Hide

Fourteen strangers, each desperate in their own way, are invited to participate in a week-long game of hide-and-seek with a $50,000 prize, held, as they find out only when they get there, in a weird and creepy deserted amusement park. But, of course, all is not quite as it seems to them, and any one of them will be lucky to get out alive.

As is probably obvious just from that basic description, this is a novel that draws on a lot of familiar tropes and concepts. But I'm pleased to report that it does so in a clueful and interesting way, neither insulting the reader's intelligence by not expecting us to understand what's going on well before the characters do nor being cutely meta about any of it. And it uses it all for some social show more commentary that is perhaps also not exactly ground-breaking, but is very well done, starting off subtle and, by the end, becoming formidable and fierce.

It's also just a solidly good read. Not quite the pulse-pounding thrill ride one might expect, but engaging, occasionally surprising, and ultimately satisfying. show less

Possible Triggers: Extreme gore
This is a dark horror story that’s filled to overflowing with blood, gore.... with a secret society of high society elites who are murdering the young, and the poor in order to secure the success of their own families. I had to wonder when they would turn on those like themselves when they became too much competition. Fodder for another book maybe. I do not misspeak when I say that it is grisly. The plot is well thought out and cleverly presented with a diverse cast of characters that are almost entirely TOO memorable. The central character and the heroine of this dark tale is very often totally unlikeable, and we learn that she is fighting a very dark past. The storyline is frighteningly simple...the show more game is composed of fourteen contestants who are dropped off in an abandoned amusement park for a game of extreme...and I do mean extreme... hide-and-seek. The winner is promised not only glorious fame but also a fifty-thousand-dollar cash prize. Believe me... we quickly find out what folks will do for that kind of money. The competitors range from an internet influencer who is looking for viral content for his program, to a couple of techies hoping for a chance to spend earn time with the executives of the extreme sports company that is sponsoring this "event". There is even a young woman trying to rebuild her life after an abusive relationship... and last but not least...a rural gas station attendant who just wants to make some "real-life" friends. Who in the world would want these people as friends??? Why doesn't he just go to a club or to church, or just go to the library??? Oh yeah now I remember...fifty thousand big green ones!! So, our little murdering groupies are composed from all walks and stations of life...all with one common goal in mind...kill before you're killed, then take the money and run quickly to the bank. I will have to say that it was less bleak than I expected after the first couple of chapters, but OMG...the amount of blood gore and body parts that was crammed into these pages! You probably will need to be HUGE fan of horror, or you'll spend a few weeks or months locked away in your house hiding under your covers with ever light in the house on, after finally closing the book. Of course, you'll have to eventually go out for food...but watch your back and stay away from the amusement park!! show less

"Like little kids, playing hide-and-seek. If they can’t see the monster, it can’t get them. But it can. It always can. And while you aren’t looking, it’s eating everyone around you.”

This was everything I was hoping it would be! A dark hide and seek game - 14 people are lured to an abandoned park with the promise for $50,000 to the last one hiding. 7 Days - only the daylight hours count. Nighttime is for sleeping and fueling.

I loved the styling of getting to know everyone. You get small tidbits of POV from almost every character but it's seemless and not distracting at all. Instead, it's easy to see who each of them are, remember what they hoped, what they dreamed, and what drew them to the promise of the money. The story if show more fast paced, the tension perfectly timed and it was a quick, wonderful read. I loved it! show less

This was certainly a lot of fun; I read it in a busy 24 hours. There were some familiar horror tropes, but the palpable social anger that the characters (and author) shared was refreshing. This is on the tame side of horror, and would be a great fit for older teen readers and adults who enjoy twists, a relatively high body count (but very limited gore/on-screen violence), mystery, and social commentary. Even when it was occasionally predictable, the plot was relentless, the characters surprisingly sympathetic, and the ending mostly satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

White is fast becoming one of my new favorite horror writers. From start to finish, this book was fantastic and full of twists. The memorable characters, great writing, and surprises along the way made it one I'll remember, and made it so that I never wanted to put the book down.

I did ultimately feel like the ending left things a little unfinished--I'm wondering if there'll be a sequel--but beyond that, I have no complaints. And either way, there's no question that I'd recommend this novel to any horror lover out there.

Hide is a highly character driven horror. Not the thoughts and pasts of the characters drive the story forward. The outside horror plays a role, for sure, but it's not the driving force of the plot. There's a lot to like in this novel: the characters are fully developed and well-rounded, experiencing both they're the traps of their flaws and real personal if short-lived growth, underlining social commentaries that not over the top or too prominent, the horror isn't all that graphic, not off page but again nothing over the top, it's well written, and no real logical flaws. However, as much as I liked many aspects of the book, it didn't have that have the creepiness or sense of dread that is an important factor in horror. There isn't show more enough character driven horror published, so it's great to see it in a well written novel. This was just a little too light in the horror for me. show less

Mackenzie Black is tapped to participate in a contest to hide--the winner getting $50,000. She had suffered trauma as a child when her father killed her whole family except for her since she had taken her sister Madeline's really good hiding place. She meets the other 13 candidates and bonds with Ava, an injured veteran. The book talks about the backstory of several of the participants--all looking to win to get their lives back on track--Ava2, Jaden, LaGrande, Brandon, Christian, Ian, Rebecca, and more. Linda seems to be the organizer since she is about the only person the contestants interact with. They are taken to an abandoned amusement park and told to hide. The last found would be the winner. About half-way through some show more contestants start wondering what is happening since they begin finding other contestants shoes, jewelry, and big patches of blood. This is truly a horror story showing to what lengths some people will go to insure outstanding success in life. show less