked the real one away somewhere.
Emily would go and rescue him if she knew where he was."

I had thought it would have a lighter feel, so was surprised and pleased to read something that didn't shy away from the heartache and seriousness of a weighty subject like childhood bereavement.

I think children would appreciate this story for the lynx plot, and the forest paths ,and running about on farms, but I think the way they might react to the theme of grief and loneliness will depend upon the child. It might well help those who have suffered, or understand the concept of loss, but for those who haven't come across it yet, it might open up fears and anxieties. It made me think of a friend's experience with a child of ten who had nightmares based on a film that showed an ill and absent mother, as that was maybe the first time they had considered that something bad might happen to their own parents. Buyers of this book for children should therefore take a moment to consider the likely impact on the recipient, it may be that this book helps children start to understand loss, in a similar way to Raymond Briggs' The Snowman has done for so many, it may be that they get so caught up in the story of the lynx, that the underlying theme does not come across as strongly for them, and is just an undercurrent, again, it depends on the reader and what they themselves bring to the reading experience.

I would definitely recommend this book to older Middle Grade readers and above, it is so well done. It would make a great teaching book the themes of nature, re-wilding, compassion, and coping with change are all excellent discussion points regardless of the age or gender of the readers. Thank you so much for the advance copy in exchange for an honest impartial review!

This is a lovely book about Emily, an 11 year old who lives with her Dad. He is a Vet who has a job in a farming community where is a conservation project with lynx who have been let out to live in the woods. Emily comes across a baby lynx and has to make the decision what to do with her when there's a risk of hunters harming this small animal.
Emily struggles with settling into a new place. Her and her Dad are still struggling with the loss of her Mother. This book covers some important topics such as death and grief, setting in to new places and making friends, building trust - which were all handled very well.

trigger warning
<spoiler> animal death, grief </spoiler>

Emily and her father move to the countryside where he will be filing in for another vet who is going to Africa for undisclosed reasons. The area is known for a project for trying to rewild lynxes, which is quite controversial.

Both of them are still mourning the recent loss of Emily's mom, and it will be the first Christmas without her, so the change of place might be for the best.
Both of them show different ways of dealing with grief, Emily is melancholy while her father tends to react more aggressive - which doesn't mean he gets violent!

I liked the depiction of country life as simply having different ways of doing things than Emily is used to, for example not locking any doors, being able to go into other people's houses without having to knock because the farmers will most likely be too busy to notice, so you've got to seek them out.
There was not a single row which boiled down to "stupid townies should better watch out". It might have helped that Emily's dad is a vet, which means on one hand he has some knowledge going for him, and that nobody wants to be on bad standing with him because they <i>will</i> meet again.

I did not see the reveal coming, if I am honest.
All in all, while this was not my favourite read of all times, it was okay and I am sure that the audience it's written for will love it.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

I loved this cosy mystery! It didn't feel at all like I was reading a childrens book, but it also wasn't heavy at all. It was perfectly paced and beautifully written, while still being accessible.

Eleven-year-old Emily doesn’t think Badger Cottage – where she’s had to move with her vet father after her mum died – will ever be home.

But there is something out there that needs her; a bright pair of eyes in the darkness.

In the middle of a fierce battle between a conservation project to rewild the lynx in the woods and the local farmers, Emily tries to shield a baby lynx she calls Lotta, afraid it will be killed by the person who killed its mother.

Can Emily work out who the illegal hunter is in time?

Who can she trust? A great story that I was totally absorbed in! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

‘Keeper of Secrets’ by Sarah J Dodd is a middle grade novel about eleven year old Emily, whose mother recently died in a car accident. Now her father has accepted a temporary job in a small farming community, uprooting them from their home just before Christmas. ‘Keeper of Secrets’ begins as Emily and her Dad arrive at Badger Cottage, which Emily doesn’t think will ever feel like home.

On her first night, Emily sees eyes glowing in the darkness outside her bedroom window. The next day she finds out about a project trying to reintroduce lynx into the local area. Knowing what was out in the dark the night before doesn’t make Emily any less scared, but that doesn’t mean she wishes the lynx any harm. Some of the very vocal locals are so upset they are threatening to shoot any lynx they see, despite it being illegal to do so!

