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    These Things Hidden
    These Things Hidden
    These Things Hidden
    Audiobook9 hours

    These Things Hidden

    Written by Heather Gudenkauf

    Narrated by Ali Ahn

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Allison Glenn tried to hide what happened that night . and failed. The consequence? A prison sentence. Now she's free. But secrets have a way of keeping you locked up. 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 in 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.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 18, 2011
    ISBN9781449867379
    These Things Hidden
    Author

    Heather Gudenkauf

    Heather Gudenkauf is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound. Heather lives in Iowa with her family.

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    Reviews for These Things Hidden

    4/5

    448 ratings60 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I loved all the twists and turns the book had

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      I did enjoy this book. I used the audiobook version. I really did not like the voices of the young child. It made me almost stop listening to this book!! The book read like Jodi Picoult books where it changes narrative. I like these kinds of books. I figured out who was the bad sister almost from the beginning. Still liked the book enough to find other books from this author.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. So many unexpected twists. It did not leave me guessing.
    • 5/5
      Pretty good twist about an hour from the end! I love a jaw dropping surprise and didn't have this plot figured out too early which makes me really enjoy the story. The characters were relatable and the back and forth between their perspectives was well written and timed. 2 thumbs up
    • 4/5
      This book was written well enough to make it almost painful to read. This author is really good with descriptions...in this case, almost too good. She painted images in my head that will not be easily erased any time soon. The chapters are short. First, and sometimes third person narratives tell the story. That sounds confusing but somehow it flowed well. I expect that was mainly due to the fact that Heather Gudenkauf has excellent writing abilities. The entire book should have "Trigger Warning" embossed on the cover in huge bright red letters. There are just so many events within the story that could set some readers on a downward spiral. There's sibling rivalry, bullying, teen pregnancy, adoption, mental illness and attempted suicide that are all addressed throughout. In spite of that, the book was intriguing, and informative...but be warned, the ending was shocking, unexpected, and absolutely heartbreaking. It keeps the reader more than just curious throughout the story. The plot might seem obvious from the beginning but there is more to Allison’s "crime" than meets the eye. The 3.5-star rating didn't come from the shock value of the story but from the way the story drifted eventually into unbelievable territory, Also I wasn't exactly sure what message the author was actually trying to convey or how we, the reader, was supposed to feel about AlisonSide NoteThe plot is built on Iowa’s Safe Haven law, which decriminalizes child abandonment, allowing for newborns to be given up at designated Safe Haven sites and for the parents to remain anonymous.
    • 4/5
      This book was all about secrets and lies basically. When an infact is found dead in a river and a young teenage girl who had the world at her feet is arrested for the murder, serves 5 years in jail... and then is released, all the secrets start to unfold. An unexpected twist at the ends, which I can appreciate. I only gave this book 4 stars because I did feel it was rather wordy throughout some parts.
    • 5/5
      This is one heart wrenching story, told by four women that do not seem to be connected besides the two sisters. I cried through most of the book, and was totally shocked by the ending, i never would have thought that it had turned out that way.
    • 4/5
      I liked this book a lot. I thought that it was well written and the characters were all quite likable even with their flaws. I liked the way she tied everyone together at the end.

      I did not like that it did not occur to me until the acknowledgement what the real message of the book was/is. I felt that message was much too subtle and could have played a bigger part in the overall storyline.
    • 3/5
      I waver with the 3 stars I gave this book; I actually had a "throw this book at the wall" moment. 2.5 for some of the writing. Wouldn't recommend.
    • 3/5
      Fairly predictable. A quick read.
    • 3/5
      An engaging read with lots of twists and turns. One review on the back compares Gundenkauf to Jodi Picoult; I completely agree.
    • 1/5
      I hated this book. If I could just abandon a book after I've read a little bit of it this would be one of those books.

      This story was unrealistic and it was predictable. The characters were one dimensional. I felt like I was reading a book and not there secretly watching the people going about their drama.

