Wow -- are you looking for an amazingly honest look at bullies and abuse? Look no further than NO SAFE SECRET by Fern Michaels. In NO SAFE SECRETS Fern Michaels pulls no punches. This story goes right to your gut and then continues to twist and turn its way as it introduces the reader to a very harsh world. NO SAFE SECRET moves through a myriad of emotions as it takes the reader on an unimaginable journey into the life of a young woman. All too real. All too possible. I don't know why but I couldn't prevent the following phrase from popping into my mind -- out of the fat and into the fire.

Is there a sort of predisposition toward suffering at the hands of a brute -- a death wish -- that makes escaping such abuse almost impossible? Maddie/Molly didn't dream anymore -- why bother -- there were no happy endings in her life so far and she didn't believe there ever would. Harsh reality but unfortunately very honest and true. Why delude yourself? What's the point?

Bullies have no heart -- possibly no soul -- you can't bargain with them for your safety or your life. So instead you silently watch your life crumble.

For Maddy/Molly this was what most would consider the second strike -- no pun intended. What was she waiting for? Surely not a third possibly deadly strike.

As with many abused women the blame is always assigned internally -- not that they assume the blame but more like how can I become even more invisible.

Maddy/Molly had already faced this challenge and had optimistically moved on hopefully leaving the past behind. And yet she seemed doomed to face these dangers once again. What's a girl to do?

Beyond sad. Beyond scary. Beyond defeating.

Abuse and bullying in her own home by her mother and twin brother Marcus have basically shaped Maddy's expectations for her life. She existed in survival mode -- by paying attention to her own sense of foreboding. Blamed herself when she neglected to pay attention to her own gut feeling. But how can you assign blame to a young girl who just wanted participation in the rites of passage -- one taken by granted by all those around her. Maddy was plagued by conditions beyond her making -- paying rent with her meager earnings, trying to do well in school and keeping her distance from Marcus and his friends.

NO SAFE SECRET exposes a harsh reality for many women and their children. Fern Michaels does an amazing job of keeping her characters believable. Their flaws are many but human. As with any Fern Michaels story pay attention to each and every chapter, page, word. Each of these contain important clues and facts that will continue to blow your mind. Fern Michaels does not waste words so if it's there -- it's important. NO SAFE SECRET is not only a great book to read -- it's an important story to tell.