Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
✏️✏️✏️
.ePUB, 384 pages
Published: 10 May 2022
By: Flatiron Books
Goodreads | Amazon
About The Book:
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.
My Review:
Published: 10 May 2022
By: Flatiron Books
Goodreads | Amazon
About The Book:
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.
My Review:
What would you do if the child you're watching starts drawing pictures like this?
Well, that's what the new nanny, Mallory, is dealing with when Teddy starts to draw pictures of his invisible friend, Anya. The beginning of this book was SO good. I was really enjoying the creep factor of a child possessed and communicating through sketching. I liked that the nanny, Mallory, had a dark past so it made it easy to brush her off. It was engrossing and the pages practically tuned themselves. The character development was phenomenal and the cover is amazing.
When I got to the 75-80 percent mark the book took a turn that I didn't like. I will state that I did not see that twist coming BUT any babysitter worth their salt would have had that figured out on the first day, I mean Teddy is five for crying out loud! And the last scenes were just too unbelievable to make this enjoyable. I was too busy shaking my head and rolling my eyes to find that ending even a bit entertaining. I do not mind suspending belief but the author was asking for a little too much in my opinion.
Many people have given this book four and five stars so judge for yourself, it just might be a case of me not being the right person for the book. I would definitely give the author another go and have heard wonderful things about his debut novel The Impossible Fortress.
This book is now available for purchase.
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
Comments
Post a Comment