A review by cakt1991
The Ways We Hide by Kristina McMorris

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

After reading the book she coauthored, I was interested in reading more from Kristina McMorris, so I picked up The Ways We Hide off the library’s new releases shelf. And while I’ve mostly avoided reading World War II fiction, McMorris’ approach breathes new life into the well-worn subgenre, even if there are some topics covered that I did know a bit about before. I was particularly intrigued to learn more about MI9 and its wartime activities, given I hadn’t heard about them before, with MI5 and especially MI6 being more widely known due to the Bond connection. But I loved learning about how MI9 recruited people with “special” skills to aid in their cause, including illusionists, and how the tools of the illusionist’s trade, like playing cards, were repurposed for this work. 

Fenna is a sympathetic protagonist, having fled from a dark past and reinvented herself as an assistant to the star of a popular magic show. She takes up the incredibly promising opportunity to work as an inventor for MI9, which continues her pattern of running away from that past trauma. Of course, she can only run away for so long, especially when it starts to catch up with her. 

The plot remains pretty intriguing throughout, even if there are some times when the action is halted by a flashback or other foray into the past. There’s a large chunk in the beginning in particular, which while explaining who Fenna is, impacted the momentum early on, and while there aren’t any other major flashbacks like that, the introspective moments do make you feel the length a bit. 

This is a solid read overall, and I am eager to try more from Kristina McMorris in the future. If you enjoy World War II historical fiction, I recommend checking this book out!