Hidden Pictures

By Jason Rekulak

Creepy Kid? Creepy House? Creepy Pictures? What on earth could go wrong!

The Ugly Truth:

Okay, let me start by saying our leading lady Mallory Quinn clearly did not watch enough horror movies growing up because my girl had ZERO flight training. I am honestly in awe, and a little terrified, of her as she stuck around throughout the entire ordeal of this novel despite the insanity, and ultimately, scariness of it all. 

Now, to back up a few steps, Jason Rekulak’s Hidden Pictures is for Stephan King lovers who need a break from the total gore and/or crypticness of his books but still want that supernatural suspense story. The book follows 21-year-old recovering addict Mallory Quinn as she is welcomed into the old Victorian home of the Maxwell’s as the new nanny for their son, Teddy. On par with other horror novels, the picturesque scene fed to us at the beginning of the novel takes a sharp turn at the 10% mark when the young boy starts to draw creepy pictures depicting an unknown woman’s murder. She alerts the parents, Caroline and Ted Maxwell, of the strange drawings, the seemingly one-sided conversations Teddy seems to be having in his room, and the history of the house, which she found out about from a rather unhinged neighbor, but to no avail. Being people of “science,” they refuse to accept the possibility of an evil spirit being present in their home and, subsequently, with their child, leaving our heroin to uncover the truth of the possible murder on her own.

The best way I can describe this book is like a horror movie playlist. You know that creepy sound that plays right before the shoe drops, the ghost emerges, and the people run in terror? That is what I felt each time I finished a page. In every chapter, a new truth was unveiled, leaving you to second-guess everything else that had been said in the novel up to that point. You read in a cycle of being concerned for Teddy, being worried about Mallory potentially relapsing, scared for the parents, the neighbors, the budding romance and, believe it or not, the spirit. I found no peace while reading, likely due to the thunderstorm that timed itself perfectly outside my window, but I was happy to be left on the edge of my seat throughout the story. 

 This book ended exactly as it needed to, but I was left wanting just a bit more. Most times when I finish a thriller I feel like I can take a deep breath and laugh again, but this one felt like something was missing… or someone was still watching it all unfold.