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Hidden
When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra's father steals a minivan. He doesn't know that Wren is hiding in the back. The hours and days that follow change the lives of both girls. Darra is left with a question that only Wren can answer. Wren has questions, too.
Years later, in a chance encounter at camp, the girls face each other for the first time. They can finally learn the truth—that is, if they're willing to reveal to each other the stories that they've hidden for so long. Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel-in-poems reveals the complexities of memory and the strength of a friendship that can overcome pain.
Years later, in a chance encounter at camp, the girls face each other for the first time. They can finally learn the truth—that is, if they're willing to reveal to each other the stories that they've hidden for so long. Told from alternating viewpoints, this novel-in-poems reveals the complexities of memory and the strength of a friendship that can overcome pain.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published May 10, 2011
160 people are currently reading
4574 people want to read
About the author
Helen Frost
190 books225 followersI'm dipping my toes into goodreads to see how it works. Thanks for finding me here, and thanks to everyone who has read and written about my books. I love to know you're there, even if I don't come here too often to say so.
Helen Frost is the author of eleven novels-in-poems and seven picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...
Helen Frost is the author of eleven novels-in-poems and seven picture books for children and young adults. She lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/helenf...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,003 reviews
December 17, 2016
This book started out great then went downhill. It's a book about an accidental kidnapping, and the book begins with that. Those 30-ish pages were great, very atmospheric, very beautiful writing, but then there reached a point. I don't know what it is about kidnapping stories, but I always go into it expecting a full novel of suspense and tragedy, but then they escape or the issue gets resolved only half-way through the story, and then I end up being bored for the rest of the book when everything is okay and they're just sorting through psychological issues. This book was very heavily focused on the afterward, and it was duel perspective, and both of those added together just made the last half of this book so bland. The writing was very focused on characters' actions rather than imagery, descriptions, or character development, so I was having a hard time injecting myself into the summer camp setting of this novel just because there was so much lacking description. I literally didn't even know that one of the main girls was a POC until I saw the alternative cover of this book 5 minutes ago on goodreads, which I think reveals something significant about the lack of characterization and details. Overall this was worth the few bucks I paid for it on bookoutlet, but it's not one of my favorite books written in verse.
July 1, 2011
If poems had been introduced to me as a child as puzzles, maybe I would have taken to them a little more. A poem is a kind of puzzle, isn't it? Depending on the kind of poem you have to make the syllables and words conform to a preexisting format. Unless it's free verse, of course. Then all bets are off. That's what you do when you're writing a poem, but can reading one be an act of puzzle-solving as well? Earlier this year I reviewed Bob Raczka's Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word which required the reader's eyes to leap around the page, piecing together the words. Hidden by Helen Frost requires relatively less work to read, but the reader willing to seek out the messages hidden (ho ho) in some of the poems will be amply rewarded. The result is that "Hidden" manages to be both a book of poetry and a wholly original story of two girls bound together by a singular, accidental crime.
When you go to a new summer camp you usually have to deal with not knowing anyone. That's not Darra's problem though. Her problem is that she does know someone and, worse, that person knows her too. Years and years ago Darra's father accidentally kidnapped a young girl by the name of Wren Abbot. He didn't mean to, of course. He was carjacking, unaware that Wren was hidden in the back of the car, frightened out of her mind. Years later Darra, who once helped Wren, runs into the girl that, she is convinced, led the cops back to her home and got her dad arrested. Now they have no idea how to act around one another, and in the midst of the usual tween summer camp dramas they need to return to the past to clarify what happened and to figure out if they both can recover from the experience.
I've been a fan of Frost's for years. Lots of authors write verse novels (stories written in free verse) and most of them are little more than just a series of sentences broken up without much reason except to pad out the pages. Frost is never like that. When she writes a verse novel she commits. Her books are written in various forms for a reason. In The Braid she created an intricate braid-like form of poetry that twisted and turned on itself. In Diamond Willow her poems were diamond shaped with special messages hidden inside. Hidden take a different tactic. Wren's voice is straight up free verse, while Darra's requires a little more work. As Frost puts it, "The last words of the long lines, when read down the right side of the page, give further insight into her story." Well when I read that I had to flip the book back to the beginning to see if it was true or not. Sure as shooting, each and every one of Darra's sections yields a new side of her story. The words behind her words, you might say. The experience of discovering this is akin to a small treasure hunt. When pitching this book to kids, make sure you play up this aspect. Some children will immediately decode the messages first. In doing so, they'll reveal a fascinating mystery and will probably be inclined to read the whole book as well.
Considering the format, the story makes for a very fast read. That said, you might think that the writing was relatively simple as well. Yet for all that it stands at a svelte 147 pages, Frost has managed to say only that which is important to the text. There isn't any blubber to be found. Nothing to cut out. To show the emotional journey of two damaged girls, many authors would pile on the descriptions and the overblown language. Frost doesn't have that luxury, so the result is a spare, pointed read without a trace of fat. It's a little lesson in saying only what what is essential.
The long and short of the matter is that I believed in these girls. I believed in Darra with her fears about belonging to a different class than most of the girls at the camp. I believed in Wren, suppressing the memory of what happened all those years ago. They work because they aren't the usual stock characters. This isn't a story of the rich girl and the poor girl that become friends. And then there's Darra's father. She loves him, though he was abusive and a thief. Dig a little deeper (and read the hidden messages in Darra's speech) and you get a glimpse of what made him that way. It's not an excuse, but the book does a good job of showing that even an abuser can be loved.
Kids get assignments in school to read books that contain "more than 100 pages" for class all the time. Reluctant readers hate this and the older the kid the harder it is for them to find something that fits. For them, verse novels have become kind of a godsend. Here you have all the plot and character development a teacher could require, but with words that don't intimidate someone unaccustomed to Harry Potter-sized tomes. Of the verse novelists, Frost is one of the best because she never forgets that books of this sort are poetry, first and foremost. So for something original and smart, fun and harrowing all at once, Hidden delivers. It's verse done right.
For ages 10 and up.
When you go to a new summer camp you usually have to deal with not knowing anyone. That's not Darra's problem though. Her problem is that she does know someone and, worse, that person knows her too. Years and years ago Darra's father accidentally kidnapped a young girl by the name of Wren Abbot. He didn't mean to, of course. He was carjacking, unaware that Wren was hidden in the back of the car, frightened out of her mind. Years later Darra, who once helped Wren, runs into the girl that, she is convinced, led the cops back to her home and got her dad arrested. Now they have no idea how to act around one another, and in the midst of the usual tween summer camp dramas they need to return to the past to clarify what happened and to figure out if they both can recover from the experience.
I've been a fan of Frost's for years. Lots of authors write verse novels (stories written in free verse) and most of them are little more than just a series of sentences broken up without much reason except to pad out the pages. Frost is never like that. When she writes a verse novel she commits. Her books are written in various forms for a reason. In The Braid she created an intricate braid-like form of poetry that twisted and turned on itself. In Diamond Willow her poems were diamond shaped with special messages hidden inside. Hidden take a different tactic. Wren's voice is straight up free verse, while Darra's requires a little more work. As Frost puts it, "The last words of the long lines, when read down the right side of the page, give further insight into her story." Well when I read that I had to flip the book back to the beginning to see if it was true or not. Sure as shooting, each and every one of Darra's sections yields a new side of her story. The words behind her words, you might say. The experience of discovering this is akin to a small treasure hunt. When pitching this book to kids, make sure you play up this aspect. Some children will immediately decode the messages first. In doing so, they'll reveal a fascinating mystery and will probably be inclined to read the whole book as well.
