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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
5/5 Stars
Emily Calby is a girl on the run. After her family is murdered, she hides while using money her father had stashed away. All so that the men that tore her family apart wouldn't find her. But then, Emily decides she'd rather have revenge.
This was a gritty and fast-paced suspense. Emily, a mere twelve year old, blames herself for her family's murders. We watch her grow, both physically and in her resolve to get revenge. Or in her words "Justice. Always comes too late, but it's still justice." On her way she meets Lucas, an ex-con who sells her a fake ID. But then he decides to take her under his wing, and they help each other evolve.
I admire Emily's character, even if I didn't always agree with her tactics. I can empathize with the turmoil she is going through, especially with thrusting blame onto herself. Plus her quick wit and sharp instincts were endearing. And there's something about Lucas's gruff nature that shows just how caring he can be.
The plot never felt lacking in its ability to hold my attention and keep me on the edge of my seat. Never knowing how the story would turn out gripped my heart and kept squeezing with every page turn. I can't wait to delve back into Emily's life.
Emily Calby is a girl on the run. After her family is murdered, she hides while using money her father had stashed away. All so that the men that tore her family apart wouldn't find her. But then, Emily decides she'd rather have revenge.
This was a gritty and fast-paced suspense. Emily, a mere twelve year old, blames herself for her family's murders. We watch her grow, both physically and in her resolve to get revenge. Or in her words "Justice. Always comes too late, but it's still justice." On her way she meets Lucas, an ex-con who sells her a fake ID. But then he decides to take her under his wing, and they help each other evolve.
I admire Emily's character, even if I didn't always agree with her tactics. I can empathize with the turmoil she is going through, especially with thrusting blame onto herself. Plus her quick wit and sharp instincts were endearing. And there's something about Lucas's gruff nature that shows just how caring he can be.
The plot never felt lacking in its ability to hold my attention and keep me on the edge of my seat. Never knowing how the story would turn out gripped my heart and kept squeezing with every page turn. I can't wait to delve back into Emily's life.
I bought this because I won an ARC of book 2, and I needed to know who this brave, whip-smart young girl was. I am so glad I bought this. Even if I didn’t have book 2, this is a book you don’t want to miss.
While she’s only 12, Emily is incredibly smart. Her father raised her to take care of her mother and sister. He helped her to prepare for the worse. While she’s not exactly street smart, she’s learned to rely on what she knows to get by. When Emily meets Lucas, everything comes together. It doesn’t matter that they’re complete opposites because Lucas can help Emily in ways she never dreamed possible. I loved the way they fed off each other, and I loved watching Lucas attempt to battle wits with a 12-year-old girl.
The blurb promises dark and gritty, and it is, but it is so much more. Emily is a badass heroine who doesn’t give up even when the odds are stacked against her. I love her determination, even when she’s throwing herself into danger. Some aspects in reading this take a stretch of the imagination, but once you’re immersed in the storyline, you won’t want to put it down.
While she’s only 12, Emily is incredibly smart. Her father raised her to take care of her mother and sister. He helped her to prepare for the worse. While she’s not exactly street smart, she’s learned to rely on what she knows to get by. When Emily meets Lucas, everything comes together. It doesn’t matter that they’re complete opposites because Lucas can help Emily in ways she never dreamed possible. I loved the way they fed off each other, and I loved watching Lucas attempt to battle wits with a 12-year-old girl.
The blurb promises dark and gritty, and it is, but it is so much more. Emily is a badass heroine who doesn’t give up even when the odds are stacked against her. I love her determination, even when she’s throwing herself into danger. Some aspects in reading this take a stretch of the imagination, but once you’re immersed in the storyline, you won’t want to put it down.
