A review by jamestomasino
The Hidden People by Alison Littlewood

2.0

Very good scene painting, world building, and vibe creating. Very weak pacing and character development. There's a relationship at the heart of the story I just didn't buy into. It wasn't properly developed and it sat wrong the whole time. I think if we never saw the characters as kids at all it might have been better off than what we witness. Instead of filling in the blanks on a close relationship they used to have, I have to take what I have seen and try to believe Albie's take on it.

I'll also be honest, the title made me think of the Icelandic hidden folk. This changling representation from English folklore didn't fully scratch that itch, and the attitudes of the people in the story felt over the top as well. I guess it added to the gothic feel, but it never quite added up for me.