Heather Gudenkauf

"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."--Front flap.

These things hidden

Lauren Grey

I bought this book in a book buying frenzy along with nine other novels. I have been slowly making my way through all of them. I really didn't have any expectations, because I don't normally read the genre nor have I read anything by the author. I just picked it randomly as the book I would attempt to read on the twelve hour roadtrip home from Tennessee... little did I know I would be hooked from the first page.

Honestly, I have no clue what about this book made me like it. I wanted to devour the pages and couldn't seem to read them fast enough. I felt that the writing was so fluid and it connected. I am not much for thrillers, but the plot engulfs you and makes you think and for a long time you really have no clue really what is going on, but in the end when you finally make the connection and connect all the dots it makes perfect sense and you feel absolutely satisfied.

Now it is not a happy book (and I normally read happy books or sad books that are becoming movies), but it is not necessarily sad either. It is just kind of mysterious. The ending doesn't make you jump for joy, but it doesn't leave you completely devastated either. I'm not really sure how I feel about the ending yet, but I did feel that it was fitting.

I didn't really feel overly attached to any of the characters, but I felt for them and I could see parts of myself in some of them. Brynn, the younger sister who was stuck behind her sister's shadow, was definitely one I could relate to. Not necessarily that I am stuck in anyone's shadow (more like the opposite for my older brother), but I understood her anxiety and fears about people watching her and talking about her and I also understood just wanting to leave and never come back.

One aspect of the book I liked were the parts about adoption. I am a strong advocate for adoption and plan to adopt when I get older. I loved the scene about the "gotcha story" and loved how they were so upfront with their child from the very beginning about how he came to be... well as much as they knew and that his little heart could hold.

I love stories where multiple different people's lives intertwine and connect, so this book definitely did that for me. I was so giddy at the end when all the pieces were falling into place and everything started making sense.

In conclusion, this book kept me thoroughly entertained and begging for more. I will definitely be reading more of this author and of this genre. It gets a solid 5 out of 5 stars from me!

Shawna Gavas

Everyone has secrets. This book is full of them. The story centers around the events of one stormy July night 5 years prior....

Allison is an over-achiever. She is perfect, or so everyone believes. But noone is really perfect are they? This appears to be proven when Allison secretly gives birth to a baby girl and ruthlessly throws the newborn into the river to die.

Brynn is Allison's sister. She has always looked up to Allison, but always lived in her sister's shadow. But now Allison is in prison, convicted of manslaughter. Brynn was the only other witness the night Allison gave birth. Now she has to live with the fallout.

Clare had tried unsucessfully to have a child for years. Then one day, her wish came true and she and she and her husband Jonathan were able to adopt a baby boy they called Joshua. 

Charm is a nursing student who came from a broken family. She lives with her step dad Gus, who is battling the final stages of lung cancer. 

How are these four women connected? That is the question. And it all comes back to that stormy July night 5 years prior...

I loved how each chapter was written from one of the four women's pov. Each chapter was like a puzzle piece. The book was so well written the pieces seamlessly fit together, until the puzzle was fully revealed. And it wasn't the picture I was expecting to see.

This was a great book that I highly recommend and I will definitely be looking for more by this author!!

Julia Morgan

carissa r

Sidney

Melissa Bragg 

Lexi Kilmartin

Jerilynn Hallett 

Vicki Grever

Julie Gibson

Tanya Sutton

Mousumee

Andrea Henderson

Emily C Peterson

Allison Glenn tried to hide what happened that night...and failed. The consequence? A prison sentence. Now she's free. But secrets have a way of keeping you locked up. 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.

These Things Hidden

Nichola Inglis

Winona

Dani C

These things hidden

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