These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Title/Author: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf
Publisher/Date published: March 1st 2011, MIRA (Harlequin)
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "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."

I think this book will haunt me for some time.

At first, I had a hard time getting into the story. It switches point of view constantly and therefore I didn't connect to the characters like I would have wanted to. After finishing it, I totally get why the author did this, but at the time it was a bit much for me.

We follow 4 different women, all with their own struggles to face. It was a bit hard to see the big picture with these alternate tellings of the story, but I got used to it and enjoyed this slowly unraveling tale.

I was ready to yell at the book (yes, I do that some time), to hurry up and tell me what happened already! Which means I got engaged in the end, which is what matters in my opinion.

I don't want to give anything away, but what really happened that night? It's horrifying and Oh my gosh, I did not see that ending coming! I did have a nagging feeling that there was something I was missing throughout a huge part of the book, props to the author for not giving it away until the last minute! I am horribly accurate at guessing what the plot point will be.

This is far darker than the books I usually read, but I really enjoyed it and like I said at the beginning: it will haunt me for some time to come.

My rating: 4 stars