These Things Hidden - Heather Gudenkauf

This book was enjoyed by everyone who read it, everyone who started it has finished it or they intend to finish it in the near future. We would all recommend this book to our friends and family as a good easy to read book.

We enjoyed the fact that the chapters were nice and short, plus the narrator changed with each chapter making us want to read on to see how each character was getting on throughout the book. It was interesting hearing each characters different voice, each of which was easily recognisable. It was also interesting to see how each of the characters saw themselves and each other, for example, it was hard to reconcile the two descriptions of Christopher coming from his sister and Allison.

We discussed the role of relationships in the book, those between family members and those between non-blood relations. We thought that Gus was the best at parenting, although he wasn't actually a blood relation to anyone in the book. Unsurprisingly we decided that Charm's mother was the worst at fulfilling her role as a mother, she was far too selfish to care for her children. Having said that Alison and Bryn's parents although they wanted the best for their children, only seemed to take any notice of them when they were achieving things. This did seem to bring out the worst in both girls.

The story is rather contrived but we all enjoyed it non-the-less, it isn't a work of great literature but it is very enjoyable along the lines of a Jodi Picoult. Many elements of the story ring slightly false, the way the characters behave in one situation seems completely the opposite of their normal reaction. However, some of the situations might bring about odd changes of character in normal people, who knows how they would react in similar circumstances.

Overall we gave this book 8 out of 10.