This book really wasn't what I thought it was going to be. From the title and cover I expected this to be more of a mystery/thriller book. However, the book felt more like an old-school adventure story. On the hunt for a diamond, it felt like pirate treasure.

Despite this book not being what I expected I still enjoyed my reading experience. Sophie McKenzie seriously knows how to write a page turner!

I usually devour a Sophie McKenzie book, and this was no different. However, the read was not quite as satisfying as normal for me.

The book follows the adventures of Cat and Tyler who go on a journey to try to find Cat's supposedly dead father following a tip-off that Cat receives which suggests that her father's 'accident' did result in his death and he is actually hiding in plain sight.

This is a book which addresses death of a loved one and the effects of grief on those around you. Cat has become an outcast at school and is subject to some bullying, so the books covers a lot of ground. However, I was not convinced by the character development. The ending is a little too neat, though there are some interesting plot twists along the way which might keep you guessing, though some are quite obvious, too. The relationship between Cat and Tyler is too quickly trusting, in my opinion, for two teenagers who meet under such unusual circumstances.

It was an acceptable read that was entertaining enough, but I was not invested in the final outcome.

The new great title from Sophie McKenzie.
Cat is still reeling from the loss of her father. She finds an unexpected ally and friend in new boy Tyler.
Together they start to unravel secrets about Cat’s father. And a shocking revelation about Cat’s father starts a chain of events that could put her whole family at risk.

Perfect for fans of One of us is lying and Good girls guide to murder.

A great read for little thriller lovers. Teenager Cat feels disconnected from her mum and her life, as we can appreciate from our own adolescence. But Cat feels drawn to Tyler, the new boy and she quickly feels comfortable enough to share her true feelings with him. Thanks to him, she begins to uncover a series of secrets that is crying out for the words ‘perilous journey.’ Cat wants to keep her family safe, and herself and Tyler, from a dangerous gang who won’t stop at nothing to get what they want. Although for teens, I thoroughly enjoyed this and would seek out other books by Sophie.

A good and enjoyable mystery/romance YA novel. The concept and some of the characters were a little 'out there' which made it a little unbelievable for me. however, if you're happy to suspend plausibility it is a good read. Themes of bullying, grief, mental health and more.

I absolutely adored Sophie McKenzie growing up and Girl, Missing was one of my all time favourite books from secondary school, it was also one of my very first in the genre. Hide and Secrets follows Cat whose dad passed away not so long ago in a horrific boating accident. However one day she receives a text from someone who says they knew her dad and suddenly she’s immersed into a world of secrets and adventure.

I felt like this story was a good length to keep the reader interested and moved at a good pace. I think it was a well-constructed teen mystery. I also liked the themes of family and friendship. There was also just the right amount of the romantic storyline, which was really cute. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it definitely had a lot of twists, turns and surprises that kept me on my toes.

This is an interesting YA mystery with a small but well described cast of characters. This is the first by this author that I have read but I will certainly be looking out for more.

Our heroine is Cat, who is tasked with finding the dad she though had died and in her search she is joined by new love interest Tyler and younger sister Bess.

The mystery is well written and the story is a good length to maintain the interest of the reader, at whatever age they may be. I enjoyed following Cat and her crew in their travels and particularly liked the fact that the ending was not as predictable as I had imagined it may be.

A recommended read for YA mystery enthusiasts and also for anyone looking for a good storyline.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

In my view Sophie McKenzie is the queen of YA and I love every single one of her books and have done since I was younger. This was no different, a fast-paced exciting thriller that I devoured in couple of days! Lots of twists and turns and keeps you guessing!

Big recommendation from me! Thanks to @netgalley and @simonschusteruk for the ARC!

I hadn't read any books by this author before but having heard good things about her books I couldn't wait to get started in Hide and Secrets and I wasn't disappointed. The story follows a teenager named Cat who is contacted about her father's disappearance and with the help of a new boy Tyler they try to solve the mystery of what happened and save her family.

I really enjoyed this book and once I got into the book I didn't want to put the book down. Many 'just one more chapters' later I'm wishing the book was longer but surprised and happy at how the story turned out.

