Elizabeth’s review of Hidden Pictures > Likes and Comments
1517 likes · Like
I would love an essay! LOL
I DNF this book and couldn't put my finger on what it was. But that might just be because it was so many things all at once.
I really like this book because it shows the bad side of athiest. Most of the books are pretending like athiest are good and Christians are bad. But this one shows the truth.
And this shows the truth of transgender kids. It's parents who force little kids to behave like opposite gender. The author wrote that without a fear.
Too bad you can't handle the truth.
I don’t think this book has anything to do with trans people, but with two people who took advantage of a society where if you say your child is trans, you are applauded and admired, not questioned. And it IS harmful to children to impose gender ideology on them, when not even adults can agree on what it means to have a gender identity. It’s a complex issue and this book only uses that as the twist. Right-wing propaganda? Not really
Moon wrote: "I would love an essay! LOL"
It's not *quite* an essay but I did come back for a little rant lol
Leighanna wrote: "Thank you"
Your wish is my command!
Nicole wrote: "I DNF this book and couldn't put my finger on what it was. But that might just be because it was so many things all at once."
All the things. So much hatred in such a little package.
Misty wrote: "Now I want to read it."
Well, there's no accounting for taste.
Black wrote: "I really like this book because it shows the bad side of athiest. Most of the books are pretending like athiest are good and Christians are bad. But this one shows the truth.
And this shows the tr..."
... that's... not how anything works. Imagine being so brainwashed by bigoted right-wing media that you get angry about kids getting to be themselves. Maybe focus on yourself a little more and worry about other people a little less? You might be happier.
Julia wrote: "I don’t think this book has anything to do with trans people, but with two people who took advantage of a society where if you say your child is trans, you are applauded and admired, not questioned..."
If you can't see how playing into unfounded bigoted fears about evil leftists and trans kids and legitimizing those ideas could be harmful I'm not sure how to help you. This book doesn't exist in a vacuum, and the context of the world it is being released into does, in fact, matter.
THANK YOU! As a queer person who knows and loves a lot of very loved, well-adjusted trans kids, this shit is insidious. The message from trans people and their allies is and has always been "let your kids be themselves and love them through it" regardless of how they identify or express gender, including cisgender kids. Anyone trying to claim otherwise is intellectually dishonest at best.
Heather wrote: "THANK YOU! As a queer person who knows and loves a lot of very loved, well-adjusted trans kids, this shit is insidious. The message from trans people and their allies is and has always been "let yo..."
Exactly this! You've put it so succinctly—so much hate-fuelled intellectual dishonesty.
I’m truly floored so many people liked this. It was like through the whole book I had this building feeling of ick until the last 1/3 or so when things got more blatant and I was like “oh I see why”. Also the several JKR/HP references (out of all authors that is 100% pointed) and the aside at the end about “of course she decided to be a girl obviously” (I borrowed from library so don’t have exact words). I just can’t with this book. And it makes me so mad that people don’t see this rhetoric in the book.
Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that
This book angered me so much. How is it not obvious to everyone what this author is trying to convey? I was even kicked out of a fb group for pointing this out and people went ”I wish you hadn’t made your review political.” Please! Did you even read the book? The AUTHOR meant it to be political. This book is highly political, it’s offensive and it’s pushing extremely harmful stereotypes.
I was going to read this and even had planned on purchasing it this coming week, but after your review and trading some of the other comments, I decided it would be a HECK NO. As the parent of a Trans YA, I absolutely refuse to read or put money into anything that would in any way, shape or form deem my child and others like them as anything other than the wonderfully worthy people they are.
Mandy wrote: "I’m truly floored so many people liked this. It was like through the whole book I had this building feeling of ick until the last 1/3 or so when things got more blatant and I was like “oh I see why..."
I completely forgot to mention all the JKR/HP references! Those definitely added to the "ick" feeling for me early on as well.
Austin wrote: "Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that"
Thanks for the advice! I stopped after the final page and moved on after warning others to avoid a bigoted book.
