Hidden by Marianne Curley Review

Title: Hidden
Author: Marianne Curley (Twitter)
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's
Publish Date: June 25, 2013
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher

For as long as Ebony can remember, she's been sheltered. Confined to her home in a secluded valley, home-schooled by her protective parents, and limited to a small circle of close friends. It's as if she's being hidden. But something is changing in Ebony. Something that can't be concealed. She's growing more beautiful by the day, she's freakishly strong, and then there's the fact that she's glowing.

On one fateful night, Ebony meets Jordan and she's intensely drawn to him. It's as if something explodes inside of her--something that can be seen from the heavens. Ebony still doesn't know that she's a stolen angel, but now that the heavens have found her, they want her back.

Ebony's life has never really been all that interesting, but she's always know that she's different. She doesn't get sick, she has incredible senses and she's always been sheltered and protected by her overly-careful parents. But Ebony wants to be a normal teenager, so she does what any rebellious teen will do; she sneaks out to a club, and it turns out to be the very action that sets her entire future in motion. Ebony learns that there is more to her past - and her future - than she could ever imagine. But there is a strong possibility that all these revelations will hardly lead to a happy ending. 

From veteran author, Marianne Curley, comes a brilliant new planned series about angels, starting with Hidden, the first installment. I've previously read the Guardians of Time series from the author, and her writing is exceptional. She's known for her incredible world-building, flawless character development and realistic voices. With a firm fan base and a proven track record of solid writing, Hidden is sure to find a favoured niche in the paranormal market. With a solid plot, a host of characters and an unlikely romance, we're given a novel that embraces the best aspects of the genre.

I have so many feelings about Hidden that I'm almost unsure where to start this review. Guys, I'm a huge fan of Marianne's writing. She's a fantastic author, and I've really loved her previous work, but I think that might actually have taken away from some of my enjoyment of this book. I had very high hopes for the book, and it was probably tricky to even measure up to those. Nevertheless, I had some issues with Hidden, and they really start with Ebony. She's a pretty formulaic YA character. For the most part, she exuded this melodramatic immaturity that detracted from the actual storyline. Yes, I understand her rebellion stems from her sheltered upbringing, but it made her rather unlikable and difficult to relate to. Furthermore, readers of my blog know that I'm really not a fan of insta-love, so when a love story enters at the speed of light twice, I lost my marbles a bit. I think that the relationships with Jordan and Thane could have been deeper and more empathetic, and I would have been able to reconcile with the insta-love, but both connections were, unfortunately, lacking in depth. I will say that Hidden has a stellar premise and a really solid plot in terms of angel books. I thought that the world the author built was solid and intriguing, plus the prose was fluid and engaging, so I really wished we'd had more of an opportunity to explore those aspects of the story, rather than being thrust into relationships, which superseded the true highlights of the novel.

Overall, I think that Hidden will find a strong base of fans within its genre, but I'm not sure if this series is for me. I love the author's work, and I remain an ardent fan, but I couldn't seem to get invested in Ebony's plight. I give it a 2.5 out of 5, and I'd still recommend it to fans of YA, especially those who enjoy paranormal and angel books. 

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.