I love young adult mystery thrillers. This one had a lot of twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and I loved the mysterious aspect.

Whoa--EDGY! Author Natalie D. Richards doesn't scruple to lay ALL the cards on the table! In FOUR FOUND DEAD, it's murder and terror. In WHAT YOU HIDE (2018), Domestic Terror, by which I mean IN THE HOME. It's also a hopeful and dedicated ode to Libraries and the concept of Library in general [long may they continue, despite the current tendency of cities and counties to shrink funding and even to close Libraries, while book costs consistently rise].

WHAT YOU HIDE is multi-layered. On the one hand, we have a smart and emotionally stable sixteen-year-old girl, who has to escape her home because of the incredibly controlling, maximally Narcissistic, stepfather. Cue homelessness, but with some very inventive spins. On the other hand, a "stowaway" in the Library. Hallucinations? Ghosts? Art presentations? Plus a high school senior in a well-off high-options family who is trapped in existential distress. This is the second Natalie D. Richards novel I read in two days, each one in a matter of mere hours--so I guess I'm a fan.

Spencer has a thing for climbing, but when he climbs a building spontaneously and breaks a window, he ends up with community service at the library. There, he meets Mallory, a girl running from her creepy stepfather. Spencer wants to help Mallory, but he also needs to decide what he wants for his life, even though what he wants doesn’t line up with his parent’s’ expectations. To top it all off, strange things start happening in the library, but ghosts aren’t real, right? Natalie D. Richards is great at writing suspense, but this book has very little. The story is more focused on Spencer and Mallory, switching back and forth between their perspectives every chapter. The library “ghost” is more of a secondary storyline. The library is a main setting yet librarian misconceptions are still presented in some dialogue which might bother some librarian readers. YA contemporary readers should read this, but it is lacking the mystery that Natalie D. Richards usually writes.

I wasn’t able to finish this book. Because of this, it is my policy not to review the book on my site or on Goodreads/Amazon. I also didn’t mark it DNF.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, it was a bit slower than I would like and it just didn't hold my attention. I am sure other people will love it!

What you hide was a sly read. The story written in such a way that it keeps you guessing form chapter to chapter. Suspenseful and well plotted out. Kept me guessing right up to the end.

I used to really love YA but have not been able to give the genre a fair shot lately. I enjoyed Richard's previous work, so I am sure this one is also really good.

This is my second Natalie D. Richards book (I've read two more since this) and I have to say I really enjoyed this one. Not as much as I enjoyed One Was Lost, but I loved the characters, the "mystery" kept me going, and I felt so much when reading this book.

I had a great time reading this book. It was just so fast and easy to read, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to learn more about Mallory and Spencer-and to find out what the heck was going on in the library! It was such a great read!

At points, this book was extremely creepy. But at others, it was romantic. And it was really fun to have that dichotomy. Especially since as their relationship builds, it builds the tension when the scary stuff is going on! Loved it!

I really enjoyed getting to know Mallory and Spencer. Mallory was is an awful place, what with her non-physical abuse stepfather. And Spencer is drowning in that pre-college time of life to make decisions for the future, and feeling like he's wasting the privileged life his adopted family has given him.

And that ending! The pieces were pretty easy to put together, but they either were too scared to think logically, or they just didn't make sense. But then they did, and it made for a really satisfying ending. Loved where these characters ended up, the bright futures that they hold!

This was another great book from Natalie D. Richards, and I just need to read We All Fall Down to have caught up to what's been currently published, yeah!

Being a librarian(ish), I loved seeing all of the details that ring so true to me. Being someone who works with teens in a public library, and has spent many hours worrying about "my" library teens, it was heartbreaking and touching to see the other side. Too often I've pushed food onto my kids, saying I want to get rid of the snacks so I don't have to store them, when really, I'm worried about their next meal. The part where Mallory goes to a program because it'll serve food? Bam, straight to the heart.

I loved the different threads to the story . . . adoption, addiction, homelessness, finding a sense of purpose. These are real issues our kids face, and they were tackled gracefully and artfully. I read this book as quickly as I could, eager to know the outcome and to see if I could solve the mystery myself.

My teens have met the author, and devoured her books after meeting her. I will recommend this one to them, too, as well as my co-workers.

Okay. Libraries. I love that! An author I have read before that I like, check. A story that kept me interested and was, wait, a romance? No, that isn't really a romance, but then again, it can be. It's dark, but not without hope. It's almost horror, so take note of that. It's a usual mix that creates a very different tale. Maybe more corpse bride style, but it's hard to say. 
My copy came from Net Galley. My thoughts and opinions are my own. This review is left of my own free volition.

