I Joined a Book Club! Reviewing our October Read - Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak | Cup of Kee

Last month, I did something I’ve always wanted to do: I joined a book club!

As someone who often shies away from group settings and meeting new people, the thought of joining a book club has always made me feel a little bit anxious. “How do I find one? How many people will be there? Will I have to talk in front of everyone? What if I don’t finish the book in time? What if I don’t *like* the books they read?” are common questions that have entered my mind each time I’ve considered it. Then, a month or so ago I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw a post from Brighton Waterstones about a new book club they’d be hosting alongside Izzy from The Reading Room. I shared the post with my friend Saskia, another anxious girlie like myself, and suggested we give it a go together - at least we’d have each other! So, that’s exactly what we did. 

The first meet-up was in September, and it was more of an introduction session than anything. We all brought along a book we loved, mingled with the other book clubbers, voted for the November book (as we’d already chosen October’s via Instagram polls), did a quiz, received a goody bag, and had the opportunity to buy the October book. There were over fifty people there, and Saskia and I sat with four other girls who were lovely to chat to, and you know what? We had a really nice time!
     I probably wouldn’t have joined a book club if I couldn’t have gone with Saskia, but if it’s something you’re considering doing, I’d really recommend putting yourself a little outside your comfort zone and finding a book club to join - or start one of your own! You might really surprise yourself, and it’s always great to connect with other book lovers.

We’re now halfway through October and still a week or so away from the book club meetup to discuss this month’s book, ‘Hidden Pictures’ by Jason Rekulak, so I thought I’d write a blog post about it in the meantime as I’m desperate to share my thoughts. So, read on for a spoiler-free mini-review. 

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Pages: 400
Rating: 3.5/5

I want to preface this by saying: I was a little apprehensive before starting this book, only in that I was worried I wouldn’t finish it in time for the October meet up - but I couldn’t have been more wrong. I started this book when I was in London for a few days with my boyfriend for his birthday, picking it up for the first time on the tube at around 11am, and finishing it by 7pm back at our hotel. I was truly hooked from the moment I started reading it, so let me tell you a little bit about it.

Hidden Pictures follows Mallory Quinn, a recovering drug addict about eighteen months sober, when she takes a job in the New Jersey suburbs as a nanny for Ted and Caroline Maxwell’s five-year-old son, Teddy. Mallory forms a bond with Teddy quickly, and how couldn’t she? He’s sweet, if a little shy, and so creative, always drawing pictures of trees, bunnies, balloons, and… a woman being buried in the woods?
     Teddy’s artwork becomes increasingly sinister, and somehow very artistically technical for his age. It’s concerning, to say the least, and Mallory worries that perhaps his drawings may be revealing a long-unsolved murder. When the pictures continue even when Teddy’s crayons are confiscated, she wonders if the story is being relayed through a paranormal entity, possibly by Teddy’s imaginary friend, Anya.

The initial mystery of this read was what genre of horror it falls into. I wasn’t sure at first if this was going to be paranormal, psychological, or something else entirely - and this took quite a while to figure out.
     I enjoyed the pace of this book, I was immediately hooked and it kept me gripped the whole way through. It was really fun to put on my detective hat and try and piece together the clues within the plot and of course the clues in Teddy’s drawings - even though of course you’re not given enough information to do that entirely, and even if you think you have, I promise you won’t guess the twists and turns in this book. I really appreciated the subtle hints when they were revealed, and there was plenty of misdirection to throw you off the scent and pull you back in. I do think Teddy’s drawings did carry the book massively, and without them I don’t know that it would have had the same impact - but overall I thought this was a thrilling read for October.
     With a little bit of reflection since reading it, and after reading the other reviews online, my initial rating definitely dropped as some good and valid points were raised about the plot. I still appreciate the thriller/horror aspects of the book, but I do think the ending could have been different.

I’m looking forward to hearing the other book club members’ thoughts on this book, and I’m excited in general to be a part of a book club and amongst other book lovers. I think I’ll make these posts a monthly occurrence to talk about our book club reads!

If you’ve read this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to DM me on my socials so we can talk about it. You can find my socials by clicking here.

As always, thank you for reading!

Stay cosy,
Kee