I loved this. A group people sign up to be involved in a strange contest with the premise that it may become a reality show. The are given little to nothing in the way of details, but promised money. Each, in their own way, is either desperate for the money or the potential fame, and therefore sign on despite the lack of information provided. They are deposited in an abandoned theme park, whose grounds are both vast and now overgrown, and told that during the day their only job is to survive in the game of hide and seek, not being found until they are safe at sunset.

There are multiple POVs but the clear hero of the story is Mack, a young woman with a very troubled past that is slowly revealed. Mack is very closed off, but finds herself responding to some of the other contestants as the game slowly turns to an exercise in terror. Mack is a solid MC, as are several of the other characters. There is a decent amount of character development given that there are so many characters, and the author creates a group dynamic that the reader easily roots for.

It's clear from the set up that the game and the park are more than they appear, but some of the twists and turns are great fun and surprising. This reminded me a little of a horror movie that came out a few years ago, which I will not name as that would be a major spoiler. Additionally, there is interesting commentary in the book regarding family - both those we share DNA with and those families we create for ourselves, as well as power and the sacrifices made to get it and keep it. Survival is also, of course, a major theme.

This is a shining entry into the horror genre and I really had fun reading it. I thought the ending was fantastic, with just the right amount of nihilism. I actually laughed out loud. This is horror done very, very right.

A game of hide and seek in an abandoned amusement park. 14 competitors. 7 days. One 50,000 dollar prize. But as the number of competitors starts to dwindle down, the ones that remain begin to wonder if something more sinister is going on.

I have read a few books by this author that I did not really enjoy so I went into this book with very lowered expectations despite the fact that the premise was super intriguing.
I am happy to report that this book was a wild ride. At the very beginning, you are introduced to a lot of characters very quickly so it is a little hard to figure everyone out. But the story picks up quickly so that is not an issue for long. This book does also switch between character perspectives abruptly so you really have to pay attention to who you are reading from.
I don’t think any of the reveals in this book were too crazy. I feel like the author set a lot of it up in a way that made sense which I always like. I think the ending of this book will be very divisive.
As far as vibes go, I can definitely see people comparing this to The Cabin in the Woods and The Hunger Games.

This is such a creative premise. I am a fan of horror and this reminded me of two of my favorite recent horror movies (Cabin in the Woods and Ready or Not). The characters were difficult to keep track of in the beginning, and it was a bit jarring the way the author jumped between so many characters without any page break. This was overall an enjoyable dark horror story.

loved this adult book by one of my favorite authors. This book was a good story about an evil being in a amusement park and the family making sacrifices to the beast for money and power. This reminded me of cabin in the woods . I liked this book alot. and enjoy the twists and turns at the end.

It was a simple enough of a premise. Hide. For seven days. If you’re found, you’ll be eliminated. If you’re not, you’ll get 50K.
For Mack, haunted well into her 20s by a traumatic childhood event, a homeless and helpless sort of a person who specializes in passing through life invisibly, it was a chance at a fresh start. For others it was some version of the same, be it out of necessity, loneliness or desire for fame and fortune. And thus, fourteen 20something-year-olds were assembled and led into an abandoned amusement park.
It started off amusingly enough, but soon they came to realize it isn’t all fun and games and this twist on a childhood’s favorite is deadly. Soon, hiding became a matter of survival.
Alliances will be formed, secrets will be uncovered and blood will be shed.
Also, social commentary on the obscene socioeconomical (and generational, and racial, and so on) divides in the American society will be made.
So yeah, this book has a lot going on. And does it all pretty well too. The author, apparently famous and prolific in YA realms, is making her adult debut with Hide and she doesn’t venture too far from her chosen age group. These characters are all still very young and young acting; it isn’t YA anymore, but it’s comfortably YA-adjacent. Which is to say, it reads pretty young, but not in that adult-intelligence-insulting way that YA does.
Overall, it’s very dramatic, plenty exciting and really fun. So much so that you tend to forgive the oversimplifications and overexplanations (plot-wise, emotional and ideological) that this book like most young-oriented literature is prone too.
Reminded me of something like a just out of teen years baby of Fantasticland (Bockoven) and The Last One (Oliva). Which is, I suppose, a compliment, for those two are excellent books. All in all, fun was had. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

I loved the idea for this book and was so excited to read. I thought there was great tension and I liked the compelling and creepy setting, however I was not expecting the supernatural twist the story took. I think if the blurb had hinted at that it wouldn't have been so jarring, but I was expecting there to be a logical earthly explanation. So while I enjoyed the wild twist as to the "why" of the story, I wish I'd known that going into the story.

I thought the pacing was a bit slow, though it did pick up at the end. I also would've love to see a bit more of an epilogue to the story, but overall it was a fun and creepy read.

my review will be posted 2 weeks before the release date on my ig - @thebookishfaerie and my goodreads account.