Allison wrote: "👊 thanks for this."
I'm glad to be of service if it means others can avoid this book!
Magdalena wrote: "This book angered me so much. How is it not obvious to everyone what this author is trying to convey? I was even kicked out of a fb group for pointing this out and people went ”I wish you hadn’t ma..."
It's only political when you disagree with them, obviously /s
The whole idea of avoiding politics in LITERATURE is honestly laughable.
Evie wrote: "I was going to read this and even had planned on purchasing it this coming week, but after your review and trading some of the other comments, I decided it would be a HECK NO. As the parent of a Tr..."
I'm so glad I (along with other reviewers) could help you avoid this one!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write out this thoughtful and incredibly helpful review - especially for those of us who were considering reading it. I’ll be staying far away.
I just finished this book and it was so, so, so dumb. I’ll never consider a goodreads choice award winner to be worth much after this huge error in judgment. Great review though!
How did this win Goodreads Horror of the Year? Did the publisher or author farm the votes out to Fiverr? For one, it is barely horror and reads more like a Lifetime movie. One ghost does not make a book horror. Also, the horror community is progressive and inclusive. This book is full of dog-whistle conservative talking points. Soon to be a major motion picture from The Daily Wire starring Gina Carano?
Yes exactly! I couldn’t stand this book and cannot understand how so many love it. The personal biases of the author are SO CLEAR.
Thanks for fhe heads up!!! I'm glad I won't waste my time with this book.
Thank you so much for this review! I read this last year and gave it a 1-star but couldn't believe this hateful story was getting so much praise. I felt like I had read a different book from everyone else.
OmGWAAAD THANK YOU!! I HATED THIS!! i don't know how the he'll it won goodreads !?
Y’all really just try to find “phobias” in every single thing you read huh?
How was this transphobic? It was literally essential to the story that the kidnapped girl becomes a boy forced by the parents so they don’t get caught. How in the world is that transphobic? At the end they literally let her choose her identity and say she can be whatever she wants to be.
Atheist issue- big freaking whoop. One was highly religious and the other was more science-based. Also essential to the story by covering up the lie.
I also did not get “fatphobic” once from this. They said she was overweight. Someone being overweight is a fact and a basic observation- not a phobia.
This seems like another review to find any tiny possible trigger and deter anyone from reading. Do t let this review keep you from reading, it was truly a very well-written book.
Austin wrote: "Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that"
this is goodreads, where you can voice how you like or dislike a book. don't like that, then stop reading. simple as that.
Thank you for your review! Very helpful!
So I didn’t love the book either. However -
I certainly didn’t see transphobia. The kidnappers switched the child’s gender to hide the child not because the child ever said anything. Its not transphobia for the child to be switched back to the original gender when not longer kidnapped.
Too often in life I think we look to be offended. If we look everywhere we can usually find it.
as an atheist who leans left, I didn't read this as being right wing whistle blowing at all. I read it as satire, calling out the "holier than thou" leftists who are complete frauds. Ex: the ones who work with disadvantaged people because it makes them feel superior (Caroline's comments about "junkies" proved it was all for show), the ones who boast about trusting science and automatically assume anyone religious is transphobic, who claim to love everyone yet make racist comments and harbor blatantly racist ideologies and tendencies, etc. (stealing the child of an immigrant because she was "probably just the help"?) it reminded me of Get Out. it sounds to me you felt like your own ideologies were attacked and instantly got defensive, when in reality the horror aspect of deceptive, evil leftists who put on an act went completely over your head.
and as far as the transphobia, do you not realize that was the entire point???? the parents act like they're so inclusive and understanding of trans kids, yet they actively harmed a child by forcing a different gender identity upon her. this is a very satirical horror novel. you missed the entire point.
oh and one more thing- the fatphobia? where? not once did Mallory mention her mother lost weight. (yes, she said she was fat. that's an observation.) she said her mother quit smoking and looked great, tying her looking great to not smoking cancer sticks. she also said her mother started running, when she hadn't ever been interested in exercise before. clearly, she was focused on becoming more healthy, and weight wasn't even mentioned. in fact, Flora's father "put on weight" and that was seen as a good thing. Mallory and Flora baked all sorts of fattening baked goods. I'm assuming they ate them too, so it seems like you are literally choosing to be offended at this point.
