Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Hide by Kiersten White

71 reviews

j_squaredd's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

If you like campy b-horror movies, and you have a few hours to burn, you’ll probably have a good time with Hide. I feel like this book really wanted to be the next Jordan Peele, but it’s a little too ham-fisted and definitely not scary enough. Instead, Friday the 13th, Lake Placid, Nightmare on Elm Street are similar vibes. Most of the characters are caricatures (the jock, the actress, the forever intern???), but the ones that survive longer get actual characterization. You’ll need to suspend your disbelief for the set-up, but if you’re someone who liked the recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you’ll be fine doing so. This is definitely not Stephen Graham Jones or Shirley Jackson, but it’s a fun time if you like a good ol’ fashioned slasher, creature feature, or the like. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

beccam22's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

Read this if you like
🎡 games 
📺 reality tv 
🔥 hunger games/ YA

It’s not dark or thrilling, screams are heard in the distance but the “monsters” are the people who summoned it and not the monster himself? You don’t even see the monster or know what it is until the last 10% 

I know it’s called hide but I’d rather know more about the seeker and what was happening there. There were also to many characters to care about any of them. The prologue was the most well written part of the book. It was underwhelming. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

prettynerdy3's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Let it be known that I am deeply fascinated by abandoned places, but especially abandoned amusement parks. So I was instantly drawn to this book! 

It was sort-of like “The Hunger Games” meets “Ready or Not” (a criminally underrated movie IMO) meets “Stranger Things”. 

I don’t want to give too much away, as it’s better to go in blindly. But I will say I had hoped for faster pacing, and maybe less switches between POVs. The plot was intriguing, though the second half derailed from that intrigue at times. I would also note that, personally, I didn’t really find this read as a horror. Maybe more of a suspense? It had the creepiness factor. 

Not a bad book, though I had wished for more. It definitely surprised me, which is a plus. Would love to see it made into a movie!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

nicole_cob_reads's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

charley34's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

cjxx26's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

librariangeorgia's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

This book started off really well. The pre-story chapter got me hooked and wanting to know more.

However, when it got to the game part of the story, it started going downhill. I would say this is THE HUNGER GAMES style but without all the action and drama. Honestly, this could've been such a good book had there have been more action going on.

What was that ending though? I don't understand, I want to know what happened. Why end it so abruptly? It explains the reasoning behind everything which is fine, but then there's no real resolution. It's left for you to decide what happens next.

It's classed as horror, but it didn't feel like it had the elements of a horror.

It's quite a short book but it didn't deliver for me. I'd read the reviews beforehand but hoped that people were just being picky and that it wasn't as bad as they'd made it out to be.

Unfortunately this isn't a book that i'd be recommending. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

charitylee92's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

whatsemilyreadin's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book was an unraveling, from start to end.

Hide is about a high stakes game of hide and seek. Fourteen contestants are sent into an abandoned amusement park, and if they can stay hidden for seven full days, they win $50,000.

But of course something more sinister is at play here.

I really enjoyed this one! It was very 'Midsommar' meets Lord of the Flies meets 'Escape Room' (2019). The plot had me holding my breath until the very last page, and I loved and rooted for every single one of the contestants - except Jaden. Fuck Jaden. I liked that, because of the way White wrote this from a sort of third-person omniscient point of view, we see pieces of everyone's backgrounds and perspectives. I also found the premise to be super unique, and I think it would make a great movie adaptation!

If this sounds interesting to you - it publishes May 24th!

Expand filter menu Content Warnings