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Hide and Secrets
Book Review
The pacing is good, and the book isn’t too scary or dark, making it a great gateway book for teenage readers
For 18 months, Cat has believed her father was killed in a sailing accident. Then one day her life is flipped upside down. She receives a call from her dad’s old friend Rik, who tells her that her father is alive and in danger, and that she must save him. With the help of her new and handsome friend Tyler and her little sister Bess, Cat sets off on the adventure of a lifetime.
As someone who has read a number of Sophie’s other books, this was by far my favourite. The execution of the plot line was done well, and the ending was satisfying. The biggest difference I found from her older books, like Girl, Missing, was the characters.
I really felt like I got to know Cat, unlike Lauren in Girl, Missing. Even the minor characters of the story such as Cat’s mum or Tyler’s dad were interesting. I found the book a little predictable, but there were still some things I definitely didn’t see coming and throughout the story there were many twists and turns.
I think the book is aimed at someone in year 7/8 and I would definitely recommend it to any teenage reader who is just starting to get into the world of YA mystery. The pacing is good, and the book isn’t too scary or dark, making it a great gateway book.
About the Book and Author
This a fine example of thrilling teen fiction from bestselling writer Sophie Mckenzie. In common with Sophie’s other books it will be published by Simon & Schuster and available from July.
Fourteen-year-old Cat is facing a lonely summer. Her father is missing – presumed dead – her mother has retreated into her own world and her little sister, Bess, refuses to speak. But when a boy and his father come to stay nearby for the holidays, Cat finds herself opening up to the handsome Tyler. Discovering some long-buried information, Cat and Tyler begin to unravel the trail of lies around her father’s disappearance – a journey that will take them cross-country, uncover a dangerous gang, and a plot to steal a priceless jewel. With secrets exposed, will Cat be able to begin to mend her family?
Author
Sophie McKenzie
Sophie McKenzie is a British author, raised and living in London, who writes prolific and successful young-adult thrillers. Her debut novel Girl, Missing (2006) — inspired by a creative-writing course she took after redundancy — became a bestseller and won multiple awards, launching a career that now spans over thirty novels for teens and children.
Reviewer Profile
Martha, 14
- Reviews: 5
- Likes: Mamma Mia, running and reading
- Dislikes: physics and tomatoes
- Favourite Book: A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
- Favourite Song: Something Great by One Direction
- Favourite Film: Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!
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