Line #19 Literature/KeepingYouASecret


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/keeping_you_a_secret.png]]
2	''Keeping You a Secret'' is a novel by Creator/JulieAnnePeters in which the heroine, Holland Jaeger, discovers that she's a lesbian thanks to her out-and-proud ClosetKey, Cecelia "Cece" Goddard.
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4	The novel deals primarily with coming out, homophobia and average high school life.
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6	!!''Keeping You a Secret'' includes examples of:
7	* AbusiveParents: Holland's mother is emotionally abusive. And when Holland is outed, she becomes physically abusive.
8	* BetterAsFriends: Holland and Seth were friends since childhood, and in high school they started a sexual relationship, both because Seth wanted to and because it was expected. Holland, in the process of realizing she's a lesbian, recognizes that she only liked Seth as a friend and sex ruined their friendship. She tries to tell Seth this, but he doesn't understand and is furious.
9	* BitchInSheepsClothing: ''Kristen''. You're led to believe that Holland and her are VitriolicBestBuds at worse with their banter, but the moment Holland is outed, Kristen drops all friendliness and seemingly takes pleasure in calling her childhood friend homophobic slurs.
10	* BrandX: The public universities Holland's mother doesn't want her to attend are called "Western State" and "Metro Urban".
11	* ButchLesbian: Holland intends to wear a tux to go to the prom with Cece. She doesn't want the frilly dress her mother picked out. (Cece winds up wearing the dress.) Holland is also [[LesbianJock athletic]]; while playing hockey, she meets another woman she recognizes as a fellow butch lesbian.
12	* ChildhoodFriendRomance: What Holland and Seth's relationship seemed to be, until Holland realized that they were BetterAsFriends.
13	* ChildhoodFriends: Seth and Holland; Holland, Leah, and Kristen. The friendship of the three girls is severely tested over the course of this novel.
14	* ChocolateOfRomance: Cece keeps giving Holland Hershey's Kisses, doing things like hiding them in Holland's locker.
15	* ClosetKey: Cece to Holland.
16	* ComingOutStory: The entire novel is Holland's story.
17	* EducationMama: Holland's mother, very much; she insists that Holland take a heavy load of classes and apply to all the best universities, won't hear of any other future major but pre-law. Even though Holland is student body president, nothing she does is good enough for her mother.
18	* FirstLove: [[spoiler:Cece had her heart broken when her first love left her for someone else, which has bad effects on her relationship with Holland.]]
19	* FriendToAllChildren: Holland loves kids, and has an after-school job at a daycare where she's universally adored by the children attending.
20	* {{Gaydar}}: Cece says that her gaydar is infallible, and she knew about Holland the instant she saw her, although Holland herself didn't at that point.
21	* {{Gayngst}}: Not as much as you'd think, but it's there. For example, once she came out to herself, Holland has an genuine panic attack over that she might not be able to have children and be a Mom.
22	* Goth: Holland's stepsister Faith is a Goth, and falls into the "Gloomy Goth" category, being generally quiet, lethargic, and low-key.
23	* HaveIMentionedIAmGay: Cece, so much. Usually in the form of t-shirts.
24	* HeteronormativeCrusader: Some of the other students at school, who assault Cece, slash her tires, and write cruel graffiti on her locker. Holland's mother definitely counts, having physically attacked her own daughter, kicked her out, and then blackmailing her into breaking up with Cece.
25	* HighSchoolSweethearts: Holland and Seth, until Holland dumps him... and then Holland and Cece, preparing to go to the prom together at the end of the book.
26	* HistoryRepeats: Holland's mother was kicked out of her home for doing something that was considered wrong by her parents, and refused to reconcile with them after they tried contacting her in later years. Holland was kicked out of her home by her mother for doing something that her mother considered wrong, and cuts off all contact with her mother after her mother tries to bring her back under her control.
27	* ImaginaryLoveTriangle: One of the things that keeps Holland from approaching Cece at first is that she thinks Cece is dating Brandi. Actually, Brandi is pursuing Cece who isn't interested.
28	* LetsJustBeFriends: Holland says this to Seth when breaking up with him and he reacts badly; this is the line that prompts him to [[TantrumThrowing furiously fling the ring that she handed back to him]].
29	* LoveAtFirstSight: As soon as Holland lays eyes on NewTransferStudent Cece, her stomach starts doing flipflops, although she manages to keep herself from thinking about why for quite a while.
30	* LoveObstructingParents: Holland's mother tries to get her to break up with Cece, wanting her daughter to be "normal" and blaming Cece for corrupting her. She uses emotional blackmail, including pointing out that Holland can only see her beloved baby sister if her mother lets her, but it doesn't work; Holland cuts off contact with her mother instead.
31	* MyGreatestFailure[=/=]ICouldaBeenAContender: Holland's mother is obsessed with controlling her children, since she became pregnant with Holland at age 15 and now wants her daughter to become the lawyer she never had the chance to become, and not "throw away her life" as she keeps saying.
32	* MyBelovedSmother: Holland's mother is ''extremely'' controlling, spying on her constantly, searching her room, and judging everything she does. She's fiercely ambitious and drives Holland to get into top pre-law programs, though nothing Holland does is ever enough. There's a FreudianExcuse, see MyGreatestFailure. [[spoiler:This harassment has the opposite effect: by the end of the story, Holland has cut off contact with her mother, is about to attend a local public college, and is thinking of studying art.]]
33	* NewTransferStudent: Cece transferred to Holland's school. The reason she did so is a major plot point.
34	* NiceGirl: Leah, who is sweet and open-minded, in stark contrast to Kristen. Even when she feels Holland is neglecting their friendship and grows sick of her lying, she never crosses the lines Kristen does and actively seeks to reconcile with Holland.
35	* ParentalAbandonment: [[spoiler:Holland's mother kicks her out after discovering she's gay.]]
36	* ParentsAsPeople: Cece's parents support her being openly gay and clearly love her, but her mother Kate confesses that she wishes Cece were quieter about it, as she feels Cece is making herself a target for harassment.
37	* PerkyGoth: Averted. Holland's stepsister Faith is a Goth and anything but perky.
38	* [[PsychoExGirlfriend Psycho Ex-Boyfriend]]: Seth, somewhat, participating in nasty rumor-mongering and outing Holland to her mother.
39	* QueerRomance
40	* SecretRelationship: Cece doesn't want Holland to come out or tell anyone about their relationship. She says it's because she doesn't want Holland to suffer harassment. [[spoiler:Actually, it's because her FirstLove left her for someone else after coming out and blossoming socially. She's irrationally afraid that this will repeat itself with Holland.]] The effects of attempting (unsuccessfully) to keep the secret were probably worse than what would have happened if they'd been open from the start.
41	* TreehouseOfFun: Holland, Kristen, and Leah had a clubhouse in a tree as young children. After the events of this novel destroy Holland's friendship with Kristen and nearly with Leah, Leah reconnects with Holland by inviting her to meet in the clubhouse and reminisce about old times.

Context Literature / KeepingYouASecret