A review by czoltak
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

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

3.0

I’m so torn over how to feel on this one, there were parts I liked but also a lot I didn’t care for.

What worked for me:
  • The actual drawings being included into the story
  • The representation of drug addiction recovery and its challenges
  • The originality of the overall story and its premise
  • The ease of readability (this was hard to put down as it was so fast paced and kept you wanting to know what was next)

What didn’t work for me:
  • While the plot twist was unpredictable and well developed, there were aspects of it that just didn’t sit right with me
  • Mallory not always taking her babysitting job seriously (napping while watching Teddy, leaving him with someone else, etc.)
  • The experimental study on gaze detection storyline that we never came back to (it was interesting but ultimately felt pointless as there was no follow up)
  • Unnecessary racism sprinkled into the story
  • Ted’s dynamic towards Mallory (especially towards the end)

Overall, I can see why so many people enjoy this and even why it won the Goodreads category for horror as it is very original, fast paced, and includes an intriguing mixed media element. However, there are definitely significant flaws with the story which is why I can see why people also really don’t like this and why it won’t work for everyone. I definitely wouldn’t recommend this wildly but it for sure has an audience. I’d be open to reading more from this author in the future.
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