When an anonymous neighborhood forum gets hacked, the darkest secrets of New York’s wealthiest residents come to light—including some worth killing for—in this gripping suspense novel from the author of Just One Look.
It was all confidential. Right up to the moment when it wasn’t.
UrbanMyth: It was lauded as an alternative to the performative, show-your-best-self platforms—an anonymous discussion board grouped by zip code. The residents of Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side disclosed it all, things they would never share with their friends or their spouses: secret bank accounts, steamy affairs, tidbits of juicy gossip. These are the same parents who would go to astonishing lengths to ensure their children gain admission to the most prestigious boarding schools and universities. So when a “hacktivist” group breaks into the forum and exposes the real identity behind each poster, the repercussions resound down Park Avenue with a force none could have anticipated.
And someone will end up dead.
Will it be Heather, the outsider who would do anything to get her daughter into the elite’s good graces and into even better schools? Norah, the high-powered suit failing to balance work and the emotional responsibilities of motherhood? Or Poppy, perfect on the outside but hiding more than her share of secrets?
Each of them has something to hide. Each of them will do anything to keep their secrets hidden. And each of them just might kill to protect their own.
This is another one of those books that I picked up just on a spree at the library, trying to fill my reading roster for the next while. The popular books of course always have a long wait, so this was one of the books that I picked up in the meantime to fill the time. The premise was definitely interesting, though I think in the end it wasn’t exactly what I expected. I’m not entirely sure whether that’s a good or bad thing though.
No One Needs to Know revolves around a couple of POVs of a rich society in the Upper East Side. If you’re immediately thinking Gossip Girl, you’re really not that far off. An anonymous website called UrbanMyth holds the neighbourhoods’ elites’ secrets. Alls fair in love and war, especially when it’s anonymous—right? Of course, when a hack releases everyone’s identity, just what will be revealed? And on top of that, someone is dead.
The characters were fairly well done in this book. It is a fast-paced thriller, so there isn’t a lot of character development, but the characters were well formed, and were very consistent in their characters. Nothing really came that out of left field (except maybe one scenario) but overall I thought that the characters were believable, which always helps. I didn’t particular relate to the characters though, and there wasn’t a main protagonist that I was rooting for, so in that sense I felt like I could have enjoyed it more.
The plot was decent, but not what I expected. I really expected the leak to come early on in the book, but—spoiler alert—it doesn’t. Which made me wonder what the rest of the book was even about, since I was kind of waiting for that big event basically the entire book. That being said the build-up was good and it was a suspenseful read all along, so it wasn’t a bad thing at all. The synopsis just really made it seem like the main event would be this leak. However, the suspense leading up to the hack was definitely well done, and it was a really casual and easy read.
The denouement and ending wasn’t anything that drastic, and honestly if anything it was a little bit anti-climactic. I wouldn’t read this book for it’s amazing plot line and creative plot-weaving, but I think it reads well as a fast-paced suspense book where you’re brimming up with suspense waiting for the ball to drop on all the secrets. However, when it finally does, don’t hold your breath too much, as it didn’t feel like the biggest reveal to me. Still, I enjoyed reading it enough, so I won’t knock it too hard.
Overall Recommendations
No One Needs to Know is a store of the Upper East Side. Think Gossip Girl except the website is called UrbanMyth. Multiple POVs of the social elites are explored in this book, and their exciting lives filled with secrets from their friends and family. If you enjoy fast-paced suspenses and easy reads about the upper class, this is the book for you. If you’re looking for an excellent plot with an amazing climax and reveal, I would probably suggest looking elsewhere. Overall I had a good time reading this book though, and I finished it quite quickly.
Down the Rabbit Hole 