The characters in the book are great. I particularly liked the Cat and Tyler's relationship but it was also heartwarming to see how Tyler made Bess feel and the relationship they developed even though Bess wasn't able to speak. Some of the characters like their dad and Rik really surprised me but that added to the excitement and suspense of the story.

This is a brilliant book full of twists and turns that will leave you wanting more. I will definitely look into more books from this author in the future.

4.5 stars*

I loved this so much! It was really fast paced and enjoyable, I pretty much finished it in one day.

‘Hide and secrets’ follows Cat, a teenager who lost her father nearly 2 years ago, as she receives a call that says he in-fact faked his own death and is still very much alive. So with the help of her new friend Tyler, she sets off on a mission to locate him before a deadly gang potentially does. Except there’s more to the mystery than she’s being told, and she soon suffers the consequences.

If you’d given me this book to read but not told me the author, I would’ve immediately been able to tell that it was by Sophie McKenzie. And that’s a compliment as I really love her writing. The plot was unique but easy to understand, and surprisingly didn’t seem too far fetched.

I also loved the characters. One of the issues I had with the ‘girl, missing’ series was that I found the main characters annoying at times, but I loved Cat, Tyler and Bess. Bess also appears to have something like selective mutism, which I think was represented well.

Overall it was a great book & reminded me just why McKenzie is one of my favourite authors!

This is a good YA book about family, first love, heartbreak and all wrapped in a mystery.

Cat and her younger sister live with her mum. Her dad is dead, or, is he? Cat receives a text message challenging that he’s really dead and helped by a new friend, Tyler, Cat decides to uncover the truth.

The plot is a little thin, but, it’s a fast paced, enjoyable, easy read.

3* Good Read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

This is a classic Sophie McKenzie gripping mystery and if you liked Girl, Missing then you’d definitely enjoy this one. Teen Cat has become increasingly isolated in the 18 months since her dad was presumed dead in a boating accident. But one day, out of the blue, everything changes when a new friend turns up right on her doorstep and she is also informed that her dad is in fact alive but in hiding. It’s up to Cat to find the truth - but who can she trust? Great for readers who enjoy a fast-paced mystery. For me, the fast-paced plot sacrificed some substance and I wanted a little more from the characters, although it was a great story.

I was lucky enough to be selected to ARC Read this book by Simon and Schuster via Netgalley.

I am a bit of a Young Adult lover they are definitely my guilty pleasure, and this book did not disappoint me at all. Cat lives a lonely life with her mother and sister, following the death of their father. Her mother is too busy to spend time with the sisters, and Bess, the younger sister has not spoken a word since their father disappeared at sea, presumed dead.

Until someone from her fathers past casts doubt on everything they have been led to believe.

This story has it all, suspense, intrigue, romance and action. A very wholesome, story of a girl who will leave no stone unturned for her family.

The writing is goof, but the characters just felt too young for me to really connect with them because they were in our world and dealing with school issues (etc) that I am long past - but because there's been almost a decade since I was in that position, the "youth culture" has changed.

It's very much a "me thing" - I'm just not the right age to connect - because the story itself was very good. The pacing is nice and rapid, allowing me to read it in an hour on the train because it's quite compulsive - you <em>need</em> to know what happens next. The mystery itself (who is lying and what is really going on) and the relationship between Cat and Tyler was a little predictable, but the real star of the show/book is how it grapples with the emotional side of the issue.

If you'd lost your dad, mourned him for 18 months, then found out he might be alive, what would you do? It's a massive question with so many implications, and many emotional processing stages to go through. There's anger, hope, longing, confusion, and more. Plus the inevitable dismantling of the idol absence has let you build of this parent (particularly if grief and teenage years has strained the relationship with the remaining parent.) Everyone has coping mechanisms in the face of grief, and this book explores how they rub up against one another, and what happens when the loss might not be as permanent as originally thought.

The ending might not be to everyone's taste, as it's <em>happy</em>, per say - not the happy you might expect to get. But it is in keeping with the characters set up, and feels a lot more realistic than what could be called the "more traditional" ending.

