HIDE | day 5 - end

[Nicole]

This felt like a draft where everything was going to be filled in later but just didn’t get done.

[Lee]

I still haven't decided if it's a 3.5 or 4 for me. 14 contestants plus the others were hard to keep track of. I really liked the last 5 characters in the book and was rooting for them. I wish there was more explanation of how they found out to even do the ritual to bring about the creature and I'm glad that Mack really described him at the end. I think it could have been a little longer.

[Merin]

As someone who's read some of this author's YA books (including one just last month), I was familiar with her writing style and curious to see how she'd approach writing for adults. Unfortunately, I think this was the downfall of the book - she couldn't do it imo. This book read very young, didn't take things far enough for me in either the thriller or horror aspect, and the characters felt far too young to be whatever age they were meant to be. I mean, they're at least in their twenties, right, since one was selling solar panels door to door and one was a veteran?

I also can appreciate authors trying to do social commentary, but this again felt a bit heavy-handed, as others have previously mentioned. By all means, please DO talk about privilege, but perhaps not in a way that makes people feel beat over the head with it.

That being said, I liked it well enough to give it three stars, as I felt it was a quick read that was decently enjoyable. I just wanted more from it, and was disappointed that the author wasn't able to deliver.

EDIT: One other thing I forgot - I am not the biggest fan of reveals via letters/journal entries, and kind of hated how all of our info about what's actually going on came in that format. It was kind of an easy way out imo and was another thing that could've been done in a better way.

[Stina]

I'm with Evita. The more I think about it, the more I love it.

[Samantha]

I did not enjoy this book at all. I disliked it so much I don't even want to discuss it. That's unheard of for me.

[Noelle]

I gave it one star.

The author was clearly trying to write a narrative about class, wealth, and how the rich have subdued the working class for so long, but I also felt like the author didn't really understand how to write those issues into a paranormal-horror retelling of the Minotaur myth.

I also believe that it is very much a trend in YA (but apparently this isn't YA but it's written very much that way) to just say what the "messages' of the work are instead of using subtext. Like subtext and themes are things that matter!

Very much first draft vibes here. If this went back through the drafting process a couple more times than maybe it would be good.

[Jessica]

Noelle wrote: "I gave it one star.

The author was clearly trying to write a narrative about class, wealth, and how the rich have subdued the working class for so long, but I also felt like the author didn't rea..."

100% agree!
subtext and themes incorporated well can make or break a book for me. It's sad because this book had a lot of potential and good ideas

[Noelle]

Jessica wrote: "Noelle wrote: "I gave it one star.

The author was clearly trying to write a narrative about class, wealth, and how the rich have subdued the working class for so long, but I also felt like the au..."

Exactly!