Considering the format, the story makes for a very fast read. That said, you might think that the writing was relatively simple as well. Yet for all that it stands at a svelte 147 pages, Frost has managed to say only that which is important to the text. There isn't any blubber to be found. Nothing to cut out. To show the emotional journey of two damaged girls, many authors would pile on the descriptions and the overblown language. Frost doesn't have that luxury, so the result is a spare, pointed read without a trace of fat. It's a little lesson in saying only what what is essential.
The long and short of the matter is that I believed in these girls. I believed in Darra with her fears about belonging to a different class than most of the girls at the camp. I believed in Wren, suppressing the memory of what happened all those years ago. They work because they aren't the usual stock characters. This isn't a story of the rich girl and the poor girl that become friends. And then there's Darra's father. She loves him, though he was abusive and a thief. Dig a little deeper (and read the hidden messages in Darra's speech) and you get a glimpse of what made him that way. It's not an excuse, but the book does a good job of showing that even an abuser can be loved.
Kids get assignments in school to read books that contain "more than 100 pages" for class all the time. Reluctant readers hate this and the older the kid the harder it is for them to find something that fits. For them, verse novels have become kind of a godsend. Here you have all the plot and character development a teacher could require, but with words that don't intimidate someone unaccustomed to Harry Potter-sized tomes. Of the verse novelists, Frost is one of the best because she never forgets that books of this sort are poetry, first and foremost. So for something original and smart, fun and harrowing all at once, Hidden delivers. It's verse done right.
For ages 10 and up.
July 12, 2016
Cramathon book #6: complete!
More like 3.5. This was really touching and sweet. Definitely snuck up on me. Also shout out to the Cramathon ladies for making the "read a book in verse" challenge bc I'm like 99% sure I never would have read this otherwise. Haaaaaaa
More like 3.5. This was really touching and sweet. Definitely snuck up on me. Also shout out to the Cramathon ladies for making the "read a book in verse" challenge bc I'm like 99% sure I never would have read this otherwise. Haaaaaaa
June 17, 2019
3 Stars.
Short and sweet. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a quick easy read and the story was really interesting. I liked the characters and the pace. the only thing I would say is that I wish it would have dug a little deeper & expanded more.
Short and sweet. I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a quick easy read and the story was really interesting. I liked the characters and the pace. the only thing I would say is that I wish it would have dug a little deeper & expanded more.
February 3, 2023
The opening pages of this children's novel "in verse" are gripping -- a first person present tense narration from the point of view of an eight year-old girl being accidentally kidnapped. I came across a copy in a box of like-new children's books dumped on the sidewalk by a neighbor, and tried the first page and thought I might as well read it -- with so few words on each page it at least wouldn't be a big time commitment, and I wanted to know what would happen.
The rest of the book wasn't as strong as the opening section, but I remained mildly interested. I confess novels in verse irritate me slightly, especially when they're middle grade children's fiction which always seem to be free verse. Generally, these books are simply spare prose artificially arranged into stanzas. The back cover of the book says that each point of view character's (we also hear from the inadvertent kidnapper's daughter) poems are written in a different form, and I arched a scornful eyebrow over that, because the only difference I perceived is that the kidnapped girl's stanzas are narrower. An author's note at the end revealing the "secret" about one of the girl's forms had me flipping back to the beginning to read her sections again. Unfortunately this bit of cleverness felt wasted, as what I read going through it again didn't dramatically change anything -- I'd already inferred what was revealed. I can imagine kids finding it cool, though.
The rest of the book wasn't as strong as the opening section, but I remained mildly interested. I confess novels in verse irritate me slightly, especially when they're middle grade children's fiction which always seem to be free verse. Generally, these books are simply spare prose artificially arranged into stanzas. The back cover of the book says that each point of view character's (we also hear from the inadvertent kidnapper's daughter) poems are written in a different form, and I arched a scornful eyebrow over that, because the only difference I perceived is that the kidnapped girl's stanzas are narrower. An author's note at the end revealing the "secret" about one of the girl's forms had me flipping back to the beginning to read her sections again. Unfortunately this bit of cleverness felt wasted, as what I read going through it again didn't dramatically change anything -- I'd already inferred what was revealed. I can imagine kids finding it cool, though.
August 31, 2018
It's a very deep book talking about two girls who met after a kidnapping. I normally don't enjoy reading fast-paced books, but this is one I enjoy reading.
November 5, 2011
15 May 2011 HIDDEN by Helen Frost, Frances Foster Books/FSG, May 2011, 160p., ISBN: 978-0-374-38221-6
"Whoosh!
What do you do when all of a sudden your dad is gone and the
rest of your life is nothing
like it was before. We had plans
to go back to the lake -- we'd be going back every summer!
Dad and Mom had already saved up almost
all the vacation and money they needed.
And then, whoosh! First Dad lost his job, and 'started a business' -- I
pictured him fixing cars for people,
with his business partner, named Stu.
(Like beef stew? I thought when I heard that.) But it turns out Stu was
already on a Most Wanted list
before he even met my dad, and they
weren't fixing cars, they were stealing them. They stole seven
cars -- I remember every one of them. They'd
bring them into our garage and paint them.
Mom and Dad started fighting a lot. Mom hated Stu. She said Dad
should stay home and take care of me while she
went to work. Dad was okay most of the time -- I
thought it would be fun, and it was, at first. Then one time he took
me with him to 'pick up a car at Stu's place,'
and I caught on. It didn't take long to figure out
that Mom knew what Dad was doing, and neither of them wanted me
to tell. I never said a word about it. When I saw
the first part of the TV news about Wren Abbott,
I wondered: Did the store-robber who took the car ever go out fishing
with his kid? I knew it couldn't be Dad because he
would never rob a store. Then they showed a picture
of a man who got shot by the store clerk. It was Stu, right there on
our TV. He was dead. I thought fast. Maybe
no one besides Mom and me knew that Dad was
Stu's partner -- which meant Dad might not get caught. There was a
chance. If Wren Abbott hadn't led the cops
to our house that morning, Dad would probably
still be home with us. My family would have gone back to the lake
that summer, and all five summers since.
We might be heading up there right now."
As we read a story, we either look into a mirror at ourselves or we look through a window at another side, another perspective. HIDDEN by Helen Frost compels us to do a bit of each.
HIDDEN is the story, written in poetic form, of Darra Monson, the girl whose father was sent to jail when she was eight years old. When the store robbery went so horribly wrong, her father -- who had no gun -- raced out, jumped into a minivan in the parking lot in which someone had left the keys, sped home, and hid the stolen minivan in the garage. What Darra's father didn't know was that a girl -- the same age as his daughter -- had been sitting in that minivan while her mother ran into the store, but had jumped into the back and ducked under a blanket when she heard the gunfire erupt.
Darra takes several dangerous steps to help the girl whose picture is on the television news and who, Darra comes to realize, is hiding in her garage. These are pivotal steps that could no doubt get Darra beaten if she is caught deceiving her father. These are pivotal steps that buy the accidentally-abducted girl time to figure a way to escape from the garage -- which she eventually does -- without being detected by Darra's parents. And what does Darra get out of the deal? Her father and those blissful times with the boat, vacationing on the lake, are locked away from her for the rest of her childhood.
