These Things Hidden: A Twisty Psychological Thriller Where One Secret Could Destroy Everything

I won an Amazon gift card in a fiction contest (thank you, WOW online) and my first choice to buy was Heather Gudenkauf's "These Things Hidden." I am well rewarded! Layer upon layer, word by word, character by character, each chapter of "These Things Hidden" by Heather Gudenkauf adds to the mystery, the fear, and the complications. We meet Allison, being released from prison for a murder she had committed as a teen--now that can't be good. We meet her sister, Brynne, her passive aggressive submissiveness--but she loves animals since her parents have been so irksome. Quickly, each chapter adds a voice, a clue, another fear or worry. At the center of the plot is the beautiful now five-year old boy, Joshua, newly adopted by Claire and Jonathan Kelby. Though they have tried for years to have a child, they had no child. They gave fostering a chance only to have the little one ripped away from their family. They don't give up. Their hearts are open to love Joshua at the moment he must be placed with a family. The lives of Claire and Jonathan and Joshua, Allison and Brynne, begin to intersect with the life of Charm, a woman who wants to be a nurse. She is such a young woman, left caring for her step-father in his final days of lung cancer. Her life is almost overwhelmingly difficult, and yet, she remains true to her vow to ease her step-dad into death on his terms. Surprisingly, Charm's selfish mother lacks the ability to nurture, but Charm has escaped that cycle of selfishness, unlike her brother Christopher. I do not want to include any spoilers. I assure you that in Gudenkauf's storytelling the mystery of the crime and the psychological impact of parenting come through in a cycle of suspenseful page-turning. This is truly one of the best books of the year. As the title assures us, many things are revealed that have been hidden, and the most important secrets explode in the final chapters.

This book could have been titled "Secrets and Lies." The story began when Allison, the former golden girl from a small town, was released from prison for a heinous act she had purportedly committed five years earlier. As a condition of her release, she lived in a halfway house and was required to find employment. Her parents and sister had completely abandoned her, despite her efforts to reconnect. She especially missed her sister, Brynne. Brynne was a troubled young woman, plagued by demons. Always playing second fiddle to Allison, she clearly showed signs of mental instability while living with her grandmother. She was unable to withstand the scorn heaped on her as Allison's sister and the weight of a secret. Enter Charm, who also lived with a secret. I liked this character, who cared for a dying relative. Although she lived with the secret, she tried to do what she thought was right. Claire and her husband were the adoptive parents of five-year-old Josh. They were the true innocents in the secrets and lies shared by the other characters, but too cloying and overly protective of Josh, in my opinion. Clearly there had to be a denouement, which occurred when all the characters converged. Through all the twists and turns, the truth emerged. I found the ending of the story to be a surprise, although there were hints of the outcome. Perhaps the characters could have been developed more fully, and the families of the three secret keepers were superfluous, stereotypical and somewhat annoying. Despite these flaws, however, I found the book to be thought-provoking and a good read.

Deeply hidden secrets spark the storyline in Heather Gudenkauf's second book, and we only gradually come to know them, as they are revealed in snippets throughout the novel. Told in alternating points of view, we meet each character, one by one, and come to understand their connections to one another and to a little boy named Joshua. Allison's horrific crime strikes a chord with anyone who has ever given birth and felt the need for secrecy. What we learn later is shocking and somewhat understandable, given the nature of the other characters and their backstory. Charm plays a role, as does Claire; Brynn's role seems more like a supporting one...at least in the beginning. I loved the pace that gradually defined who the characters were and their relationship to the core plot of These Things Hidden . In short chapters devoted to each character, there is a subtle unfolding in dramatic bursts that leads finally to a satisfying conclusion. Five stars! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dramatic stories of family, secrets, and the connections that bind people to one another.

Hmmm...three stars because I did not love this book, but also did not hate it. It is a quick read and the plot kept me turning the pages but it requires an ENORMOUS suspension of disbelief. Allison and Brynn are sisters who have nothing in common except for a traumatic experience they shared five years ago, of which the consequences sent Allison to prison for five years. Allison is now a young woman out of prison and trying to move on with her life without much support from her estranged parents and sister. When Allison gets a job at a bookstore in town her already shaky life unravels further as more secrets from her past are revealed. My main problem with this book was that I felt nothing for any of the characters. I did not feel any sympathy for Allison or Brynn and found the big reveal at the end of the book to be unbelievable and inconsistent with Allison's character throughout the novel. Claire and Charm also bugged me and to be honest I didn't understand the need for the subplot of Charm's awful mother and her selflessness in taking care of her dying stepfather. As for Claire...I found her a bit cloying and overprotective of Josh. He was very sheltered and kind of a brat. Also, Claire and her husband had officially adopted him when he was a baby so her paranoia over one of the girls wanting to take him from her was stupid. Neither of them wanted him! Anyway like I said, the characters in this book are a bit hard to like and relate to and you kind of need to read with a less skeptical eye than I did to fully appreciate the content. However, it is an easy, interesting read and the plot was unpredictable.

