Mallory becomes a live in nanny for The Maxwells. I liked Mallory, she was well written. All the characters were great. This story was so twisty. I liked that included two mysteries. The ending was so good and the narrator was so fitting.

Mallory Quinn is fresh out of rehab and in need of a job. Her last job did not end well, and she really needs something fast. When the opportunity presents itself to babysit Ted and Caroline Maxwell's five-year-old son Teddy, Mallory accepts. She will get to live in their guest house and finally have some stability in her life.

How hard can it be to entertain a five-year-old? She thinks it will be easy - except Teddy begins drawing very disturbing pictures. Intrigued, Mallory attempts to decipher the pictures and gets help from the groundkeeper and a neighbor with an unusual gift.

Soon, it is evident that something isn't quite right, but what? Who will believe her?

I found myself quickly engrossed in the story and wanting to learn more about the pictures and the strange things happening around/in the house. This book had an eerie feel to it. I was right there with Mallory trying to figure out what was happening and why Teddy was drawing such disturbing pictures. Was something paranormal/supernatural going on? Or was there another reason altogether?

I really enjoyed coming up with my own theories and was nowhere close when the final reveal occurred. The author did a great job surprising me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was incredibly good. I listened to the whole audiobook within a day because I desperately needed to know what was going on. And the narrator did a wonderful job of capturing each character and moving things along effortlessly.

The story of a girl in her 20s, a former addict, who gets a great job as a nanny for a sweet little boy, Teddy. Teddy loves to draw and play and it's all fun and games until he draws some dark, sinister, possibly violent images. And oh does this story set OFF from there. It's a psychological thriller, supernatural horror story, suspenseful, yet also heartwarming.

Every time you think you've got this whole book figured out, it whips you sideways like a surprise turn on a rollercoaster. And then it rolls to an end so smoothly, questions are answered, loose ends are tied. It was all perfection.

(Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback)

Hidden Pictures is literally a work of art that I am excited to say was one of my favorite reads this year. The narrator was absolutely wonderful as well! I was immediately drawn to the story line and wanted to listen straight through from the start.

Mallory Quinn is a recovering addict who is 18 months sober. Her sponsor helps her get a job working for a family babysitting their 5 year old son, Teddy, in New Jersey. She is originally from Philly..(growing up right outside of Philadelphia myself, it was pretty cool to hear all of the area staples.. shout out to KOP mall).

From the start the parents are a little odd. As the story continues they keep getting weirder. Something was off with Teddy too. Then you see the paranormal piece. It was perfectly woven in to the story line and keeps you questioning whether Mallory has started doing drugs again.

The ending of this book was completely unexpected. I was very sad for it to end as I throughly enjoyed this!

I Recommend this book 100%

I really wanted to like this book but it didn't do it for me. The beginning started off great! Mallory is out of rehab and gets a job as a nanny. She is living in the family’s guest house. I kept waiting for “something to happen” and it never did. We learn about Mallory’s life pre and post drug addiction. There was an unsolved mystery in the little cabin she’s living in. Then the story turned around. There’s ghost possession and an unsolved death. It went off the rails for me after that. It reads more of a YA book than a book for adults.
I liked the narrator’s voice- she was pleasant to listen to. I want to thank the author, Flatiron Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the audio book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

HIDDEN PICTURES by Jason Rekulak was such a fun read. I’m so glad I got my hands on a hard copy and I definitely recommend listening and reading along with a physical or ebook copy.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been living for audiobooks and normally I’m fine with that format and don’t feel like I’m missing anything. But for this book, I recommend a physical copy because the entire book includes these really creepy images-pictures.

The book stars Mallory who is newly out of rehab and looking for a fresh start. She takes a job as a nanny for an affluent couple, living in their pool house and spending her days minding their son Teddy.

One day Teddy draws a horrifying scene that deeply unnerves Mallory. As time passes Teddy continues to draw more and more pictures-increasing in creepiness.

Mallory decides to look into the drawings and as she does she uncovers the horrifying truth behind them. And it’s much more than I imagined.

I loved this supernatural thriller. It read almost like a horror mystery and I felt like a detective trying to figure out what was going on.

I especially loved the pictures. They added a multidimensional element and I think they’re what creeped me out so much while reading.

I recommend it to readers that love thrillers and horror books alike. I think this book drew a nice line between the two.

Thanks to @flatiron_books for the advanced copy!

Hidden Pictures…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Out Today!

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition of Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak.

Oh wow, how far would you go to protect a child that you are convinced is being haunted by evil spirits?

Mallory is a young adult who hasn't had the easiest go of it. After losing her sister, she descended into a dark addiction to drugs, landing herself into rehab, instead of college like so many of her peers. Desperate to stay clean and earn money, Mallory anxiously jumps on a nanny job babysitting Teddy, the sweetest little five year old boy. She also gets to live on site and become a warmly welcomed member of the family, in the cozy suburbs.

