A review by ksedreads
Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

dark mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

“I can summon both pictures from memory, the same scene from two different artists.”

Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job in the affluent suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves this new job. She lives in the Maxwell's pool house, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman's lifeless body. As the days pass, Teddy's artwork becomes more and more sinister, and his stick figures steadily evolve into more detailed, complex, and lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to suspect these are glimpses of an unsolved murder from long ago, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell's house. With help from a handsome landscaper and an eccentric neighbor, Mallory sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy while coming to terms with a tragedy in her own past before it's too late.

Big oof. First off, this book won the good reads award for best Horror book. It is more of a Thriller than a Horror book. “Hidden Pictures” started off as a fast paced and enjoyable read and I thought I might rate it 5 stars. Then the racist, fat phobic, and transphobic undertones of the book made themselves known. It immediately turned me off from the book and I ended up giving it 1 ⭐️. It’s 2023, do better. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings