The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep by Laurie Stolarz (summer reads txt) 📕

invitation wasn’t delivered with the others. It had gotten lost at the bottom of my bag.”

Clara hid her surprise with a cheerful grin, but deep down she wondered if Sarabeth had been telling the truth about the invitation. Had it truly gotten lost? Had she not needed William’s help, after all? Still, she didn’t let it bother her much. She simply went about the rest of her day, at home, on the farm.

The following afternoon, after Clara had finished feeding her animals, she took a hike to the rambling river, reminiscing about her time in the woods with William … seeing the pretty cherry blossoms and tasting the sweet wild raspberries.

As if by fate, William appeared at the river, sitting on a log, on his kerchief of a blanket. “Why, hello,” he said. “I was just going to come looking for you.”

“How delightful,” Clara said. “And I was just about to say that it’s funny meeting you here.”

“Not so funny at all, in fact.” William leered. “You see, today is a very important day for you, oh dear Clara, whose name means light.”

“More important than yesterday or the day before that?” Clara asked.

“Well, every day is important, indeed,” William said. “But, yes, I’d say that today holds a bit more weight.”

“And why is that?” Clara smiled.

“Come and I’ll show you.” He popped up from his seat and led Clara to the edge of Spider Hill, where one could see all of the villages and valleys beneath.

“It’s breathtaking,” Clara said, taking care to stay at least a foot from the edge. “But I still don’t understand. Why is today more important than tomorrow or yesterday?”

“Because today is the day that you are going to die. You were fated to die tomorrow, but recall that because you made your wish at the wondrous Wishy Water Well, you lose one day. That means today is it.”

Clara could not believe what William was saying. “That doesn’t make any sense. I’m not ill. How would I ever die? That’s the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard.”

“I promise you,” said William, “I would never joke about death. Recall that I nearly died of illness myself.”

“Then how shall I die? Tell me that.”

“I shall show you now.”

And so it was: the tiny orange man with the green-and-white-striped suit and the scrunched-up face inhaled a deep and powerful breath, then blew it out: a wind so fierce it knocked poor Clara over the side of Spider Hill.

Down.

Down.

Down.

Down Clara fell, because she made a wish at the magical water well.

Acknowledgments

Many, many thanks to the talented team at Wednesday Books (Cathy Turiano, Beatrice Jason, Sara Goodman, Melanie Sanders, Brant Janeway, Sarah Bonamino, Anna Gorovoy, DJ DeSmyter, Alexis Neuville). It’s been such a pleasure working with all of you. A special thanks to my editor, Tiffany Shelton, for her critical questions and insightful perspective, and to Kerri Resnick for designing a stunning cover.

Thanks to my agent, Kathy Green, for always being there to provide literary guidance (as well as for when I want to chat about reality TV).

A special thanks to friends and family members who read pieces and/or drafts of The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep, and/or who indulged me in conversations related to its characters and plot strands: Shawn, Ed, Julianna, Emily, Kathy, Susan, Shari, Cat, Sara, and Robin. I’m forever grateful for your time, feedback, and generous support.

Thanks to all the teachers, librarians, bloggers, vloggers, book club members, and readers who read and shared Jane Anonymous, the companion novel to The Last Secret You’ll Ever Keep. I really appreciate the role you play in promoting reading, authors, and a sense of literary community.

And, last, huge thanks go to my readers, who continue to support me by reading my work and sharing it with others, who reach out with kindness, gratitude, and (so often) perfectly timed words of encouragement and support. I’ve loved being on this journey with you.

also by laurie faria stolarz

Blue Is for Nightmares

White Is for Magic

Silver Is for Secrets

Red Is for Remembrance

Black Is for Beginnings

Bleed

Project 17

Deadly Little Secret

Deadly Little Lies

Deadly Little Games

Deadly Little Voices

Deadly Little Lessons

Welcome to the Dark House

Return to the Dark House

Shutter

Jane Anonymous

 About the Author

LAURIE FARIA STOLARZ is the author of several popular young adult novels, including Jane Anonymous, the Dark House series, the Touch series, Project 17, Shutter, and Bleed, as well as the bestselling Blue Is for Nightmares series. Stolarz’s titles have sold over a million books worldwide, been translated into thirty languages, and been named on numerous award lists, including the Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers list and the Teens’ Top Ten list, both through the American Library Association. You can sign up for email updates here.

    

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Contents

Title Page

Copyright Notice

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

Chapter 60

Chapter 61

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

Also by laurie faria stolarz

About the Author

Copyright

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

First published in the United States by Wednesday Books, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group

THE LAST SECRET YOU’LL EVER KEEP. Copyright © 2021 by Laurie Faria Stolarz. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Publishing Group, 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271.

www.wednesdaybooks.com

Cover design by Kerri Resnick

Cover art: woman © Meredith Adelaide/Stocksy; texture © BNMK 0819/Shutterstock.com

The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

Names: Stolarz, Laurie Faria, 1972– author.

Title: The last secret you’ll ever keep / Laurie