Reviews with content warning for Racism - Hidden Pictures: A Novel

My goodness, I just finished this book (at night, sheesh😬) and I have goosebumps. I literally still have chills. I honestly commend the author for their dedication to this book. The illustrations really made the book what it is. It was an excellent incorporation. I honestly loved this book from front to back. The big twist was a little far fetch for me, but it was plausible. And even after I was still growing anxious. I understand the hype. I truly a little scared at times. What a true horror book.

But I wish everything tied together. The way Annie found out about the reveal was far fetch considering the reader themselves didn't get to see how she came up with this conclusion. Also, I lowkey wished they stuck with the ghost story because the actual twist of it all being Caroline and the spirit being someone else was so last minutes. And I still don't see how the opening scene of her doing the experiment had much to do with the story.

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leebeeloves's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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ksedreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.0

“I can summon both pictures from memory, the same scene from two different artists.”

Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job in the affluent suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves this new job. She lives in the Maxwell's pool house, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman's lifeless body. As the days pass, Teddy's artwork becomes more and more sinister, and his stick figures steadily evolve into more detailed, complex, and lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to suspect these are glimpses of an unsolved murder from long ago, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell's house. With help from a handsome landscaper and an eccentric neighbor, Mallory sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy while coming to terms with a tragedy in her own past before it's too late.

Big oof. First off, this book won the good reads award for best Horror book. It is more of a Thriller than a Horror book. “Hidden Pictures” started off as a fast paced and enjoyable read and I thought I might rate it 5 stars. Then the racist, fat phobic, and transphobic undertones of the book made themselves known. It immediately turned me off from the book and I ended up giving it 1 ⭐️. It’s 2023, do better.

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