Secrets vs The Dark Half: Which Should You Read?
Both live on shelves: Fiction
Secrets
Beautiful and ruthless, Jessica Wakefield is determined to be chosen queen of the fall dance at Sweet Valley High. If she can win the contest, she's sure to win Bruce Patman, the most sought after boy in school. The…
vs
The Dark Half
“People's lives-their real lives, as opposed to their simple physical existences-begin at different times.”
The Dark Half is a horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1989. Publishers Weekly listed The Dark Half as the second best-selling book of 1989 behind Tom Clancy's Clear and Present Danger. The novel…
1 film adaptation
The verdict
- Readers rate The Dark Half highest: The Dark Half 3.8 · Secrets 3.5.
- Secrets is the quickest read — about 2 hours vs 8 for The Dark Half.
- The Dark Half has the widest readership — 155618 ratings behind its score.
- Secrets runs the darker storyline; The Dark Half stays the lighter read.
How to choose
Want a one-evening read?
Secrets
≈ 2h vs 8h for The Dark Half
Want the crowd-tested pick?
The Dark Half
155618 ratings vs 4483 for Secrets
Just want the better-reviewed one?
The Dark Half
3.8 vs 3.5 from readers
In the mood for something dark?
Secrets
a darker storyline than The Dark Half
Want something lighter?
The Dark Half
an easier tone than Secrets
Scores by source
| Secrets | The Dark Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Goodreads | 3.5 (4483) | 3.8 (155618) |
| Hardcover | 3.6 (12) | 3.6 (296) |
| Google Books | 5.0 (1) | — |
| Apple Books | 4.5 (15) | 4.5 (167) |
Reception
| Secrets | The Dark Half | |
|---|---|---|
| Ratings | 4483 | 155618 |
| Editions | 16 | 61 |
| Citations | — | 7 |
| Film adaptations | 1 | 1 |
| Want to read | 1673 | 81579 |
| Reading it now | 116 | 2313 |
| Written reviews | 246 | 4350 |
| Wikipedia attention | 2610 | 5746 |
| Pages | 118 | 468 |