Mallory didn’t want to leave home, but it wasn’t safe to stay. So she sleeps at her best friend’s house and spends the rest of her time at the library, doing her online schoolwork and figuring out what comes next. Because she’s not going live in fear like her mother.Spencer volunteers at the library. Sure, it’s community service for a stunt he pulled, but he likes the work. And it’s the perfect … perfect escape from his parents’ pressure to excel at school, at ice hockey, at everything. Especially after he meets Mallory.
Then there is a tragic death at the library. Suddenly, what was once a sanctuary turns sinister. Ghostly footprints, strange scratching sounds, scrawled messages on bulletin boards and walls… Mallory and Spencer don’t know who or what is responsible, but one thing is for sure:
They are not as alone—or as safe—as they thought.
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As a total book nerd, a library setting is what drew me to this novel initially. Not only are there strange happenings afoot in the library, this book portrays teens dealing with real-life issues such as emotional abuse, homelessness, and unsafe home environments.
In the first couple of pages, I met Spencer and immediately loved his voice. He possesses a wicked sense of humor, is a bit mischievous, and, as a senior in high school, is trying to figure out his future and where he fits in the world. Mallory’s situation is heartbreaking. With a controlling and emotionally abusive stepfather who’s made Mallory’s mother practically a prisoner in her own home, Mallory chooses homelessness over staying in an unsafe environment. It’s obvious the author performed extensive research into available resources for people in these dangerous situations, and includes a hotline number in the author’s note.
Something I particularly admired is the way the parent-child relationships are portrayed. In Mallory’s case, the roles are nearly reversed. As a level-headed teen with a talent for problem-solving, she senses the danger at home, researches options, and tries to convince her mother to leave. With Spencer, he’s dealing with his own issues in addition to helping Mallory, but eventually realizes he needs his parents’ help, and is even encouraged by a friend to talk to them. When Spencer’s future plans don’t line up with his parents’ expectations, they keep an open mind and listen to his ideas.
What You Hide is billed as a YA romantic thriller, but I’d describe it as more of a YA thriller/contemporary/coming of age story. Maybe there’s a bit of insta-love, but the romance is adorable, and not the primary focus of the story. Add this to your TBR today.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
4 Stars
Review by Sasha
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night w/ Books Blog
Have you ever felt like you don’t belong in your own life? Or, that you have been given a life that you don’t deserve? Natalie D. Richards’ What You Hide explores just that.
Spencer feels this way about his own life. He was adopted into a wealthy family and while everything up until now has been going perfectly well, he suddenly finds that he’s searching for a bigger purpose to dedicate his life to. A brief run-in with the law leads him to community service where he must help out at the library. He expected his days to be filled with re-shelving books and answering random inquiries. What he didn’t expect was meeting Mallory, who would show him how the other half lives.
Mallory doesn’t feel safe in her own home. Her mother refuses to escape from Mallory’s step father’s control. Left with no more options, Mallory takes to the streets. She’d rather be in danger on her own than be scared for her life while living with the monster in her house. With limited options to keep her life on track, she does everything she can to save herself and keep her family safe. When the streets begin to fill with strange figures and dark corners, she decides to hide out at the library. There she meets Spencer, Mr. All American, with everything going for him. When he suddenly wants to help her, she instantly wants to recoil. Mallory and Spencer both need to learn from each other.
Their friendship is tested when they discover that there might be a person hiding out in the library. Spencer and Mallory both want to find the other person living inside the library before the cops do, but what if the person lurking around the library doesn’t want to be found?
There are so many twists and turns in this book that I did not see coming and I just loved it! The plot kept evolving as the chapters went on so that the reader was awaiting the next change. Both Mallory and Spencer’s perspectives are told in the narration which was helpful to their character development as they come from completely different socioeconomic worlds.
The interweaving of genres was blended in a balanced way and showcased a new look in suspenseful reads.