Hidden Things: My Thoughts

A few weeks ago I was the happy winner of a contest to win an ARC of Hidden Things, the forthcoming novel by Doyce Testerman, also known as @doycet on Twitter. In addition to enjoying his tweets, I've been reading Doyce's blog posts for some time now and have become a big fan of his writing. I was excited to read the book, and my high expectations were fully met.

Hidden Things begins with a phone call in the middle of the night. Because they are good friends as well as business partners, Calliope Jenkins is at first unsurprised to hear from her boss, Joshua White, even at such an unusual hour. However, their conversation takes an odd turn when, just before hanging up, Josh tells her to "Watch out for the hidden things."

Things get even odder the following morning when Calliope is informed that Josh was found dead shortly after she spoke with him... and then discovers a message from him on her answering machine with a timestamp after his alleged time of death.

The following evening, Calliope makes the acquaintance of a mysterious individual who claims to have information about Josh and his whereabouts. She is skeptical at first, to say the least, but eventually teams up with him to search for clues that might lead to her missing friend. Along the way, Calliope and her guide run into an amazing array of fantastic characters, ranging from terrifying to wonderful, and have an adventure that will change both Calliope's life and her understanding of the world around her.

Look, I'll just come out and say it: Hidden Things is a great book. It made me laugh, made me cry, angered me, mystified me, and, at times, creeped me out to the point of shuddering. It tells not just one but, in my opinion, at least two love stories and yet at the end no one really "gets the girl" because real life just isn't that simple. It also has a lot to say about the directions that love can take after romance dies and about the deep, important ties that can exist even in the most dysfunctional of families. It is the story of a highly unlikely friendship that grows as old misconceptions and assumptions are replaced by the truth and of doing the right thing even when we want with all our hearts to do something different. I recommend it highly if you're a fan of fantasy or mystery or even if (like me) you just enjoy a good story.

And if a great story just isn't quiiiiiiiiite enough to get you to have a look at this book, I'll tell you a not-so-secret little secret: There's a real, playable word search on the title page that's related to the story. Hidden words about Hidden Things. How many books offer that kind of fun?!

I know you're going to want this book, so I should tell you where you can get it, right? Yes! Hidden Things is due for release on August 21 and is available for preorder at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many independent booksellers. Now go order it! You'll be glad you did.