“The Secrets We Carry” by Clay Cormany

The Secrets We Carry

Clay Cormany
Phoenix Farm (2025)
ISBN:  978-0989848633
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (12/2025)

Collin spends most of his free time with his head buried in his graphic novels. He loves these stories of heroes who save the day, especially the more tragic heroes. His personal favorite is Scarlet Angel, an angel trapped on Earth for his disobedience, who must prove his worthiness by helping humans in trouble before he will be accepted back into heaven. “Collin empathized with the Scarlet Angel more than the others. Like the angel, he was a faceless nobody. Someone easily ignored and, if noticed, easily forgotten.“

The Secrets We Carry: Journal of a Girl in Trouble by Clay Cormany features Collin and his self-proclaimed nerdy best friend (and smartest guy in school), Herbie. When Collin finds a journal mysteriously shoved into his backpack, the two innocently try to determine who it belongs to so they can return it. But they quickly discover this is no ordinary journal. These are the writings of a high school girl with serious problems that seem insurmountable. The boys’ mission suddenly goes from a lost-and-found expedition to a mystery worthy of the best detectives, and they set out to solve the questions of who wrote this journal and who the treacherous Red Lion is.

Written for teens and young adults, The Secrets We Carry absolutely blew me away. The brilliant writing put me right into the high school setting with all of its teen angst, drama, social order, and politics. Collin is easy to relate to as someone who feels he doesn’t fit in. He’s a bit overweight and currently dieting to get to a healthier weight. He’s not someone the girls choose to sit by or talk to. In truth, the boys don’t really want to either. He does a pretty good job of just blending in and attempting to avoid the school bully, Blake: “Ah yes, Blake Emerick—living proof evolution can work backwards.” Self-esteem is definitely NOT Collin’s superpower, and we get it. But he actually has so much going for him besides a super-smart best friend who helps him in algebra.

There are several well-thought-out characters within this story. But it’s the tension of the boys trying to discover who the girl in trouble is, and who her predator, the Red Lion, is that moves the story forward at a dynamic pace. I love the delicate way the boys handled the private entries of the journal. They weren’t interested in voyeurism or gossip, and they didn’t judge the person who wrote it. They simply wanted to help, and they did so in a respectful way that seemed best for the mysterious young lady. Collin and  Herbie considered alternative actions and the potential consequences of those actions rather than just flying headfirst into this journey.

What Clay Cormany has created here is a book that will resonate with many teens and young adults. His goal in writing The Secrets We Carry involved more than just writing an interesting story that includes true events from cases he witnessed in his career. Included at the end of the book are genuine resources with contact information for teens who may find themselves in threatening situations. In the course of this story, there will be incidents of bullying, intimidation, betrayal, physical violence, and sexual predation. But in the storm of Red Lion’s deceit and defiance, two young men discover their true natures, and Collin, especially, will find that he is, indeed, a person of great worth.

This is a strong, well-written, important story for this age group that I am proud to recommend. The Secrets We Carry by Clay Cormany should be in every school library, teacher’s room, counselor’s office, and high schooler’s hands. This is a resource not only for the students but for anyone who works with this age group as well. Grab this book now, and discover a gritty tale with a satisfying ending that may just help change society. One endangered teen at a time.