Hide is a high stakes book that takes a lot of concentration to understand.
If you like analyzing, and finding deeper meanings in books then you will enjoy this.
The author does a good job at adding small hints throughout the story that feed into the main plot.
We are presented with a lot of characters in this novel. I would have preferred to have different povs, but it worked in the way it was written.
Even though we are given many different characters, they are all throughly fleshed out. They each have their own personalities, voices and actions. It was so refreshing to see such good characters in a book.
I’m not going to lie, it does move slowly - but it’s so worth it. The build up makes for such an emotional, and riveting end.
You find yourself on the edge of your seat, just hoping it works out.
I thought the plot was so original, and I was so excited to read it. I did imagine something different than what I received but I wasn’t disappointed.
Thank you to the publishers at random house for this e-arc.

Imagine if you could read a hybrid of “The Cabin in the Woods” and “FantasticLand” by Mike Bockoven. It would be ideal if you considered getting excited at this point because you absolutely can read that within the pages of this book! White balances social commentary with horror elements (which honestly are the same most of the time, right?) to write a genuinely fascinating novel.

Some may feel that there are too many characters/lots of details in the beginning, but I felt the pace was pretty perfect. I also loved the strong female presence throughout. There wasn’t anything about this story that didn’t work for me. It’s pretty rad when your first book of the year is a 5 star read, so hooray to that :D

I’m so excited to recommend this book to customers! It’ll be a good fit for YA readers that enjoy a bit darker subject material and horror fans looking for their next engrossing read.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Amazing story? Great premise and kept me on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this story. I can't wait for this authors next book

I would first like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book! I requested this book because the description sounded like something right up my alley! I love creepy abandoned places like amusement parks, and I love high stakes games as a premise for a plot. So I was ecstatic when my request to read this one was approved.

I finished this book in three days! I LOVED it. It actually ended up going in a completely different direction than I was expecting, but I totally enjoyed it. It gave me similar vibes as the movie “The Cabin in the Woods” from 2011. It was a tiny bit slow in the beginning, but totally made up for it as it went on. I don’t usually love third person writing style, but it actually greatly contributed to the overall flow of the story in this book. Once the real reason behind the “game” is revealed, I was shocked because I did not see that coming, but I also loved it!

I did feel like it could have ended a lot differently. The last 10% or so of the book was okay, and not what I expected as a conclusion. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath of the decisions at the end of the book, rather than the abrupt way it ended.

This was my first read of 2022, and my first 5 star read of the year! I am definitely going to be keeping an eye out for more upcoming books by this author!

I thought this was a compelling, uniquely narrated novel that effectively blends social commentary with the creepy thrills of horror. The abandoned amusement park setting was fantastic and I found the cast of characters engaging and often heartbreaking. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who likes thoughtfully done horror without too much gore.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for this ARC.

When I first saw the cover and read the synopsis I was extremely intrigued. Unfortunately this fell really flat for me.

Because we have fourteen contestants the beginning felt really dense. We get a very brief introduction to every character in two chapters. It took me a while to learn who everyone was except for our main characters. It also took me a second to get used to how quickly this book changes perspectives. I can definitely agree this is more interesting with different POVs but I didn’t enjoy how quickly it would change.

Besides the denseness of the beginning, I really enjoyed the story and the atmosphere up until 40% into the book. It took a turn and used a twist I really don’t enjoy in books. I won’t get too deep into that because spoilers. I felt myself just skimming the last 20% of this and trying to get through it.

Even though I ended not liking this, I really appreciate the creepy setting and the hide and seek element.

Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of HIDE, by Kiersten White. It was the author that caught my attention, as I read and enjoyed many of her YA novels. And while this is advertised as the author's first "Adult" novel, it still seemed very YA to me.

The premise was extremely fun and the idea of an abandoned amusement part in which you must play hide and seek, is terrifying. I was intrigued from the start, especially when we got to hear more about Mack’s story. Unfortunately, the terrifying aspect kind of fell flat about 40% into the book. The back-and-forth POV of each character was somewhat choppy and hard to keep up with. It felt like most of the focus was on their personalities instead of the actual plot line

This book started out strong and while I did enjoy it, I did not love it. The abrupt ending is kind of what pushed me towards my rating.

Overall, 3.5 stars and I would recommend for a quick, popcorn read.

really liked this and devoured it in one sitting. I lived this messed up game of hide and seek. But if I'm being honest it was a lot of spent 12 hours frozen and then having dinner and going to bed. I wanted a bit more out of it all I think

From the first page, I was hooked on this book. The author does an amazing job of pulling the reader in, letting us learn what's going on as the characters do, and creating a tense, emotional story. I couldn't get enough of this and wanted to just read this all at once. With constantly changing points of view, each character gets a chance to show us who they are and what their motivations are for entering the game. The pacing was excellent and there are certainly no lulls in this book.

Mack is the main character and she's been through a lot. I was so intrigued about her past and wish there had been a bit more page time about it. Ava is a badass veteran who I'd definitely want to partner with on any challenge. She's able to break down some of Mack's walls and ends up being a great ally. There are a couple guys that are adorable, especially Brandon who's a total cinnamon roll. It was easy to fall for these characters and root for them to succeed and that made my experience even better.