This is a fantastic book that completely demolished my expectations. Twelve-year-old Emily Calby is on the run after surviving a horrifying attack in her home that left her mother and younger sister dead. She befriends a former gang-member, Lucas, and begins training to exact revenge on her assailants. This novel is fast-paced and action-packed but it has a profound human element that sets it apart from other novels in its genre. I loved Emily’s voice and resilience as she became stronger, dealt with trauma, and contemplated what to do next. Her friendship with Lucas is what truly made the novel for me; they make an unlikely but fabulous team and I laughed out loud many times as they jostled with one another. My only critique is that some aspects of the plot were somewhat unrealistic. There is also quite a bit of graphic violence. Still, I look forward to reading the next book in the series!
This story is about a 12 year old girl named Emily who goes through a tough time after her family dies. She runs away from the only place she knew as home. She later meets up with an ex-gang member in a sketchy town and ends up staying for a while. This story was very enjoyable and it kept me intrigued the whole time. I would recommend this for anyone who likes more of a dark realistic fiction. This story was the perfect length and had the right writing style for a book about being on the run. Emily is such a tough and brave character for only being 12, I really look up to her. I think this is a book that most people would love, it is very fast pasted and exciting. I really enjoyed this story and I think you will too!
I received this book through a free raffle via Bookish First in exchange for an honest review.
The Hiding Girl is about Emily Calby, who is the only survivor of a horrific attack on her family. Now on the run from the men who killed her mother and sister, she stumbles upon a man who begrudgingly agrees to teach her to fight, to learn to get revenge on the men who destroyed Emily’s life.
Emily is a smart twelve year old who has learned to navigate the world but there are still limitations and the author shows those. She does not have an ID, she can not take some types of transportation without an adult to accompany her because of her age. She has limited funds and no way to earn more because of her age and lack of ID.
Emily is twelve years old and while she smart, she does occasionally act much older than an average twelve year old would. It takes away from the believably of the story. If she had been just a few years older, it would have been easier to buy in my opinion. It would make the idea of say a fourteen year old passing for an eighteen year old much easier for the suspension of belief then a twelve year old passing for eighteen.
Over all, I give this book a 3/5
The Hiding Girl is about Emily Calby, who is the only survivor of a horrific attack on her family. Now on the run from the men who killed her mother and sister, she stumbles upon a man who begrudgingly agrees to teach her to fight, to learn to get revenge on the men who destroyed Emily’s life.
Emily is a smart twelve year old who has learned to navigate the world but there are still limitations and the author shows those. She does not have an ID, she can not take some types of transportation without an adult to accompany her because of her age. She has limited funds and no way to earn more because of her age and lack of ID.
Emily is twelve years old and while she smart, she does occasionally act much older than an average twelve year old would. It takes away from the believably of the story. If she had been just a few years older, it would have been easier to buy in my opinion. It would make the idea of say a fourteen year old passing for an eighteen year old much easier for the suspension of belief then a twelve year old passing for eighteen.
Over all, I give this book a 3/5
I received this as an ARC several days ago and couldn’t finish it quick enough. I am so impressed with this book. I absolutely loved the storyline. A lot of thrillers/murder plots these days are so wordy and all seem to have a “lull” somewhere in the story. Not this one. This was a constantly evolving thrill and fully captured my attention throughout. As a reader, I found Emily to be somewhat hard to relate to in the beginning, being a 12 year-old girl on the run after a family annihilation. But what is relatable was everything that followed her initial demise. Her rise to strength, her passion for justice, and her determination for success at all costs - all inspirational and had me rooting for Emily at every turn, even during some of her more controversial decisions. Overall, I throughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for an action packed, revenge scheme storyline.
Long story short...
12-year-old rural girl loses mother and little sister to two violent rapists and murderers. Girl escapes and is on the run for a month. Girl meets a man, seemingly her polar opposite, who reluctantly agrees to train her for her mission to take vengeance on the two men. Girl develops into a 13-year-old badass who may be going slightly psychotic. Girl meets a variety of people, some really really nice, some not so nice, and some...who deserve to be at the bottom of a river... Girl goes through hellish trials and tribulations of all sorts before she finally is able to tackle her ultimate goal. Girl fights like hell to get the ending to the new life she wants with the people she wants to be with.
