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A review by evaxo
Hide and Seek by Andrea Mara
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Neg: The first half of the book was very slow, a lot of characters were introduced, the story bounced from past to present and honesty, I knew if I took a break I'd never go back to it. My biggest issue was the rationale for the story, it seemed ridiculous that the MC Joanna was so obsessed with the disappearance of the little girl and it felt inappropriate for her to be so desperate for answers when it had nothing to do with her, it really irked me. And even when her motivations were revealed, the lengths she went to were almost comical, seeing as the answers that actually portained to her required no 'detective work'.
Another issue I had was that most the characters were well developed, yet all we really knew about Joanne's husband is that she continously lied to him (still not sure why). Their relationship was completely disregarded, to the point I wondered whether its a marriage of convince for some shocking plot twist, but no...
Pos: So the first 30 chapters or so I wasn't drawn in. However, around half way through the pace picked up and answers began to be revealed with all the dots connecting and no major plot holes. There was some surprising twists and turns, and the overall storyline had more depth and complexity than it initially seemed, which made the book much more interesting. I liked that there wasn't just one focus, but the mysteries branched out and then all loosely tied together in unexpected ways.
Overall it was a good read and I'm glad I finished it, it had a happy ending and the satisfaction of getting answers. It could have been better if there were stronger motivations driving the MC, to motivate Us to keep reading though. I will likely try it again someday and see if I can enjoy the first half more, maybe try and pay more attention to each of the side characters. If you enjoy mysteries and like a plot which will keep you guessing, I recommend this, just be patient 😊
Another issue I had was that most the characters were well developed, yet all we really knew about Joanne's husband is that she continously lied to him (still not sure why). Their relationship was completely disregarded, to the point I wondered whether its a marriage of convince for some shocking plot twist, but no...
Pos: So the first 30 chapters or so I wasn't drawn in. However, around half way through the pace picked up and answers began to be revealed with all the dots connecting and no major plot holes. There was some surprising twists and turns, and the overall storyline had more depth and complexity than it initially seemed, which made the book much more interesting. I liked that there wasn't just one focus, but the mysteries branched out and then all loosely tied together in unexpected ways.
Overall it was a good read and I'm glad I finished it, it had a happy ending and the satisfaction of getting answers. It could have been better if there were stronger motivations driving the MC, to motivate Us to keep reading though. I will likely try it again someday and see if I can enjoy the first half more, maybe try and pay more attention to each of the side characters. If you enjoy mysteries and like a plot which will keep you guessing, I recommend this, just be patient 😊
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Child death