Leah wrote: "and as far as the transphobia, do you not realize that was the entire point???? the parents act like they're so inclusive and understanding of trans kids, yet they actively harmed a child by forcin..."
you are in multiple comments of reviews on this book determined to prove it's not transphobic... as a trans person, i'm telling you, it is. it fulfills the exact fantasy right wingers have of people "forcing" kids to be trans, and using it in general as a cheap ploy/twist is incredibly insensitive, anyway. this book is not that good for you to be going to war for it like this.
You are honestly pathetic and missed all the points in the book couldn’t understand that through all your anger
With the amount of clowning religious people get, a little jab at atheists isn’t gonna kill you
Wow, look at all the conservatives you triggered, ha ha. What a bunch of snowflakes.
Thank you! I started last night and hit 2 pro-Christian references that made my Spidey-senses go off too. I spent 28 years in that damn religion and all I got was religious trauma, disfellowshipped from my community, and homophobic parents. I'll pass on this one. Thank you for saving this queer some time. <3
Alex wrote: "Wow, look at all the conservatives you triggered, ha ha. What a bunch of snowflakes."
Wow, look at the default assumption and insult, ha ha. As if this reviewer couldn't be accused of being the same thing, ha ha.
I just finished it and I was shocked to see 1 star reviews claiming any kind of pro-bigotry stance in this book. Did we read the same thing?
transphobic: having or showing a dislike of or strong prejudice against transgender people. Since this book did not have a transgender person, I wonder how you arrived at your conclusion?
@MJ, I just finished this book about an hour ago, your comment is hilarious. This review makes no sense to me, she’s grasping at straws 😂
back to top
message 1:
by
VegDogMom
(new)
Jan 11, 2023 05:06PM
I would love an essay! LOL
reply
|
flag
I DNF this book and couldn't put my finger on what it was. But that might just be because it was so many things all at once.
I really like this book because it shows the bad side of athiest. Most of the books are pretending like athiest are good and Christians are bad. But this one shows the truth. And this shows the truth of transgender kids. It's parents who force little kids to behave like opposite gender. The author wrote that without a fear.
Too bad you can't handle the truth.
I don’t think this book has anything to do with trans people, but with two people who took advantage of a society where if you say your child is trans, you are applauded and admired, not questioned. And it IS harmful to children to impose gender ideology on them, when not even adults can agree on what it means to have a gender identity. It’s a complex issue and this book only uses that as the twist. Right-wing propaganda? Not really
Moon wrote: "I would love an essay! LOL"It's not *quite* an essay but I did come back for a little rant lol
Leighanna wrote: "Thank you"Your wish is my command!
Nicole wrote: "I DNF this book and couldn't put my finger on what it was. But that might just be because it was so many things all at once."All the things. So much hatred in such a little package.
Misty wrote: "Now I want to read it."Well, there's no accounting for taste.
Black wrote: "I really like this book because it shows the bad side of athiest. Most of the books are pretending like athiest are good and Christians are bad. But this one shows the truth. And this shows the tr..."
... that's... not how anything works. Imagine being so brainwashed by bigoted right-wing media that you get angry about kids getting to be themselves. Maybe focus on yourself a little more and worry about other people a little less? You might be happier.
Julia wrote: "I don’t think this book has anything to do with trans people, but with two people who took advantage of a society where if you say your child is trans, you are applauded and admired, not questioned..."If you can't see how playing into unfounded bigoted fears about evil leftists and trans kids and legitimizing those ideas could be harmful I'm not sure how to help you. This book doesn't exist in a vacuum, and the context of the world it is being released into does, in fact, matter.