Author Helen Frost cleverly begins Darra's story by having an entire first section written from the point of view of young victim Wren Abbott, who conveys her account of the robbery gone wrong, the accidental abduction, the terror in the garage, and the eventual escape. This tense depiction permits our seeing how little Wren learns of Darra and her world.
The moment Wren escapes the garage, she disappears from the story for the next six years until the two girls -- now fourteen -- find themselves both randomly bunked in the same summer camp cabin. In powerful, alternating poetic pieces, we see the results of this volatile mixture and the past history which both girls must keep secret from their fellow campers.
I've engaged in several lively discussions about the cover of HIDDEN featuring the two fourteen year-old girls, one light-skinned and one dark. We are nearly through the book before we learn anything about the physical appearances of either girl. Except for the difference in skin and hair colors, the two girls depicted on the cover are essentially interchangeable. I find this brilliant because, with it being so random who you end up with as your parents, the two girls could have so easily ended up on the reverse ends of the equation.
A mirror or a window. Whoosh! It can so easily be us looking from the other side.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EcolIt/ http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
"Whoosh!
What do you do when all of a sudden your dad is gone and the
rest of your life is nothing
like it was before. We had plans
to go back to the lake -- we'd be going back every summer!
Dad and Mom had already saved up almost
all the vacation and money they needed.
And then, whoosh! First Dad lost his job, and 'started a business' -- I
pictured him fixing cars for people,
with his business partner, named Stu.
(Like beef stew? I thought when I heard that.) But it turns out Stu was
already on a Most Wanted list
before he even met my dad, and they
weren't fixing cars, they were stealing them. They stole seven
cars -- I remember every one of them. They'd
bring them into our garage and paint them.
Mom and Dad started fighting a lot. Mom hated Stu. She said Dad
should stay home and take care of me while she
went to work. Dad was okay most of the time -- I
thought it would be fun, and it was, at first. Then one time he took
me with him to 'pick up a car at Stu's place,'
and I caught on. It didn't take long to figure out
that Mom knew what Dad was doing, and neither of them wanted me
to tell. I never said a word about it. When I saw
the first part of the TV news about Wren Abbott,
I wondered: Did the store-robber who took the car ever go out fishing
with his kid? I knew it couldn't be Dad because he
would never rob a store. Then they showed a picture
of a man who got shot by the store clerk. It was Stu, right there on
our TV. He was dead. I thought fast. Maybe
no one besides Mom and me knew that Dad was
Stu's partner -- which meant Dad might not get caught. There was a
chance. If Wren Abbott hadn't led the cops
to our house that morning, Dad would probably
still be home with us. My family would have gone back to the lake
that summer, and all five summers since.
We might be heading up there right now."
As we read a story, we either look into a mirror at ourselves or we look through a window at another side, another perspective. HIDDEN by Helen Frost compels us to do a bit of each.
HIDDEN is the story, written in poetic form, of Darra Monson, the girl whose father was sent to jail when she was eight years old. When the store robbery went so horribly wrong, her father -- who had no gun -- raced out, jumped into a minivan in the parking lot in which someone had left the keys, sped home, and hid the stolen minivan in the garage. What Darra's father didn't know was that a girl -- the same age as his daughter -- had been sitting in that minivan while her mother ran into the store, but had jumped into the back and ducked under a blanket when she heard the gunfire erupt.
Darra takes several dangerous steps to help the girl whose picture is on the television news and who, Darra comes to realize, is hiding in her garage. These are pivotal steps that could no doubt get Darra beaten if she is caught deceiving her father. These are pivotal steps that buy the accidentally-abducted girl time to figure a way to escape from the garage -- which she eventually does -- without being detected by Darra's parents. And what does Darra get out of the deal? Her father and those blissful times with the boat, vacationing on the lake, are locked away from her for the rest of her childhood.
Author Helen Frost cleverly begins Darra's story by having an entire first section written from the point of view of young victim Wren Abbott, who conveys her account of the robbery gone wrong, the accidental abduction, the terror in the garage, and the eventual escape. This tense depiction permits our seeing how little Wren learns of Darra and her world.
The moment Wren escapes the garage, she disappears from the story for the next six years until the two girls -- now fourteen -- find themselves both randomly bunked in the same summer camp cabin. In powerful, alternating poetic pieces, we see the results of this volatile mixture and the past history which both girls must keep secret from their fellow campers.
I've engaged in several lively discussions about the cover of HIDDEN featuring the two fourteen year-old girls, one light-skinned and one dark. We are nearly through the book before we learn anything about the physical appearances of either girl. Except for the difference in skin and hair colors, the two girls depicted on the cover are essentially interchangeable. I find this brilliant because, with it being so random who you end up with as your parents, the two girls could have so easily ended up on the reverse ends of the equation.
A mirror or a window. Whoosh! It can so easily be us looking from the other side.
Richie Partington, MLIS
Richie's Picks http://richiespicks.com
BudNotBuddy@aol.com
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/middle_...
Moderator http://groups.yahoo.com/group/EcolIt/ http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/people/facult...
August 15, 2019
Click here to see this review and others on my blog Reading With Daniella
3.5 of 5 stars
This was a super quick and easy read, but it was completely unlike anything that I've ever read before.
I believe that this was the first poetry book that I've read before, and I really, really enjoyed the writing style! It was told in alternating points of view, with each of the girls having a different type of poetry. I particularly enjoyed Darra's poetry style which included an additional story hidden in the main poem, which was found by reading all the last words of the long lines of the poem. (I feel like that doesn't sound like it makes sense but you'll see what I mean if you read it). The additional poem really didn't add all that much to the story, but it was unique, interesting, and fun to go through the poem to find it.
The fact that it was written in verse made for a very quickly paced story that I managed to read in just one day.
The plot itself was also quite unique and interesting. I was captivated from the very first page and the book was difficult to put down the entire way through.
I really loved the beginning of the story and watching Wren struggle to escape. I wish that section of the book would have been a little bit longer. I think there was a lot of room to expand and it would have been worth delving deeper into her experience. I also would have enjoyed learning a little bit more about Wren's life after the kidnapping and how she dealt with such a traumatic experience. However, these are only minor complaints that I have and I enjoyed the story despite these things.
The cover for the book is stunning! It's very simplistic but so, so beautiful! The flowers and greenery are especially vibrant in person. However, I'm not really sure that it's a great fit for the book. It think it's a great match for the title, but not necessarily the story itself.
If you're looking for a super short but interesting read or something written in verse, I would suggest giving this one a try!
*I read this book during The Reading Rush 2019. It fulfilled the prompt of reading an entire book in the same spot (in this case, my bed!).
3.5 of 5 stars
This was a super quick and easy read, but it was completely unlike anything that I've ever read before.
I believe that this was the first poetry book that I've read before, and I really, really enjoyed the writing style! It was told in alternating points of view, with each of the girls having a different type of poetry. I particularly enjoyed Darra's poetry style which included an additional story hidden in the main poem, which was found by reading all the last words of the long lines of the poem. (I feel like that doesn't sound like it makes sense but you'll see what I mean if you read it). The additional poem really didn't add all that much to the story, but it was unique, interesting, and fun to go through the poem to find it.
The fact that it was written in verse made for a very quickly paced story that I managed to read in just one day.
The plot itself was also quite unique and interesting. I was captivated from the very first page and the book was difficult to put down the entire way through.
