Hidden by Marianne Curley

Reading Level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 336 Pages
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Narration: First Person: Ebony, Jordan
Genre: Paranormal/Angels
Challenge: Paranormal Challenge
Source: Netgalley

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Goodreads Synopsis:

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.

My Review:

Note: Since I did not finish this book through choice of my own, my review will only reflect the portion that I did read, and will exclude the parts that I did not. 

Status: DNF, Gave up at 25%.

The summary isn't anything I haven't come across before, and if that was all I had to go by, I wouldn't have given this novel a second glance. However, the cover is absolutely stunning, and I love the fact that they strategically placed a feather over her eyes, as if she was hidden (Wink, Wink ;) from the outside world. A concept that is focused on in the story itself. If someone had described this cover to me before I ever saw it, I probably would've written it off as corny, but with it right in front of me, I can see that it actually ties the whole novel together. Give yourself a pat on the back Bloomsbury! Superb job with the cover. :D

Onto the actual story. *Cringes* As soon as I read the first sentence, I knew this couldn't end in anything but disaster. It's not that the writing is horrific per-say, it's just more accurate to say that it's a wee choppy and awkward when the words take form mentally, worse if you read it out loud. Part of the reason I was unable to get sucked into this novel might have been because the Galley version had so many glaringly obvious spelling mistakes. Hopefully, they'll fix all of those little quirks before actually releasing the novel.

Another aspect of this novel that I had trouble with was the two different narrators, Jordan and Ebony. I have to admit, although I do feel a bit stupid for saying it, that I didn't even realize the story was told from two different perspectives, until the fourth or fifth chapter. How's that for unobservant? In my defense, I was a bit distracted that day... Anyhoo, their tone of voice sounded so much alike that if they were both the same gender, I probably wouldn't have been able to tell them apart. If they had admirable characteristics and attributes, then alright, fine, I'll deal with it, but their personalities were so bland, flat, and annoyingly lifeless. To be honest, if one of them wound up getting driven over by a truck in the end, I wouldn't have been able to bring myself to care. Of course, since Ebony is some freakishly strong angel, I guess it wouldn't do much, but you get my drift.

The love triangle. Since I stopped at 25%, I hadn't reached the point where the second love interest made an entrance, but one Insta-Love moment was definitely more than enough for me. The moment Jordan and Ebony met was basically one of those wretched, "For a moment, the earth seemed to stop spinning and the room blurred until we were the only two left standing," kind of moments. Excuse me, while I repeatedly bang my head against a wall. *Insert hilariously funny gif here* Since I'm feeling lazy at the moment, you'll just have to use your imagination for that one. xD After reading some other reviews to find out if I was the only one who felt this way about Hidden, I discovered that the romance with the second love interest was, yet again, kick-started by another Insta-Love connection.

I understand that the beginning of a novel is usually a bit slow paced for the purpose of introducing all of the new characters, describing what their like, and giving some background information, but the amount of action in the first 25% was actually laughable. Nonexistent might be a better word to describe it. I actually found my attention drifting to a butterfly whilst one of the characters was dying.

Overall, Hidden was a huge disappointment, at least for the amount I read. Maybe it gets better as the story progresses, but sadly, I'm not motivated enough to finish it. There's a possibility that I might get back to it if I have nothing else to do, which is very unlikely, and hear nothing but raving reviews come in, but at the moment? Nope.

*An ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest and thoughtful review.

Heroine/Hero- 1.5/5 Boooring. *Yawn*
Romance- 1/5
Sick and tired of Insta-Love connections.
Action- 1/5
Writing- 2/5 
Not horrible, but a bit choppy.
Overall- 1.5/5 For first 25%.