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A review by tessa_talks_books
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
5.0
What’s it about (in a nutshell):
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is a psychological thriller where mysterious pictures help solve a murder mystery.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover, title, and blurb all drip with creepiness. Ghost stories scare me, so my first thought is that I hope it’s not too scary for me. My initial expectations are that it will be quite a thrill ride of a story just dripping with creepiness if it is not too frightening.
Actual Reading Experience:
Cold chills, goosebumps, and complete focus are some of the things I experienced the whole time I read Hidden Pictures. Putting it down to do something that I had to do was even more difficult, and as a result, I finished this book in just over a day. If I hadn’t had to go to work. I would have completed it in one sitting, I am sure.
The writing pulled me in from page 1 with its immersive quality and quick pace. The creepiness doesn’t begin right away. Instead, it develops throughout the story until it explodes in a jaw-dropping conclusion with twists and turns that I could never have imagined. The clues were all there, but my imagination took the story down the paths of the subtle red herrings dotted throughout the tale.
Mallory Quinn tells the story of the summer she babysat for Teddy in first-person narration, which flowed naturally and kept the suspense high throughout most of the story. I constantly questioned whether or not she was a reliable narrator or an unreliable one. I wanted to believe her, but enough contrary evidence is given to put that in doubt. I’m not telling you which she is because that question is part of the fun.
I loved the inclusion of the pictures, which often caused those cold chills and goosebumps. You know the saying, “a picture is worth 1000 words.” Well, these pictures scream an endless stream of words, and all of them are chilling. I also loved that even with all these chills, the story never crossed the line to true and unmistakable horror. Now, I wouldn’t say that reading it before bed was a good idea for me, but I never felt like running far away from it, either.
Characters:
Mallory Quinn is the main character and narrator. A young woman in recovery, she is eager to take this next step in her progression towards leading an everyday life. But she is hiding many secrets, and those secrets will come back to haunt her repeatedly.
Reminds Me Of:
I haven’t read anything like this before, so to me, it is an original, fresh take on a psychological thriller. One that I am happy that I read.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you love psychological thrillers, you will be missing out if you don’t read Hidden Pictures this summer!
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is a psychological thriller where mysterious pictures help solve a murder mystery.
Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The cover, title, and blurb all drip with creepiness. Ghost stories scare me, so my first thought is that I hope it’s not too scary for me. My initial expectations are that it will be quite a thrill ride of a story just dripping with creepiness if it is not too frightening.
Actual Reading Experience:
Cold chills, goosebumps, and complete focus are some of the things I experienced the whole time I read Hidden Pictures. Putting it down to do something that I had to do was even more difficult, and as a result, I finished this book in just over a day. If I hadn’t had to go to work. I would have completed it in one sitting, I am sure.
The writing pulled me in from page 1 with its immersive quality and quick pace. The creepiness doesn’t begin right away. Instead, it develops throughout the story until it explodes in a jaw-dropping conclusion with twists and turns that I could never have imagined. The clues were all there, but my imagination took the story down the paths of the subtle red herrings dotted throughout the tale.
Mallory Quinn tells the story of the summer she babysat for Teddy in first-person narration, which flowed naturally and kept the suspense high throughout most of the story. I constantly questioned whether or not she was a reliable narrator or an unreliable one. I wanted to believe her, but enough contrary evidence is given to put that in doubt. I’m not telling you which she is because that question is part of the fun.
I loved the inclusion of the pictures, which often caused those cold chills and goosebumps. You know the saying, “a picture is worth 1000 words.” Well, these pictures scream an endless stream of words, and all of them are chilling. I also loved that even with all these chills, the story never crossed the line to true and unmistakable horror. Now, I wouldn’t say that reading it before bed was a good idea for me, but I never felt like running far away from it, either.
Characters:
Mallory Quinn is the main character and narrator. A young woman in recovery, she is eager to take this next step in her progression towards leading an everyday life. But she is hiding many secrets, and those secrets will come back to haunt her repeatedly.
Reminds Me Of:
I haven’t read anything like this before, so to me, it is an original, fresh take on a psychological thriller. One that I am happy that I read.
To Read or Not to Read:
If you love psychological thrillers, you will be missing out if you don’t read Hidden Pictures this summer!