I really loved the beginning of the story and watching Wren struggle to escape. I wish that section of the book would have been a little bit longer. I think there was a lot of room to expand and it would have been worth delving deeper into her experience. I also would have enjoyed learning a little bit more about Wren's life after the kidnapping and how she dealt with such a traumatic experience. However, these are only minor complaints that I have and I enjoyed the story despite these things.
The cover for the book is stunning! It's very simplistic but so, so beautiful! The flowers and greenery are especially vibrant in person. However, I'm not really sure that it's a great fit for the book. It think it's a great match for the title, but not necessarily the story itself.
If you're looking for a super short but interesting read or something written in verse, I would suggest giving this one a try!
*I read this book during The Reading Rush 2019. It fulfilled the prompt of reading an entire book in the same spot (in this case, my bed!).
November 11, 2011
Very likely this author's books are just never going to connect with me. I didn't loathe it the way I loathed Diamond Willow, but I didn't think it was very good. It seems to me a bad sign when you have to explain the new poetic form in the back of the book in order for readers to see what it is you're trying to do--god help me, this concept worked better in Diamond Willow--but after I went back to read the secret messages, I didn't think they added to the story anyway.
I think it's great that the author tries new things and is experimental, and I'm glad if that connects with some readers.
I think it's great that the author tries new things and is experimental, and I'm glad if that connects with some readers.
December 17, 2023
the only way to describe this is "okay book made worse by school."
March 2, 2024
9/9//11 Powerful story about two girls whose paths cross during a traumatic incident that occurs when they are 8 years old and then again 5 years later when they meet at a summer camp.
2/29/24 I recently reread this and still found it to be a rewarding read, especially for those looking for stories that deal with trauma for tweens. Make sure to read Digging Deeper: Notes on Form at the end of the book to learn more about the creativity and brilliance of Helen Frost and the hidden story within this story.
2/29/24 I recently reread this and still found it to be a rewarding read, especially for those looking for stories that deal with trauma for tweens. Make sure to read Digging Deeper: Notes on Form at the end of the book to learn more about the creativity and brilliance of Helen Frost and the hidden story within this story.
January 11, 2022
A great fast read. Lots of emotions,well developed characters.
July 25, 2022
The cover caught my eye on Hoopla, I think. This may be the first in the genre Children's Fiction that I have read since being a child. The narrators: Sisi Aisha Johnson & Maria Cabezas were amazing.
Without spoiling or repeating the synopsis, this story played with all my emotions. I laughed, cried, was shocked, scared, and relieved all in 2.5 hours.
Two little girls meet under extreme circumstances and two young ladies emerge after camp.
I loved how this was written and the storyline is believable. The cover which drew me in is explained.
While I loved this book, and all it represents, Children's Fiction is a genre for children, teachers, parents, etc.
Without spoiling or repeating the synopsis, this story played with all my emotions. I laughed, cried, was shocked, scared, and relieved all in 2.5 hours.
Two little girls meet under extreme circumstances and two young ladies emerge after camp.
I loved how this was written and the storyline is believable. The cover which drew me in is explained.
While I loved this book, and all it represents, Children's Fiction is a genre for children, teachers, parents, etc.
June 18, 2019
This book was super short especially because it was written in verse, but it was an interesting story about two girls and how they were affected by a kidnapping.
Overall it was ok, I think I would have liked it more if it was a longer story but the beginning of this book was so good, at one point I was so anxious to see what was gonna happen
Overall it was ok, I think I would have liked it more if it was a longer story but the beginning of this book was so good, at one point I was so anxious to see what was gonna happen
July 8, 2011
I've read several of Helen Frost's novels in verse. I think this is her most recent. The story is quite different from anything else I've read by her. The two girls who narrate are brought together in a very unusual way, when Wren is accidentally kidnapped by Darra's father. (He steals the car without realizing she's in it.) Wren's experience obviously changes her life, and Darra's is changed by knowing what she went through and because her father is arrested afterwards. Years later, the two meet again at summer camp, where they're forced to confront their shared past.
The first section of the book, when Wren is kidnapped, is the better part. The second part, in summer camp, can drag in spots. I feel like that needed tightening up a bit. Still, it was well written, and emotionally honest, and I greatly appreciate that.
The first section of the book, when Wren is kidnapped, is the better part. The second part, in summer camp, can drag in spots. I feel like that needed tightening up a bit. Still, it was well written, and emotionally honest, and I greatly appreciate that.
May 15, 2022
Need to read the diving deeper notes at the end of the book for a cool insight and how to reread a section of the form.
February 25, 2016
Have you ever had a huge trauma in your life where you can't get over it no matter how hard you try? Well this happened to the main characters in this book Wren Abbott when she got accidently kidnapped and Darra Monson when her dad goes to jail. The genre of this book is realistic fiction because what happened to Wren and Darra could happen to anyone else in real life. Overall I really liked the story because it was an interesting story and relatable to some people.
This story had two very important settings. The first setting took place at Darra's Garage and the second setting took place at Camp Oakwood. Wren was eight years old when Darra's dad West stole her mom's gold minivan that was parked by the gas station. Before stealing the car West kills his best friend because they were arguing. What West didn't know was that Wren was at the backseat of the minivan so he ended up kidnapping her. The conflict is person vs. person because West is very aggressive and is always hurting people like Wren, Darra, and Darra's mom Stacey. Plus he also illegally sells stolen vehicles. But West never noticed Wren when he parked the minivan in his garage so he didn't worry at all. Darra, West's daughter saw that they were looking for Wren Abbott in the news so she assumed she was hiding in her garage since she couldn't be anywhere else. Darra fed Wren and helped her escape but they never saw each other face to face. Darra's dad had to go to jail and Wren was reunited with her family. Now they have to face each other at Camp Oakwood years later. At first its hard to face the truth but at the end they tell each other their version of their story. The memories are unpleasant to remember but they get the missing pieces from the story that they needed back. At the end Darra's dad gets out of jail and Wren meets Darra's mom Stacey. The theme of the story is to be brave under all circumstances and not to be frightened to get to meet new people. I say this is the theme because Wren was scared to meet Darra because she thought she was as aggressive as her dad and Darra was scared to meet Wren because she thought she was the one that put her dad in jail but they ended up being good friends at the end of the story.
The point of view differs from Darra to Wren. Some parts of the story are from Darra's point of view and some are from Wrens point of view but the author always makes sure to include the name of whose point of view it is before each chapter. Also instead of using dialogue she uses normal print for the first person point of view and italic for the other person. I've never seen a book with dialogue like this but I think its a great idea and way easier than normal dialogue. Like for example in one point of the book the exact words were, " A man's voice. C'mon start! He was yelling at our car- and the car was obeying him" told from Wren's point of view. The title relates to the book because Wren had to hide inside the boat in Darra's garage when West took the car so that's probably why the book's name is hidden. The setting of the book is important to the theme because Wren and Darra are at Camp Oakwood so they have to spend time together since they are in the same cabin which lead to them getting to know each other better. So it adds to the theme because they were scared to meet each other at first since they only remembered each other's voices but through the camps games and teachings they bonded and took away the fear of meeting new people. The author's tone through out the story changed because at the beginning it was more as of a childish tone since they were little eight-year olds back then and the author added details for the reader to infer what was happening but towards the end since the characters were older he told us exactly what was happening in a more mature tone.
