The Hiding Girl
Twelve-year-old Emily manages to survive the violent murder of her family, and takes to the streets, planning to get revenge on those responsible. She meets up with two gang members, Lucas and Kiona, who for some reason decide to help her with her plan to murder the two men who have destroyed her life.
Emily is a character very easy to admire and feel sorry for, but a bit unbelievable for a 12-year-old.
Lucas shows her how to survive on the street, and along with his girlfriend, Kiona, teach her how to fight and then arm her with a knife and a gun.
There is a lot of violence and strong language throughout the story, so be forewarned. But it also has a strength to it, and unexpected friendships to help balance the grittiness.
Emily is very strong and smart and manages to stay alive through multiple traumatic events, thanks to her friends.. You will have a hard time putting this one down once you start it. Thank you to #NetGalley for my copy of The Hiding Girl.

I kept hearing about The Hiding Girl and wanted to check it out. I was super impressed with the writing! The story begins with a teenager, already suffering the loss of her father, becoming a witness to the murder and rape of her mother and younger sister. Emily escapes her house, hides in the woods and eventually runs as far away as she can. She had grabbed the last of the money her father had hidden away before he was killed in a work accident and hides, afraid that the 2 men who killed her mom and sister would still be looking for her. Only 14, and looking even younger, she finds someone on the dark web who can build her a fake identity - she figures that being 16 will at least let her take buses and trains unaccompanied. She travels to Atlanta and meets Lucas - another lost soul who at first turns her away. She tells her story and he agrees to help.

This book totally pulls you in. The survivor's guilt Emily feels after her father 'left her in charge' and she couldn't save them is heart-wrenching. Her naïveté in thinking she was safe wandering around the bad part of town near Lucas' compound. The walls she builds to not get close to people and the compartments in her brain for The Hiding Girl, Calm Girl and Scary Girl. Emily's journey takes some twists and turns before the end of the book, but in the end you can't help but root for her to be happy.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good psychological thriller.

Twelve year old Emily Calby is forever changed when her mother and sister are murdered in their home. She fortunately escapes narrowly with her life, but begins her life anew on the streets. She has one goal and it is to avenge their murders and to avoid living life in the foster care system. She only has the resources from a cigar box that her father had put money into before his death and her wits. She has a lot of difficulties being able to use public transport due to her age and discovers that she can obtain a fake ID.

She meets Lucas during the exchange and finds her way into a much stronger, more resilient Emily. I was immediately drawn to how strong and powerful she becomes in her training and how immensely brave she is to go through what she does and be able to manage herself. I loved the blended genre in this book and definitely want to read more about this character.

I got an arc of this book from the publisher.

This was definitely a dark thriller! I could not help but feel for Emily who lost her mom and sister and then had to go on the run to avoid the same fate. It was especially emotional when I kept remembering that she was only 12 years old for most of the book. I am glad she had help from unexpected places. Those are the only bright spots in this story. The dark parts might turn people off and there are quite a few of those, from implied rape to murder. That would be why I took one star away. I prefer a little more light.

There was non stop action and it was really hard to put this book down. It is best read in one sitting to avoid the agonizing tenseness of wondering how Emily is going to get out of the latest mess that life threw at her while she was searching for the two sick men that murdered her family.

This book will definitely make you forget about the real world for a bit. I think I wouldn't mind reading the second book when it comes out because I want to know if Emily turned out okay.

Amidst very disturbing subject matter in a necessary background, the author weaves an excellent story designed to keep the reader engrossed. It works!

“ The Hiding Girl” is easily one of the best books I have read this year and what a relief after so many mediocre stories.
Emily Calby lives in a small home in rural Georgia with her Mom and younger sister after the death of her father.
One of the things her father had always told her was to watch out for them so when two strangers show up as they are returning from errands, she is leery and distrustful of their story. As it turns out, she was right, the two men tape and murder both her lither and sister and Emily barely escapes. While trying to hide from everyone who may be looking for her she meets a ex- gang member named Lucas who traffics in selling new drivers license and IDs. Lucas who was expecting a military vet who was kissing an eye was not happy to see the “ skinny white girl” standing at his door but her obvious plight tugs at his heartstrings and he agrees to not only make her the ID but offers to let her stay for the evening. Emily’s determination and “ pit-bull” personality reminds him of a little sister he lost to violence and he offers to train her with the help of his girlfriend Kiona who is not happy with the arrangement.
The story of how these three grow into an unconventional family and Emily’s struggles with her memories and what is the line between justice and vengeance as well as can you be a good person if you do bad things?
The book touches on self mutilation, DID, violence, abuse and refers to racial issues. Be forewarned there may be triggers for some readers.
I finished this in one day and can not wait for the second book. I would enjoy knowing more about Kiona in future books( maybe it will be part of the story Lucas was writing).
There is a guide at the end with questions for book club
discussions.

