All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban: Full Review

I am visibly shaking as I write this.

Usually I hesitate to write reviews straight away, as opinions mature over time. I like to give them just long enough that I’ve had time to reflect but not long enough for me to forget everything that has happened. But I am quaking and I have so much to say that can’t sit on my chest because it might break me – so I’m going to have to write this one straight away. I need an out for the emotions and the terror that this one generates in you, otherwise it’ll sit heavy on my stomach.

All I’m saying is… Don’t read this one alone… or at night.

All Your Twisted Secrets is meant to scare you. It’s meant to challenge you and push you past the boundaries of emotional-sanity and completely shove you into the icy waters of fear. And it 100% succeeds with everything it sets out to do.

This book sets with 6 people being invited to win a chance at a scholarship, a locked room, a bomb counting down and a note that says they must kill one person or all of them will die.

Which, first off: who gave Diana the RIGHT to come up with something that sounds so terrifying… FROM THE SYNOPSIS? And, secondly: who gave Diana the RIGHT to wield her characters like a weapon, make me fall in love with them all (or at least pity them/relate to them slightly) and then TEAR EVERYTHING INTO PIECES.

And I mean that in the best way, of course. This is a 5 star review after all.

All Your Twisted Secrets takes place in two separate timelines – one that occurs in the run up before our characters end up in a death sentence together, and the other taking place in the room. Both are equally captivating. I’m usually the first to admit that I will always prefer one timeline to another in books that have more than one, or even prefer one characters POV to another. But this was the absolute exception to the rule. There was no temptation to skip over a chapter just to get back to my favourite timeline (although there was a temptation to skip to the end because I HAD TO KNOW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN). Which is why I ended up reading this one in less than a day.

Dana Urban managed to keep me on tenterhooks for both alternating parts of the book and let’s just say the ending is to DIE for… Heh. Pun intended. No spoiler intended.

The characterisation was beyond spectacular, from our loveable main character who starts to twist into something she doesn’t recognise to our obsessive queen bee who’s determined to be in control of everything. And we even had a brewing love triangle that was done insanely well and I still don’t know who I would prefer her to end up with. I’ll let you make your own decision when you read it!

(Because you will! I will MAKE YOU. Like, I will lock YOU in a room with a counting down bomb and will only stop the timer if you read it.)

Ah, just kidding. I’m not completely a psychopath… Although this book has challenged everything I thought I knew about myself. Because it feels so realistic and the tension is so high that it forces your heart to pound and your head to spin, it really makes you question what you would do in their situation.

I like to think I’d be noble and compassionate and take one for the team but then you start thinking about what that would do to your family or loved ones or your future… WOW.

Perfection.

I will warn you though: All Your Twisted Secrets is heavy. It will push you to new limits.

It should also come with a severe suicide trigger warning, if that it something that effects you. No matter how much I want everyone to read this book, you need to be in the right mental space for it.

Because it will get to you. There is no avoiding the emotion of this book and the pain and the heartbreak.

The writing is masterful and has complete power over your emotions. Utter confidence leaks from every word and every word is impactful and not a moment was wasted. The pacing is perfect. It gives you just the right amount of detail at the right time. Yes, it leaves you asking questions and then answers them in a way you totally don’t expect.

The setting is vibrant and realistic and it will make you feel more fear than you’ve ever felt before.

So if you want to be challenged. If you want a book that will make you feel alive and slice into the numbness of regular life – this one is a giant, unavoidable knife that will break through everything you’ve ever loved.

The book community isn’t ready. They aren’t aware yet of what’s coming for them. If you like Sadie or People Like Us or One of Us Is Lying, take those and mash them together.

This book makes other books look like the meagre sides of a roast dinner, whilst this one is the gravy on top. And I really like gravy.

I can confidently say I’ve already found a top 20 read of 2020.

Thank you, Diana Urban for sharing this book with us.

I will never be the same.

There are so many words I could use to describe this one, but none of them would do it complete justice… Gorgeous. Chilling. Haunting. Emotional. Vibrant. Passionate.

Perfection. Yep. That’s the one!

So please, go forth and preorder! LOOK AT ALL THOSE EPIC GOODIES UP FOR GRABS.

Thank you to Harper360UK for sending me this one for review. I loved every moment reading it and every moment writing out my honest opinions.