A review by megemac
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

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

3.75

This is difficult to rate, and not for the reasons I normally struggle to rate a thriller. I enjoyed the story, it kept me captivated and I do love a good ghost story. However there are a few things that I wasn't really comfortable with.

I think using infertility as a reason to abduct a child, is a cop out in a lot of ways. Infertility is a very sensitive topic to many and so I do think that this could have gone a different route or be handled a with more care. There is also the very transphobic vibes that I got. Again, I do understand where Rekulak was trying to go (or at least I hope that was his direction) - but a bit more research would have been a major help for this author. Leaving it as it was smacks of privilege and lack of wanting to understand. Honestly, the same goes for the addiction aspect of the story. A little more research would have helped things not seem so cut and dry or uninformed. 


With all that said, the story was strong and kept me entertained and wanting to read. It was creepy without being terrifying. My rating is for the bulk of the story as a whole. When recommending it I will be sharing my hesitations with others and encourage them to be sure to do the same. 
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