I was surprised when I realize that both of them were in the same camp and same cabin because I didn't think that they would see each other again but these event was important for the plot of the story. I liked the way the author wrote the book in stanzas to make it look like a poem because I found it easier to read and I felt like it gave more of a poetic tone. I was satisfied with the ending of the story because I like that Darra's dad got to go out of jail even if he was a violent person because Darra really needed him and she missed him a lot, I think by now West has learned his lesson. An interesting thing I learned from thus book was the different activities you could do in a summer camp, like for example they had played a game called "Drown Last" where you try to drown a person until they give up. There's a lot of fun games and routines that I didn't know you did in camps until I read this book. The characters Darra and Warren are different because Darra is very shy and doesn't want to talk to anyone and she also doesn't have much money and nice clothing like the rest of the girls on the camp. On the other hand Warren is really wealthy and is kind of like the mean girl at first because some of the girls were making fun of Darra at the beginning of the game and Warren just went along with it. I like that Darra didn't let that stop or bother her and kept going even if people made fun of her. I was surprised with an important event in the story, probably the rising action since it was so intense because Darra and Warren were playing drown last and Wren literally tries to drown Darra from all that hate she has stuck inside her for all these years. But this event helped because the girls talked it out and solved the problem that had started years ago.
In conclusion, I would give this book four stars because it was a really good book but it wasn't the best book I've ever read. I would recommend this book for people that like suspenseful books because this was totally a mystery book. So if you ever get mad at someone and it feels like the problem will never get fixed just think about what happened to Darra and Warren and talk things out.
This story had two very important settings. The first setting took place at Darra's Garage and the second setting took place at Camp Oakwood. Wren was eight years old when Darra's dad West stole her mom's gold minivan that was parked by the gas station. Before stealing the car West kills his best friend because they were arguing. What West didn't know was that Wren was at the backseat of the minivan so he ended up kidnapping her. The conflict is person vs. person because West is very aggressive and is always hurting people like Wren, Darra, and Darra's mom Stacey. Plus he also illegally sells stolen vehicles. But West never noticed Wren when he parked the minivan in his garage so he didn't worry at all. Darra, West's daughter saw that they were looking for Wren Abbott in the news so she assumed she was hiding in her garage since she couldn't be anywhere else. Darra fed Wren and helped her escape but they never saw each other face to face. Darra's dad had to go to jail and Wren was reunited with her family. Now they have to face each other at Camp Oakwood years later. At first its hard to face the truth but at the end they tell each other their version of their story. The memories are unpleasant to remember but they get the missing pieces from the story that they needed back. At the end Darra's dad gets out of jail and Wren meets Darra's mom Stacey. The theme of the story is to be brave under all circumstances and not to be frightened to get to meet new people. I say this is the theme because Wren was scared to meet Darra because she thought she was as aggressive as her dad and Darra was scared to meet Wren because she thought she was the one that put her dad in jail but they ended up being good friends at the end of the story.
The point of view differs from Darra to Wren. Some parts of the story are from Darra's point of view and some are from Wrens point of view but the author always makes sure to include the name of whose point of view it is before each chapter. Also instead of using dialogue she uses normal print for the first person point of view and italic for the other person. I've never seen a book with dialogue like this but I think its a great idea and way easier than normal dialogue. Like for example in one point of the book the exact words were, " A man's voice. C'mon start! He was yelling at our car- and the car was obeying him" told from Wren's point of view. The title relates to the book because Wren had to hide inside the boat in Darra's garage when West took the car so that's probably why the book's name is hidden. The setting of the book is important to the theme because Wren and Darra are at Camp Oakwood so they have to spend time together since they are in the same cabin which lead to them getting to know each other better. So it adds to the theme because they were scared to meet each other at first since they only remembered each other's voices but through the camps games and teachings they bonded and took away the fear of meeting new people. The author's tone through out the story changed because at the beginning it was more as of a childish tone since they were little eight-year olds back then and the author added details for the reader to infer what was happening but towards the end since the characters were older he told us exactly what was happening in a more mature tone.
I was surprised when I realize that both of them were in the same camp and same cabin because I didn't think that they would see each other again but these event was important for the plot of the story. I liked the way the author wrote the book in stanzas to make it look like a poem because I found it easier to read and I felt like it gave more of a poetic tone. I was satisfied with the ending of the story because I like that Darra's dad got to go out of jail even if he was a violent person because Darra really needed him and she missed him a lot, I think by now West has learned his lesson. An interesting thing I learned from thus book was the different activities you could do in a summer camp, like for example they had played a game called "Drown Last" where you try to drown a person until they give up. There's a lot of fun games and routines that I didn't know you did in camps until I read this book. The characters Darra and Warren are different because Darra is very shy and doesn't want to talk to anyone and she also doesn't have much money and nice clothing like the rest of the girls on the camp. On the other hand Warren is really wealthy and is kind of like the mean girl at first because some of the girls were making fun of Darra at the beginning of the game and Warren just went along with it. I like that Darra didn't let that stop or bother her and kept going even if people made fun of her. I was surprised with an important event in the story, probably the rising action since it was so intense because Darra and Warren were playing drown last and Wren literally tries to drown Darra from all that hate she has stuck inside her for all these years. But this event helped because the girls talked it out and solved the problem that had started years ago.
In conclusion, I would give this book four stars because it was a really good book but it wasn't the best book I've ever read. I would recommend this book for people that like suspenseful books because this was totally a mystery book. So if you ever get mad at someone and it feels like the problem will never get fixed just think about what happened to Darra and Warren and talk things out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2018
I really loved this YA novel about a young girl (Wren,8 years old) who is mistakenly "kidnapped" when the car she is in is carjacked by an out-of-work father. She stays hidden in the family's garage where she is helped by the man's daughter, Darra, who is about the same age. After 2 days she is able to escape and Darra's father is sent to jail. Years later the 2 girls are attending the same summer camp. There was so much that I loved about this book. First of all, it is written in verse from alternating viewpoints (Darra and Wren). It flowed beautifully and it was fun to realize that the last words in the long lines of Darra's verse made sentences and told more about the story. It felt like a little hidden mystery to solve. There were lots of ways to use the title "hidden" to describe this book - the hidden words at the end of the long lines, Wren being hidden in the car and the garage in the beginning, and then the girls hiding what happened to them when they eventually meet again at the summer camp. A solid 5 star book!! Recommended to me by Amy, the librarian I work with.
January 24, 2019
Hidden by Helen Frost, published in 2011, is a work of realistic fiction told from two separate first person perspectives, two girls, one named Darra and one named Wren. When Wren and Darra were eight years old, Darra’s dad, West, steals a minivan. What he doesn't know is that there is a small innocent child in the back, Wren. After so many years, the topic is mostly forgotten until both girls end up going to the same summer camp. Darra is the quiet new kid at first while Wren is the outgoing “veteran.” Darra stays in the cabin that about five or six other girls stay in also and sit on her bed alone not talking to anyone. On the other hand, Wren is talkative and knows everyone well. They both have to find a way to live with each other even after everything that has gone on. Over all, the drama in this book keeps you reading; I personally liked it, but I believe that if anyone under the age of eleven will not fully grasp the concept of it.
September 19, 2018
So creative. I love the hidden poetry in Darra's sections.
August 3, 2020
3.5⭐️
Don’t read the summary on the back of the book....
or....do? 🤷🏼♀️
I didn’t read the back and found the beginning so very interesting I wondered if this would be my first 5⭐️ read of 2020. But then the story shifts.
