October 2024 FBR - KU Buddy Read: Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Welcome to the October "Kindle Unlimited" Buddy Read!
starts 1-Oct-2024, ends 31-Oct-2024

Our theme this month is Horror and we're reading Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.

A wildly inventive spin on the supernatural thriller, about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab when she takes a job as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves it. She has her own living space, goes out for nightly runs, and has the stability she craves. And she sincerely bonds with Teddy, a sweet, shy boy who is never without his sketchbook and pencil. His drawings are the usual fare: trees, rabbits, balloons. But one day, he draws something different: a man in a forest, dragging a woman’s lifeless body.

Then, Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and his stick figures quickly evolve into lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to wonder if these are glimpses of a long-unsolved murder, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force.

Knowing just how crazy it all sounds, Mallory nevertheless sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy before it’s too late.

When using this Buddy Read to get Bonus Points for a Challenge, please check with the mod running the Challenge for any posting requirements not listed below!

To receive bonus money for the following Games/Challenges...
✨(Impossible) Disney Challenge
...you must read the book and participate by doing ONE of the following:
*Post at least 3 meaningful comments below (more than "This was great!")
*Answer at least 3 of the discussion questions below

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Buddy Read Discussion Prompts

Reflections
1. One word to describe the book?
2. First thoughts after finishing the book?
3. Did the book live up to your expectations?
4. Best moments in the book?
5. Worst moments in the book?
6. Were there any subplots that you found interesting?
7. Were there any plot twists that surprised you?
8. How did you feel about the ending?
9. How did the book make you feel overall?
10. What would you change about the plot?

Characters
1. Who was your favorite character and why?
2. Were there any characters you didn't like?
3. Did you find any characters relatable?
4. Who would you like to experience the story as? Why?
5. Which character would you like to learn more about?

Fun
1. Who would be your dream movie cast?
2. If you could rewrite the ending of the book, how would you change it?
3. What was your favorite scene in the book and why?
4. If you could visit any place from the book, where would you go?
5. If you could ask the author one question, what would it be?

[Angie ☯]

Started Hidden Pictures today. I'm 20% in.

One word to describe the book (so far) - interesting.

As usual, I didn't read the blurb so had no idea what this story was about.
(view spoiler)[
I like the MC, Mallory. She has a troubled past but has pulled herself together and has gotten a summer job as a live-in Nanny. Everything seems to be going well until Mallory learns about a person that was murdered in her cottage many years ago and after this, her charge starts giving her sinister drawings. (She knew about his imaginary friend before taking the job....but this "friend" is surely a ghost!) (hide spoiler)]

It's a good October read - a little spooky! I'm enjoying this book.

[Angie ☯]

@ 44%

There is a lot going on in this book! I'm going to have it finished today!

Don't read the spoilers if you haven't read this far into the book, or if you plan to read the book later.
(view spoiler)[
Oh, now we have more of what's going on with the ghost! But the ghost is taking over Teddy to draw pictures for Mallory. I'm afraid that something will happen and Mallory will be blamed!

So far, only pictures are appearing that someone is drawing through Teddy. They are showing up on Mallory's porch and inside her cottage.

This isn't going to end well!! (hide spoiler)]

[Angie ☯]

70% (-ish)

Lots of things are happening now!
(view spoiler)[
Now the ghost has moved from using Teddy to using Mallory. I wasn't expecting this and the pictures all over the walls of the Maxwell's living room! Poor Mallory, she expected them to believe her story that "a ghost made her do it" and of course they called her out as being an addict and Adrian was there.

I knew it was a bad idea for Mallory to not tell Adrian the truth about her past. (hide spoiler)]

I'm really liking this book......I hope it isn't just because I read The Road Trip last and it was sooooo bad!!!!

[Angie ☯]

Finished

Wow!
(view spoiler)[
I probably should have seen it coming, but I didn't know who the bad guy was or the underlying story. Both Ted and Caroline were batshit crazy! But, Ted did save Mallory for an overdose that Caroline had planned to frame her for all the murders and craziness.

I was happy to see the MC get a real second chance and Teddy to final have a normal childhood. I hope that Adrian and Mallory end up together, but this wasn't about their romance (YAY!) it was just sprinkled in.
(hide spoiler)]

Good book! I'd recommend it. Trying to decide if it should get 4 or 5 stars.

[Angie ☯]

If anyone else reads, I'll jump in to discuss and to see what you thought!

[Bernadette]

About 25% in - This is a re-read for me. I listened to it the first time and an reading the paper book this time. I missed the pictures with the audiobook. Glad I'm reading the paper book. I often multi-task with an audiobook and at times I don't remember details, so far so good with this one.

Thoughts so far:
▪️ I love that it is set in Philly/South Jersey area since this is where I am from and still live. I'm in the Philly suburbs.
▪️ I like Mallory but she's beginning to feel comfortable about not going to her recovery meetings. As they say in the rooms, "meeting makers make it", so this is not good with only 18 months sober.
▪️ some of Teddy's pictures are disturbing and he and imaginary friend, Anya
▪️ I don't like Dad Ted much yet and I'm unsure about Caroline. They are certainly, Type A. Caroline seems like she wants to be friendly to Mallory but then she flips.

[Bernadette]

About 50% done....

I'm saying again that I'm happy to be reading the paper copy of this book. I missed so much the first time by listening to the audiobook and not being able to see the pictures. This is definitely a paper (or e-book) read.

(view spoiler)[
▪️ Why is Ted reading the original Brothers Grimm to his 5-year-old son? I haven't even read the original version of those stories! The parents think that is the reason Teddy is drawing scary pictures, but....
▪️ at the end Chapter 10 the pictures begin to get much scarier, but the artistry is getting better and continues to get better.
▪️ The ghost (of Anya/Annie?) has taken over Teddy's nondominant hand to draw
▪️ why is Mallory waiting to tell the parents?
▪️ she needs to tell Adrian the truth about her past, the lies will come back to hurt her! (hide spoiler)]

[Bernadette]

Finished!

(view spoiler)[It was definitely a bad idea for Mallory to not tell Adrian the truth about her past, I knew it would come back to hurt her; but Adrian actually gave her a chance to tell her story.

Anya really wants to get her story told - she goes from controlling Teddy to controlling Mallory.

Angie, I totally agree that both Ted and Caroline were batshit crazy! Ted did redeem himself somewhat though. (hide spoiler)]

What an ending!