Long story...
Dorian Box created an interestingly unique partnership and dynamic between Emily and Lucas, little rural white girl and built-like-a-wall, ex-gang member black man. This causes instances of racism and stereotypes to come into play sporadically throughout the story including wording that I had to grow to kind of shake off and accept as a natural part of the story considering who our two main characters were. Let me just say that sometimes you forget Emily is only 12 and grew up in rural Georgia, but other times it's glaringly obvious.
I liked that Lucas is tough as nails on the outside but a compassionate marshmallow on the inside for kids like Emily because of his own siblings. Lucas (and Kiona, his girlfriend) are like Emily's Miyagis and I think Box does a good job detailing her training and education on things like weapons and even some human anatomy.
I give this about 3.5 stars because I enjoyed the character developments and got some fun surprises along the way but I rounded down because I did feel like certain things were kind of abrupt and not as realistic as they could be. And again it was also hard for me to accept some of the wording at first and I had to ease back into the story for a comfortable feel.
Sidebar: I don't really see any reason for this to not be a standalone but I'd check out the second book...maybe.
Thanks BookishFirst and Friction Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review this ARC!
12-year-old rural girl loses mother and little sister to two violent rapists and murderers. Girl escapes and is on the run for a month. Girl meets a man, seemingly her polar opposite, who reluctantly agrees to train her for her mission to take vengeance on the two men. Girl develops into a 13-year-old badass who may be going slightly psychotic. Girl meets a variety of people, some really really nice, some not so nice, and some...who deserve to be at the bottom of a river... Girl goes through hellish trials and tribulations of all sorts before she finally is able to tackle her ultimate goal. Girl fights like hell to get the ending to the new life she wants with the people she wants to be with.
Long story...
Dorian Box created an interestingly unique partnership and dynamic between Emily and Lucas, little rural white girl and built-like-a-wall, ex-gang member black man. This causes instances of racism and stereotypes to come into play sporadically throughout the story including wording that I had to grow to kind of shake off and accept as a natural part of the story considering who our two main characters were. Let me just say that sometimes you forget Emily is only 12 and grew up in rural Georgia, but other times it's glaringly obvious.
I liked that Lucas is tough as nails on the outside but a compassionate marshmallow on the inside for kids like Emily because of his own siblings. Lucas (and Kiona, his girlfriend) are like Emily's Miyagis and I think Box does a good job detailing her training and education on things like weapons and even some human anatomy.
I give this about 3.5 stars because I enjoyed the character developments and got some fun surprises along the way but I rounded down because I did feel like certain things were kind of abrupt and not as realistic as they could be. And again it was also hard for me to accept some of the wording at first and I had to ease back into the story for a comfortable feel.
Sidebar: I don't really see any reason for this to not be a standalone but I'd check out the second book...maybe.
Thanks BookishFirst and Friction Press for the opportunity to read and honestly review this ARC!
Justice. Always comes too late, but it’s still justice.
The Hiding Girl by Dorian Box is a thrilling story that starts out about survival and strength, and turns into a hunt for revenge. This story is focused on Emily Calby a pre-teen girl who is the only surviving victim of a home invasion that left her an orphan. She’s on the run because she’s scared that the men who killed her family won’t stop until they find her. On her journey she meets Lucas, and a handful of others, but he is who becomes someone that helps her along the most in the new normal of her life.
The way I felt about this book was unexpected. I honestly loved it. When I read the sneak peek on BookishFirst I wasn’t expecting to become so invested, but I was. I needed to know what would happen with Emily and her possible new unlikely friend, Lucas. This story is violent and sad, but it’s also empowering, emotional, and deep. Some of the banter and dialogue was so witty and fun. It also had a painfully timely realistic punch at times when Lucas was speaking about the law and justice, when it applies to Black men.
It takes an interesting look at revenge and justice, and all of the emotions that come with being wronged. How does that change you? How does loss and pain break you or make you?
