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mx_eyebrows's review
I don’t usually write reviews, but his book annoyed me so much that I have to. The first half of it was going along pretty well, and then things took several turns.
From the jump there is a lot of mention about the main character being Christian, and the two other adult main characters being atheist. We are banged over the head with it on several occasions. It just feels icky, like you're getting reminded that atheists are bad people subtly, over and over. And wouldn’t you know, the Christian ends up to be the hero and the Atheists are bad people. Of course.
Then, we get a plot point/twist using gender identity that I found to be very problematic.</spoiler>
There are many other plot points that are introduced and then not mentioned again until the very end, and didn’t even need to be there. And, a lot of confusing or stupid decisions by characters. Just a trope filled mess.
My advice is to not waste your time.
From the jump there is a lot of mention about the main character being Christian, and the two other adult main characters being atheist. We are banged over the head with it on several occasions. It just feels icky, like you're getting reminded that atheists are bad people subtly, over and over. And wouldn’t you know, the Christian ends up to be the hero and the Atheists are bad people. Of course.
Then, we get a plot point/twist using gender identity that I found to be very problematic.</spoiler>
There are many other plot points that are introduced and then not mentioned again until the very end, and didn’t even need to be there. And, a lot of confusing or stupid decisions by characters. Just a trope filled mess.
My advice is to not waste your time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, Fatphobia, Body shaming, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Drug abuse, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, and Body shaming
lindseyrenee's review
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Where to start with this? The story had potential to be really fun and at times I was wanting to know what was going to happen next, but every single character ruined this for me. They were all written as a caricature of what they should be. You have the ex druggie turned religious girl, the wacky neighbor who is paranoid from too much pot, the Hispanic landscaper, and the super scientific atheist parents. Not only was there fat shaming, but some shocking racist remarks, and transphobia that cannot be overlooked. Every single instance of those could have been deleted completely and it wouldn’t have changed anything about the story or the characters, they were just there to be there. Had those been removed I do think my rating would be different, however they weren’t and can’t be ignored.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Transphobia, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Grief, Racism, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Confinement, Classism, Alcohol, and Car accident
amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-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
0.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Classism, and Racism
Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use
Minor: Alcohol, Body shaming, Confinement, Infertility, Kidnapping, Death, Transphobia, and Death of parent
taiy's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have some odd feelings about the second half of this and some of the undertones, but as far as the story goes - I found this solid. I read through it pretty quick because I kept wanting to continue.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming and Transphobia
kelseyr713's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Author doesn’t attempt to hide his vile politics and the writing is not on the level of an adult novel. Also, for a book that’s marketed as horror, it’s not scary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Murder
Moderate: Fatphobia, Violence, Body shaming, Child death, Kidnapping, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Racism, Xenophobia, Car accident, Blood, and Infertility
Minor: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Dementia
inkdrinkers's review against another edition
dark
tense
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
3.0
I have so many thoughts about this book so bare with me if you're reading this review. I'm going to organize them as best as humanly possible. I went into Hidden Pictures knowing nothing - I didn't know the plot, I didn't know the content warnings, and I didn't know the author.
There will be mild spoilers below.
Hidden Pictures is focused on Mallory Quinn, a recently recovered drug addict who lands a nanny job with an affluent family to watch their shy son, Teddy. After she takes the job she begins to realize that something strange is occurring around the house and in the cottage where she lives on the property. She then learns that there is a ghost story central to the cottage and an artist was murdered there.
Let be start by saying I love thrillers with a hint of paranormal. If you don't like this, this book is NOT for you. This book is not for anyone who likes thrillers to have a realistic and entirely human end.
Now that is out of the way: I really enjoyed the plot twists for what they were. I listened to the audiobook and had no idea that Teddy's illustrations are actually featured throughout the novel. I think this made it better because I could form my own opinions and imagine what in the hell was going on. When I was certain I understood where the story was going, it would pivot back to the supernatural element and make me question whether or not I was sure of my firm decision.
Heavy spoilers below, do not read if you don't want to be spoiled.
I recognized the warning signs early on with the hints dropped about Teddy's identity. I have to admit I was a little hesitant to jump to that because the paranormal element really made me question. Once the end of the book finally reveals Teddy is actually Flora and was kidnapped as a toddler, I wasn't sure what kind of ride I was about to end this book on.
I completely understand the comments by some that this book has its issues with racism, transphobia, and fatphobia/body shaming. But to me, all the characters felt very human. They were not individuals without flaws and each time any of the above were mentioned were in full awareness that the character mentioning them was unreliable, imperfect, and had many biases.
