Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆
3.5 Stars from the adult reading young adult. I do believe younger readers would enjoy this more.

Natalie D. Richards is a new-to-me author.

What You Hide hooked me from the start, especially watching Mallory try to convince her pregnant mother to leave her abusive husband. I empathized with Mallory, her story resonating in me, as she struggled with the injustice and her need to protect her mother, as her mother became a passive passenger to not only her own abuse but that of her daughter. Nothing but pure gaslighting, and it was as frustrating to read as it was realistic.

Mallory's mother is pregnant, believing she's making the right choice by staying with her husband, thinking she is also in a position with little choices. But as a mother, she is taking both Mallory and her unborn child with her on these decisions, proving adults and teens alike are not infallible. While I could sympathize in a been there done that manner, I was frustrated to read how easily she let her daughter go, believing the lies her husband was spinning. With Mallory so adamant, Mom should have taken stock in her protests a lot more.

A strong role model, determined and focused, Mallory runs away from home to stay with her friend, has to quit school because her stepfather works for the school district. Attempting to get her diploma with an online school, Mallory uses the library computer bank to study and connect with her classes.

Spencer is indulged by his affluent parents, lashing out by doing outlandish things because he feels pressured into making a decision on which college to attend. While I found the guy likable, he wasn't very relatable, outside of pressures to perform. He has whatever he wants and is treated with respect and unconditional love, so the juxtaposition to Mallory's life is jarring.

Using Parkour to scale the library, Spencer slips and takes out a window instead. His punishment is working in the library to pay off the costs of the window, which is where Spencer and Mallory cross paths.

There's something creepy happening in the library, told from both the perspectives of Mallory and Spencer. They become sidekicks and love interests while they solve the mystery together. Excuse my vagueness, as I don't want to create spoilers when it comes to the mystery aspects.

While I enjoyed Mallory, her characterization and backstory, I wished the entire novel was surrounded by her plight. I found the mystery lacking, not really sparking any interest in me. It did and didn't actually all fit together. It wasn't the driving-force for me, which is why I said at the beginning of my review how I felt this is a novel where an actual young adult would appreciate it more than those young at heart.

While the foundation of the plot is a good one to build from, I'm not sure the execution had it living up to its potential.

Young adult age-range: 14+ featuring violence and abuse.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆
M/F Mystery
Triggers: Abusive home, teen homelessness

This is mostly a story about Mallory and Spencer's friendship.

Spencer has lived a life of privilege. His parents are pressuring him to choose a path to college, but Spencer feels a little like he's drowning. When he makes a questionable decision and ends up doing some property damage, he is required to volunteer at the library. It's there he meets Mallory.

Mallory is struggling at home. Her mom is pregnant but is with a man who is more than just a little controlling. He's scary and mean, abusive and threatening. While Mallory tries to get her mom to leave him, Mallory knows that no matter what, she needs to save herself.

The friendship that develops between Spencer and Mallory helps both of them figure out where they are going. They lean on each other and become each other's confidants. However, there is a strange mystery within the library and when someone ends up dead in the library, speculation runs wild.

While I enjoyed this story, it felt pieced together. There was the mystery that was underdeveloped, the friendship, which I would have liked to see more of, and the home life of Mallory, which I thought was the strongest part of the story and wished it had been more developed. I wanted more of Mallory's story. I thought that it felt very unfinished. Also, I wanted more from the ending. That, too, felt rushed and unfinished.

If you had to pick one word to sum up what it's like to be a teenager, I think the appropriate word would be angsty.

And I'm not only reflecting on my increasingly distant years as a teenager in selecting this adjective.

No, I work with teenagers every day.

As the principal of an urban school, I constantly witness their angst and see the ramifications of their ill-advised hormone-driven decisions.

And as much as I now — out from under the cloud of frustration and confusion and unexplained annoyance — can see how, for lack of a better word, silly, all of this angstiness is, when you're in the middle of it, it all seems to make sense.

When you’re a teen, everything seems like the end of the fucking world.

Even the smallest slight can piss you off to the point of severing life-long friendships.

