Swallowed by a Secret

by Risa Nyman

Overview

One dead father.

One lying mother.

After 12-year-old Rocky overhears Mom admit her story about how his dad died is bogus, his trust in his one remaining parent unravels. The for sale sign appears on the front lawn right after the funeral, forcing Rocky to leave the house linked to so many memories of his dad.

Consumed by the secret and struggling to adjust to changing schools mid-year, Rocky is startled by a familiar voice. Dashing into a restroom stall to hide, the voice of his father tells him that the only way to learn the truth is to return to his old town.

Can you take advice from a dead person? 

Rocky finds a real partner in a new friend, Olive, who offers to be his assistant sleuth and help him crack the secret and get his life on track. The pair's schemes go bust, but they embolden Rocky to embark on a journey of risks, eavesdropping and snooping to discover the truth about the father he thought he knew.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781953491701
Publisher:	Immortal Works LLC
Publication date:	01/21/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	204
File size:	1 MB
Age Range:	7 - 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

"Sensational tween characters propel this lighthearted but sentimental tale." -Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2020-03-09
In Nyman’s middle-grade debut novel, a 12-year-old boy who hears the voice of his late father tries to unravel the mystery of his dad’s death.

After losing his father, Ronald “Rocky” Casson Jr. and his mother leave Whitman, Massachusetts, for Milton. His new town is in the same state and relatively close, but Rocky still has to leave his friends. Having moved during a school year, he suffers new-kid woes, like becoming an easy target for Max the bully. But he quickly finds a friend in Olive, who tutors him in geography. Rocky’s primary worry involves his dad; after overhearing one of this mother’s conversations, he believes she lied to him about how his father died when she claimed his dad’s heart merely stopped. She also doesn’t want Rocky visiting Whitman, even to sign up for the summer soccer clinic there, and hasn’t given him a satisfying explanation for why he has to avoid the town. His father’s voice, however, which suddenly and regularly pops up in his head, tells him that answers lie in Whitman. Rocky ultimately confides in Olive, who concocts clever plans, including a way to sneak a peek at his file in the school counselor’s office. But after Rocky finally decides to return to his hometown, he braves a two-hour bike ride that will prove arduous and, Olive fears, dangerous as well. Nyman’s engaging tale features two immensely likable characters in Rocky and Olive. Though headstrong, savvy Olive is the standout, Rocky is a relatable protagonist, as his occasional peevishness is understandable. With Rocky’s goal established early, the story moves at a steady clip. Even a subplot (involving a camping trip with his uncle that leads to an emergency) neither feels extraneous nor decelerates the pace. In his charming first-person narrative, Rocky effortlessly drops quotable passages: “Monday mornings wouldn’t be such a drag if school started on Tuesdays.” Meanwhile, the father’s voice, though he insists he’s no ghost, is largely open to interpretation. And though most readers will decipher what Rocky’s mom is hiding from him, the ending is dramatically satisfying.

Sensational tween characters propel this lighthearted but sentimental tale.

Kirkus Reviews