Thank you Netgalley and Adam Hattan for this eARC, these opinions are my own. Such a cute book! Cameron’s life is pretty normal except he lives in a small town, he’s gay, and he doesn’t have a lot of prospects in the romance department. Plus he’s dealing with a little bit of bullying at school. Then a new student, Finn, joins his school. Is Cameron getting a vibe from him? As their relationship blossoms, they’ll have to keep it secret because Finn’s not out. Cam doesn’t mind but how will their friends feel if they find out? Also Cam’s bully seems to be stepping things up, but is there more history there then Cam has said? And if anyone finds out about him and Finn could their new found happiness shatter? So cute and I got all the warm and fuzzies! Cam and Finn’s developing relationship is sweet and full of wonderful moments! I loved Cam, Finn, and their friends! A fun romantic comedy that’s funny, heartwarming, and tender! Highly recommend!

Hiding Him is definitely the cheeky little laughter filled summer romp you were looking for! Hattan's debut novel follows Cam, a young queer sixth former and his two best friends when a new (and dreamy) boy joins the school. What follows is a darling story about found families, being proud of who you are and learning to stand up for yourself.

Filled with lots of laugh out loud moments, classic references for the girlies and the best friends we all wish we had - Hiding Him is the book for summer 2024 and I will be putting it in the hands of everyone I know. Whoever you are and whatever age you are, this is one that can be enjoyed and there is a little something for everyone in this gem of a debut.

I cannot wait to see what Hattan releases next!

Awww the cuteness and sweetness are real. There's plenty of standard teenage drama here, as to be expected, but overall the book is a delight. you find yourself rooting on Cam and Finn, loving their bonds with their moms, and digging how not everyone straight boy is an all out villain. i'd definitely recommend it to students, fans of Heartstopper (et al.), and closet romantics. I look forward to reading more from Adam Hattan.

*we should have a conversation with the marketing major who opted to not include the puppies on the cover, cuz, dude. bro. just... wow.

as usual, i received a free advance copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In "Hiding Him," author Adam Hattan delivers a stirring narrative that seamlessly blends the complexities of young love with the profound struggles of self-acceptance and societal expectations. Set against the backdrop of modern-day adolescence, this novel takes readers on an incredible journey.

At its core, "Hiding Him" is a captivating exploration of Cam exploring identity and navigating high school's treacherous waters while grappling with budding feelings for a new neighbor. What sets "Hiding Him" apart is its portrayal of the LGBTQIA experience and incredible depth in character development

Moreover, Adam Hattan demonstrates a keen understanding of the teenage psyche, capturing the angst and insecurity of adolescence with nuance and sensitivity. From the awkwardness of first crushes to the exhilaration of newfound love, "Hiding Him" captures the full spectrum of teenage emotion with grace and authenticity.

In terms of prose, Adam Hattan exhibits a deft hand, weaving together evocative imagery and poignant dialogue to create a narrative that is as immersive as it is compelling. Each sentence crackles with energy, propelling the reader forward with a sense of urgency that is impossible to ignore.

In conclusion, "Hiding Him" is a tour de force of young adult literature, a poignant and powerful testament to the transformative power of love and self-acceptance. With its richly drawn characters, evocative prose, and timely themes, this novel will leave an indelible mark on readers of all ages. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a heartfelt and thought-provoking exploration of identity, love, and the courage it takes to be true to oneself.

I’ve been a big fan of Adam Hattan and his Disney content for years and I was super excited when I saw I was approved to read this book! I went into this book though putting that to the side because as a reviewer I feel you have to be honest despite any bias.

I can honestly say though all that aside I absolutely loved this book!

Such an easy quick read, very good pacing, well written with really likeable characters.

It’s incredibly funny and heartwarming. Hard to believe this is a debut novel.

I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone!

I'm a long timer follower of all Adam Hattan's adventures, his travel content is exceptional and I've loved it for many years now. So, when I saw he was turning his creative talents towards writing fiction and had a debut novel on the way, I was so excited for him and overjoyed when I was selected to read an advance copy a few months early!

This novel was very easy to read from the start and quite fast paced, transitioning seamlessly between the scenes and never really having a lull in the action.

I felt it was very reminiscent of being a British sixth-torm student and gave me the British equivalent of Love, Simon vibes throughout which was wonderful (and no I hadn't read the acknowledgements yet when I thought that ha!).

The Holiday movie reference was worth giving it a 5 star review regardless (that is my all time year round favourite film!) yet thankfully the rest of the story more than lived up to that one part too!

Heartwarming, inspirational, funny, with relatable quirky characters, high emotions, thought-provoking situations and a lot of romance, Hiding Him is a whole lot of fun that realistically deals with some sensitive topics and everyone should put it on their must-read list upon its release!
(Stay tuned for some of my more spoiler type thoughts on release day!

Devoured this book! It had my tummy in pain from all the laughing 😆

It follows cam a gay teen in high school who falls for the new kid Finn

The banter between cam and his friends is hilarious and the story of him finding himself and finding love was so cute and sweet

Had big heartstopper vibes but much funnier people will eat this book up!

Thank you for the opportunity to read it early Adam and NetGalley

Leigh,

I love it when books explore genuine emotions. You can really feel how raw and real all the emotions Cam goes through actually are. If you love Heartstoppee you'll love this one. It was a throwback to being young and feeling all kinds of ways. The spice was also spicing. 😏 You can tell how passionate @adamhattan is about this book, and I hope this helps a lot of younger people explore their emotions.