And receiving a lunch detention from your 7th grade ELA teacher can upset you so much that you spend the entire double block crying in the hallway. #StillNotOverIt

One of the challenges of writing YA is depicting this angst in a way that makes it seem understandable, even though it often isn't... In a way that makes the issues that plague teens seem consequential, even though they often aren't.

In order for a YA book to really work, IMO, the author needs to make readers — many of whom are no longer teens themselves — really remember what it’s like to be a teen.

This is a difficult feat to accomplish when dealing with one teenage protagonist.

It is a monstrously large challenge when dealing with two.

In writing this book, the author tackled the more formidable of these two challenges, establishing dual protagonists who, despite being about as different as two people can be, share two important characteristics: they’re both teens and they are both angst-ridden.

As the book opens, we meet Mallory. She was long raised by a single mother but, recently, her living situation has changed. Her mother has married a man named Charlie and gotten pregnant.

Mallory doesn’t have a problem sharing her mother with someone, but she does have a problem sharing her mother with Charlie.

Since marrying her mother, Charlie has become controlling and aggressive. Mallory worries that his behavior is only going to continue to escalate and encourages her mother to leave, escaping to a battered women’s shelter.

While her mother initially agreed to this plan, when Mallory arrives home early from school intent on putting the plan into action, her mother changes her mind and refuses to leave the apartment.

Though she’s loathe to leave behind her pregnant mother, Mallory simply cannot live under Charlie’s thumb any longer, so she heads out alone, resigning herself to do anything it takes to be free of Charlie — even if what it takes is living on the street.

Spencer, on the other hand, is living a very different life. He was adopted into a wealthy family as a baby and has enjoyed the privileges associated with affluence his entire childhood.

Living a decidedly more carefree lifestyle than Mallory, Spencer divides his time between playing hockey and practicing his other favorite sport, rock climbing.

While out living life and making bad choices — as teens so often do — Spencer decides to scale the local library. Though he’s confident he will be able to mount the library and climb down undetected, things don’t go according to plan and he ends up breaking a massive, old window on an upper floor of the building.

Alerted to the presence of a problem by the alarm, police arrive and discovered Spencer, still atop the library, the obvious culprit.

Fortunately for Spencer, his dad’s deep pockets allow him to get off with only some community service hours — which he will logically fulfill at the same library that earlier served as a makeshift jungle gym.

It’s at the library where these two stories finally come together. Mallory, unable to return home but having nowhere else to go, seeks shelter there and meets Spencer. The two have an immediate — and inconvenient — connection.

But before they have time to get beyond the flirty stage, something goes horribly wrong. A body is discovered in the library. And, as if that singular trauma weren’t upsetting enough, in the days following this grim discovery odd happenings start occurring — black smudges appear on the floors, weird writing suddenly covers the walls and an oddly ornate art display, for which not one takes credit is erected.

With issues growing to the point of becoming subscriptions, it seems like our teen protagonists actually have something to be angsty about. Frustration and fear prevailing, they find themselves worrying not about the trivial trials of teenage life, but instead about their very survival.

When I received a copy of this book, I was rather optimistic. I mean, it prominently featured a library — which is basically nirvana for a reader — it was YA — a genre I enjoy — and, bonus points, it was set in Columbus, OH — my hometown.

Unfortunately, as I read, this optimism faded about as fast as a high school quarterback’s athleticism post graduation.

I wasn’t that far along on my journey through this text when I started to hit some serious stumbling blocks.

My first issue — the authenticity of the dialogue.

When I’m reading a YA book I, logically, expect the characters to sound like teens.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those people who go around dissing John Green books, saying that the dialogue is too high-brow for adolescents.

Teens can be smart and verbose and lexically deverse.

I know, because as a teen I was all of those things.

But even teens who know their way around the English language better than the average bear still have a... teenageness... to their speech.

For example, if Spencer were a real teen, he would never say, "the male ego is a heavy yoke to bear."

He just... wouldn't.

And because I don't believe a teen would say something like this, it made it difficult for me to see the teens central to this novel, who did say things like this, as anything more than fictional characters populating the pages of this book.

And, because they were just fictional characters, I neither gave a shit about them nor did I give a shit about what happened to them.

Then I ran into some fallacies.

