Secret for a Song

by S.K. Falls

New Adult Contemporary

Book Description

Saylor Grayson makes herself sick. Literally.

She ate her first needle when she was seven. Now, at nineteen, she’s been kicked out of college for poisoning herself with laxatives. The shrinks call it Munchausen Syndrome. All Saylor knows is that when she’s ill, her normally distant mother pays attention and the doctors and nurses make her feel special.

Then she meets Drew Dean, the leader of a local support group for those with terminal diseases. When he mistakes her for a new member, Saylor knows she should correct him. But she can’t bring herself to, not after she’s welcomed into a new circle of friends. Friends who, like Drew, all have illnesses ready to claim their independence or their lives

For the first time, Saylor finds out what it feels like to be in love, to have friends who genuinely care about her. But secrets have a way of revealing themselves. What will happen when Saylor’s is out?

MY THOUGHTS: 5 OUT OF 5 FLEURS DE LIS

Secret for a Song by S.K. Falls

Saylor’s suffered from Munchausen Syndrome for the past 12 years, which means that ever since she was a little kid she’s been purposely making herself sick. She craves the attention she gets and loves being in the hospital, so when her shrink sets her up volunteering in one, she jumps at the chance. She soon finds herself enmeshed in a group of young adults who have cancer and other diseases, and falling in love with a member, Drew.

But will Drew still love her when he finds out the truth?

This was a very powerful book with some intriguing characters. I’ve never read anything about Munchausen, but I am familiar with it. Getting an inside look at the mind of someone with this disorder was fascinating.

Saylor’s been pulled out of college after her first semester, because she’s escalated her attempts to make herself sick. At home with a cold, distant mother and a father who is never home, Saylor is once again up to her antics, and even her new shrink can’t make her stop. But he’s more patient than the others, and tries a different way to get to the root of her problems.

Saylor is sort of oddly detached and matter of fact when it comes to her Munchausen. She doesn’t deny she has it, but she never tells the whole truth about it either. From the way her mother raised her, I can see where she got her attitude about things. Saylor’s relationship with her mom is one of the most interesting in the book. They both resent each other for different reasons, but rather than calmly talk out their problems, they continuously throw barbs at each other and see who can hurt the other’s feelings the most.

The relationship between Saylor and Drew was a beautiful thing. When she was with him, it was a momentary escape from her disorder, and without even really trying to, he changed her life forever. Things between them were a bit accelerated, but given the circumstances this was understandable.

I loved this book so much, and while the ending wasn’t picture perfect, it was right for the characters. This was really an engaging look into the thought process of someone “normal” people would casually refer to as crazy. Maybe there’s more crazy in all of us than we’d care to admit.

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About the Author

Tour Grand Prize (INTL)

[3 winners] Secret for a Song e-reader/tablet covers (will fit any reader) – Open to US and Canada

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