What You Hide

Natalie D. Richards

Dec 2018 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

From Natalie D. Richards, the New York Times bestselling author of mystery books for teens, comes a pulse-pounding thriller about two teens who uncover something sinister, perfect for fans of Natasha Preston and Karen McManus.

Mallory didn't want to leave home, but it wasn't safe to stay. So she sleeps at her best friend's house and spends the rest of her time at the library, doing her online schoolwork and figuring out what comes next. Because she's not going live in fear like her mother.

Spencer volunteers at the library. Sure, it's community service for a stunt he pulled, but he likes the work. And it's the perfect escape from his parents' pressure to excel at school, at ice hockey, at everything. Especially after he meets Mallory.

Then there is a tragic death at the library. Suddenly, what was once a sanctuary turns sinister. Ghostly footprints, strange scratching sounds, scrawled messages on bulletin boards and walls... Mallory and Spencer don't know who or what is responsible, but one thing is for sure:

They are not as alone—or as safe—as they thought.

Perfect for readers looking for:

• Detective stories for teens
• Creepy books for teens
• Edge-of-your-seat chills and thrills

Praise for Natalie D. Richards:

"As addictive as it is unpredictable. Natalie will keep you second guessing until the nail-biting end."—NATASHA PRESTON, New York Times bestselling author of The Cabin on My Secret to Tell

"Brimming with suspense and intrigue."—MEGAN MIRANDA, New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls on My Secret to Tell

Also by Natalie D. Richards:

Five Total Strangers

Six Months Later

Gone Too Far

My Secret to Tell

One Was Lost

We All Fall Down

Ratings and reviews

Sorry to be negative in the start, but I think the fundamental problem with the book is that synopsis and the cover don’t really match the story. I went into it thinking it was a thriller, and it is barely a mystery novel. Don’t get me wrong – what it ended up being is a good enough story, but my expectations going into the book were very different from the book I actually read. Still, that is really not why I gave it only 3 stars. There is a lot going on in the book, and it feels like it is trying to tell three different stories, and while it does a passable job at blending them together, it does feel more like one of the stories dominated (and guess what, it wasn’t the mystery one) and made the other two sort of irrelevant. Now, the mystery first, because that is what this book had promised – there is a good amount of ‘thriller’ like writing for sure, especially a scene where Spencer and Mallory both stay overnight in the library and hear weird sounds. It delivers on the spooky and mysterious very well, but the build up leads to a disappointing ending of sorts. The other story was of Spencer himself having a coming of age moment (well, a month-long moment) with what he wants for his future and how he feels like if he deviates from the plan his adoptive parents had for him, he would be letting them down somehow, or squandering the privilege he got. This story, too, felt lackluster in development, somehow wrapping it up in the end. What really took center-stage in the book, for me, was Mallory’s story – she leaves home after giving an ultimatum to her mother to leave her controlling husband (Mallory’s step-father is one of those creepy kindly types) but has to hide out in the library while trying to figure out her own future. Her story development shapes out of her fear, and it drives most of her actions – she is unwilling to accept help from authorities because she is scared she will be returned back to the home she finds dangerous, she is wary of Spencer’s efforts to help her, initially, because her stepdad also had seemed charming at first. Her figuring out a path for herself going forward was the central story-line of the book, and it made even the mystery feel like a minor plot arc. It is well-written, and except for the way it ended, it was an engaging plot that carried the book. Even the romance felt half-baked. And that is why I gave this 3 stars – the other side elements of the book felt underdeveloped compared to this plotline. So, bottom-line, if you go into this book for the mystery, you will probably be disappointed. As a coming of age book, it is written well enough.

About the author

Natalie D. Richards writes books that will keep you up way past your bedtime. She lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio and when she’s not writing or reading, you can probably find her wrangling Wookiee, her enormous dustmop of a dog. Visit her on Twitter @natdrichards or at nataliedrichards.com.