I don’t really want to say anything about this book because it is so short and even the little I have already said could be spoiler-y....
I will simply tell you how the story starts (as in the first pages) and let you read the rest of the book if you are so inclined.
A man steals a car, unbeknownst to him, there is a little 8 year old girl hiding in the back.
Told in verse and in first person.
SPOILERS BELOW
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So the book starts off when West steals a car and 8 year old Wren just happens to be hiding in the back, turning vehicle theft into kidnapping.
The first part as we follow Wren in the 2 days she is hiding in the kidnapper’s garage is so intriguing.
Then she escapes, and we time jump 6 years later to when Wren is 14 and coincidentally meets the kidnapper’s daughter at summer camp.
The summer camp experience is where the intrigue kind of left. For me, this part of the story (which was 3/4 of the book) was a bit boring, and flowed like a day-in-the-life storyline. 🤷🏼♀️
Don’t read the summary on the back of the book....
or....do? 🤷🏼♀️
I didn’t read the back and found the beginning so very interesting I wondered if this would be my first 5⭐️ read of 2020. But then the story shifts.
I don’t really want to say anything about this book because it is so short and even the little I have already said could be spoiler-y....
I will simply tell you how the story starts (as in the first pages) and let you read the rest of the book if you are so inclined.
A man steals a car, unbeknownst to him, there is a little 8 year old girl hiding in the back.
Told in verse and in first person.
SPOILERS BELOW
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
So the book starts off when West steals a car and 8 year old Wren just happens to be hiding in the back, turning vehicle theft into kidnapping.
The first part as we follow Wren in the 2 days she is hiding in the kidnapper’s garage is so intriguing.
Then she escapes, and we time jump 6 years later to when Wren is 14 and coincidentally meets the kidnapper’s daughter at summer camp.
The summer camp experience is where the intrigue kind of left. For me, this part of the story (which was 3/4 of the book) was a bit boring, and flowed like a day-in-the-life storyline. 🤷🏼♀️
May 13, 2016
***Spoiler Alert***
Have you ever read a book where you feel like your inside that book? That you feel like your going through what the characters are going through?, well if not they you should totally read "Hidden". The genre of the book is realistic fiction because what happened to Wren could actually happen to anyone in this world . I think this book is really interesting and mysterious because you are wondering what might happen to Wren next, also this book makes you feel like your the one that's going through all of the things that Darra and Wren are going through.
Hidden is about how an eight year old (Wern) technically got kidnapped by a man who was stealing cars and Wern was inside one and the man took the car where Wern was inside and took it to his garage and it turns out that the man that stole the car had a daughter ( Darra ) same age as Wren (8) and she (Darra) finds out that someone is in her garage (Wren) and she (Darra) gives Wren food but she doesn't mention anything about wren being in their garage, then on the 2 day Wren runs away and they found her by a farm and the police found out where Wren was and they arrested Darras dad for stealing cars and taking Wren , six years later pass and the girls (Wren and Darra) have camp together and they become really close friends and forgot what happened when they were 8 . The setting of this book takes place in Central Michigan , also according to the text Camp Oakwood is located in Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula. The conflict of this book is person vs. person because at first Darra and Wren hated each other also Darras mother and father would always argue according to the text Darras father was really mean to her and her mom. The theme of this book is to love everyone no matter how they treat you or how they act because According to the text Darra still loved and missed her dad even if he treated her and her mother bad.
The tittle "Hidden" relates to the book because Wren was hiding in Darras garage and she stayed hidden there for 2 days without anything that's how the title relates to the book. The setting of this book adds to the conflict because it all takes place in Darras house and it's person vs person because Darras parents always use to argue about why did Darras dad had to steal cars and of that girl they talk about in the news . A major symbol in the story is to love every one no matter how they act and treat you and to help other not wanting something back.
I was surprised when I started reading this book because right away in the beginning the man ( Darras dad ) stole the car in which Wren was on and it was really surprising because you barely started reading and they already stole/ kidnapped Wren. My favorite part of this book was when Wren and Darra started talkin and they started becoming really close and when they became really close friends and forgot about what happened when they were 8 was the best thing ever. "Hidden" is a good title for this book because Wren is actually hidden in Darras garage so it makes a lot is sense because she is hiding from Darras family to see her and she is hidden in their garage without them even knowing .
From a 1-5 I'll give this book a 5 because I like when books make you feel like your inside them and I like the way this book made you feel like you were inside it and like you were going through what Wren and Darra are going through . I would recommend this book to the people that like realistic fiction book or the people that like mystery books and to all of those people that like books that make you feel like your inside them . At the end of the book "Hidden " Darras mother sends her a card that her dad is going out of jail but Darra is scared she dosent think is going to be the same anymore, Wrens family calls her to inform her that Darras dat is out of jail they just wanted to make sure she stayed safe but Wren was safe she felt safe and she even forgot about what happened when she was 8.
Have you ever read a book where you feel like your inside that book? That you feel like your going through what the characters are going through?, well if not they you should totally read "Hidden". The genre of the book is realistic fiction because what happened to Wren could actually happen to anyone in this world . I think this book is really interesting and mysterious because you are wondering what might happen to Wren next, also this book makes you feel like your the one that's going through all of the things that Darra and Wren are going through.
Hidden is about how an eight year old (Wern) technically got kidnapped by a man who was stealing cars and Wern was inside one and the man took the car where Wern was inside and took it to his garage and it turns out that the man that stole the car had a daughter ( Darra ) same age as Wren (8) and she (Darra) finds out that someone is in her garage (Wren) and she (Darra) gives Wren food but she doesn't mention anything about wren being in their garage, then on the 2 day Wren runs away and they found her by a farm and the police found out where Wren was and they arrested Darras dad for stealing cars and taking Wren , six years later pass and the girls (Wren and Darra) have camp together and they become really close friends and forgot what happened when they were 8 . The setting of this book takes place in Central Michigan , also according to the text Camp Oakwood is located in Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula. The conflict of this book is person vs. person because at first Darra and Wren hated each other also Darras mother and father would always argue according to the text Darras father was really mean to her and her mom. The theme of this book is to love everyone no matter how they treat you or how they act because According to the text Darra still loved and missed her dad even if he treated her and her mother bad.
The tittle "Hidden" relates to the book because Wren was hiding in Darras garage and she stayed hidden there for 2 days without anything that's how the title relates to the book. The setting of this book adds to the conflict because it all takes place in Darras house and it's person vs person because Darras parents always use to argue about why did Darras dad had to steal cars and of that girl they talk about in the news . A major symbol in the story is to love every one no matter how they act and treat you and to help other not wanting something back.
I was surprised when I started reading this book because right away in the beginning the man ( Darras dad ) stole the car in which Wren was on and it was really surprising because you barely started reading and they already stole/ kidnapped Wren. My favorite part of this book was when Wren and Darra started talkin and they started becoming really close and when they became really close friends and forgot about what happened when they were 8 was the best thing ever. "Hidden" is a good title for this book because Wren is actually hidden in Darras garage so it makes a lot is sense because she is hiding from Darras family to see her and she is hidden in their garage without them even knowing .
