Reviews with content warning for Racism - Hidden Pictures

the premise was quite interesting, it reminded me of a short horror story i read a few years ago, but the plot-twist was so bad, it left me feeling quite upset. i don't think the transphobic comments were needed at all - they do not serve any purpose in the story and there was no critique of what was being said.

saying the child was 'brainwashed' and 'forced to transition' creates a dangerous narrative: the gender identity of the kid is questioned for fun and it becomes a final plot-twist to explain the poor structure of the novel. using this rhetoric can be extremely dangerous and harmful because there are real trans kids in our world who deserve to be loved and accepted by everyone around them.

i wonder what message this book was trying to send all along.. a waste of time, i wouldn't recommend reading this.

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emilyorrwhat's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I didn’t expect this to be a 5 star read for me, but it was so so so great.

I’d say it’s a story best to go into blind, and take as it comes. Definitely did not expect the ending at all, but felt it was the only fitting ending. Fantastic pacing as well.

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laruru's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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eyrefan's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Content Warnings

its_me_again_emma's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Hidden Pictures is perfectly paced starting with an opening memory that sets the tone for the rest of the novel and asks the question, can we detect other presences that defy rational explanation? This and other questions of the psyche are explored through the narrative's various characters, specifically Mallory Quinn and Ted and Caroline Maxwell.
For the question of "strong character development," I chose a middle-ground answer because I didn't feel anyone's characterizations drastically change, but Mallory, the main character, begins to feel like she's carving a place out for herself in the world when she's living with and working for the Maxwells. I also chose a middle-ground answer for diversity not on the basis that most of the prominent characters are the same race but because they are all of the same elite class with Mallory being an exception. However, there is significant time spent learning about the affluent community's racist past and present, so I did not give it a middle-ground rating to detract from the novel in any way.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book from start to finish nor did I encounter any of the stale plot points I expected to see.

Content Warnings

chelbelle122's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow.

Content Warnings

brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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