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readingunderthewillowtree

Reading Under the Willow Tree

Environmental Science student, book reader, big dreamer, Sailing/Kayak/Surf instructor, Film buff, Adventurer, Girl.

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Hidden  - Marianne Curley For this review and more my blog

I really wanted to like Hidden as I have been a fan of this author in the past but unfortunately there were a few to many issues with this book and I just couldn’t get into it at all. Hidden is not necessarily a ‘bad’ book, it is written well and has a good pace and structure but that isn’t enough to make a book entertaining.

The big problem with Hidden is that it feels terribly dated. I have been reading YA for ages now and in the last few years have loved seeing how it has evolved and developed, it is a lot smarter now, a lot braver then it was and has more serious storylines and relationships. It has come a long way but Hidden just is not with the rest of the pack. It reminded me of YA pre Twilight in its simplicity and language.

On top of that the plot and characters are clichéd. You have a perfect girl who has no idea how special she is and you have two boys vying for her attention. One is perfect and enthralling the other is troubled but adorable. I cannot count how many times I have come across this and to be honest it has gotten old. I am officially done with Mary Sues and love triangles. What doesn’t help is that it is really unbelievable. I know that books about angels are not exactly a magnet for normal everyday storylines but I at least expect characters to behave in a normal and understandable way to what is going on around them. And then to add insult to injury there was a case of the dreaded insta-love.

Marianne Curley has and always will have my utter respect. I admire her bravery and applaud her for getting back into writing after being ill. Hidden is not a bad book to come back with and I think many readers, especially readers in their early teens will really like it, but it was unfortunately not for me.



The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review