The Hideaway

Completely precious, romantically spooky, and hopeful. Did not realize I was requesting a galley for more of a middle-school reader and SO glad I did. Just as compelling for adult readers!

*thanks to netgalley for this ARC*

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of The Hideaway by Pam Smy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this opportunity.

The Hideaway by Pam Smy is an illustrated contemporary fantasy novel.  It's mostly based in reality with some supernatural elements.  The story is about a young boy who runs away from home because his mother is in an abusive relationship and he can't handle it anymore.  I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads.  It is set to publish on September 2nd, 2021.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

A haunting illustrated novel from the author of the highly acclaimed Thornhill.
Told in two alternating narratives, The Hideaway tells the story of Billy McKenna, who runs away from home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard. The first narrative is told from his perspective, whereas the second thread tells of the situation at home and the police search for Billy. Covering themes of domestic violence, families, childhood, being separated and reunited, this is an important and beautifully illustrated book for middle grade readers right up to adults.
The Hideaway is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings. The atmospheric illustrations seep into the edge of the pages before they give way to a series of double-page spreads as the story reaches its climax.

This was a beautiful novel.  When I requested it, I thought it would be more graphic novel style, but I ended up really enjoying the fact that it was an illustrated novel instead.  The formatting was absolutely gorgeous.  I loved the art style.  It framed the text well and added some lovely visuals to the text itself.  The colours were more muted, but I really felt that they suited the story that was being told.

Story line wise, the novel really hit me in the feels.  I felt for Billy and his mother and I wanted them to reunite in a way that would be positive and good.  I wanted them to be able to get away from his abusive step father so that they could both thrive as people.

The fact that Billy hid in the local graveyard was interesting, and I found it intriguing to introduce the man in the graveyard into the story.  It was nice for Billy to have a positive male role model in his life.  

The novel gives you the points of view of different characters so you get a full picture of the story.  You as a reader get to understand Billy's perspective, but you also learn about how his mother learns about the disappearance and how she ended up in the relationship.

I found the story very compelling and very interesting.  I was deeply moved by the story and by the art.  I highly recommend that you check it out.

A lovely book dealing with some heavy topics. The illustrations add a lot of character to the story, although the words do the heavy-lifting. I appreciated how the work clearly separates the views of the two characters, the young boy and his mother, by through the design of the chapter headings, font, and illustrations.
This book deals with domestic abuse, but does so without depicting the violence itself. Instead, it confronts the impacts of continued abuse, showing us through how each character reacts. For such a heavy subject, the book handles it with aplomb, and in such a way that is appropriate for middle-grade readers.

I loved Pam Smy's Thornhill and was naturally excited for The Hideaway. Thanks to Netgalley I got an e-arc.

The Hideaway is a very emotional and wholesome book filled with beautiful illustrations. I loved this story so much. Both the POV of Billy and Grace were so emotional and I wanted to give both of them the biggest hug. The one scene in the graveyard was simply enchanting and damn it was probably my favorite.

Pam Smy's writing is very swift and easy to follow and it was the same here too. The emotions were in abundance and seeped in through the pages. The ending was absolutely stunning! This book had the same atmospheric environment setting as Thornhill, less of supernatural horror but still had horrifying undertones. Its perfect for quick short reads in between heavy books.

Another smasher by Pam Smy, author and illustrator of the delightfully creepy Thornhill. After years of domestic abuse, 13 year old Billy can’t take it anymore and he runs away. He has lost his trust in adults and although he loves his mom, their relationship has been eroded to breaking point. Although he is in hiding he is discovered by an old man who agrees to keep his location secret and a girl who is the daughter of the police office tasked with finding him. Meanwhile his mom Grace takes the first steps in regaining her identity in the hope it will bring Billy back to her.
This is a heart rendering story of how witnessing and experiencing long term domestic abuse can affect young people and adults. Billy is in crisis, forced to escape his home in an act of self-preservation, but feeling guilty at leaving his mom in a vulnerable situation. The story should feel uncomfortable but your unease is offset by the friendships that are made and the support that is given by Billy’s friends and their neighbours. You have a sense of experiencing a pivotal moment in Billy and Grace's lives, one that leaves them in a better place. The reunion of loved ones in the graveyard becomes the emotional tipping point that pushes Billy back to his mom.

"A haunting illustrated novel from the author of the highly acclaimed Thornhill.

Told in two alternating narratives, The Hideaway tells the story of Billy McKenna, who runs away from home and takes refuge in an overgrown graveyard. The first narrative is told from his perspective, whereas the second thread tells of the situation at home and the police search for Billy. Covering themes of domestic violence, families, childhood, and being separated and reunited, this is an important and beautifully illustrated book for middle grade readers right up to adults.

The Hideaway is illustrated throughout with tonal and textured black and white drawings. The atmospheric illustrations seep into the edge of the pages before they give way to a series of double-page spreads as the story reaches its climax."

If you're like me and have been waiting to see what Pam Smy would do next after Thornhill, your wait is over!

I have been waiting patiently for another book from Pam Amy an it did not disappoint The Hideaway was an amazingly brilliant story of running away to save oneself and their family. It was filled with mystery, magic, intrigue and emotion. This was a book I could not put down. Absolutely loved it!

