Hidden Pictures

My overall feeling about this book is a ruined opportunity. Sometimes a gripping page turner, but the last 10 percent is dross. I couldn’t care less what happened in the end and it goes from being a suspenseful thriller with a potentially explosive conclusion to a Mills & Boon horror romance thingy.

How did it go wrong? I’m baffled. At 80% I was still having fun, noting down things I liked about it, but then a tiresome review had to be written instead.

This is NOT horror, but somehow ranked the Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Best Horror (2022), Seriously? It’s certainly a thriller with creepy sections, but it's not scary, disgusting, disturbing or graphic at all.

I don't know why I feel so angry.

Maybe the sensation of having something beloved suddenly struck away?

A sort of horror related PTSD borne out of disappointment!

There is an element of commercialism because everyone is so pleasant and clean cut! It time-constraints itself into cramming as much information in as possible for the sake of drama, such as an entire seance taking place during the lunch hour while there are much more important things to think about.

YA horror-like preempted screenwriting for direct adaption to Netflix, hence my accusation of commercialism.

The most disappointing element is writing this pithy and tedious review for a book that seemed so good at first.

The best part of this book is indeed the <i>Hidden Pictures</i> scattered throughout its pages. This element is an ingenious and inventive opportunity for tension and surprise, followed by discussion and interaction, to see how the pictures evolve as the plot thickens, excited to see what's coming on the next page. The evocative pictures first appear in Chapter 2 - a crude children's drawing of a bunny rabbit - and I was going to write a glowing review about how these images wonderfully enhance a story that, instead, turns into a naff sort of whodunnit with disappointing wuh-ness all over the place.

Billed as the best horror of the year? What does that say about us, the general public? About the Goodreads rating system? Like the next greatest book that everyone <b>has</b> to read. Critics give rave reviews to sell lots of copies and it therefore must be brilliant, right, like <i>Grandma We Love You</i> getting to No.1 in the music charts and wondering who on earth buys this nonsense?

Three stars is a generous review because of the accessibility and originality this book had to offer from the start.