When a mother lynx is found murdered, Emily decides she needs to face her fears and hide the orphaned lynx before the killer can come back for her too. She just needs to figure out where and how to keep (newly named) Lotta safe, fed and hidden from everyone else – including her dad who might never forgive her if he finds out. Looking after a wild animal is more difficult than Emily realised it would be, especially when she is trying to hide it from a bunch of nosey neighbours. As Emily takes dangerous risks to try and look after Lotta, she begins to run out of resources as well as excuses for her odd behaviour. She needs help, but what if she confides in the wrong person and the killer finds out?

‘Keeper of Secrets’ touches on important topics including death, facing your fears, empathising with others, making mistakes and asking for help. I believe middle grade readers will be swept up in the danger and chaos that seems to follow Emily like a shadow. Releasing on the 2nd of September 2021, ‘Keeper of Secrets' by Sarah J Dodd is now available for pre-order, including from Firefly Press (with bonus goodies), Amazon and Waterstones.

4/5 🌟

Thank you to Netgalley and Firefly Press for providing me with a copy of ‘Keeper of Secrets’ by Sarah J Dodd in exchange for my impartial review. All opinions stated above are my own.

This is a wonderful book with such a beautiful story.

Emily is a young girl who moves to the forest with her father. It is a forest where they have been introducing wildcats back into the wild but not everyone is in agreement with this. Emily then finds a baby cat, lost in the forest and decides to look after it. She feels an affinity with this cat as she too has lost her mother. However, there are other people looking for the baby too, especially as tensions are rife and there have been reports of cat attacks. Emily is on a quest to keepThe kitten safe but it doesn’t always follow through according to her plan.

A heart reaching story that is filled with themes of grief, love, belonging and family. Sarah Dodd does it again.

Comforting and compassionate. Balanced and philosophical. Breaking stereotype, tapping our conscious and alerting. Above all etching the power of nature over healing.

Thank you Firefly Press and Net Galley for the e-ARC.

As someone who’s spent a lot of time working with young people, Emily’s character felt utterly real to me. From her quiet observations of the people around her to her distrustful attitude towards adults, I’ve met many students like Emily who would surely benefit from reading this thoughtful and sensitive novel.

Keeper of Secrets covers themes such as grief, nature and coping with change, and provides plenty of opportunities to spark discussions around these topics. I’d be particularly interested to find out how young readers respond to the lynx debate as Dodd explores different characters’ perspectives in such an empathetic and balanced manner. Though Emily faces some painful realisations throughout the course of the novel, I was genuinely touched to see her grow in confidence as she learns to prioritise what is right over what is easy (though this doesn’t always go to plan!).

Dodd also has a habit of ending chapters on a cliff-hanger, which forced me to keep reading when I should have been doing housework, though I suppose I can’t blame all the mess in my flat on Sarah J. Dodd. The end result is a gripping and evocative read which will capture the imaginations of young readers and adults alike. Keeper of Secrets is a beautifully-written, faced-paced book which is perfect for middle-grade readers. Its language is accessible throughout, but retains enough subtlety to keep readers guessing until the ending is revealed.

Yet again, I have found myself requesting a book from Net Galley based to a large extent on my really liking its cover when I saw it pop up in my Twitter feed this week. That is possibly not what the author would want to hear, but an incredible piece of artwork that catches the eye is so important if a reader is to bother to pick up a book even just to read the blurb, particularly where the author is new to the reader as Sarah J. Dodd is to me.

A cover can only tell the reader so much, however, especially when it is a tiny image on a screen and on reading the description of the book I soon realised that this was not at all what I might have expected – having thought initially that the cat pictured was a domesticated one – but a much deeper story about rewilding, the balance of nature, and the pain of love and loss.

Emily wakes in the unfamiliar setting of Badger Cottage, her temporary home while her vet father covers for the absence of their new landlord’s daughter. Flinging back the curtain to look outside, she is startled by the presence of a large cat-like creature, with a limp rabbit swinging from its mouth – something that her father dismisses as her imagination. Wrapping herself in the special blanket that her late mother bought for her, she manages to go back to sleep after hiding in the cupboard beneath her cabin bed – giving her father a fright when he comes back to wake her up and finds her apparently gone.