Racism: the background of the plot deals with a woman running away to marry a black man in the 1940s. She has a loving life with him, children, and it turns out she was never murdered in the cottage. Her racist brother made up the story so he didn't have to admit to his white friends that his sister ran off with a black man. The main character, Mallory, also has a relationship with Adrian, the rich son of a landscaping company owner who lives in the neighborhood and is Latino. The neighbor, Mitzi, makes racist comments about him but it's confirmed she is oftentimes using drugs and is an incredibly isolated individual (she watches only Fox News, has no relatives, and reads tarot cards for a living in her home for her job).
Transphobia: The Maxwell's child in the story is Teddy/Flora. For ease, I'm going to refer to them as they/them and Teddy in this section. I'll also provide as much context as I can for anyone reading this to make their own conclusions. Teddy was kidnapped by Caroline Maxwell as a toddler after Caroline decided she was tired of having infertility issues and wanted a child (out of boredom/grief). Teddy, born Flora, is then smuggled away from the scene of the crime (of their mother being murdered by Caroline) by Caroline dressing them up as a boy, cutting their hair, and then whisking them away to a farm in Virginia, where Caroline spends a year brainwashing Teddy into believing they are the Maxwell's child. I completely understand how some can view this entire plotline as transphobic, but there is never a single mention of anyone questioning Teddy's identity and Mallory makes a statement multiple times saying she doesn't care what identity Teddy uses, only that they're safe. Teddy is five at the beginning of the novel and six by the time the epilogue/one year later takes place where they are going by Flora and using she/her pronouns again. It's indicated that the entire plot of Teddy being forced to live as a boy was to hide them from the authorities and, in a very sick way, give the Maxwells the son they always wanted. I feel like I can't make a full comment on this, as I'm cis. The end chapter seems to indicate Teddy is just trying to exist and have a normal childhood after a very traumatic three years of being kidnapped, haunted by a ghost, and isolated.
(I will add that Harry Potter and JK Rowling are mentioned twice, quite randomly at the end?? Which threw me for a loop because the comments are very strange. In one, Mallory offers her copy of the Sorcerer's Stone for Caroline to read. The last reference is Mallory discussing that she's not a great writer and can't write a full book like "JK Rowling" - I took this to mean this was her baseline of "popular" authors because it's mentioned she doesn't read, she likes to watch Halmark movies, and she converted to Christianity after recovering from addiction. The entire novel is actually written as Mallory writing down the story of the haunting and crime for Teddy to read later)
Fatphobia/Body Shaming: It is presented to us that Mallory was a track star in high school and takes pride in her health now that she's been recovered for 19 months. In various character descriptions, if a character is fat they will almost always be referred to as lazy or neglectful. This WAS a hard thing to listen to over and over. Mallory's mother is only redeemed at the end after she loses weight and becomes a runner. Mitzi is old, fat, crazy, and a drug addict (according to many characters). There is a detective at the end that is mentioned to be plus size but she serves as a way to prove Mallory's innocence and no morality is assigned to her body type. I feel like I can comment on this, as a fat individua - and while grossly uncomfortable, it did give me a reason to dislike Mallory as a narrator and think she was unreliable because I didn't enjoy her line of thinking. It had me questioning if I was on her side truly or if she was making things up in her head.
Overall, I don't think I can give this five stars. I think it doesn't deserve that, though it was an incredibly wild read from start to finish. I think my only fair assessment is that it's a three star and truly middle of the road book that had really interesting moments and elements too clouded by a messy plot. I almost leaned towards a two star, but I really loved the supernatural element to the story, the kidnapping twist, and the unreliable characters from all sides. Overall it needed far more clarity from sensitivity readers and a fine toothed comb to help untangle the political, social, and economical commentaries on classicism, racism, and identity. As it stands, I have no idea what the true point of the novel was, nor any of the commentary that the author was trying to make.
There will be mild spoilers below.
Hidden Pictures is focused on Mallory Quinn, a recently recovered drug addict who lands a nanny job with an affluent family to watch their shy son, Teddy. After she takes the job she begins to realize that something strange is occurring around the house and in the cottage where she lives on the property. She then learns that there is a ghost story central to the cottage and an artist was murdered there.
Let be start by saying I love thrillers with a hint of paranormal. If you don't like this, this book is NOT for you. This book is not for anyone who likes thrillers to have a realistic and entirely human end.
Now that is out of the way: I really enjoyed the plot twists for what they were. I listened to the audiobook and had no idea that Teddy's illustrations are actually featured throughout the novel. I think this made it better because I could form my own opinions and imagine what in the hell was going on. When I was certain I understood where the story was going, it would pivot back to the supernatural element and make me question whether or not I was sure of my firm decision.
Heavy spoilers below, do not read if you don't want to be spoiled.
I completely understand the comments by some that this book has its issues with racism, transphobia, and fatphobia/body shaming. But to me, all the characters felt very human. They were not individuals without flaws and each time any of the above were mentioned were in full awareness that the character mentioning them was unreliable, imperfect, and had many biases.