*book was archived or unable to be read due to formatting errors. Because of this, I unfortunately can not read or review the story*

The glimpse into an abusive situation was very realistic and well done. I am much more empathetic towards anyone in that situation or that has broken out of that situation than I was before reading this. I think this book brings to light what a difficult time women have getting out of these situations. I think this is a great conversation starter.

Fun mystery with a library setting. All is not what it appears to be! If you have ever dreamed of being locked in a library overnight, read this book!

This was a quick read for me but sadly not memorable in the least. The overall storyline was blah and underdeveloped. I did like our main characters but their relationship seemed a little too rushed. I was more interested in the mystery aspect and I'm not really sure how I felt about the reveal. The library setting was great I just wish they focused on the mystery more and it was a bit more hill house. I think I would have it enjoyed it more.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Posted to all links in my profile 3/11 plus.Dischord- Amazon posted 3/3/10) 3/11 post was edited for clarity and grammar.

2.5 stars - NetGalley doesn't allow for 1/2 stars.

What You Hide is a great concept that misses the mark. I applaud Natalie D. Richards for bringing subjects such as adoption, addiction, family violence and homelessness into the plot. However, other unnecessary tropes such as the romantic relationship between main characters Mallory and Spencer get in the way.

Should Mallory and Spencer have stayed friends helping each other through their respective challenges Richards could have gone deeper into the social conditions (mentioned in the first paragraph) she raised rather than glossing over them on a surface level.

Additionally, this would have left more time for the thriller/mystery parts of the story. Often there were unusual dealings at work that should have been flushed out more. Mallory and Spencer could have been at the center of solving or dying due to these threats but the book never hits the mark in this area.

Lastly, my issue is with the dialogue. I don't think it is authentic to teenagers. While I am not trying to paint a broad stroke over teenagers and their vocabulary, there is a certain way in which they speak to each other. Richards does nothing to emulate this in the interactions between Mallory and Spencer. It is not only more adult in tone, it is more intellegencia adult in tone. I don't know many adults who use some of the vocabulary and structure that Mallory and Spencer use in their dialogue.

I do think this is a very original idea and could have been an amazing book that not only addressed social constructs but done so in truly captivating way. Unfortunately that didn't happen because Richards chose to focus on the wrong plot points.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. This was a great book. I will definitely pick up more by Natalie D. Richards!

Quick review for a quick read. A good story, but felt like I wanted a little more from it. Mallory and Spencer are two teens from different backgrounds dealing with their own respective trials in the beginning of this story. Spencer's dealing with living a life he feels unfifilled by, and is serving as a library aid while on probation for breaking the library window after a stunt gone wrong. Mallory is in a contentious domestic situation where her mother's pregnant and her mother's boyfriend is verbally and emotionally abusive. She ends up leaving the home and trying to make ends meet on her own while trying to figure out how to convince her mother to leave the boyfriend. Spencer and Mallory end up meeting at the same library, while observing a number of mysterious messages and discovering a dead woman's body in a mystery that ties them together for a short time.

You may go into this book thinking it's a murder mystery or the book centering around the collective mystery/thriller aspect, but it really isn't. It's more of a contemporary drama with some mysterious elements. The mysterious elements take a back seat to the developing relationship between Spencer and Mallory. I'll admit I liked the teens' rapport and could understand why the two were drawn to each other. I could also appreciate the different contentious situations that the two are dealing with, even if their resolutions seemed a little quick for the build up the story had in the beginning. The mystery, on the other hand, was a bit underwhelming and not so much a thrilling aspect. It provided a few moments of contention, but it really wasn't a major focus of the story, only providing a parallel situation tied into the teens discovery, with unfortunate circumstances in tow.

I liked the story for what it provided, but I don't think it's one of Richards's strongest stories in her bibliography. I would recommend it for those who like quick read teen contemporary dramas with tough situations, and who can appreciate slice of life stories with decent character chemistry.

Overall score: 3/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher.

Meh.

What you hide is not a mystery book like I expected it to be. It's more of a contemporary / coming of age story adding a mysterious element to it. However the 'mystery' part of the book didn't really work for me. There wasn't much of a plot to begin with and I was really bored reading it so I was trying to read as fast as possible to get to the end and be done with it.

I didn't really care for the characters even though I hated her mother and step-father. Anyway, What you hide wasn't an interesting read (at least to me) but I didn't hate it so that's why I rate it 2 stars instead of one...

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.