Admittedly, these were inconsequential, but they were really nails-on-a-chalkboard level of annoying.

For example, at one point in time, Mallory says," My mom is having a girl, so technically I'm a sister. Or will be soon."

Umm... Okay... I mean, I'm an only child, so maybe I'm not so clear on how this works... But, if you're a girl... And you have a sibling (of ANY gender) you are a sister, right?

I mean, it would have been such a simple change!

"My mom is having a baby, so technically I'm a sister. Or will be soon."

There, fixed it.

Next came the believability issues.

*Spoiler Alert*

I’m a reader. I’m willing to suspend disbelief from time to time.

Like, this morning when I was reading An Absolutely Remarkable Thing by Hank Green and I was totally willing to accept that *Another Spoiler* an alien statue could turn someone's insides into grape jelly.

But, in this novel, there were just too many unlikely coincidences.

Example - At the same time that Mallory happens to take refuge in the library, a drug addicted girl and her sister, who is nonverbal, also decide that that's a good hidey hole into which to climb.

And then the sister dies.

And then the remaining sister, despite being incredibly limited just keeps hiding out?

It's just too improbable.

*End Spoilers*

All of the aforementioned issues were obviously small… nitpicky, if you will. But there was, unfortunately, an inarguably large issue with this book as well — there was too fucking much going on.

I, honestly, can’t even catalog the number of subplots and spin-off issues and blind alley ways that were present in this novel.

And, because there were so many subplots in this novel, it essentially lacked a through line.

It sucks because there were moments when I would get pulled into the story — invested in the characters and their struggles — but then there would be another fucking subplot.

I would be reading along thinking, “Oh, I’m really liking this Mallory / Spencer connection… I hope the next chapter delves further into it… Oh. Great. The next chapter is some unnecessarily vivid description of rock climbing… or hockey… or the library.”

It. Just. Didn’t. Work.

I walked away from this novel shaking my head and regretting the fact that it, in my eyes, didn’t reach its potential.

Ultimately, I wish that it could be re-written. Stripped down. Tidied up. Because, under all the extra bullshit, there is a good story here. It just never got the chance to shine.

This one earns a disappointing 2 out of 5 cocktails.

Whenever I read a book set in my hometown I feel like I’m in on some special secret #ImJustNerdyLikeThat. Do you ever read books set in or around the place where you grew up? Tell me about it in the comments, below.

More books. More books. More books. Want to see what my next read is? Follow me, here.

This book is unique and I enjoyed the writing and storytelling. Definitely something I would recommend to friends and students.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

While I was interested in reading this book (obviously since I requested it from Netgalley), I always get a bit nervous about reading YA thrillers or suspense novels-- heck let's just say thrillers in general, since I don't have the best track record of picking them. I should probably clarify before I write further, that I probably am weird with my thriller preferences as well. I'm still working on it, but I don't seem to always like what is popular and what I like isn't always liked by my friends, so please take this review with a grain of salt.

All that said, I loved this book.

The first chapter with Spencer climbing the library and getting in trouble had me worried I wouldn't like this one -- oh the privilege and disregard this one has -- but then the second chapter hits you out of left field and I was left going "What the actual--" because Mallory is dealing is a controlling and manipulative step-father and a pregnant mother who isn't ready to leave, BUT MALLORY DOES.

Suspense builds around Mallory's situation, her just trying to live. There is also the mystery at the library which is just soooo creepy. Definitely thriller instead of mystery since there isn't any solving going on.

Okay, let me backtrack to the characters. Spencer is an absolute gem. He is sarcastic and funny and an all around good guy just trying to do the right thing. He has his own problems too since he doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. I think one of my biggest problems with this book is how we aren't ever told that him having problems and uncertainty in his life is valid. Not everyone's problems are equal, but that doesn't mean we don't have them. He's such a sweetheart.
Mallory... I loved this girl. She is strong, resilient, and a planner. She tries so hard and doesn't always think about herself, which was heart-rending. She also isn't impulsive -- I like that she is cautious about who she trusts and yeah, she might hurt people with it, but considering her step-father I don't blame her! She's such a gift and I just wanted to hug her and give her food.

