Name: Hidden Pictures
ISBN: 9780751583724

Jason Rekulak

Hidden Pictures

“Whip-smart, creepy as hell, and masterfully plotted, Hidden Pictures is the best new thriller novel I’ve read in years. Destined to be a classic of the genre.” —Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children From Jason Rekulak, Edgar-nominated author of The Impossible Fortress, comes a wildly inventive spin on the classic horror story in Hidden Pictures, a creepy and warm-hearted mystery about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets. Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job in the affluent suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory immediately loves this new job. She lives in the Maxwell’s pool house, 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. As the days pass, Teddy’s artwork becomes more and more sinister, and his stick figures steadily evolve into more detailed, complex, and lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to suspect these are glimpses of an unsolved murder from long ago, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell’s house. With help from a handsome landscaper and an eccentric neighbor, Mallory sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy—while coming to terms with a tragedy in her own past—before it’s too late.

A Novel

For a while I couldn’t read this at night then there was one line in the book and all of a sudden the perspective shifts and it’s not scary anymore. This story was paced well and I never knew what was coming next. Strong ending too. 

Samantha bruneau

i was hoooooked off the beginning, i thought the idea of being able to detect the male gaze was so creepy. i wish this was played up more throughout the book, it was simply mentioned once or twice. 

it was a very twisty book but it maybe felt too twisty for me. i felt like we were getting pulled in too many directions (weird relationship/changes with employers, recovering addict that takes responsibility for sisters death, random romance subplot) it didnt all feel completely necessary but maybe it was.

i will also say i expected more from the pictures. i thought they would be scarier and have hidden (get it?) meanings but they were pretty straight forward and repetitive. cool concept though

in the end, i think the book was interesting and original, but by the end i was ready for it to wrap up 

Sophia Rico

i was hoooooked off the beginning, i thought the idea of being able to detect the male gaze was so creepy. i wish this was played up more throughout the book, it was simply mentioned once or twice. 

it was a very twisty book but it maybe felt too twisty for me. i felt like we were getting pulled in too many directions (weird relationship/changes with employers, recovering addict that takes responsibility for sisters death, random romance subplot) it didnt all feel completely necessary but maybe it was.

i will also say i expected more from the pictures. i thought they would be scarier and have hidden (get it?) meanings but they were pretty straight forward and repetitive. cool concept though

in the end, i think the book was interesting and original, but by the end i was ready for it to wrap up 

Fresh out of rehab, Mallory Quinn takes a job in the affluent suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey as a babysitter for Ted and Caroline Maxwell. She is to look after their five-year-old son, Teddy.

Mallory immediately loves this new job. She lives in the Maxwell’s pool house, 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.

As the days pass, Teddy’s artwork becomes more and more sinister, and his stick figures steadily evolve into more detailed, complex, and lifelike sketches well beyond the ability of any five-year-old. Mallory begins to suspect these are glimpses of an unsolved murder from long ago, perhaps relayed by a supernatural force lingering in the forest behind the Maxwell’s house.

With help from a handsome landscaper and an eccentric neighbor, Mallory sets out to decipher the images and save Teddy—while coming to terms with a tragedy in her own past—before it’s too late.

Really enjoyed this book and did not see where it was going. Story wise, im glad it stayed with a bit of supernatural activity and not like someone living in their walls or something. I will say at some point I did get a bit bored and was only reading because I wanted to know if this actually ended up paranormal. I was fearing they’d use substances against our MC the whole time so the tension was there. Really great conclusion but also confused and a bit bothered by specific stereotypes throughout the whole book. 

lily

Me prendeu muito e acabei rapidinho de tão curiosa que fiquei, algo que faço questão em livros desse gênero. No entanto, não sou a maior fã de fantasia/espirito quando o livro é sobre crime, gosto mais de investigação e fatos por si só. No final achei a conclusão muito preguiçosa, como se o autor só ligasse pra parte do fantasma mesmo ou quisesse acabar logo o livro. No geral me surpreendeu.