At age sixteen, Allison Glenn was sentenced to ten years in prison. After serving five years, she's being released early for good behavior. Alienated from her sister, Brynn, Allison has a strong desire to reconnect, but Brynn wants nothing to do with her. And her parents? They disowned Allison the night she was arrested for a crime so heinous people in Linden Falls are disgusted at the sight of her. She has no money, no job, no friends, no connection to family, and if she wasn't going to the halfway house, she'd have no place to live. Will Allison - whose life seemed so perfect once upon a time - find her way to happiness? Before jail Allison's plans were valedictorian, volleyball scholarship, college, law school. She was the perfect high school student until she became interested in a twenty-two year old; a young man she kept secret from her parents. What were the exact details of what happened that night to end Allison in jail? That was the main thing I wanted to know. I also wanted to know how these characters (Allison, Charm and Claire) lives were connected. For a minute there, I thought I had one thing figured out, but I didn't - there was nothing predictable about this story. Brynn (Allison's sister): She loved animals and it seemed she was able to relate to them better than she could to people. As for her relationship with her sister - on the one hand she longed for Allison's approval but on the other hand, she resented Allison. She was also consumed with guilt about what had happened that night, so another thing I wanted to know - what did she have to feel so guilty about? I felt for the girl, and I mean, really, really felt for her. Allison and Brynn's parents: Their love for Allison was conditional and they didn't seem to have much love at all for Brynn. They caused animosity, favoring one child over the other. Charm Tullia: A student nurse, and a likeable character. She had way too much on her for a twenty-one year old, feeling responsible for everyone in her life the way she did. I was impressed by her strength, and I loved that she had a giving heart. She didn't know a mother's love and that was disappointing. Reanne (Charm's mother): A disturbing presence. Claire Kelby: She's been in business for twelve years, running Bookends, a bookstore located on oak-lined Sullivan Street in downtown Linden Falls. She stays so busy that she doesn't have lots of time to spend with her adopted son, Joshua. Her story was interesting because five year old Joshua was a part of it. These Things Hidden has short-to-the-point chapters; most are no more than three or four pages long. The story is told in different narrative modes - first person (Allison and Brynn) and third person (Charm and Claire) and the author's writing flows quite well using these alternating points of view. Sibling rivalry, bullying, teen pregnancy, adoption, mental illness and attempted suicide are issues addressed in this novel. It was intriguing and the ending - oh my goodness, the ending was so shocking and unexpected... and heartbreaking.

Goodreads Description- When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn--shy, quiet Brynn--who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her. But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister. Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden. Wow...I just don't know how to express my feelings about this book. First I want to say I highly recommend it. I just read Heather's new release and decided to read another of her novels and I was totally engrossed with this story. Allison Glenn is the perfect teenager...perfect in sports, school, and with friends, but her life is turned upside down when she gets pregnant with a short term boyfriend. Desperate to maintain her "perfect" status she gives birth with the help of her sister Brynn. The unwanted baby girl is put in a nearby river and Allison spends 5 years in jail for the crime. Now Allison is out and living in a halfway house. Allison ends up employed in a bookstore owned by Claire Kelby, whose dream finally came true 5 years ago when they adopted their baby boy, Joshua. When Allison meets Joshua she realizes she knows the boy from somewhere and tries to call her sister to figure out what to do. From that one phone call things spiral downward in every character's life but everyone has the same goal...to protect Joshua...but each has their own way of protection. This book is a fast paced book with short chapters from the viewpoints of the different characters. I could have read it in one sitting if I didn't have 3 children of my own. This story demands to be read! I found myself just picking up my Kindle to read even a few pages to see what was coming next. These Things Hidden is a highly emotional roller coaster that leaves the reader stunned and slack jawed as Heather expertly reveals the pieces of the puzzle of this story. This is a 5 star read!

Full of mystery and suspense, this one is well worth it! I wasn't too happy in the beginning, but pushing on through, it is well worth it. There is definitely heartache and sadness but it is a great book. So many secrets, yet so much strength. Allison Glenn had a perfect life until she got sent to prison for the absolutely HORRID crime she committed. Her family, all except her grandmother have forgotten her. She simply doesn't exist to them anymore. No phone calls, no pictures on the walls, they have packed up her belongings and put them away. There is no room for her in their house anymore. All those medals she won in school? Gone. All of it is just gone. She was the perfect child. Her sister Brynn now has to deal with all the kids at school teasing her. The whispers. The stares. Why did Allison have to make Brynn help her? Why??? Because of Allison's good behavior she is now getting released early to a halfway house. Even Allison isn't sure if she's ready for this, but the one thing she is sure of is that she wants to work things out with Brynn. All she wants is her sister back in her life. Yet, All Brynn wants is to quit being judged for Allison's behavior. And suddenly, the truth comes out, it's time for everyone to learn everything. Hold tight, you're in for a ride.

This is truly one of the most amazing novels I have read in recent years. I couldn't put it down and finished the whole thing in one day. The story has an incredibly interesting layout--four different female narrators, tied together by something, but the book keeps you guessing until the very end. Also, the author uses first and third person depending on the narrator, giving the reader a really interesting and unique view into each life. Many books I've read that "keep you guessing" until the end tend to be a little bit boring at parts, but the whole book was enthralling. Gudenkauf drops enough hints, scenes and interesting detail that you won't put it down. If you're looking for an interesting, well-written and suspenseful novel, this is your book!