There is a bit of a romance here as the two end up liking each other. This may at first seem unbalanced (super rich kid and homeless girl), but I think it is handled well. It also isn't the focus of the book, nor does it take over the story. The scenes that happen felt natural to me. There are no declarations of undying love nor desperate pleas of love. It... this book feels more like a snapshot into a time of change and conflict in their lives and what will happen later is still unsure of, much like life. The romance isn't the important part here, survival, figuring out their future, and the mystery of the library are the big points, which felt right.

The suspenseful part, i.e. the mysteries in the library, actually didn't feel needed. It added some scary moments and a sense of uneasy over everything, but the conclusion of this story line... honestly, I'm currently undecided on it. Perhaps I'd like it more if more went on with it, because sometimes I forgot about the library having problems. Mallory's problems felt like a much more pressing issue. Yet, I don't see how else things could have been handled.

Before I end things let me do a shout out to the good rep for libraries!! I love how things weren't just about books! Access to computers is brought up, the fact that librarians need to get degrees (although needing a Masters isn't brought up :[ ), and the librarian wanting to keep the library open for the people who need the services are all great things to be brought up! There were a few things I disagreed with, but as a librarian of course I would notice things. I just hope people reading this book will understand that libraries are indeed here for the people and are more than just books!

So, would I recommend this? Heck yes! More so to people who like contemporaries than pure thrillers, but I think people who like both might appreciate this book. I will be looking up more books by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review. Recently homeless Mallory has been hanging out at the library. Rich kid Spencer is "volunteering" in order to avoid charges. In the novel What You Hide, together they find (and solve) the mystery of a nameless woman's surprising death in the library.

Not a full fledged ghost story, nor a compelling romance, the scariest thing about this book was that homeless teen Mallory has few avenues to get the help she needs since her creepy and controlling stepfather has never actually gotten physically violent with her or her mother.

This novel dances around substantive themes--homelessness, drug addiction, adoption, and trying to become the person you are meant to be. However, it doesn't fully capitalize on any of these. The murder and ensuing ghostly mystery are fairly tame.

This novel would be a good introduction to YA for 11-13 year olds before they tackle grittier works like Courtney Summers' Sadie.

Well. This is awkward. I had a whole post planned about the issues of marketing a book correctly and outlining what this book SHOULD be promoted under, but when I went to link up to Goodreads, it appears that's been updated! So, kudos to the publishing team for clarifying the synopsis and genre category for the public, it's just unfortunate that my reading experience was rather different. I realize things are subject to change in the publication process, so I genuinely appreciate that the publisher obviously took feedback on board and made some changes because going in with a particular set of expectations and being met with something different is usually going to disappoint. 

On Netgalley, I saw a new addition under the 'Teens & YA' category (with no other subgenres listed) written by an author known for her YA horror (I've read and loved her previous book One Was Lost) with this eerie cover that makes you think of bloodshed. It was a no-brainer clicking into that entry. The original synopsis which is still on Netgalley for posterity is as below:

---

"Mallory didn't want to leave home, but it wasn't safe to stay. So she sleeps at her best friend's house and spends the rest of her time at the library, doing her online schoolwork and figuring out what comes next. Because she's not going live in fear like her mother.

Spencer volunteers at the library. Sure, it's community service for a stunt he pulled, but he likes the work. And it's the perfect escape from his parents' pressure to excel at school, at ice hockey, at everything. Especially after he meets Mallory.

Then there is a tragic death at the library. Suddenly, what was once a sanctuary turns sinister. Ghostly footprints, strange scratching sounds, scrawled messages on bulletin boards and walls... Mallory and Spencer don't know who or what is responsible, but one thing is for sure:

They are not as alone—or as safe—as they thought."

---

This sets up a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT mindset when viewing the book - the book's current Goodreads listing highlights immediately that it's a romantic thriller and of the various genres it's listed under, horror is nowhere to be found. The current synopsis also focuses on the romantic relationship with Spencer wanting to see Mallory and Mallory wanting to fly under the radar, but reluctantly falling for his charm. But the blurb that I read focused on Mallory and Spencer as individuals rather than their romantic arc; plus the entire section describing the events at the library goes from mildly alarming with sinister events to emphasizing how it terrifying it is with mention of death and ghostly phenomena.

