I Have No Secrets

People have always underestimated Jemma because of her cerebral palsy.  She's been almost completely paralyzed for most of her life, and no one outside of her foster parents even thought she was aware enough to know what was going on around her.  School is sometimes torture because teachers aids may treat her like she's not even there or, even worse, like she's a little kid rather than a teenager.  

Sarah, her live-in aid,  is one of the best parts of her life.  She talks to Jemma like a real person and treats her like a teenager instead of a little kid.  The one thing Jemma doesn't like is Sarah's boyfriend Dan.  He always puts on a good face for Jemma's parents, but she knows the truth.  When he is alone with her, he likes to taunt her, telling her he knows she'll keep his secrets because she can't speak.  

When a young man in the neighborhood goes missing, Dan all but confesses to the murder, but there is nothing Jemma can do.  She sees the way he is becoming more and more controlling of Sarah, and it makes her nervous, especially since Sarah can't quite seem to let go of her ex-boyfriend.  Then Sarah goes missing, and Jemma fears the worst.  What if Dan killed her?

When Jemma's mom hears about a new technology that could potentially help her communicate, Jemma is beyond excited, but Sarah's disappearance makes her even more anxious to try it out.  For a while, she could use a device controlled by her eyes, but a seizure took that control away.  Could this doctor have a new solution?  

Even more disturbing, what if Dan finds out Jemma may soon find her voice?  Will he do what he's threatened to do before and kill her before she can expose his secrets?

Penny Joelson's book is an interesting combination of a girl with disabilities finding her independence and campy thriller.  The unfortunate this is this book is really marketed as a thriller, but there are a lot of other things going on here.  Despite some genuinely creepy scenes, the thriller plot often takes a backseat which takes away some of the momentum of the story.  There is also an interesting subplot about a surprise twin sister who does not have CP.  This book is definitely worth a try, especially since there are so few books portraying a paralyzed person like Jemma as an active character.