THANK YOU! As a queer person who knows and loves a lot of very loved, well-adjusted trans kids, this shit is insidious. The message from trans people and their allies is and has always been "let your kids be themselves and love them through it" regardless of how they identify or express gender, including cisgender kids. Anyone trying to claim otherwise is intellectually dishonest at best.
Heather wrote: "THANK YOU! As a queer person who knows and loves a lot of very loved, well-adjusted trans kids, this shit is insidious. The message from trans people and their allies is and has always been "let yo..."Exactly this! You've put it so succinctly—so much hate-fuelled intellectual dishonesty.
I’m truly floored so many people liked this. It was like through the whole book I had this building feeling of ick until the last 1/3 or so when things got more blatant and I was like “oh I see why”. Also the several JKR/HP references (out of all authors that is 100% pointed) and the aside at the end about “of course she decided to be a girl obviously” (I borrowed from library so don’t have exact words). I just can’t with this book. And it makes me so mad that people don’t see this rhetoric in the book.
Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that
This book angered me so much. How is it not obvious to everyone what this author is trying to convey? I was even kicked out of a fb group for pointing this out and people went ”I wish you hadn’t made your review political.” Please! Did you even read the book? The AUTHOR meant it to be political. This book is highly political, it’s offensive and it’s pushing extremely harmful stereotypes.
I was going to read this and even had planned on purchasing it this coming week, but after your review and trading some of the other comments, I decided it would be a HECK NO. As the parent of a Trans YA, I absolutely refuse to read or put money into anything that would in any way, shape or form deem my child and others like them as anything other than the wonderfully worthy people they are.
Mandy wrote: "I’m truly floored so many people liked this. It was like through the whole book I had this building feeling of ick until the last 1/3 or so when things got more blatant and I was like “oh I see why..."I completely forgot to mention all the JKR/HP references! Those definitely added to the "ick" feeling for me early on as well.
Austin wrote: "Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that"Thanks for the advice! I stopped after the final page and moved on after warning others to avoid a bigoted book.
Allison wrote: "👊 thanks for this."I'm glad to be of service if it means others can avoid this book!
Magdalena wrote: "This book angered me so much. How is it not obvious to everyone what this author is trying to convey? I was even kicked out of a fb group for pointing this out and people went ”I wish you hadn’t ma..."It's only political when you disagree with them, obviously /s
The whole idea of avoiding politics in LITERATURE is honestly laughable.
Evie wrote: "I was going to read this and even had planned on purchasing it this coming week, but after your review and trading some of the other comments, I decided it would be a HECK NO. As the parent of a Tr..."I'm so glad I (along with other reviewers) could help you avoid this one!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write out this thoughtful and incredibly helpful review - especially for those of us who were considering reading it. I’ll be staying far away.
I just finished this book and it was so, so, so dumb. I’ll never consider a goodreads choice award winner to be worth much after this huge error in judgment. Great review though!
How did this win Goodreads Horror of the Year? Did the publisher or author farm the votes out to Fiverr? For one, it is barely horror and reads more like a Lifetime movie. One ghost does not make a book horror. Also, the horror community is progressive and inclusive. This book is full of dog-whistle conservative talking points. Soon to be a major motion picture from The Daily Wire starring Gina Carano?
Yes exactly! I couldn’t stand this book and cannot understand how so many love it. The personal biases of the author are SO CLEAR.
Thanks for fhe heads up!!! I'm glad I won't waste my time with this book.
Thank you so much for this review! I read this last year and gave it a 1-star but couldn't believe this hateful story was getting so much praise. I felt like I had read a different book from everyone else.
OmGWAAAD THANK YOU!! I HATED THIS!! i don't know how the he'll it won goodreads !?
Y’all really just try to find “phobias” in every single thing you read huh? How was this transphobic? It was literally essential to the story that the kidnapped girl becomes a boy forced by the parents so they don’t get caught. How in the world is that transphobic? At the end they literally let her choose her identity and say she can be whatever she wants to be.