I'm pointing this out because I want to make it clear that What You Hide isn't a bad book, it just wasn't what I was expecting. I felt let down because I went in thinking I was going to experience another chilling horror romp and be scared to sleep at night, but ended up with a fairly typical YA romance and more family drama than chill & thrills.

If you see this cover and think that it's going to be a horror story, then it isn't the book for you because there is hardly ANY of the ghostly shenanigans that's alluded to and in the brief few scenes where Mallory and Spencer are present when hauntings occur, they basically just run and hide. That's actually pretty sensible behavior I'm not used to seeing in teenage protagonists, but as a reader, it makes for a dull experience. I would think 'Finally, the action is getting started!' and then it would lead nowhere with barely a hint of an adrenaline rush. 

The romance is definitely not my cup of tea as I didn't feel the connection between Mallory and Spencer. I know teenage hormones run rampant, but Mallory's situation was so dire that I didn't quite believe her letting herself open up to Spencer and swooning over his good looks, or that Spencer would be so captivated by Mallory, especially when you consider that due to being homeless, she wasn't able to maintain her hygiene. I don't mean to be catty, it's not something I would have thought about myself and I certainly don't mean to judge, but Mallory herself brings up being worried about how she doesn't smell good and wearing dirty clothing. I just don't think a realistic teenage boy who's rich and handsome would be crushing on a girl in Mallory's circumstances. I would've loved for the book to focus on building a friendship between them first because friends-to-lovers would have been more believable and satisfying.

However the abusive home situation that Mallory has fled is the main heart of the book and I think the author handled it pretty well. It was genuinely hard to read the scenes with her stepfather, who came off as malicious and terrifying without straying into over-the-top moustache-twirling villainy. I feel like a lot of times, abuse is only recognized when it's brutal and physical, and the more subtle emotional stranglehold that Charlie wielded was painfully real and all the more horrifying in how nobody believed Mallory because she couldn't point to any bruises or broken bones. 

Overall, this wasn't the book for me and not one I would normally have picked up, but for readers who want a touch more gritty realism and darkness in their contemporary or enjoy coming-of-age arcs with teenagers struggling to deal with problems at home, this would hit the spot.

Title: What You Hide
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out of 5

Mallory’s step-father is so controlling her mother can’t breathe without him knowing about it, and Mallory is afraid his control will turn violent. She’s sure something sinister lurks in his past, and she’s desperate to get her pregnant mother out of danger. But her mother refuses to leave, and Mallory finds herself staying with a friend for a few days, then out on the streets. The local library is her only refuge: a warm place to get her online schooling completed while she searches for a more permanent solution.

After a stunt gone wrong, Spencer is doing community service at the library. He likes the peace and quiet there—until a body is discovered in the stacks—and he likes Mallory. He’s sure she’s hiding something, and he’s desperate to help her. It takes his mind off his own problems: his parents have certain expectations for him, expectations that make him miserable.

Mallory doesn’t want to trust Spencer, but there’s no one she can turn to, so she slowly accepts his help. But there’s more going on at the library than they imagine. Black fingerprints. Footprints that lead nowhere. Mysterious cries. And the messages left scrawled on the walls. Mallory realizes her secrets are no the only things hidden in the library.

This is billed as a thriller, but I wouldn’t necessarily agree with that. Mallory’s storyline is tough and frustrating: her mother’s refusal to leave a bad situation, Mallory’s inability to find help, her struggles while homeless. She has major trust issues, but she starts to work through them with Spencer’s help. Spencer has his own issues—while they may not seem like a big deal to everyone, they’re huge for him, but he still wants to help Mallory. Mallory and Spencer both learn a great deal about who they are—and who they want to be.

Natalie D. Richards lives and writes in Ohio. What You Hide is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

I liked Mallory and Spencer well enough. She’s in a rough situation and I did like how the book didn’t shy away from it. Spencer’s home life isn’t bad and he’s itching for something different. There was a spark between them, but it didn’t propel the story.

Spencer and Malloy find themselves together among a mystery and a murder. This did not really come across as a thriller for me but it did have mystery and twists that leave the reader curious for more.This is the first time that I have read this author and it did not disappoint.