This was one of the most amazing books I’ve read in a long time and when I finished it, I closed my eyes and hoped for some type of sequel. To not have “The Hiding Girl “ in my world would’ve been devastating. Everything about this book from beginning to end was addictive. I love the writing style that really mimics the way a 12-year-old would think and speak, but it’s not a childish book. I really love the characters, especially Lucas and Kiona.

This book would be a fantastic movie or limited series. I NEED to see the training montage set to badass rap music.

I can’t imagine going through a tragedy like Emily went through, then trekking around the country all alone on a fury-fueled mission. What a storyline!

While there are some plot holes, weak plot devices, and an untimely use of the title phrase (forty percent in is way too late use the “hiding girl” trope), the characters and the story outweigh any negatives. This book was phenomenal.

Definitely a page turner! You honestly will not be able to put this read down. A heartbreaking travesty leaves Emily without a family and running for her life. She is extremely resourceful, brave, and determined. And then she meets Lucas. I loved both of these characters...and Darla as well. This book touches on so many issues ... senseless random murder, vengeance/self defense/morality, racial prejudice, post traumatic stress, foster care, treatment of PTS with medication in a hospital setting, even highly advanced technology. There are truly evil characters in this book and then Emily and Lucas"... who frequently find themselves in that gray realm between good and evil. Guaranteed to hold your interest! So glad there will be a sequel, which I can’t wait to read. Many thanks to Dorian Box, Friction Press, and NetGalley for affording me the wonderful opportunity to read an arc of this soon (June 15th) to be published book. Don’t miss this one.

Dark and gritty, the kind of novel you will read in one sitting!

Emily Calby is your stereotypical twelve-year-old. A good girl from Georgia with a loving, religious family. One day two men show up to their door and kill everyone… except for Emily. On the run, she meets Lucas, a former gang member who will take her under his wing.

Will Emily survive?

If you liked films such as Nikita and Leon The Professional, then you will enjoy The Hiding Girl. The story is told from the point of view of a 12-year-old girl but make no mistake, she is strong, brave and resilient, and won’t hesitate to defend herself is she needs to.

The Hiding Girl contains dark themes which may be upsetting to some; however, they were dealt with in a way that made sense and helped understand the background of the story.

The story was full of action, and I read it in one sitting as it was difficult to put down. This is the first book in a series; however, the ending is satisfying and gives closure -I can’t wait to read Emily Calby #2 now!

Disclosure: I would like to thank Dorian Box / Fiction Press for an advanced copy of The Hiding Girl (Emily Calby #1) by Dorian Box. This is my honest review.

https://jemimareads.wordpress.com/

I just don’t know where to start! This book was all sorts of amazing! It was also stunning, captivating, heartbreaking but also heartwarming. In many places it was sombre, a little dark but the characters were so alive, believable with heart and warmth, humor and love. Emily, at the age of 12, suffered a huge and overwhelming tragedy. She witnessd the murder of her mother and sister her father had died a while before all this happened. Emily was lucky to escape, but with the thought of vengeance in her heart. With her escape the real story begins. Although I read the summary, I did not think I would enjoy this book so much. I loved every character. This book is certainly on my ‘best ever books’ list. I cannot wait for the next books in the series.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emily is unpacking her grocery bags with her sister and mother when two strange men appear looking for gas. One is a tall man one a stocky man. Emily's mom allows the men to siphon the gas from their car and they proceed to go inside with the groceries. The two men follow them and rape and kill Emily's mom and 8-year-old sister. Emily escapes as her childhood home goes up in flames. Emily is on the run when she meets Lucas who gives her some life skills. The character development of Emily was excellent. I enjoyed her internal struggle with her memories of her sister and mother and the present day. This book was intense and won't be for everyone but is worth checking out. Recommend this one! Thank you to Friction Press and NetGalley for my advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This was an excellent story well written and I love how you can determine the outcome there are some results that you would not expect . looking forward to reading the next book in the series when it comes out .

I found this to be a most enjoyable read. A lot of refreshing uniqueness from the standard mystery write. The author did not hold back on dealing directly with what is often seen as controversial material. I am already looking forward to the next book in this series.

