Freida McFadden’s knack for domestic dread meets influencer culture in Want to Know a Secret?, a suburban psychological thriller that asks how far we will go to protect a curated life. The hook is irresistible: April Masterson, YouTube baking star of “April’s Sweet Secrets,” appears to have it all, yet anonymous texts, nosy neighbors, and a picture-perfect street with hairline fractures suggest something rancid beneath the fondant.
The setup
April lives with her husband Elliot and seven-year-old Bobby in a wealthy neighborhood that runs on HOA smiles and quiet warfare. When a new family moves in next door, microaggressions, PTA skirmishes, and whispered gossip kick into higher gear. Then the messages start, targeting April’s family and hinting at what she has buried in her own backyard. McFadden tightens the screws chapter by chapter, using short, punchy scenes that feel made for late-night binge reading.
What the book gets right
- Relentless pacing: The first half simmers, the back half boils. Once the midpoint hits, reveals arrive fast and the stakes actually feel dangerous.
- Suburban surveillance vibe: McFadden captures the menace of being watched by people who call themselves friends. Ring cameras, group chats, and playground politics become weapons.
- Morally foggy leads: April is not simply a victim. The fun is in watching your sympathy shift as the narrative peels away her “brand” and shows what it takes to keep a spotless image spotless.
Where readers split
Reactions to this one are loud and varied. Some readers inhaled it in a single sitting and loved the mid-book shock. Others felt the early chapters meander through catty neighbor drama and PTA theatrics, and a few wished the climax landed with more thematic weight. If you are allergic to watching polite people endure escalating passive aggression, the first act may test your patience. If you enjoy the slow grind of social tension before the trap snaps, you will be right at home.
Influencer angle, lightly baked
The most intriguing layer is April’s life as a YouTuber. McFadden hints at the ethical blur between authenticity and performance, privacy and engagement, family and content. I would have loved an even deeper cut into how the algorithm pressures every decision, but the book still uses April’s online persona to sharpen the central question: when your identity is a brand, where do the lies begin and end?
Comparisons and expectations
If you enjoy the imploding-life momentum of Gone Girl or the neighborhood paranoia of The Woman in the Window, you will recognize the flavor here, though McFadden aims for propulsion over social satire. Expect a twisty ride that values gasp factor and speed. Do not expect a bleak techno-fable or a heavy domestic-noir autopsy. This is built to entertain, not to lecture.
Content notes
Stalking and harassment, infidelity, manipulation, and discussions of violence. Nothing lingers gratuitously on the page, but the atmosphere is menacing and the emotional stakes for a child are a key lever of tension.
Verdict
Want to Know a Secret? is a slick, fast thriller with sharp edges and frosting on top. It may not convert readers who dislike mean-girls-at-the-cul-de-sac storytelling, yet it excels at what McFadden does best: cliffhanger chapters, shifting sympathies, and a final stretch that begs for one more chapter before lights out. If you want domestic suspense that weaponizes neighborly smiles and curated feeds, this is an easy add to your weekend TBR.
