(Goodreads) When Lissy meets a mysterious and strangely beautiful boy on her way to Hopesay Edge, she is deeply unsettled by their encounter.
She discovers that the boy, Larkspur, is a member of the Hidden, an ancient group of elven people, whose secrets lie buried at Hopesay Reach. Before long, Lissy and her brother Rafe find themselves caught by a powerful magic and fighting to escape a bargain that can never be broken.
The Short Story? - A dark and grim spin on the classic faerie lore, Hidden Among Us is a thrilling and dangerous novel about a curse, a girl and a secret race of Fae looking for vengeance and revenge. An original plot, wonderful use of multiple perspectives and an exciting climax, Hidden Among Us is unlike anything I've read! Twisted, eery and sinister, these faeries aren't the ones from your bedtime stories!
The Long Story? - I'm a little on the fence about this one because for me, this was one of those books that wasn't bad but I can't really say I loved it either - it was an average book. It was a good plot, well-developed although confusing at times. The book also has a rather slow pace, there build-up was long and there isn't much action until the 50 or so pages. However apart from that I really did enjoy the plot, it was dark and sinister, very different from your typical YA faerie novel. It was very clever and I liked how the ending is kind of open-ended so the book works as a stand-alone but it could also be a series, I'm pretty sure it's a stand-alone but you can never tell with the YA market! My biggest concern with the book however was the prose. I feel like the narration really let the book down because I know I would have enjoyed the book a whole lot more if the writing wasn't so middle-grade. I really felt the writing style clashed with the plot because on one hand you have this beautifully dark and grim plot about killer faeries and then the prose is all "targeted towards 7th graders" - it just didn't work for me which is such a shame but nevertheless excellent plot!
I know a lot of people found the multiple perspectives very confusing but I personally really enjoyed it because it gave me a better sense of both the story and the characters. It also made the book unique and interesting. Although Lissy was the "main" character, I didn't really connect with her, we were so different from each other, it was a little hard for me to find sympathy for her or put myself in her shoes. She's also a little whiny and helpless which aren't the best traits to have in a protagonist. However I very much enjoyed Joe's character, I like his loyalty and his caring nature, he barely knows Lissy and her family yet in the short amount of time they're been together, he has been nothing but supporting (Joe's the stepbrother BTW, well sorta). I also really like Larkspur, he was actually my favourite character even if he wasn't a main. Very well portrayed, I LOVED his compassion and there is something beautiful about his loneliness and internal torment. My biggest characterisation peeve was probably Mariam, the mother. She was a horrible mother and an unrealistic character. I mean, what kind of parent, sits down and writes in a diary, feeling sorry for herself, while one of her kids is dying and the other one has been kidnapped by supernatural creatures, WHO DOES THAT? Overall it was a good characterisation, not the best but decent.
This wasn't the easiest book to review because there was a lot of pros and cons to weight up, it's definitely one of those books that not everyone is going enjoy. There are a couple of flaws however in the end, I still enjoyed Hidden Among Us and I would recommend it. Good characters, beautiful plot and a spectacular ending, if you're looking for something original, dark and supernatural, I would invest in a copy of Hidden Among Us!
What's it Worth - Squeeze into the Budget
Badass Bookie xx
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