      Ugh.
    • 4/5
      The best things about this book were its straightforward readability and the way it immediately set up a mystery that the reader wants to know the answer to. It also introduces a cast of characters whose connections to one another are intriguing and a further source of mystery.I rather liked the character Claire who, like "Ma" in Emma Donoghue's "Room" is the sort of mother who makes people like me feel wholly inadequate as parents, given what a great job they do under much more challenging circumstances than most of us face.The book as a whole was a bit like a walk in the woods with a very powerful dog. You're ambling along, and then suddenly the dog gets the scent of a rabbit or something similar and you unexpectedly find yourself being dragged along at breakneck speed, your feet barely touching the ground. There comes a point when you realise you aren't going to return to the pleasant walk - this white knuckle ride is going to last all the way back. I liked the story, but the speed with which it raced to its conclusion made me feel I had missed having time with the characters, time I felt I needed to understand them properly, as the relationship, in particular, between the two central sisters is not as straightforward as you might initially suppose.
    • 3/5
      "These Things Hidden" was a quick, easy read dealing with secrets, choices and consequences, and family relationships. Told from four women's points of view, I found most of the characters unlikeable, even though I did like the changing perspectives. At times the story felt too contrived, and there were some loose ends and a few faults in the plot, which let the book down. However, although I had guessed many of the secrets, the ending still came as a surprise. This was certainly not a happily-ever-after story.
    • 4/5
      These Things Hidden is an entertaining book about the tragic events of an evening and their consequences for those involved. It is told from the point of view from Allison, a twenty-one year old just released from prison, her sister Brynn who was with her on that terrible night, Charm, a young student nurse struggling to take care of her dying stepfather, and Claire, an adoptive mother who has had her share of heartbreak. As the story unfolds you are given glimpses back into what occurred on that fateful night and how each character was involved. Unexpected twists and turns make this a difficult book to put down and present an unexpected ending.
    • 5/5
      In These Things Hidden, much like she did in The Weight of Silence, Heather Gudenkauf uses the relationships--and intimacy--of a family and a small town to weave a literary tale that feels so real you'd sear it has to at least be 'based on' a true story. Like, Gudenkauf's debut, however, These Things Hidden is completely fictional and completely amazing.

      After five years in prison, Allison Glenn is being released. And going home to Linden Falls. Former perfect girl, Allison, now only college aged, isn't going home to her parents, though. Both her parents and her former friends want nothing to do with her anymore.

      None of that helps her transition, but the only one Allison is actually concerned with contacting is her sister, Brynn. Brynn, the one who stayed behind while Allison went to jail and went through high school with all the gossip and the town's whispers. And she's the only one, besides Allison, who really knows what happened that night, the night whose events sent Allison to jail.

      A secret being kept between two sisters is tearing them apart, but if it gets out it threatens to tear much more apart--including the life of a young child and his adoptive parents.


      For almost half of the story I thought that These Things Hidden was going to lack the mystery that The Weight of Silence had that was such a fundamental part of my enjoyment of the story. When things did really begin to develop, however, I was very pleasantly surprised and loved what it added to the tale.

      The way that Heather Gudenkauf focuses on familial relationships and then works those families together through their relationships/friendships in the town is really brilliantly done. Not only does it expertly involve all of the characters in a way that a lot of books only strive to do, but because everyone is connected like they are, it makes it feel like a real story, where people are connected that way.

      I loved The Weight of Silence so much and had high expectations for this one and I have to say it very much met my expectations. Heather Gudenkauf is an author I will not only be eagerly anticipating more from, but one I will gladly recommend to other--including you!
    • 4/5
      Not a book for a sunny day when you want something to read at the beach but I couldn't put it down once I sorted out who everyone was. I really don't like books that switch between 1st and 3rd person as well as POVs but this one was worth the struggle.
    • 5/5
      First book by this author, loved it.

      This story was told by Claire, Brynn, Charm and Allison. Each chapter told by a different person, it was awesome to see how it all came together. There were a few other people in the story as well along with a dog, who doesn't love a dog.
      So many emotions in the book and while reading the book.

      Great job. Looking forward to my next one by her.
    • 4/5
      “These Things Hidden” is an enthralling book of twist and turns. Just when you think that you have it figured out, it will change and leave you never wanting to put the book down. A spellbinding trip through a crime and its consequences, you will never guess how it will end.
    • 5/5
      Excellent! Deeply moving, suspenseful, and gripping right down to the last page.
    • 3/5
      Meh. I wasn't all that impressed by this. I think there were too many narrators, I figured out the big secret way ahead of time, and the whole thing seemed very Jodi Picoult-esque. Plus, the ending was way melodramatic and (not to put in a spoiler) I really don't believe one of the main characters in the book would have behaved the way she did.
    • 5/5
      Great book. Even on the last page there were surprises. I had no idea what to think. Amazing character development. I laughed and cried.
    • 5/5
      I thought that this story was phenomenally written. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every bit of this book! I would dread having to stop to go to sleep and wake up wanting to immediately pick it up again.

      I'm not one for extremely long chapters, as the longer they get, the more emotionally drained I get and seem to get bored and lost slightly easier, so I really loved the fact that these chapters were short and moved right along with the story! It kept me reading just "five more minutes" more often than not!!