Atheist issue- big freaking whoop. One was highly religious and the other was more science-based. Also essential to the story by covering up the lie.
I also did not get “fatphobic” once from this. They said she was overweight. Someone being overweight is a fact and a basic observation- not a phobia.
This seems like another review to find any tiny possible trigger and deter anyone from reading. Do t let this review keep you from reading, it was truly a very well-written book.
Austin wrote: "Loved the book. If you don’t like it stop reading it and move on, simple as that"this is goodreads, where you can voice how you like or dislike a book. don't like that, then stop reading. simple as that.
Thank you for your review! Very helpful!
So I didn’t love the book either. However -I certainly didn’t see transphobia. The kidnappers switched the child’s gender to hide the child not because the child ever said anything. Its not transphobia for the child to be switched back to the original gender when not longer kidnapped.
Too often in life I think we look to be offended. If we look everywhere we can usually find it.
as an atheist who leans left, I didn't read this as being right wing whistle blowing at all. I read it as satire, calling out the "holier than thou" leftists who are complete frauds. Ex: the ones who work with disadvantaged people because it makes them feel superior (Caroline's comments about "junkies" proved it was all for show), the ones who boast about trusting science and automatically assume anyone religious is transphobic, who claim to love everyone yet make racist comments and harbor blatantly racist ideologies and tendencies, etc. (stealing the child of an immigrant because she was "probably just the help"?) it reminded me of Get Out. it sounds to me you felt like your own ideologies were attacked and instantly got defensive, when in reality the horror aspect of deceptive, evil leftists who put on an act went completely over your head.
and as far as the transphobia, do you not realize that was the entire point???? the parents act like they're so inclusive and understanding of trans kids, yet they actively harmed a child by forcing a different gender identity upon her. this is a very satirical horror novel. you missed the entire point.
oh and one more thing- the fatphobia? where? not once did Mallory mention her mother lost weight. (yes, she said she was fat. that's an observation.) she said her mother quit smoking and looked great, tying her looking great to not smoking cancer sticks. she also said her mother started running, when she hadn't ever been interested in exercise before. clearly, she was focused on becoming more healthy, and weight wasn't even mentioned. in fact, Flora's father "put on weight" and that was seen as a good thing. Mallory and Flora baked all sorts of fattening baked goods. I'm assuming they ate them too, so it seems like you are literally choosing to be offended at this point.
Leah wrote: "and as far as the transphobia, do you not realize that was the entire point???? the parents act like they're so inclusive and understanding of trans kids, yet they actively harmed a child by forcin..."you are in multiple comments of reviews on this book determined to prove it's not transphobic... as a trans person, i'm telling you, it is. it fulfills the exact fantasy right wingers have of people "forcing" kids to be trans, and using it in general as a cheap ploy/twist is incredibly insensitive, anyway. this book is not that good for you to be going to war for it like this.
You are honestly pathetic and missed all the points in the book couldn’t understand that through all your anger
With the amount of clowning religious people get, a little jab at atheists isn’t gonna kill you
Wow, look at all the conservatives you triggered, ha ha. What a bunch of snowflakes.
Thank you! I started last night and hit 2 pro-Christian references that made my Spidey-senses go off too. I spent 28 years in that damn religion and all I got was religious trauma, disfellowshipped from my community, and homophobic parents. I'll pass on this one. Thank you for saving this queer some time. <3
Alex wrote: "Wow, look at all the conservatives you triggered, ha ha. What a bunch of snowflakes."Wow, look at the default assumption and insult, ha ha. As if this reviewer couldn't be accused of being the same thing, ha ha.
I just finished it and I was shocked to see 1 star reviews claiming any kind of pro-bigotry stance in this book. Did we read the same thing?
transphobic: having or showing a dislike of or strong prejudice against transgender people. Since this book did not have a transgender person, I wonder how you arrived at your conclusion?
@MJ, I just finished this book about an hour ago, your comment is hilarious. This review makes no sense to me, she’s grasping at straws 😂