This is a fantastic book that completely demolished my expectations. Twelve-year-old Emily Calby is on the run after surviving a horrifying attack in her home that left her mother and younger sister dead. She befriends a former gang-member, Lucas, and begins training to exact revenge on her assailants. This novel is fast-paced and action-packed but it has a profound human element that sets it apart from other novels in its genre. I loved Emily’s voice and resilience as she became stronger, dealt with trauma, and contemplated what to do next. Her friendship with Lucas is what truly made the novel for me; they make an unlikely but fabulous team and I laughed out loud many times as they jostled with one another. My only critique is that some aspects of the plot were somewhat unrealistic. There is also quite a bit of graphic violence. Still, I look forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dorian Box for the Advanced Release Copy of this boom in exchange for my review.

After a brutal home invasion that leaves Emily's family murdered, We start following her journey on the run. This twelve year old girl embarks on a journey to find the guys that killed her parents. She learns many lessons and makes some very unexpected allies along the way.

I was immediately drawn to her story and found myself having difficulty putting the book down. It definitely exceeded my expectations!

This is a fantastic story, well written and with a great pace, but the best are the characters. The main character is a smart and tough young girl, and we follow her journey that's like no other. Excellent book, and I'll be waiting for the next one.

At first I was definitely apprehensive about likelihood of that fast of a friendship between a "skinny white girl" on the run and a black guy from a rough neighborhood but, as the story progressed, it made sense. They were each what the other needed at the time. I think that this was a phenomenally written first book of a very promising series. I felt like I was in the story, crazy voices in my head, heartbroken over the death of a close person. Dorian Box did an amazing job creating a headstrong, fearless, amazingly young heroine that we got to watch grow and change through the story. I really wished she had gotten to keep that backpack in the end though, as it seemed unnecessary. Couldn't the run have just taken the cash or something? I admit I did become about as emotionally attached to that thing as Emily, so it was sad to lose that in the end.

The main character, Emily Calby, vacillates between being average and a strong focused girl who can figure out how to get what she wants as she figures out a way of getting revenge. These traits often behind on who she has in her life at the time and if she can remember what they have taught her. All characters in this story are well-written and are important to the way the plot unfolds as it should be with every story. The plot has plenty of suspense as well as some thriller aspects to it. There are some trigger warnings that should be applied to this story for pedophilia, murder, gang scenes, mental health, and cutting. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book via NetGalley.

Thanks to NetGallery for allowing me to read a free E-Arc of this book in exchange of an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
First, I want to warn any readers about to read this book there are some trigger warnings: Cutting, Mental health, hints of rape/child rape (not explicit but implied), homelessness, and violence.
This was a great first book in what I think will be a wonderful series. The author did a wonderful job of creating a very intense story with complex characters. The story had drawn me in so deeply that I finished the book in less than one day.
At 12 years-old, Emily finds her world has been turned upside down. After the brutal murder of her mother and younger sister, she finds herself hiding on the streets from the men that are trying to kill her after she was able to escape them. Emily finds herself in need of a fake ID so she meets Lucus, an ex-gang member, who is willing to help Emily not only with her fake ID, but also with the help of Lucus' girlfriend, learn self-defense. As Lucus and Emily start out together as mentor/mentoree their relationship soon turns into a more father/daughter relationship. But as Emily's journey of revenge causes Lucus to get hurt, she finds herself being tested and surviving more than she ever thought possible.
This book had a well crafted story. The pacing was very good and I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen next. Emily was an amazing character that went through more than any person should ever have to go through in any lifetime. While Emily was suffering from the traumas that left her orphaned and on the streets, she never fully lost her spirit nor her willingness to survive. I enjoyed the development of Emily and Lucus' relationship. They came into each other lives at the perfect time. Lucus was a very complex character and I enjoyed reading about his backstory. The author did not shy away from the hard topics and issues Emily had to face, but was able to use them in a realistic way to move the story along.The ending of the book was so intense and satisfying. It allowed for this arc of the story to be wrapped up well, but left room for the next installment to pick up with our characters.
I would highly recommend this book to those who love a good thriller. I will be counting the days until the second book comes out to this awesome series!

I totally judged the book by its cover and wasn’t too excited for it initially, but it immediately sucked me in. Emily is a strong force to be reckoned with and I loved her character. Despite the trauma she experienced, she was a woman on a mission who still maintained a sense of humor. Her friendship with Lucas warmed my heart and kept me smiling despite the terrifying situations they found themselves in. The only bit that I’m hung up on is Emily is supposed to be 12/13 years old... I don’t know many adults that would have her strength, intelligence, and determination so the age threw me off.

Check this out if you need a quick thrill with a protagonist you’ll love to root for.