Review: Hidden

Title: Hidden
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Format: Hardback
Pages: 302
Date(s) Read: Jan 9-10, 2016
Rating: 3

Summary:

Zoey has what she wanted.  Truth is out.  Neferet's evil has been exposed, and the high council is no longer on her side.  However, she's not done wreaking havoc in the vampyre world.   Tensions are at their breaking point, friendships are going to be tested.  However, can the 'nerd herd' come together to stop the spread of Darkness before it is too late?

Review:

Okay, I think my opinions of this series might be a touch on the downward slide of things.  This book, I don't know, kinda struck me as a bit dull compared to the others.  Yes, I've read them all up until this point, including all four novellas.  Yes, chances are I will read the next book when it comes out, and the subsequent ones after that...why? Because I apparently am masochistic like that.  So, let's get to a few things that give my reasoning for the three stars this book has earned from me.

Lack of showing and an abundance of telling.  Seriously!  Also, the tone at times to the writing comes off as patronizing - as if one moment the characters know what the hell is going on and can speak properly, and the next they are absolutely freaking stupid.

“It’s about time the House of Night is aware that there are prodigious forces of good working on our side against all that Darkness.”
“Prodigious means real big.” Stevie Rae translated.

Aphrodite: “Gay Boy’s all atwitter, or atitter, or whatever.  “You are no good at espionage at all.”  

Those are just two of the examples of what makes me absolutely nutty with some of this writing.

The fact that the twins begin to take different paths - and why in the bloody hell would her sister not do something about it when *spoiler* Erin started going down this darker path?  SERIOUSLY?! I mean, come on.  When someone I love is doing something stupid, or something completely out of character....I FREAKING SAY SOMETHING!!! Why? Because I care about them and for sure want to know why in the hell they are behaving in a way that is completely different from what is considered normal.

I, honestly, hate to day this now, liked Zoey at the beginning of this series.  Now, however, I want to stab her....repeatedly...until she is little more than a pile of bloody flesh.  Okay, last book she annoyed me, this book yes, she kind of (kind of) redeemed herself on this.  She has by the end of the book shown maturity, and I honestly hope that in the next book that maturity continues, without the need for it to be spelled out.  Without the need for it to be told to us instead of bashing us over the head with everything.

For the sake of my sanity, I do hope book number 11 is better.  However, I will not at this point hold my breath.