Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mallory Quinn is a recovering drug addict - she is eighteen months sober and trying her hardest to rebuild her life. Mallory's sponsor believes she will have a higher chance of success if she has a change of scenery, so he introduces her to Ted and Caroline, the parents of five year old Teddy. Mallory is hired as a live-in babysitter for the summer and moves to Spring Brook, New Jersey for a new life. Everything is going perfectly - Mallory and Teddy form a very close bond and his parents are grateful for all the hard work Mallory is doing to keep their household in order - at least until Teddy's imaginary friend Anya causes Mallory to worry. Teddy begins to draw violent pictures at Anya's request, and Mallory is determined to find the truth behind the drawings and Teddy's imaginary friend.

Hidden Pictures was so much fun, and I will come right out and say it - this is the only book that I have read this year that has an ending that completely shocked me. I mean... talk about a twist! And it's a good one! Not to mention the fact that once you finish the book, you look back and realize all of the hints/clues you missed while reading! I was so impressed with this book and the story!

This is also a great portrayal of addiction - Mallory's struggle is evident throughout the narrative, but it wasn't used as a character trait, which I found very refreshing. I also think the judgement that many recovered addicts experience when trying to rebuild their lives is really nicely touched on in this book! Mallory's relationships in this book are really special, and the evolution of her character was great to witness, too!

Hidden Pictures is a slow burn, which I personally love, though I can understand why other people may not enjoy that!  The only reason I gave this book four stars instead of five is because I felt like the ending was abrupt! The pace of the book was perfect in my opinion, but the ending and the epilogue are rather quick in comparison! 

Overall, I loved Hidden Pictures! It was really well written, fun, and the twist at the end really surprised me! I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy thrillers and/or mysteries! It's totally worth it and this is by far my favorite thriller I've read this year!