Spencer Hyde's highly anticipated new novel, What the Other Three Don't Know, is pure brilliance. If you loved Waiting For Fitz, this novel is just as great!

What the Other Three Don't Know 
by Spencer Hyde 

Four high school seniors. Four secrets about to be told.

If Indie had it her way, she would never choose to river raft with three other high school seniors, mostly strangers to each other, from her journalism class.

A loner, a jock, an outsider, an Instagram influencer. At first they can’t see anything that they have in common. As the trip unfolds, the unpredictable river forces them to rely on each other. Social masks start to fall as, one-by-one, each teen reveals a deep secret the other three don’t know.

One is harboring immense grief and unwilling to forgive after the death of a loved one. One is dealing with a new disability and an uncertain future. One is fearful of the repercussions of coming out. One is hiding behind a carefully curated “perfect” image on Instagram.

Before they get to the end of Hells Canyon, they’ll know the truth about each other and, more importantly, learn something new about themselves.

What the Other Three Don’t Know is a poignant and gripping YA novel about the unlikely friends who accept you for who you really are and the power of self-acceptance.


As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

Considering how much I enjoyed last year's Waiting for Fitz, I was completely thrilled to get my hands on Spencer Hyde's newest novel: What the Other Three Don't Know. Centered around a cast of characters and their many secrets, the novel promised a certain kind of optimism on self love, true friendship and acceptance.

Which, let's face it, is something we all could use a bit more of. If you've been following my blog for any period of time, you've likely heard me mention how much I appreciated genuine friendships in literature. In the case of the characters within What the Other Three Don't Know, there's something so lovely about their bond--their friendship is a highlight of the novel. While not the defining point of Hyde's story, it's still one of the most potent parts to the story and I really appreciate that.

What the Other Three Don't Know is a modernized spin on the classic The Breakfast Club trope. All the differences in the world mean nothing when you've found a group that slowly, but surely, comes to understand one another more than they previously had. It is something that works wholly in life and fiction, and What the Other Three Don't Know utilizes this to form a concrete bond.

As far as angsty, teenage drama goes, What the Other Three Don't Know tackles a lot. From grief to falling in love to everything that lay beyond coming of age.

The messages behind What the Other Three Don't Know are so important to not only the youth of today, but us adults, too. You can feel it within Hyde's prose how much heart, soul and care was put into this novel. Each message, each secret, represents something set deep within many people, and I genuinely appreciate the approach that was taken.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this novel and feel as though this is a story that will resonate with quite a few people within its target audience. Spencer Hyde does it again! What the Other Three Don't Know is a novel to look out for.


SPENCER HYDE spent three years during high school at Johns Hopkins for severe OCD. He is the author of the YA novel Waiting for Fitz. Spencer worked at a therapeutic boarding school before earning his MFA and his PhD, specializing in fiction, short humor pieces, and essays. Spencer and his wife are the parents of four children.