But not all is well in this seemingly normal household. Teddy has an imaginary friend, who, is growing increasingly present in his life. This imaginary friend has also caught the attention of the next door neighbor, to the Teddy's parents chagrin. Mallory is starting to get a strong sense that this home, and possibly even Teddy is being overtaken by old ghosts of the past.

This kept me guessing from the first page to the last. I will admit, I'm normally turned right off if I know that a book is going to have supernatural themes. The supernatural elements in this story though functioned more as an informant, so it didn't get too ghosty. I loved how intricate the story was, it was very unique, and a lot of fun. I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was the skeleton of a decent story. In could have been something good. It could have been spooky and creepy. It could have been nostalgic and gothic. Everything that could have made it good was ignored in exchange for flat and shallow relationships. There was a bland romance that just sprouted up out of a few minutes together. There was a kid that was supposed to be creepy but really wasn't. There were parents with no boundaries but the author seemed to want to pretend that wasn't a big deal so as not to have to address it. There was a babysitter that should never have been allowed to be alone with children-sleeping through her shift, failing to notice pretty basic things, and making horrible judgments throughout. These killed any potential the story may have had.

Instead, this was the rantings of a Fox News host facing people they don't understand-atheists, transgendered people, people with any weight on them or who eat anything the author finds unacceptable (unless they were vegetarians)... The entire books was an excuse to make digs at religious, political and gender role issues the author showed no understanding of. This was so distracting that it completely overshadowed anything that was actually happening in the story. The cliches come fast and furious.

Normally I would give some consideration that a story just wasn't for me. I don't think anyone should read this. The hatred is pretty strong in this one.

This was an intriguing story, not quite a ghost story, but not quite not. It was fast paced and flowed well.

Review of Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Wow. I binge listened to this one yesterday while cleaning my house. It was entertaining and fast paced the entire time and very well written. I don’t have any major complaints but couldn’t do five stars because it didn’t totally knock my socks off. But this one is totally worth the read and I cannot wait to see what the author writes next! It is out today so go get a copy.

Quick synopsis:
Mallory is a recovering addict who is thrilled to get a job as a nanny to Teddy. She likes his parents, has a great cottage to live in, and absolutely adores the little boy. She learns he has an imaginary friend named Anya which seems innocent until she begins to see Teddy’s drawings. They are becoming more and more disturbing by the day and she is sure Teddy can’t be the one responsible. She is determined to figure out the mystery behind them.

A big thank you to @netgalley and @flatiron for the advanced listening copy.

After coming out of rehab for opioid abuse, Mallory Quinn, now sober for 18 months, takes a babysitting job for an affluent family, that is willing to take a chance on her. Mallory is excited for the fresh start and will do anything to keep it that way. Soon, Mallory learns that Teddy’s only playmate is his imaginary friend Anya. But when he is having quiet time in this room his pictures that he draws are disturbing and more elaborate than a 5-year-old could do. The pictures seem to be different scenes of a woman being chased and then buried in the woods. Weird things begin to happen to Mallory, and she tries to find out who this imaginary Anya person is and what she wants. The story takes on a supernatural turn leaving clues to solve a murder. I enjoyed this part. The beginning is a slow burn but the twist at the end was great which I didn’t see coming. I thought the characters were well developed and some were great at hiding things which helped with the ending of the story. There were some parts of the book at about 80-90% that were a little out there and some of the characters at this point had a little dose of crazy. I understand why this happened, it just seemed to come out of nowhere. I listened to the audiobook on this one and really enjoyed the narrator.

This was a fun listen. The twists threw me off completely!

Mallory Quinn is a recovering addict, she's been clean and lucky to land a live-in nanny job at the Maxwells in an affluent neighborhood in Spring Brook, NJ. Mallory connected with Teddy, a sweet five-year-old right away. Teddy loves to draw and has an imaginary friend called Anya. Initially, Teddy's drawing is normal for his age, but soon it became too sophisticated and of a dead woman. Mallory and her newfound friend Andrien dig into the history of the area and try to solve the message from the disturbing drawings. I want to say more, but I won't want to ruin it since I went into this half-blind and was hooked right from the start.

I really enjoyed this one and as with mysteries that I can't figure out, I try to have multiple wild guesses. The clues had me confused and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. It all made sense in the reveal! If you enjoy mysteries with some creepy vibes you gotta try this book! The audio read by Suzy Jackson was fantastic.

Thank you Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this DRC.

Mallory Quinn is in her early-20s and at a time when many of her peers are charging through the college experience, Mallory is just over a year into her new found sobriety.

After a personal injury, Mallory unfortunately plummeted down a hole many Americans before her have suffered through; opioid addiction. She's not proud of the choices she made in the depths of her addiction, some having life-long repercussions. Mallory harbors a lot of guilt from that time.

With the help of her sponsor, and his encouragement to return to the sport she loves, Mallory has made huge strides. Now it is time to secure some independence. Mallory applies for a position as a summer nanny in the high-end suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey. The Maxwells, Ted and Caroline, have a 5-year old son, Teddy, who will be her only charge. The job seems perfect.