This book definitely requires some ability to suspend your disbelief. The plausibility of a 12 year old, successfully surviving on the run, after witnessing her family slaughtered will make you roll your eyes a bit. I promise you though that it is worth it. This story is just such a thrilling ride. It just does not stop or take a breath. Emily is constantly moving toward her next step.
An entertaining read that will make you feel. A bit uncomfortable, a bit sad, but a bit hopeful as well. The best part is while this story feels completed, there is more to come!
[this book does contain multiple potential triggers: murder, abuse, sexual assault, violence]
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC provided by BookishFirst
The Hiding Girl by Dorian Box is a thrilling story that starts out about survival and strength, and turns into a hunt for revenge. This story is focused on Emily Calby a pre-teen girl who is the only surviving victim of a home invasion that left her an orphan. She’s on the run because she’s scared that the men who killed her family won’t stop until they find her. On her journey she meets Lucas, and a handful of others, but he is who becomes someone that helps her along the most in the new normal of her life.
The way I felt about this book was unexpected. I honestly loved it. When I read the sneak peek on BookishFirst I wasn’t expecting to become so invested, but I was. I needed to know what would happen with Emily and her possible new unlikely friend, Lucas. This story is violent and sad, but it’s also empowering, emotional, and deep. Some of the banter and dialogue was so witty and fun. It also had a painfully timely realistic punch at times when Lucas was speaking about the law and justice, when it applies to Black men.
It takes an interesting look at revenge and justice, and all of the emotions that come with being wronged. How does that change you? How does loss and pain break you or make you?
This book definitely requires some ability to suspend your disbelief. The plausibility of a 12 year old, successfully surviving on the run, after witnessing her family slaughtered will make you roll your eyes a bit. I promise you though that it is worth it. This story is just such a thrilling ride. It just does not stop or take a breath. Emily is constantly moving toward her next step.
An entertaining read that will make you feel. A bit uncomfortable, a bit sad, but a bit hopeful as well. The best part is while this story feels completed, there is more to come!
[this book does contain multiple potential triggers: murder, abuse, sexual assault, violence]
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC provided by BookishFirst
4.5 stars. The story follows Emily who is on the run after her family was brutally murdered in a home invasion. She makes an unlikely ally in a former gang member as she struggles to survive and seek justice for her family.
I totally judged the book by its cover and wasn’t too excited for it initially, but it immediately sucked me in. Emily is a strong force to be reckoned with and I loved her character. Despite the trauma she experienced, she was a woman on a mission who still maintained a sense of humor. Her friendship with Lucas warmed my heart and kept me smiling despite the terrifying situations they found themselves in. The only bit that I’m hung up on is Emily is supposed to be 12/13 years old... I don’t know many adults that would have her strength, intelligence, and determination so the age threw me off.
Check this out if you need a quick thrill with a protagonist you’ll love to root for.
I totally judged the book by its cover and wasn’t too excited for it initially, but it immediately sucked me in. Emily is a strong force to be reckoned with and I loved her character. Despite the trauma she experienced, she was a woman on a mission who still maintained a sense of humor. Her friendship with Lucas warmed my heart and kept me smiling despite the terrifying situations they found themselves in. The only bit that I’m hung up on is Emily is supposed to be 12/13 years old... I don’t know many adults that would have her strength, intelligence, and determination so the age threw me off.
Check this out if you need a quick thrill with a protagonist you’ll love to root for.
This book is good but I wouldn’t advise it if you aren’t psychologically healthy. Even if you are, some of the subject matter might be a little hard to stomach. Luckily, the harder to stomach things aren’t very graphic. The plot resembles the movie “Leon: The Professional” quite a bit but there are significant differences that make it worth the read even if you are familiar with the movie. **Minor spoilers and trigger warnings**: implied rape, implied child rape, murder of innocents, implied abuse of innocents, graphic violence against guilty, homelessness, trauma, personality disorders, PTSD, cutting, gang violence, and potentially more that I can’t recall** The good news is that most of these are only “explored” at a surface level to facilitate the continued existence of a plot.