Starred review from January 17, 2022
Bram Stoker Award–winning YA author White (Camelot Rising) makes her adult debut with an enthralling, high-energy thriller grounded in supernatural horror. Fourteen contestants are dropped off in an abandoned amusement park for a weeklong game of extreme hide-and-seek with a massive cash prize. Among them is Mackenzie “Mack” Black, recruited through the homeless shelter where she’s been staying. Mack is skilled at making herself invisible, having survived her father’s massacre of her family by hiding. But as players develop alliances and rivalries, it becomes clear to some that there’s more than money at stake, while others uncover the horrors lurking in the park. White’s depictions of players other than Mack begin in stereotype, but she gradually reveals enough emotional depth in each that, by the time they become a team determined to survive, the reader is ready to cheer them on in both their escape and their satisfying revenge against those who would treat them as disposable. White skillfully balances the terrifying solo experiences of individual characters, the tense group dynamics, and the park’s backstory to create a constantly shifting narrative backed by a growing sense of dread. With this exhilarating outing, White proves she has a finger on the pulse of millennial horror.
Starred review from September 25, 2023
This stylish and spooky comics adaptation of White’s novel from Peterson (Truckus Maximus) with artwork by Fish (the Sabrina the Teenage Witch series) reveals the horrors society will sink to in order to uphold the status quo. Mack’s a quiet survivor, but she’s at the end of her rope—and the limit of her time allotment at a women’s shelter. She and 13 other quirky hopefuls (including a social media influencer, a YouTube prankster, a military vet, and a cult survivor) learn of a competition with the life-changing prize of $50,000. To win, they have to spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park. From dawn to dusk, the only objective is to stay unseen, but what happens if someone’s caught out? When blood and the abandoned belongings of missing participants are found, suspicions arise about how cruel this game could get—and who benefits in the end from these folks staying invisible. Some players find a clever spot to stay safe together, while others risk everything to save one another. The bold art captures the creepy, run-down carny vibe with aplomb, and dramatic coloring (by Andy Fish) punches up action sequences. This Hunger Games–esque saga feels destined for the big screen.
Starred review from September 15, 2023
White's best-selling thriller about a hide-and-seek competition in an abandoned amusement park, Hide, is brought to its full, creepy potential in this graphic adaptation. Mack, an abused young woman hiding from her past, signs up for the "Olly Olly Oxen Free" contest, sponsored by Ox Extreme Sports, because she needs that $50,000 prize to really disappear. She, along with 13 others with a variety of motives and past traumas, spend their nights sleeping at base camp in the middle of the park and their days hiding among the rundown rides and attractions. Alliances and rivalries flourish, but the players gradually realize that those who are "caught" are leaving the competition in a more permanent way than advertised. This tense, paranormal story lends itself well to the graphic format, particularly in the sections focusing on individual characters as they uncover secrets and often don't make it back. The park itself comes alive in Fish's moody illustrations, featuring strong color contrasts and ominous shadows lurking among the park's rusted rides, faded banners, littered walkways, and overgrown greenery. A solid choice for those unfamiliar with the story.
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