What You Hide by Natalie D. Richards is a young adult love story, about two lost souls for very different reasons. Mallory ran away from home due to her controlling step-father and her passive pregnant mother. Mallory spends most of her day at the library. Spencer is doing community service at the public library, doing everything he can to put off deciding what his wants for his future. I really enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading more books by this author. I recommended this book to both young adult and adult readers. My only complainant is that some of the book seemed to drag out.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Spencer has a really good place to complete his community service, the library he accidentally damaged while scaling it. Mallory is suddenly homeless and is trying to stay under the radar, but it is hard to stay unnoticed when her favorite safe place is the library and Spencer seems to always be there. When a person is found dead in the stacks and crazy messages are found throughout the library, the people in charge bring in the police and Mallory's safe place is no longer safe. Who is the other mystery person in the library? Will Mallory’s home life be straightened out?

What You Hide is a stand-alone mystery that will be quickly devoured by those who choose to read it. Richards tells the story through the alternating voices of Spencer and Mallory, so readers are privy to a larger story than if only one of them was the narrator. The events that happen throughout are completely believable which will enable most readers to sit back and just enjoy the adventure. I recommend What You Hide to everyone who wants an easy read with a satisfactory ending.

I have read novels by Natalie D. Richards before, so I had high hopes for What You Hide, but this novel is hands down my favorite I have read of hers so far. Jam packed with constant suspense and intrigue. I had a hard time not reading it, even when I should have been doing other things.

The story follows Mallory and Spencer, two people from completely different sides of the tracks, as their stories intermingle at… the town public library. Spencer is working, or doing community service, while Mallory is looking for a safe place to spend her hours as she is currently homeless having left home due to a bad situation. These two teens have so much on their plate already, but of course, more is yet to come.

Homelessness is not something people love reading about, but the reality is that there are people who live in that situation and Richards wrote the down and dirty of that aspect of this store. The lack of shower or place to sleep, trying to stay out of the cold, asking for help without giving away too much information. I find all these aspects to be very realistic of the situation, and yet these are kids. Mallory is a teenager just trying to finish her education so she can get a job. Spencer is working off a punishment, but quite enjoying the work at the library as he tries to figure out what he wants to do post high school while feeling the pressure of his parents hopes and dreams resting on his shoulders.

If that all wasn’t enough to keep you interested, Richards always has this suspense filled story lined wound through her books, and What You Hide was no exception. A dead body. A mysterious “thing” leaving notes all over the library during close and also leaving a mess behind. All while juggling their own things, Spencer and Mallory find themselves in the midst of this investigation. I could not put this book down. It was well written and just as you thought you had it figured out, you didn’t. Something else happened or the story took a sharp turn and you were right back to guessing. I have no complaints about What You Hide. Maybe that I wish there were more? Maybe a book two to tell me more of what happened to Spencer and Mallory in the end? I’m dying to know.

Richards writes books for real people in real scenarios who want to read about realistic people with lives far more interesting than our own, yet normal in a sense. If you love the touch of romance, an easy, yet soul gripping story line, suspense, and everything else, then pick up a Natalie D. Richards book. You will not be disappointed. Start with What You Hide!

Content warnings include addiction, adoption, family violence and homelessness.

When I read the blurb for this book I was drawn by the idea of someone fulfilling one of my dreams: living in a library. Imagine all of the uninterrupted reading time at night when everyone else goes home and you’re surrounded by shelves and shelves of books and the smell of books and the ambience of a library. Ah, heaven!

Now imagine the creepy factor of a dead body found in the library and subsequent mysterious footprints, noises in the middle of the night and messages written on the walls. Sounds like the making of a fun horror book, huh?!

Had the blurb I read even whispered the word ‘romantic’ I would have run a mile and so I was suitably horrified when I discovered an extended blurb on Goodreads cheerfully telling me I was reading a ‘romantic thriller’. Had this been a library book I would have stopped reading immediately but as I’d promised to review this book I grimaced and turned the page.

