Secrets
(Uk version: Buried Secrets)
Smallville Series for Young Adults, No. 6
By Suzan Colon 

     Anything to do with Superman is going to be popular, and the TV series Smallville is no exception. Clark and his classmates have a new temporary Spanish teacher and she is a babe; not only that, but she seems to know inherently what people want and how she can help them. Clark Kent finds himself falling in love, but trouble is so is Lex Luthor, and on the surface he seems to have so much more to offer in terms of both age and money. But when Ms Sanchez finds out Clark's secret and appears to have some strange powers of her own, things start to get more than a little worrying.

     I like the way this novel addresses teen issues such as relationships and problems with parents, money and schoolwork and the way it manages to do so in an entertaining way. Sometimes I felt the stories could go into them a little deeper and not merely have them as background, but maybe then they might be too heavy and out-of-line with the nature of anything to do with Superman. In this series, Clark tends to pale somewhat beside the flawed but fascinating character of Lex, who is unsure whether to be a goodie or a baddie and teeters on the edge, pulled backwards and forwards by people and events. He has been conceived with real depth and is one of those "gray" characters who are so much more interesting to read about than their black and white counterparts, and here he is on fine form. Maybe this is one of the factors that makes this series worth watching and reading for more than just teens? I think so. Here I wished there had been a more impressive denouement after such a build-up, but this is still entertaining fare and I for one will be reading the next one.