Well done Adam on a great debut, I look forward to reading more of your work as your author career grows.

I’ve been a huge fan of Adam and his Disney vlogs for years and when I saw he’d took the plunge and made another of his dreams come true I knew I had to get my hands on a copy as soon as possible!

This is such a heartwarming, emotional, sixth form throw back perfect read and with it being written by a fabulous member of the LGBTQ community we get a side of the struggles which sometimes aren’t portrayed very well. Part of me felt like Adam had poured himself into Cameron and Finn and some of the dialogue I heard in his voice which made it that bit more special. I absolutely adored their love story and seeing them overcome the bullies and the bullshit was beautiful to read. I loved Adams writing style and I know he’s going to be a firm favourite of mine again.

Finns dad needs a visit from Geri I think as well. She’ll sort him out. I loved the Moooooorrrning reference as well as we all know that’s Adams’s signature sign on in his vlogs. This was a wonderful read and one o devoured in 24 hours.

Thank you for sharing your story, your dream and a little part of you we don’t get to see much. Thank you for writing Cam, Finn, Geri and Robyn.

4.5 ⭐️ Just wow. For a debut fiction novel, this was fantastic. Whether you’re a member of the LGBTQ+ community or not, I think we can all collectively agree that there aren’t enough books being talked about that represent these communities. Not only does Hiding Him explore conversations around coming out and navigating emotions surrounding that, the way that this book was written felt so real and raw, and you could clearly tell that this was a passion project for Adam. It was executed perfectly! The characters, the emotion, the feels, the heartfelt conversations, everything just felt perfect. This one is for fans of Heartstopper and lovers of the found family and first time love tropes.

TikTok review to come asap!

Adam, this book was such a delight to read! As someone who prides themselves in giving unbiased, honest opinions on books, I can definitely say WOW. I did not expect this book to be so wonderful. This book's characters spoke to different parts of my person, especially Finn. Anyways, I usually structure reviews with things I liked first & then constructive criticism/things I did not enjoy following so let me do that LOL.

Positives/Things I Enjoyed:
1) Characters. Every single character felt unique, distinct, & like I knew them. Instantaneously, I loved Cam & how comfortable he was with himself. Lots of these stories have a main character who is not as comfortable with their sexuality/identity so this was a wonderful change of pace. Finn is someone I grew instantly attached to. Being a Hispanic woman, coming out as "I don't know what I am, but I know I like women and men" at 16 to my parents was beyond terrifying. All in all, every character spoke to different parts of my person, especially Finn.

2) Writing. YA is a genre I struggle to throughly enjoy as much as I do adult romances & fantasy (probably because it's easier to put myself in an adult character's shoes than a 16 year old), but your book made me feel like I was a teenager again. The embarrassing moments that happen to Cam while with Finn, the "say something!!" internal thoughts, the awkwardness, the angst, the witty comebacks, all of it transported me back into high school & made me feel like I was reliving being 16. The little nods to Gary, your iconic "Mooooooorningggg!", HSM 2, & Harry Styles all made me laugh & find myself smiling at my Kindle.

3) Romance. Cam & Finn's story was something I loved reading. Seriously, I could not put down the book! I wanted to read more & more of the couple. It did not feel forced, unlike a few YA/contemporary romances I've read, & everything felt organic. "SWOOOOOON" were at least 25% of my notes while reading LOL. I loved the forced proximity trope & the use of it. Sometimes, authors use this trope & it does not come across well. It almost gives a sense of Stockholm syndrome & the vibe of "Okay, we're gonna see each other often. Might as well fall in love & live happily ever after!". I love that you kept it real & kinda awkward LOL.

4) Conflict. The challenge for Finn & Cam felt like something that could actually happen in a real world setting. Lots of individuals, especially young boys, are mean & abrasive when they can’t accept they're different. In my personal experience, my high school bully was like this & it was for the same reason West was...well West and not Gabriel LOL. I know I've said this a million times, but THIS BOOK FELT REAL. The conflict is something I feel lots of adolescents (and adults as well) will resonate with. Either with it literally being a real-life West, a coworker that has distanced themselves after an encounter, or even someone who is no longer a friend.

Negatives/Constructive Criticism:

1) Writing in some parts. My only constructive criticism would be to go through your final copy & ensure it sounds like a YA novel & not a "how to guide". Some parts of the story felt too much like a play-by-play of events. It kinda took me out of the story, and as a reader, that is not something I enjoyed. I wanted the story to feel awkward, romantic, angsty, & give me all the feels. This isn't to say I did not enjoy the writing. I really did! This was only seen in a few scenes at the very beginning when Cam meets this handsome stranger. Other than that, this was a joy to read.

Typically, I do not recommend books to friends. To me, it has always felt weird to do so. That being said, this, along with The Court of Thorns & Roses series, Love, Theoretically, Fourth Wing, and Twisted Games will all be recommended. Your book was a delight & I know I have said this a million times, but it truly felt real. Hopefully, the physical copy will be available in the US soon so I can go pick it up at my local bookseller & support you. I've been following you on YouTube since your April(?) 2016 Pop Century vlogs. You have a magic in you to make others smile & forget about all the unhappy moments in their lives & this book let me do that. Thank you.

You have such wonderful potential to become a rom-com writer. I truly hope to see you publish more romances in the near future.

Final rating: 4.75/5 stars:)