From a 1-5 I'll give this book a 5 because I like when books make you feel like your inside them and I like the way this book made you feel like you were inside it and like you were going through what Wren and Darra are going through . I would recommend this book to the people that like realistic fiction book or the people that like mystery books and to all of those people that like books that make you feel like your inside them . At the end of the book "Hidden " Darras mother sends her a card that her dad is going out of jail but Darra is scared she dosent think is going to be the same anymore, Wrens family calls her to inform her that Darras dat is out of jail they just wanted to make sure she stayed safe but Wren was safe she felt safe and she even forgot about what happened when she was 8.
May 8, 2018
To see this review and more, head to the Lost in Pages blog!
"None of this was our fault."
Hidden is one of the hundreds of books I have randomly put in my cart when BookOutlet was having a massive sale. It looked interesting and it was probably less than 2 dollars.
It's also one of those books I picked up off my shelf (back in 2016) as a palette cleanser, something to get me out of my post-ACOMAF funk.
I must say, Hidden was probably one of my better cheap and random choices. It's short, taking just a couple hours to read it, and it's interesting in a way that goes beyond plot.
Not to say the plot isn't interesting. The storyline of a girl being accidentally kidnapped, escaping, and later meeting her kidnapper's daughter at camp, is quite unique. But it's Frost's storytelling and stylization that really steals the show.
The book is told in alternating POV chapters between both girls, and the voices are so different between them. Beyond voices though, Frost gives each character their own style of writing. Wren is written in free verse and Darra has a unique writing style that Frost invented for this book, (which I will elaborate on in just a second).
Even if you aren't one for alternating POV's (let's be honest, Divergent might have ruined that for a lot of us), Frost really created a distinction between each character that is undeniable. There isn't much of a chance of getting them confused.
Now about that special writing style Frost created. In the back of the book is a "notes on form" page that gives light to this stylization. After reading the book (and I recommend reading it completely first) you can go back through Darra's story and the "last words of the long lines, when reading down the right side of the page" tell their own story. So although you get more of Wren's story in the plot, this little stylization gives you more of Darra that you might have been craving.
As I was writing this review I actually changed my rating from a 4.5 to a 5 because I was realizing just how brilliant Frost is. You don't need a long novel to build a story. I think she created something beautiful. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will take you less than a day to read it, so pick it up. I feel like it needs more love.
"None of this was our fault."
Hidden is one of the hundreds of books I have randomly put in my cart when BookOutlet was having a massive sale. It looked interesting and it was probably less than 2 dollars.
It's also one of those books I picked up off my shelf (back in 2016) as a palette cleanser, something to get me out of my post-ACOMAF funk.
I must say, Hidden was probably one of my better cheap and random choices. It's short, taking just a couple hours to read it, and it's interesting in a way that goes beyond plot.
Not to say the plot isn't interesting. The storyline of a girl being accidentally kidnapped, escaping, and later meeting her kidnapper's daughter at camp, is quite unique. But it's Frost's storytelling and stylization that really steals the show.
The book is told in alternating POV chapters between both girls, and the voices are so different between them. Beyond voices though, Frost gives each character their own style of writing. Wren is written in free verse and Darra has a unique writing style that Frost invented for this book, (which I will elaborate on in just a second).
Even if you aren't one for alternating POV's (let's be honest, Divergent might have ruined that for a lot of us), Frost really created a distinction between each character that is undeniable. There isn't much of a chance of getting them confused.
Now about that special writing style Frost created. In the back of the book is a "notes on form" page that gives light to this stylization. After reading the book (and I recommend reading it completely first) you can go back through Darra's story and the "last words of the long lines, when reading down the right side of the page" tell their own story. So although you get more of Wren's story in the plot, this little stylization gives you more of Darra that you might have been craving.
As I was writing this review I actually changed my rating from a 4.5 to a 5 because I was realizing just how brilliant Frost is. You don't need a long novel to build a story. I think she created something beautiful. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. It will take you less than a day to read it, so pick it up. I feel like it needs more love.
September 13, 2011
teen fiction (in verse); unintentional kidnapping trauma + new girl at summer camp hoping that no one finds out her dad is in prison for said kidnapping. Told in the voices of the kidnapped girl (Wren) and the girl whose dad kidnapped her (Darra). Each voice has its own form of poetic verse; it's not terrible poetry but Darra's voice just looks like randomly broken
up sentences
which turns out to be for no reason
other than that the author wanted to hide
sentences
in the words at the end of the longest lines--
and,
when this tactic is revealed
in the author's note at the end, the reader goes back through
the whole book only to learn
nothing
much new--at all.
Which is maybe just as well since they were likely to miss it in the first place, but still--a little reward for the trouble would've been nice. So, that was kinda pointless, though easier to read than some other books in verse I can think of. The other (big) beef I had with this book was that it felt incredibly manipulated and forced. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to buy into the whole circumstances of these two girls (one's mom left her 8-year-old and her keys in her car unattended while she ran into the minimart to buy something at the same moment when the minimart was being robbed; several years later the girls happen to meet at the same summer camp? and oh, the kidnapped girl's mom's cousin also spent time in prison, as did (other kid at camp) Jeremy's dad?), there's still the whole race thing. Looking at the cover the reader immediately knows it will come into play somewhere; the author is careful not to describe either girl's appearance until the middle of the book--Darra (child of a convicted robber/kidnapper) turns out to be the white girl and the black girl is Wren (whose parents, it's possible, could've been African American hippies to name their child so). Obviously stereotypes exist and it's good that readers are made to challenge how they think--but does it have to feel so deliberate? This might have been an amazing story otherwise.
up sentences
which turns out to be for no reason
other than that the author wanted to hide
sentences
in the words at the end of the longest lines--
and,
when this tactic is revealed
in the author's note at the end, the reader goes back through
the whole book only to learn
nothing
much new--at all.
Which is maybe just as well since they were likely to miss it in the first place, but still--a little reward for the trouble would've been nice. So, that was kinda pointless, though easier to read than some other books in verse I can think of. The other (big) beef I had with this book was that it felt incredibly manipulated and forced. If you can suspend your disbelief long enough to buy into the whole circumstances of these two girls (one's mom left her 8-year-old and her keys in her car unattended while she ran into the minimart to buy something at the same moment when the minimart was being robbed; several years later the girls happen to meet at the same summer camp? and oh, the kidnapped girl's mom's cousin also spent time in prison, as did (other kid at camp) Jeremy's dad?), there's still the whole race thing. Looking at the cover the reader immediately knows it will come into play somewhere; the author is careful not to describe either girl's appearance until the middle of the book--Darra (child of a convicted robber/kidnapper) turns out to be the white girl and the black girl is Wren (whose parents, it's possible, could've been African American hippies to name their child so). Obviously stereotypes exist and it's good that readers are made to challenge how they think--but does it have to feel so deliberate? This might have been an amazing story otherwise.
October 28, 2016
***SPOIL ALERT***
Two girls question what happen in a few days when one of them were kidnapped. Through out this book everything is a mystery Wren and Darra are questioning everything that had happen in those three day for years until they finally meet up at a summer camp.
The story starts when Darra's dad steals Wrens mothers mini van and he takes the car home with wren inside of it but he is clueless she is inside the vehicle. When Darra's dad locks the stolen car in the garage he locks all the doors but not the car doors. Wren dosen't know whats going on but once she figures out she is in the garage she waits a while then sneeks out the car onto a boat she had seen in the garage. Darra soon finds out a little girl is living in her garage but she dosen't want to tell her parents because she wants to get the little girl out with noone knowing that she was ever there. Before Darra can get Wren out she already snuck out of the garage and ran to the nearest house and called the police. As they question what happen in those days they soon meet each other at a summer camp and answer each others questions.