Shortly afterwards, landlord Rufus turns up and hands Emily’s father a campaign leaflet, telling him he expects his support. The leaflet is one protesting against the reintroduction of Lynx to the area around the village of Littendale, and Emily’s father quickly realises that Emily’s beast is one of the animals. While Dad tries to explain the merits of the Lynx’s presence, and states that they are no threat to humans or the local farmers’ lambs, Rufus does not share this opinion, and makes it clear that while they are under his roof, he expects them both to take his side.

As Emily tries to fit in, she meets one of the farming families who live close by and the local poacher, and quickly becomes aware that there are many who do not welcome the Lynx. When she discovers the body of an adult female which has been shot, leaving an orphaned kitten, Emily decides to look after the young animal in secret, frightened that whoever has been responsible for its mother’s shooting will turn on it. Determined to find out who is responsible, Emily faces hostility from those in Littendale who see the Lynx as a dangerous problem and her as an intruder. With no friends to turn to and her relationship with her father not as warm as it once was, Emily faces a real battle to uncover the culprit and save the kitten from the same fate as its mother.

As the dominant species on our planet, there are very few areas unaffected by the efforts of humans to assert that dominance in whatever way they see fit. In some cases, this has resulted in the destruction of entire habitats or species entirely through man’s actions, whether intended or not, and slowly we are coming to realise the damage we have brought about. In the case of the Lynx, a species which was hunted out of existence in the UK several hundred years ago, there are plans afoot to reintroduce it to the Loch Lomond area in Scotland in an attempt to control the deer population in a similar way to that presented here. Although fictional, this story explains the benefits of such a scheme to the environment clearly, as well as addressing the concerns of those against in a non-judgemental way, leaving the reader in no doubt as to just why it would be a good idea. As someone who had no idea that such a thing was even being considered until I read this book, and then went away to search for more information on the internet, I have been most definitely convinced of the scheme’s merits.

Also convinced are Emily and her father, and when Emily finds the orphaned kitten she takes it upon herself to care for the animal with little thought about the practicalities of such a task. For her, the young cat is a reflection of herself as although she still has her father, he has become distant since the death of her mother and Emily feels so terribly alone. While at first she is hopeful of finding friends at the farm, she is very soon reminded that she is an outsider with her views differing from the Littendale children’s. Removed from the support network that she had prior to moving, she puts all of her efforts into caring for the kitten with the result that she is unaware that she is putting herself at risk. As she schemes and plots to hide what she is doing, I found myself really feeling for her and desperately hoping that someone would be able to help both her and her father – not only with the kitten, but with the grief that they are experiencing.

This would make a great class reader in upper KS2, and would even work as a Christmas story with most of the narrative leading up to Christmas Day. That beautiful cover I mentioned earlier means that it is one that my class would see as being for everyone, rather than a boys’ or girls’ book as they sadly do with so many reads. With its strong environmental messages, and presentation of the issues of bereavement and loss, it is one that would promote some great discussions in class around those themes.

As always, enormous thanks go to Firefly Press and Net Galley for my advance read, ahead of publication on September 2nd. 5 out of 5 stars.

Keeper of Secrets is a touching story of family, loss and grief, and change. A real standout element of this book is that it deals remarkably well with addressing these subjects for younger readers. The book manages to acknowledge the difficulty of dealing with grief at a young age while those closest to you, your support system, are also grieving. Another bonus is that the book is set around Christmas- a time that can be difficult for those who have lost someone.

Keeper of Secrets was an absolute delight to read, and the story is something that can truly be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of age (I’ve already started recommending it to friends!).
I read the entire book in one sitting, and not once did I lose an ounce of interest in the story. The pace of the story keeps you wrapped up in the book for its entirety. The writing style is simplistic yet immersive enough for the story, and it even manages to be comedic at times- there were many points in the book where I found myself having a little laugh at some descriptions. At the same time Keeper of Secrets really pulled on my heartstrings, and I found while reading that there were a few moments I had to pause because I could feel myself welling up with tears. Overall, it's a perfect winter book and I do not doubt that Keeper of Secrets is going to be a book that helps and comforts younger children and teens who are going through loss and change in their lives. It's absolutely a five-star book!

Thank you to Firefly Press and NetGalley for the E-ARC!
#KeeperofSecrets #NetGalley