Title: What You Hide
Author: Natalie D. Richards
Publication: December 4, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Genre: Teens, YA Fiction
Pages: 384
SYNOPSIS: (From Goodreads)
Spencer volunteers at the library. Sure, it’s community service, but he likes his work. Especially if it means getting to see Mallory.
Mallory spends a lot of time keeping her head down. When you’re sixteen and homeless, nothing matters more than being anonymous. But Spencer’s charm makes her want to be noticed.
Then sinister things start happening at the library. Mysterious symbols and terrifying warnings begin to appear, and management grows suspicious. Spencer and Mallory know a homeless teenager makes an easy target, and if they can’t find the real culprit soon, they could lose more than just their safe haven…
REVIEW:
**A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**
I have read novels by Natalie D. Richards before, so I had high hopes for What You Hide, but this novel is hands down my favorite I have read of hers so far. Jam packed with constant suspense and intrigue. I had a hard time not reading it, even when I should have been doing other things.
The story follows Mallory and Spencer, two people from completely different sides of the tracks, as their stories intermingle at… the town public library. Spencer is working, or doing community service, while Mallory is looking for a safe place to spend her hours as she is currently homeless having left home due to a bad situation. These two teens have so much on their plate already, but of course, more is yet to come.
Homelessness is not something people love reading about, but the reality is that there are people who live in that situation and Richards wrote the down and dirty of that aspect of this store. The lack of shower or place to sleep, trying to stay out of the cold, asking for help without giving away too much information. I find all these aspects to be very realistic of the situation, and yet these are kids. Mallory is a teenager just trying to finish her education so she can get a job. Spencer is working off a punishment, but quite enjoying the work at the library as he tries to figure out what he wants to do post high school while feeling the pressure of his parents hopes and dreams resting on his shoulders.
If that all wasn’t enough to keep you interested, Richards always has this suspense filled story lined wound through her books, and What You Hide was no exception. A dead body. A mysterious “thing” leaving notes all over the library during close and also leaving a mess behind. All while juggling their own things, Spencer and Mallory find themselves in the midst of this investigation. I could not put this book down. It was well written and just as you thought you had it figured out, you didn’t. Something else happened or the story took a sharp turn and you were right back to guessing. I have no complaints about What You Hide. Maybe that I wish there were more? Maybe a book two to tell me more of what happened to Spencer and Mallory in the end? I’m dying to know.
Richards writes books for real people in real scenarios who want to read about realistic people with lives far more interesting than our own, yet normal in a sense. If you love the touch of romance, an easy, yet soul gripping story line, suspense, and everything else, then pick up a Natalie D. Richards book. You will not be disappointed. Start with What You Hide!
STAR RATING: 5/5
You can pick up your copy of What You Hide by Natalie D. Richards on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and check your local bookstore. Make sure to add it to your To Reads list on Goodreads and leave feedback for the author when you are finished. Also make sure to check out other work by Richards, including Gone Too Far and check out our review for it HERE or We All Fall Down, with our review HERE!