I can't wait to see what other adult books White comes out with after this amazing debut. Definitely check this out!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own. Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for the copy

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Hide.

I downloaded the ARC almost immediately once my request was approved. I was stoked to read it!

This was a lot of fun to read. Is that wrong to say about a bloody survival tale set in a creepy, abandoned amusement park as innocent victims are stalked by an unseen predator?

Well, it was fun to read!

The author cleverly weaves a story based on the classic Greek tale of the Minotaur with modern obsessions of reality shows, podcasts and attention seekers.

Fourteen people have been carefully selected to compete in a reality show where competitors hide in an amusement park for a week and evade being captured.

Everyone wants to win, imagining what they will do with the prize money, but there's a deep, dark secret behind the competition.

It's not a reality show. It's real life. And if you get captured, you die.

But the monster stalking the grounds isn't the only secret. The competitors left standing won't give up without a fight and they're prepared to end this once and for all.

Let the game begin.

I'm a big fan of Greek mythology and I loved how the author incorporated the myth into the premise, tweaking it enough to make the narrative uniquely hers.

The survivors possess interesting backgrounds that contribute to their strong personalities and explain how they've managed to endure and make the decisions that could make or break the game.

I'm not sure the romance between two of the characters was necessary.

Why is there almost a romance in every novel but I can understand why the author chose to go that route. Can't they just have a friendly rapport and be good friends?

There's plenty of suspense and tension, especially when the truth behind the competition emerges, and action toward the end as the survivors make their final play.

The author does leave a few loose end, like how the original families of the town decided to create this covenant and who came up with it? How did they discover they could do this?

I like how these questions are left hanging and best left to the reader's imagination. Not everything needs to be explained.

This would make a great series on NetFlix, cast with diverse actors and set against a creepy, abandoned amusement park. It practically writes itself!

Also, great cover!

2 ⭐
This was a very interesting concept. I really got excited for this read after seeing the synopsis. However, I feel it fell flat during the carry out. We follow Mack, and she is down on her luck and gets an opportunity to win 50,000 dollars if she competes and wins a hide and seek competition in an old abandon theme park. There is constant action, horrible people, and creepy monsters. I didn't connect to any of the characters, and it seemed kind of rushed, especially during the actual competition. The writing started strong, and kind of fizzled halfway through.
Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a pretty big Kiersten White fan and so I was very excited to see her venturing into the adult market with this. It was definitely not what I expected, and in a good way! At first glance, it seems like it is going to be a normal, reality tv-based thriller. But the supernatural element was definitely a very creepy and well plotted addition. I really enjoyed this!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rating 3.5/5

This was a terrifying scream of a book. Even though there was nothing groundbreaking about it (I can name a few other books this reminded me of, #Murder Trending by Gretchen McNeil, for one), this book kept me hooked and I read it in one sitting. It was a lot of fun to read and I ultimately enjoyed myself.

My biggest gripe is with the number of characters/quick POV shifts. There are fourteen contestants, along with numerous side characters, who all get time to shine multiple times throughout the book. In some chapters, the POV shifts every few paragraphs. It's a bit confusing and disjointing, and while I liked getting to know each of the characters in more in-depth ways, there wasn't enough time to get attached to a single character, if that makes sense. At the end of the day, I didn't care much about any of the characters because I didn't get enough time to spend with any of them over the span of the novel (I did find myself rooting for them, however).

I also liked Mack and Ava's relationship and watching them open up to each other over the course of the book. On one hand, I found it touching how close they got in a short amount of time, but on the other, we were frequently reminded of how "damaged" these two people were –– why did they trust each other in a few short days? Maybe traumatic situations skew perspectives. Despite it seeming a little unrealistic based on their backstories, these two were the highlight of the novel for me.

Finally, though this was ultimately a fantasy/horror/thriller hybrid novel, some of the things that happened were just a little too convenient for me. None of the plot twists left me guessing – I ended up predicting most of them. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially since I think the story-telling aspect was quite good, the plot was solid, and the pacing was great, but the novel itself wasn't anything groundbreaking, as I stated earlier. I'm glad to have read it but it's not one of my favorites.

Regardless, this was a fun and quick read, one that I would recommend if the summary sounds interesting to you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Del Rey Publishing for this ebook review copy.

This is my first read by Kiersten White.
I read the synopsis of this. It sounded so so good, don't get me wrong I did like this book, but I didn't love it. The idea of an abandoned amusement park, and a game of childhood hide and seek really drags you in.
So many times I was left hidden myself. I felt lost. By the end I was still almost wanting more. A little more of everything.

I do really love the cover for this book. Seeing it on Goodreads,and other online sources in full color is nice. (you don't get that with e-ink). So I know in person it will be extra beautiful.
I love the creepy mustardy yellow is. The black and red viny creepiness of the park. I feel it all just fits.

In all I give it 3 stars because I did enjoy it, I was thrilled just not completely to my expectations. If thr author writes another horror/thriller novel in the future, yes I'll still give it a chance.