This is another excellent book by Pam Smy. Thornhill was an incredibly story combining beautiful illustrations and this new book is equally good. Tackling the subject of domestic violence through the eyes of Biliy and his mum, Grace.
Billy takes refuge in a graveyard and befriends an elderly volunteer who tidies the area and at the end of the story learns about real love.
Grace’s story is told with sensitivity and clarity highlighting the realities of a manipulative bullying relationship and tells of the eventual “escape”.
This is a powerful book and would be excellent for 10 + readership. A book I will recommend to upper Ks 2 colleagues

Pam Smy has been on my radar since the release of her first book but this is my first experience with reading one. I knew that it was going to be something that would stick with me forever and I was right.

This one caught my attention, not only when I first saw who the author was but by that beautiful cover. It instantly caught my attention and I couldn’t look away. Everything about it is absolutely brilliant. The colors and the illustration together is something that stands out from others.

The story was a heavy and important one. Stories involving domestic abuse always get me emotional and this story affected me deeply. With every turn of the page, I found myself getting teary-eyed with goosebumps traveling up my arms. It really makes you realize that kids see more than you think.

As we travel through the story, there are hauntingly beautiful illustrations placed throughout. Together they made this a phenomenal book. Everything about this book was fantastic and I can’t wait to own a copy.

The Hideaway was a perfect story with a hopeful ending. It will break your heart and mend it before it’s over. I love this book and it’s one I’ll always remember. I can’t wait to read it again.

THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING.

Here is a story about a boy who is having problems at home - he loves his mom but he can't take the fights anymore. The fights between his mom's boyfriend and his mom. So he moves into a graveyard.

We follow two POVs in this story. On is the boy which is matched with beautiful full page illustrations. The other is the mom and police officers trying to find him. This POV has no illustrations and was so gripping to have that distinction.

I was drawn in from the beginning. The artwork as AMAZING and the story was compelling. It felt like an ageless story. I actually sobbed heavily when I got to the end of this book, and had to pause multiple times to clear my vision while reading.

There are quit a few trigger warnings to go with this book - the biggest being domestic abuse. I think this would be a perfect book for young readers to better understand what someone else might be going through.

Also the ending has a beautifully magical.

Thanks to Netgalley and Pavilion Children's for giving me a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

Billy feels his only way out is to run away, not far but away from the constant abuse happening at home. He loves is mother and misses having a safe and happy home with her. He cannot bare anymore to see his step-father destroy his mother and to be constantly living in fear, that he will was also experience his step-fathers violence.

Billy's mother is devastated when she finds her son has disappeared, finding the strength to turn to her neighbours to ask for their help. Neighbours that she hasn't even met before as her abusive partner won't allow her to have relationships with anyone else. She needs them though to find her son and by reaching out and asking for help, she finds a whole community of people who do far more than just help her find Billy. They help her to rediscover herself.

I found this book so captivating, the story was a simple one in lots of ways but so beautifully woven together with Pam's recognisable beautiful black and white illustrations. The theme around domestic abuse was handled with such care and honesty. For many young readers this might be the first time they have read a book about this subject matter or they themselves may of had/be having, experiences of it. So to show it through the eyes of the teenager and his mother was cleverly done.

It didn't sugar coat things but carefully put together what it feels like to lose the people you love to an abuser and how someone feels to be lost in that situation. This is a great way to teach young people to empathise with this situation but also to learn that if they ever found themselves in something similar, that there are people there to help, that actually there are more good people in the world than not.

Wow!

When Billy runs away from home to escape domestic violence, he meets an old man who takes him under his wing. The story, written as a dual narrative by Billy and his mum, explores family relationships and the nature of love.

The book is illustrated throughout with atmospheric black and white drawings. I loved this element of the story and towards the end, when the illustrations took over from the narrative, I was spellbound. Even though the story covers the upsetting topic of domestic violence, it is handled sensitively. The twists and turns kept coming, right to the end. I absolutely loved it!

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found "The Hideaway" to be so moving and special. Certain lines resonated with me, as a survivor of domestic abuse with children who also carry with them, the weight of abuse. beautifully illustrated and tenderly written, Pam Say never ceases to bring this careful emotion to her writing. Told in two POVs it truly grips and invests you in the mother/son dynamic and tackles the difficulties of domestic abuse and violence. This will be powerful for all ages but especially important for children in the 11-13 year old age range. I'll be buying a physical copy to revisit in the future.

I first discovered Pam Smy when she was shortlisted for the Waterstones Children’s book prize in 2018 and so was curious to see if her second book could live up to the high standard of her debut. In fact, I think it surpasses it.

Smy’s style is sumptuous, not only for the way that she illustrates her heartbreaking prose but for the way the artwork & words compliment each other. The book deals with difficult subjects but in a sensitive manner and with characters that you are urging to escape the shackles of their life through every chapter.

This was a wish that I was so pleased to be granted, as it was an overwhelming reading experience. It’s exquisite and I’m sure it will make a huge impact on everyone who turns that first page.

A wonderful combination of magical realism and the hard hitting reality of domestic violence. All of the characters were really well developed and convincing, Billy in particular. Told through twin strands of Billy and the adults involved in looking for him, this is both starkly realistic and warmly supernatural. I felt the difficult issue of domestic violence was sensitively handled, the desperation that both gradually wore Billy's mother down leading to her isolation and finally drives Billy from his home, come across incredibly well. I particularly loved Billy's side, the wonderfully illustrated graveyard where the build up to All Souls is also a means of Billy finding hope and the beginnings of a new future. It's such a beautiful, well told story that works perfectly.