These Things Hidden

Believe it or not, I HAVE been reading lately, I've just been slacking on posting reviews of the books.

Today I am sharing my thoughts about These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf.

Here's the synopsis:

"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."

Let me start this by saying that this book has been on my reading list for a while now, so I was really excited when my sister got it for me for Christmas. But I have to say that when I started reading it, I was a little disappointed. It seemed really predictable without leaving much to be anticipated. But the farther I got, the more intriqued I because to find out how all these characters were related to each other, and what else there could be to know (since I already felt like I knew the whole story).

By the time I was halfway through, I couldn't put it down and finished it within a couple days.

The main characters are really well developed, and there is a good amount of back story to help you understand the people you're reading about.

Overall I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It didn't end the way I WANTED it to, and there were a few loose ends that I kind of wanted some more closure on. I'm looking forward to reading other books by this author.