Racism: the background of the plot deals with a woman running away to marry a black man in the 1940s. She has a loving life with him, children, and it turns out she was never murdered in the cottage. Her racist brother made up the story so he didn't have to admit to his white friends that his sister ran off with a black man. The main character, Mallory, also has a relationship with Adrian, the rich son of a landscaping company owner who lives in the neighborhood and is Latino. The neighbor, Mitzi, makes racist comments about him but it's confirmed she is oftentimes using drugs and is an incredibly isolated individual (she watches only Fox News, has no relatives, and reads tarot cards for a living in her home for her job).
Transphobia: The Maxwell's child in the story is Teddy/Flora. For ease, I'm going to refer to them as they/them and Teddy in this section. I'll also provide as much context as I can for anyone reading this to make their own conclusions. Teddy was kidnapped by Caroline Maxwell as a toddler after Caroline decided she was tired of having infertility issues and wanted a child (out of boredom/grief). Teddy, born Flora, is then smuggled away from the scene of the crime (of their mother being murdered by Caroline) by Caroline dressing them up as a boy, cutting their hair, and then whisking them away to a farm in Virginia, where Caroline spends a year brainwashing Teddy into believing they are the Maxwell's child. I completely understand how some can view this entire plotline as transphobic, but there is never a single mention of anyone questioning Teddy's identity and Mallory makes a statement multiple times saying she doesn't care what identity Teddy uses, only that they're safe. Teddy is five at the beginning of the novel and six by the time the epilogue/one year later takes place where they are going by Flora and using she/her pronouns again. It's indicated that the entire plot of Teddy being forced to live as a boy was to hide them from the authorities and, in a very sick way, give the Maxwells the son they always wanted. I feel like I can't make a full comment on this, as I'm cis. The end chapter seems to indicate Teddy is just trying to exist and have a normal childhood after a very traumatic three years of being kidnapped, haunted by a ghost, and isolated.
(I will add that Harry Potter and JK Rowling are mentioned twice, quite randomly at the end?? Which threw me for a loop because the comments are very strange. In one, Mallory offers her copy of the Sorcerer's Stone for Caroline to read. The last reference is Mallory discussing that she's not a great writer and can't write a full book like "JK Rowling" - I took this to mean this was her baseline of "popular" authors because it's mentioned she doesn't read, she likes to watch Halmark movies, and she converted to Christianity after recovering from addiction. The entire novel is actually written as Mallory writing down the story of the haunting and crime for Teddy to read later)
Fatphobia/Body Shaming: It is presented to us that Mallory was a track star in high school and takes pride in her health now that she's been recovered for 19 months. In various character descriptions, if a character is fat they will almost always be referred to as lazy or neglectful. This WAS a hard thing to listen to over and over. Mallory's mother is only redeemed at the end after she loses weight and becomes a runner. Mitzi is old, fat, crazy, and a drug addict (according to many characters). There is a detective at the end that is mentioned to be plus size but she serves as a way to prove Mallory's innocence and no morality is assigned to her body type. I feel like I can comment on this, as a fat individua - and while grossly uncomfortable, it did give me a reason to dislike Mallory as a narrator and think she was unreliable because I didn't enjoy her line of thinking. It had me questioning if I was on her side truly or if she was making things up in her head.
Overall, I don't think I can give this five stars. I think it doesn't deserve that, though it was an incredibly wild read from start to finish. I think my only fair assessment is that it's a three star and truly middle of the road book that had really interesting moments and elements too clouded by a messy plot. I almost leaned towards a two star, but I really loved the supernatural element to the story, the kidnapping twist, and the unreliable characters from all sides. Overall it needed far more clarity from sensitivity readers and a fine toothed comb to help untangle the political, social, and economical commentaries on classicism, racism, and identity. As it stands, I have no idea what the true point of the novel was, nor any of the commentary that the author was trying to make.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, and Violence
Moderate: Body shaming, Infertility, Fatphobia, Sexual harassment, and Cursing
Minor: Gun violence
The only thing not mentioned in my review is that the husband, Ted, sexually harassed Mallory multiple times. I just don't have the energy to type out my thoughts on that sack of crap.cavreads's review
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
1.0
I would have given this book 3 stars if it wasn’t for the body shaming. I can’t believe it made it past editing. Every character in this book who was described as “overweight”, “pudgy”, or “fat” was a character who was deemed unlikeable, strange, or lazy. Please tell me what the weight or body type of Mitzi, the detectives, or her mother had to do at all with the story? Why would you describe characters’ body size other than to make a statement about the worthiness and value of people who are overweight? Books like this only serve to feed societal disdain toward larger bodies. It’s 2022. There’s zero excuse not to be better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming
Moderate: Body shaming
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