Given my romantiphobe tendencies I probably should have hated this book but I didn’t. It was never going to be something I would love and gush over, and I wish I’d known that before I started reading, but in between the budding romance and the frustration with some of the characters there were some sections that I enjoyed and found relatable.

Mallory’s home situation made me want to reach through the pages and strangle someone. Her once vibrant mother is now essentially a puppet on a string for controlling, emotionally abusive [insert swear word of your choice here] Charlie. I found the conversations between Mallory and her mother infuriatingly accurate given the circumstances and their personalities. I had hoped for a fairytale ending to that situation but unfortunately real life doesn’t guarantee those so it was probably too much to hope for.

The idea that someone who’s recently homeless and simultaneously trying to find food, shelter and any semblance of safety has time to agonise over a crush on a boy or to go indoor rock climbing with said boy just didn’t seem feasible to me. I’m fairly certain Maslow would agree.

“He reaches for me slowly, and I’m powerless. Hypnotized by the graze of his fingers against the side of my thumb.”

Spencer, while suitably adorable, spent his time wanting more from his life than living in a mansion with the loving family who adopted him and feeling guilty for wanting more, especially considering Mallory has “real” problems. I have trouble mustering up sympathy for a rich kid with supportive parents who’s scared of telling them that what is expected of him isn’t what he wants and any sympathy I had for him faded when he [SPOILER - took out his frustration by starting a fight with some jerk at ice hockey practice - SPOILER].

I would have loved for his adoption to play more of a role in the book but it wasn’t the focus. Similarly the discussion surrounding addiction, while obviously sad, was pretty much glossed over.

Mallory and Spencer aren’t the meddling kids I’d hope they’d be; when I wanted them to investigate strange footsteps in the otherwise empty library they hid out in the bathroom. They finally do investigate but much later than I would have. The dead body in the library and the mystery of the ‘ghost’ were fairly tame and repetitive from my perspective. It was basically footprint, footprint, message on the wall, message on the wall, cool creative message, another footprint, and a few other signs finally leading to a resolution that seemed obvious from early on.

If you like sweet romances between people from disparate walks of life this could be the book for you. If you’re looking for creepy with potential for horror and ghosts then this is probably not the book you’re looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the opportunity to read this book.

me, the strength of this one was the characters – and the setting. Which isn’t necessarily the BEST thing to say about a thriller/suspense novel lol.

But if you go into this thinking it’s more of a contemporary rather than Richards’s usual thriller-y stuff, you might like it just fine.

Spencer comes from a close knit and accomplished family, but he’s feeling a little lost. After a brush with trouble, he has to do community service in the town library. Mallory’s in a tough spot. Her mom is pregnant and the baby’s father is controlling and borderline abusive. So she spends a LOT of time in … you guessed it … the library.

I really liked both Spencer and Mallory. Spencer’s situation was one that I think a lot of teens can relate to – pressure from his family to go to a great college and down a pre-determined path. Mallory’s situation felt realistic and pretty scary to me. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop.

Loved the library setting, which I thought was used really effectively.

There was also a mystery going on in the library which, for me, was the least-compelling part of the story. I also wished the two storylines – the Mallory – Spencer relationship and the library mystery – had more connection than they did.

I think this might have worked better for me as a contemporary with the suspense part more connected to the main storyline. But it was worth reading for the parts I did like!

I loved this book. The strange happenings at the library is much less central to the plot than the synopsis would have you believe, so be aware of that going in. 

What's actually going on (and what's far more interesting anyway) are the internal issues with Spencer (what does he want to do with his life?) and the external issues with Mallory (her stepfather is awful and her mom isn't much better---she's initially a lovely woman, but she is so cowed by her husband, Charlie, that she becomes a lousy mom). 

I was very concerned for Mallory. There's nothing overtly awful with Charlie. He seems maybe a bit overprotective but there's nothing he says that seems threatening. It's more the way he says it and what's in the pauses between his words. Mallory is so scared and this seems like a very rational response. I was so worried that Charlie would figure out where Mallory was. I didn't know for sure what he would do, but there's nothing that's off the table, really. 

I wasn't worried for Spencer, really, but I hoped that he'd figure out how to be happy.

Everything about this book is completely gripping and even though it's close to 400 pages, it felt so much shorter. Recommended.