A major event that changed the characters was when Darra's dad stole Wren's mother's mini van with Wren inside not knowing she was in the mini van Darra's dad went to his house. The title hidden relates to the book by telling you how this 8-year old girl was hiding in this man's garage with out him knowing.
I was satisfied with how the ending was set up and the begging. The begging was quick and right into action which I loved becuase I hate reading books that Ihave to wait up until half way through to get to the exciting part. I'd compare this authour to the author who made the book unknow.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 because this book is one of the best mystery books I read. I would recommend this book to people who love to ready mystery books with a happy ending. This book is great and if u don't like reading like me this book is nice and short but very insteresting and keeps you entertain.
Two girls question what happen in a few days when one of them were kidnapped. Through out this book everything is a mystery Wren and Darra are questioning everything that had happen in those three day for years until they finally meet up at a summer camp.
The story starts when Darra's dad steals Wrens mothers mini van and he takes the car home with wren inside of it but he is clueless she is inside the vehicle. When Darra's dad locks the stolen car in the garage he locks all the doors but not the car doors. Wren dosen't know whats going on but once she figures out she is in the garage she waits a while then sneeks out the car onto a boat she had seen in the garage. Darra soon finds out a little girl is living in her garage but she dosen't want to tell her parents because she wants to get the little girl out with noone knowing that she was ever there. Before Darra can get Wren out she already snuck out of the garage and ran to the nearest house and called the police. As they question what happen in those days they soon meet each other at a summer camp and answer each others questions.
A major event that changed the characters was when Darra's dad stole Wren's mother's mini van with Wren inside not knowing she was in the mini van Darra's dad went to his house. The title hidden relates to the book by telling you how this 8-year old girl was hiding in this man's garage with out him knowing.
I was satisfied with how the ending was set up and the begging. The begging was quick and right into action which I loved becuase I hate reading books that Ihave to wait up until half way through to get to the exciting part. I'd compare this authour to the author who made the book unknow.
I rate this book 5 out of 5 because this book is one of the best mystery books I read. I would recommend this book to people who love to ready mystery books with a happy ending. This book is great and if u don't like reading like me this book is nice and short but very insteresting and keeps you entertain.
January 13, 2013
You are 8 years old, waiting in the car while your mom is inside at the gas station. You suddenly hear a gun shot, the car door opens, and a voice yells for the car to turn on. But its a deep, angry voice. It definitely does not belong to your mom. You hide in the backseat, and the stranger drives away to what must be their house, unaware that you are hiding in the backseat. Finally, the stranger goes inside of the house and you are left alone, trapped in the garage. That night, there's only one story on the news. The story of a missing girl, Wren Abbott. And a stolen car. You are Wren Abbott. And you don't know how to escape, to stay safe from the abusive man who stole you, West Monson. You do know that only one person knows you are there- West's 8 year old daughter, Darra. 6 years later, Darra shows up at your favorite summer camp, and both of you are equally confused, awkward, and scared.
Helen Frost's Hidden is a fantastic book. It is written in captivating verse, and divided into three parts: Wren's account of the tragedy, Darra's account of the aftereffects, and both Wren and Darra's account of camp together. This book is very unique, and has a brilliant storyline. I read it within 2-3 hours, and wish there was a sequel (a bit of a cliff-hanger!). Hidden tells a story of family, forgiveness, and unexpected friendship. I would recommend this book to girls or boys, 12+ only because the plot is quite complex. This book made me a huge fan of Helen Frost!
Helen Frost's Hidden is a fantastic book. It is written in captivating verse, and divided into three parts: Wren's account of the tragedy, Darra's account of the aftereffects, and both Wren and Darra's account of camp together. This book is very unique, and has a brilliant storyline. I read it within 2-3 hours, and wish there was a sequel (a bit of a cliff-hanger!). Hidden tells a story of family, forgiveness, and unexpected friendship. I would recommend this book to girls or boys, 12+ only because the plot is quite complex. This book made me a huge fan of Helen Frost!
September 28, 2011
This book is on my Newbery short list! The premise is believeable and riviting. Wren and Darra alternate telling their stories. The beginning is a flashback where Wren sets up the crime. When she was 8 years old, her mother ran into a convenience store and left Wren in the car with the keys so that she could play the radio. She hears one gun shot and, frightened, hides under a blanket in the rear of the car. A man, reeking of cigarette smoke, jumps into the car and drives off, unaware that Wren is hiding in the back. Wren escapes through a ca tdoor in his garage, but not before the man's daughter, Darra, notices that Wren is hiding but doesn't tell. Darra tries to help her by leaving food in the garage. When she escapes, Wren goes to the first house she encounters; the adults call the police, the man is apprehended and sent to jail. Flash forward...now both girls are 12-years-old and end up at the same summer camp in the same bunkhouse. They realize who each other is and have the summer to work out their past and their present relationship. Not only are those issues fascinating, but the style in which the stories are written are equally interesting. Both girls' stories are written in a different form of free verse. In an author's afterward, you learn that the last word in each long sentence of Darra's story make another sentence and give futher insight into her thoughts. A cleverly written, engaging book...wonderful for discussions.
May 13, 2011
I loved the premise of the book when I read about it online. When I received a copy for review I was thrilled. The story is told in poetry and alternating points of view. You have Wren's story about being inadvertently kidnapped by Darra's father. Then you have Darra's story. It is obvious that they blame each other for what they perceive to be the truth. It isn't until they end up at the same camp that they learn each other's stories. At first they try to ignore each other. When they are finally put in a situation where they must face each other, then the healing can begin. I kept thinking how I would feel if I was each of them. They each were right in their feelings if you look at their situation through their eyes. The one thing I really loved about this book was the author's note that told you about a special form. If you read the author's note she tells you how to go back into Darra's story and read it a special way to get a hidden story. This was simple, yet suspenseful. This is a book that didn't even make it to my school shelves before it was checked out. An excellent book to recommend to everyone, especially to reluctant readers. They see the short lines and think they can read it. Once they get into the story they are hooked.
August 7, 2011
The premise of this book should hook kids right from the start: When one girl is accidentally abducted when her mother's car is stolen, the daughter of the car thief, a child the same age, quietly helps her by bringing her food while she's hiding in the family's garage. Years later, those same girls meet at summer camp, recognize one another, and come face to face (literally) with the past that connects them.
Written in verse, with two unique voices and an unusual format twist, this is a quick read that's emotional, compelling, and beautifully crafted. The white space of the format and high-interest hook make it a great choice for reluctant readers and avid readers alike. Highly recommended.
Written in verse, with two unique voices and an unusual format twist, this is a quick read that's emotional, compelling, and beautifully crafted. The white space of the format and high-interest hook make it a great choice for reluctant readers and avid readers alike. Highly recommended.
March 8, 2015
This book is super-unique, and I always have to love an author who is doing something completely new. It felt like an odd combination of The Parent Trap (because of the surprise-meeting-at-camp aspect)and Girl, Stolen ('cause of the...girl...getting stolen...part), all wrapped together in a poetical package. I really liked the little surprise of the end of the lines telling their own story. Ultimately, I think I'll remember this book more for the style than the substance, but I'd give it to realistic fiction fans who want something a little different than usual.
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