Teddy is such a smart, sweet little boy, who seems to take a shine to Mallory right away, and the property is gorgeous. She can get used to playing poolside all day. Even though Mr. Maxwell seems to be quite concerned about Mallory's past drug use, she still ends up securing the position. She's elated. Now it is time to prove herself. This is her chance to rebuild her life.

Mallory moves into a pool house on the property and begins to develop a healthy schedule with Teddy. Teddy seems to be a budding little artist and spends at least an hour a day quietly drawing. At first, Mallory is impressed with his skill and imagination, but when Teddy's drawings begin to take a very dark turn, she becomes concerned.

When Mallory suspects that the scenes in the drawings may tie to a alleged murder that happened on the property in the 1940s, which she initially learns about from a nosy, eccentric neighbor, things escalate quickly. Along with her new friend, Adrian, Mallory begins to deep dive into the history of the property and the suspected murder of the woman who once lived there.

Additionally, Mallory feels like Teddy's imaginary friend, Anya, may be the missing woman in question and she clearly is trying to communicate with them. Seriously though, can Mallory's opinion even be trusted? Is she using again? She definitely seems to be spiraling. Right? I mean, ghosts aren't real...or are they?

I had so much fun with this story. I could not put it down once I started, finishing the audiobook in a day. I was so captivated with this story. It's not complicated. It's fairly linear and I was happy to just sit with Mallory and hear her tell it. It was just classic, eerie fun. This would make a great movie!!

I really enjoyed Mallory as a character. I feel like she was super likable and relatable. I loved the sinister vibe, even though I wasn't 100% on what I should be afraid of at first. The way Rekulak built up the tension and then slowly revealed the truth behind what has happening at the Maxwells was really fun. It flipped what I thought was happening on its head. I wasn't shocked, but I was pleased that it ended in a unexpected direction.

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review.

This is the first novel I have read from Rekulak and I am definitely excited to pick up more!

I was able to easily immerse myself into Mallory's life and story, drawn into the book quickly. Hidden Pictures is a book that kept me reading through the night into the early hours of morning just so I could see what happens next. Though there were elements of the story that I felt were unbelievable, Jason's writing and descriptions had me questioning "could this really happen" more times than once. There were quite a few turns that I did not see coming which I loved. I also appreciated that the story was nicely wrapped up, giving a beautiful summary of what happened after, leaving the reader feeling complete and fulfilled with the story.

Suzy Jackson did a wonderful job narrating this title, keeping me entertained and engulfed in the story with her expression.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Jason Rekulak for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Enjoyment: 5
Total rating: 4

Mallory is fresh out of rehab and, through her sponsor, gets a job as a nanny for Teddy, the son of affluent couple Ted and Caroline.
When Teddy's drawing gets darker, things turn with a complex and escalating depiction of a man in a forest, dragging a woman's lifeless body.

Despite his parents' scientific explanations, Mallory feels there might be something supernatural at play, and she will discover it.

Mallory is one of the best characters I have seen in a while, she read like a real person, and I believed her actions, thoughts and cohesive nuances. Teddy is the ultimate creepy kid.

Hidden pictures is that kind of horror that is subtle and creeps in. It is one of those that make me feel it COULD happen IRL, and that is that kind of terror that sticks with you. I really enjoyed Suzy Jackson's narration. She was superb, and her style fits the story perfectly. I loved this book for everything that it is, I am just having a hard time explaining why.

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing a copy of Hidden Pictures.

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak is a super fun and intriguing supernatural mystery. The book's narrator, Mallory, is a recovering addict with a troubled past. She begins nannying for a well-to-do family in the suburbs. Teddy, the boy she babysits has an "imaginary friend" named Anya that has encouraged him to draw upsetting pictures that seem beyond the death of a quiet five year old. Mallory becomes more and more concerned by his behavior and weird occurrences and is determined to get to the bottom of things, investigating a murder that took place on the property decades prior. It dragged a little bit in the middle, but the last third was so fantastic and fast-paced. I loved the twists and turns the story took. The narration by Suzy Jackson was perfect. She has a great voice that seemed to fit Mallory and keep me invested in the story. I highly recommend this one if you're looking for an intriguing mystery that will keep you guessing!

Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing this audiobook ARC.

My goodness was this exciting. There are ghosts and a weird neighbor. Loved Russell. With about 2 1/2 hours left, I went "oh shit!" and was hooked even more. Recommend!

I really enjoyed this book and was rooting for the main character, Mallory. I thought I had it figured out a few times but was happily surprised to be wrong. I never like books with paranormal themes r but this is my first exception. Well done!

Mallory becomes a live in nanny for The Maxwells. I liked Mallory, she was well written. All the characters were great. This story was so twisty. I liked that included two mysteries. The ending was so good and the narrator was so fitting.

I loved the twists and the paranormal aspect! It was fast paced and the characters were so well done. I really enjoyed this one!