An enjoyable contemporary YA book that is not afraid to tackle some of the darker issues facing teens, What you Hide by Natalie D Richards is a book that shows its readers that sometimes the worst monsters are human, but with courage, determination and a little help ,we are more than able to stand up to them.
Mallory is sixteen, and desperate to flee an abusive home with her pregnant mother, but when things don't go according to plan and her mother's nerve fails, she finds herself alone, with no where to stay. Desperate for shelter she hides out at the local library, where she meets Spencer. He doesn't seem like the usual library employee, and it turns out, he's not, he is doing community service to make up for breaking a window. He is immediately drawn to Mallory, but she is reluctant to let anyone in, and terrified to ask for help.
When strange things begin to happen at the library, mysterious footprints and messages scribbled on the walls, Mallory is forced to turn to Spencer for help.
I found this story moving, it was very easy to feel empathy for Mallory and her struggles. Her sadness and worry about her mother is beautifully balanced with her anger that she will not leave, and the slow thawing of her relationship with Spencer as she gradually learns to trust is beautifully handled. I also appreciated that Spencer, while he is struggling with his own issues, understands that they pale in comparison to the dangerous situation that Mallory finds herself in. The pace of the book is good, building at a nice steady pace , before a tense few chapters leading to the conclusion., which itself was cleverly done.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher,all opinions are my own.

This was a good story for those who enjoy a YA romantic suspense story. The author makes sure to deliver many chills, thrills, suspense, while also showing the reality of what kids endure when they find the right person for them but wrong according to society. I think it was a fast paced, chilling read.
Will let Chapter Chatter Pub know about the upcoming release of this book and that it's a good read for those who enjoy ya romantic thrillers.

Mallory is sixteen and has a difficult home life. Her stepfather is controlling, and a little disturbing. She wants to get her and her mother away from him, but it's hard to convince her mom to leave. Mallory decides to go on her own, and ends up being homeless while she spends her nights with friends and her days at the library. Spencer, also a teenager, comes from an affluent family, but still feels lost and unsure about his future. He's a little rebellious, and, after getting into some trouble, ends up doing community service at the library. When he meets Mallory, he is immediately drawn to her.

This story is told from the alternating viewpoints of Mallory and Spencer. Both are struggling with personal issues in their lives - Mallory has a troubled home life and Spencer feels pressure from his family about his future. They are from completely different backgrounds, but are attracted to one another.

What You Hide is a contemporary young adult novel with a little romance and suspense. The two main characters are clearly drawn to each other, but, of course, things are complicated. The suspense part deals with happenings at the library. After a mysterious death at the library, strange events start occurring. Someone is leaving messages around the library, unknown footprints are found throughout the library, and occasionally strange sounds are heard. Mallory and Spencer both encounter some of these strange events, and are curious as to who could be behind them and why.

This YA book combines romance and mystery in an interesting coming of age story. The main characters are very different - Mallory is homeless and struggling, Spencer is rich and privileged. This is a light read with some darker elements. I enjoyed the coming of age story, but the mystery wasn't gripping.

I received a free eARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have to admit I was looking forward to this book as was in the mood for a suspense novel, and I had loved her previous books, and with a cover like this one, it had a feeling it would be creepy. Unfortunately, it wasn't, we had several storylines running from Spencer who is doing community service at the library and trying to escape his life and find a new path as he knows what is expected of him, but it feels strange. Mallory had a great life until her mother met a new man and he became controlling and worse now is that Mallory's mother is pregnant. Mallory has tried to get her mum to leave, but she keeps making excuses, and Mallory has had enough and now would rather risk being homeless than having to spend more than one more second in the house. The third storyline which unfortunately was only loosely touched on was the two sisters who are also homeless and been living in the library basement. I found this book more of a YA family saga with little suspense rather than the deep mystery feels that generally come with a book by Natalie D. Richards. This book is a hit or miss by her, but if you are a fan and like to read all the books by an author, then feel free to check this upcoming release.

What You Hide is a good book, but I'd argue it isn't horror or anything like that...I'd say it's contemporary with a little side-mystery twist. Longer review to come closer to pub date.