Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of harassment and death.

“Want to Know a Secret?” is a motif throughout the novel. The phrase is repeated in many contexts, particularly surrounding April’s cooking show, where she reveals a “secret” to her audience about each of the baked goods that she does. Julie also uses the phrase in a threatening manner when she texts April from the unknown number, saying things like “Want to know a secret? Your son isn’t where you think he is” (8-9). In this way, the phrase serves both friendly and sadistic purposes, used as a happy line for April to connect with her viewers and as an ominous warning from Julie.

This motif emphasizes the theme of Public Appearance Versus Private Persona for both April and Julie. The phrase implies a duality that exists within April: she is a happy, cheerful person who loves baking on her YouTube channel, while in reality, she is a murderer who does not even eat her baked goods. For Julie, the phrase is used to taunt April, revealing her vindictive, calculating nature as she seeks revenge against April for what she has done.