      As for the characters of the book, they each had such dynamics that drew you into their life story that it was hard to not want to keep reading about each one. Each chapter only offered a little snapshot of the larger picture, but enough to make you want to get through to get just another snapshot. I felt like I should have hated Allison from the very beginning but there was something about her character that I never could despise her. I think most of my hatred was saved for Rainne! She was such a nasty character, but sadly, there are too many like here out there! As for Brynn, I always felt like she was like woe is me, I'm the forgotten 2nd child! I've read mixed emotions about Clair, but all I felt was warmth with her and amazement at how great parents her and Jonathan were to Joshua, especially Jonathan, for being a male! I felt that Claire had just been dealt so many blows, and was just so content with her life that she cherished everything about her life and every moment in it! As for Gus and Charm, what was there not to love about these characters! They were just the right touch to the story!

      I especially liked the fact that it appeared to be obvious from the very beginning what the outcome would be, however, that could be further from the truth! The writing truly describes secrets and consequences and the fact that no matter whether they are good or bad, consequences exist for every decision we make. This book really covers a wide range of motions for the reader. It shows you the depths that one sister would go to truly protect the other and really provides some excellent examples of unconditional love from many of the characters.

      I really feel like you can't go wrong with read and will not be disappointed!! I have found myself yet another fantastic author to read! I've already sought out some of her other books to add to my list and can't wait to get them under my read list!
    • 2/5
      This book was stupid. I knew there would be a twist, I just didn't know it would be so twisty and weirdly written and hideous. Let's add more young women to the story... that way the reader can really wonder who the mother is. Holy shit, SO ANNOYING.
    • 3/5
      ** spoiler alert ** 01/24/11 - This book is sad. I feel that fans of Jodi Picoult will really dig it...I knew this book was going to be a downer, but I had no idea how much of one. The back of the book doesn't mention a man with lung cancer - and had it, I wouldn't have even started this one. But that's all my personal baggage...I picked up the book because I thought it was about the rekindling of a sisterly bond that was destroyed because of a crime. It was that and so much more. The back of the book doesn't mention what the crime is and you're sucked in by the time you do discover the horrible act. And the end kind of makes it even more of a downer, but tries to give it a shiny, happy ending. Seriously, this book is really sad.I did like the format. The story is told by several different people with Allison and Brynn having 1st person narratives and the others are 3rd person. I liked that the story was pieced together instead of just coming right out with the ugly back story. (But again, if you're not good with sad, then skip this one.)
    • 3/5
      Eh.... A few too many twists and turns made this more of a movie of the week. I did enjoy the quick pace of the novel.
    • 4/5
      Two sisters and a horrific secret are the core around which this story revolves. One sister, Allison, has just been released from prison. She hopes to reconnect with the other sister, Brynn. However Brynn just wants to forget Allison and what happened between them 5 years ago. Allison's persistence, and the presence of a little boy who may hold the key to what really happened, move the story along as it is told from multiple points of view.There is a lot of suspense to this novel, as it is one where secrets are gradually revealed. I could empathize with all of the women who faced such tough circumstances and were trying to survive. The ending took a turn that I thought was kind of bizarre though. A good pick if you complicated family dramas with a lot of interpersonal drama and suspense. Book clubs should enjoy discussing it as well.
    • 4/5
      This was my first book by Heather Gudenkauf and I like the way she writes. This book is told in alternating chapters by Alison who has just been released from prison for a heinous crime she committed as a teenager, her sister Brynn who has had to live with the shame of having Alison for a sister, Charm who is taking care of her dying stepfather and also holds a secret, and Claire owner of a local bookstore and adoptive mother to little Joshua. These 4 women’s lives collide in a way none of them saw coming as the things hidden don’t stay that way for long.What a great psychological thriller it is slow to build as the story unfolds you get pieces of the story from different perspectives while trying to figure out how they all fit together and what really happened on that horrible night 5 years ago and the ending blew me away not at all what I expected to happen. If you like good psychological thriller/mysteries and great writing I highly recommend this book!This book is narrated by, Ali Ahn , Angela Lin, and Angela Goethals each telling the different perspectives I thought their narration was well done, however, their voices were all very similar and if you are going to have multiple narrators of the different women their voices should have been a bit more distinct.4 stars
    • 3/5
      This could have been a good story but there were things in the story that just didn't add up to the realities of the time frame it is told in. The writing, itself, I thought was just "okay" not great. I wouldn't bother recommending it to any of my reading friends though.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this story. I found it to be a "page turner" that I couldn't put down!Allison is the perfect daughter, until an unplanned pregnancy threatens her future and her reputation with her achievement-oriented parents. She and her sister Brynn struggle to keep secret what really happened the night Allison gave birth. Charm is a nursing student who once took advantage of her state's "Safe Haven" law to leave an infant at the local fire station. Claire and Jonathan have adopted a little boy.These three families' lives become entangled in ways that are unpredictable. Well written, strong characters, a great story about what it means to love someone who depends on you.