Scan barcode
A review by phantomgecko
Hide by Kiersten White
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I read it in as close to one sitting as I can manage in my life. I very much needed to know what happened next. What happened was along my expectations but still pleasantly surprisingly, if that makes sense.
There were a lot of characters, but even the shortlived ones had enough personality for all of them to be distinct characters. Some were meant to likable, others unlikable, but others still were open to either option. Or neither.
There were a lot of perspective shifts, which usually bothers me (especially multiple shifts within a single scene), but it fed the fast pace of the book. It also helped give dimension to so many people.
Mack's super upsetting backstory was an interesting facet of the story. Of all the motivations in the story, hers was the wildest to me. It made perfect sense, but woof. Like, you have "I am tired of being a door-to-door salesman" and even "I was banished from my polygamist cult" which feel solid and normal (ish). Then Mack's like, "Yeah hiding is kinda my thing (tm) becausemy father slaughtered my family but not me because I was hiding well enough. " I'm glad she had the breakthroughs she did in the book, but therapy would've been better, probably.
I resonated with the social commentary so I didn't mind it. For example, the book divided them into two groups: losers and hustlers, but really, they were all unhappy and unsuccessful. A fun reminder that we have more in common than we think. And then the extensive emphasis on what is or isn't hard work and what people do or don't deserve... (For real, multiple times, my husband has started a conversation this morning about current events, and I was like, "So I just read this book..."...)
Also, a faithful movie adaptation would be incredible.
A lot lot lot of language though, so that's not my favorite.
There were a lot of characters, but even the shortlived ones had enough personality for all of them to be distinct characters. Some were meant to likable, others unlikable, but others still were open to either option. Or neither.
There were a lot of perspective shifts, which usually bothers me (especially multiple shifts within a single scene), but it fed the fast pace of the book. It also helped give dimension to so many people.
Mack's super upsetting backstory was an interesting facet of the story. Of all the motivations in the story, hers was the wildest to me. It made perfect sense, but woof. Like, you have "I am tired of being a door-to-door salesman" and even "I was banished from my polygamist cult" which feel solid and normal (ish). Then Mack's like, "Yeah hiding is kinda my thing (tm) because
I resonated with the social commentary so I didn't mind it. For example, the book divided them into two groups: losers and hustlers, but really, they were all unhappy and unsuccessful. A fun reminder that we have more in common than we think. And then the extensive emphasis on what is or isn't hard work and what people do or don't deserve... (For real, multiple times, my husband has started a conversation this morning about current events, and I was like, "So I just read this book..."...)
Also, a faithful movie adaptation would be incredible.
A lot lot lot of language though, so that's not my favorite.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Blood, Suicide, Violence, and Death
Minor: Child abuse and Lesbophobia
Gratuitous f-word