Larissa Campos

Loved the book but at the end it was pretty disappointing because all the build up in the book just for it all to crumble down in just a few pages, 

It’s a good book don’t get me wrong but I wished they kept the storyline of the ghost was Annie and not the real mother of teddy 

And in the end where Mallory figured it all out and made it seem like it was obvious that teddy was a girl and was kidnapped while I reading didn’t get that all it feel a little scrambled together at the last minute 

Ida 

Loved the book but at the end it was pretty disappointing because all the build up in the book just for it all to crumble down in just a few pages, 

It’s a good book don’t get me wrong but I wished they kept the storyline of the ghost was Annie and not the real mother of teddy 

And in the end where Mallory figured it all out and made it seem like it was obvious that teddy was a girl and was kidnapped while I reading didn’t get that all it feel a little scrambled together at the last minute 

Captivating enough to read through in a day or two, but becomes increasingly problematic in the final chapters

Mckenzie Collard

Taylor Silveira 

The beginning was slow, but the last 20% was insane, would recommend.

Ivybeth Shipe

Pretty good book. Definitely entertaining. 

Rodney Crawford

Carmen Malca

So this was the perfect book I could read for Halloween. It is a paranormal thriller and I needed up really enjoying it. It kept me intrigued throughout and I really think it played out perfectly. The pictures were such an amazing part of the story and was so glad I hybrid read it because it was all so good. 

Priscilla Stanfield

4.5/5⭐️

So this was the perfect book I could read for Halloween. It is a paranormal thriller and I needed up really enjoying it. It kept me intrigued throughout and I really think it played out perfectly. The pictures were such an amazing part of the story and was so glad I hybrid read it because it was all so good. 

The pictures in the book are what brought the story from a 4 to a 5. Love to see this as a movie one day. 

Megan Lown

The beginning was so slow it made it hard to want to finish the book but by the time you got through the slow introduction and the pictures started showing up you were hooked on figuring it out. I never would have guessed that shocking twist ! It was brilliant! 

Brianna Hickey 

Had me hooked from the first page, the plot twists were amazing! 

Chrissy Gray

This one took me by surprise! For once the twists at the end took me by surprise! I loved the whole premise of the story with the drawings! 10/10 would definitely recommend this book ♥️

Mariah crawford

I’ve never seen a clearer agenda in a book than this. Of course the atheist, pro science, pro consent parents transed the kid after killing her mom I’m so shocked. But also of course the liberal, no red meat eating parents were going to teach their kid about “anal, cunnilingus, and gender theory” be so fucking for real. This was a Fox News level millennial couple and the message only would’ve been clearer if they made it a same sex couple. ”I knew deep down that she always knew she was a girl”  bffr

Alex

Some of it, yes, was WILDLY predictable. But there were also parts of it that completely shocked me and had me scratching my head. I loved the twists and turns that this took me on and there’s always something so fun about adding another element into a story that doesn’t always get added. I wasn’t 100% satisfied with the ending but the rest of it was good enough to wear I can’t completely knock it.

Kaitlyn R

This book was unlike anything I’ve read before! I really love a good mystery where I feel like I have to remember everything that could possibly be a clue to figure out what’s going on in the end…and I stilllllll don’t guess the ending 😭 there was a good 4/5 twists in this book and I was living for every one of them lol also don’t read this book in the dark 😣

Kiana Johnson

Lola

This was a nice read, the writing style was easy, fast pace and the characters were easy to like. Despite the great start i did feel like we'd veered off course a little in the middle and i felt a little bored as if the story was just going around in circles. Despite this i thoroughly enjoyed the ending, the last few chapters really drew me back in and it all tidied up so nicely at the end.

4 stars for me, i don't know that I'd pick it over some of the other thrillers/horror's I've enjoyed but i could and would probably recommend it as a quick easy thriller read.

Rebecca Hurd

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!! This was such a great read!! It had a slow build up, but with an amazing turnout!!!! Those twists towards the end just WOW!! I only realized one of them and the other one really threw me for a loop!! Probably the best mystery/puzzle I’ve read in a long time cause I usually figure out all the little twists and turns but this one kept me on my toes for the majority of the ride!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!

Ryan Mateyk

Fantastic narrator on the audiobook and am I ntriguing story overall, but kind of YA vibes to me and the story took a silly turn towards the end.

boring. the writing had unnecessary details, some really dull scenes, and the horror had a false sense of tension. plus, it's packed with pop culture references, which made it quite cheesy. not even the drawings saved it.

I enjoyed this book because I didn’t see where it was going and the ending threw me for a loop. It was refreshing to really be surprised.

Amanda 

Fairly breezy read. A decent, if familiar ghost story, that veers into a  surprising twist.