I enjoyed this book and I think it could be a good jumping off point for projects in the classroom. At times I did feel parts where over explained and it felt more like a middle grade book than young adult. Over all a good book though.

This was so good! Sophie McKenzie has such a great way of writing mysteries and thrillers and this book was my favourite yet,

Cat, 14, has to take on a lot of responsibility at a young, impressionable age after her dad had a tragic accident. He had been her world, and now he was gone.
Mum was very involved in her mystic world and was famous in those circles, she seemed to have little time for the grieving her daughters.
A father and son moved into their other house, adjoined by a courtyard...which comes into it's own through the story.
Cat's head is turned and the son and her go on an adventure to find the truth of her father's disappearance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and couldn't wait to read what unfolded.

I received this as an ARC on NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review

Actual rate: 3.5

Good:
- Twisty storyline
- Emotional and real characters
- Key representation of PTSD and trauma-mutism which isn't stereotyped

Bad:
- definitely felt unbelievable
- characters motivations were not fully explored and followed through

This book was a thrilling young teen fantasy with characters who were fun and friendly, even if I couldn't always relate to them or their motives. 13 year old me would have loved the mystery and thrill here. The settings were well described and felt real, and the representation of trauma after a death in the family was truthful, and not used as a plot point. I also liked the representation of different grieving, which is really important to show.

Thrilling, gripping and keeps you guessing.

I would recommend this book to young teens, aspiring detectives, and people who love to try to figure out a story along with the characters. Its not just for teens! This book can be enjoyed by all ages.

Overall: 4/5

A fast-paced, thrilling young adult read that details the adventurous summer of Cat, a loner grieving the recent passing of her dear dad. Her plans of spending summer making clothes in the barn are scuppered when her mum, an infamous astrologer, hires father and son to carry out some restorative work and loans. A timely text is received and she finds herself embroiled in a life or death adventure. A fun read for teens.

I’m a fan of McKenzie having been introduced to her “Split Second” books, by a chum’s daughter.

The book follows 14 year old Cat as she navigates life after her father’s death, supporting her (recently) mute sister, Bess, and her troubled relationship with her mum. Just as another family move into the property for a summer project, Cat is informed her father is alive and in danger - Cat has to save him.

The book has everything a teen reader wants in a YA novel: mystery, thrills, some romance (it isn’t overdone), a relatable protagonist and a sense that the kids have some autonomy - in this case, they’re solving a mystery.

I’ve read some other reviews that complain the relationship between Cat and her mum is odd and that Cat’s friends wouldn’t ghost her in light of her father’s “death.” As someone who has taught thousands of teenagers, I found both situations utterly believable. In losing her go-to parent, it’s no wonder that Cat would retreat from the world. Naturally, this would strain her relationship with her mum and potentially alienate her from all but the most persistent friends. I mean, don’t get me wrong... it’s also convenient for the plot and premise because in seeking her father, Cat relies on herself and her new friend, Tyler (one half of the family who move in for the summer), rather than her mum or existing friends. It makes the sleuthing more insular. But convenience doesn’t mean implausibility.

I also note that some reviewers judge Cat’s decision making to be questionable at best and ridiculous at worse. Er, yup. That’s what 14 year olds do! I’m a long time fan of YA fiction; I’m about a minute away from turning 40 and I’ve still not outgrown YA fantasy, SciFi or drama. That said, I recognise I’m relating to the characters and plot through a haggard-40-year-old-lens. I think Cat’s choices are daft but I’m meant to think that. Youngsters in Years 7-10 enjoying “Hide and Secrets” will most likely resonate with Cat better than I can.

There were definitely sufficient twists to balance out the more obvious turns. And I also really liked Tyler, her sidekick; I wish we could have learned more about his backstory.

Overall, it’s great to have a YA book that’s actually aimed at a YA audience. McKenzie has created another brilliant novel that will comfortably sit in a secondary school library - unlike other books branded as YA which are too smutty or violent to avoid parental complaints. (I imagine this is a publisher problem not authors’ intent).