π¨ Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak — Full Spoiler Review
⚠️ Warning: MASSIVE spoilers ahead. If you haven’t read Hidden Pictures yet, stop here, grab a copy, and brace yourself for the creepy drawings and the jaw-dropping twists!
π My Rating
π 5 out of 5 stars — deserves ALL the praise.
This book totally grew on me. I originally gave it a 4, but the more I thought about it (and the more I creeped myself out remembering the drawings), it’s a solid 5 out of 5.
π₯ Why I Loved It
✅ Creepy, unique premise — haunted kid? Check. Ghost drawings? Check.
✅ Twist you won’t see coming — unless you’re psychic.
✅ Drawings included in the book! The physical copy is worth it for these alone — seriously unsettling.
π Hidden Pictures — Detailed Plot Summary (SPOILERS!)
π©πΌ Mallory’s New Start
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Mallory, 18 months sober, lands a nanny job for Teddy, a sweet (but maybe haunted?) 5-year-old.
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She moves into a guest cottage on the Maxwell family’s fancy estate.
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The rules: No boyfriends, no God talk, no extra screen time for Teddy. Seems normal… ish?
✏️ The Creepy Drawings Begin
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Teddy’s adorable sketches quickly turn into nightmare fuel: women getting strangled, creepy men lurking… yikes.
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Teddy says his imaginary friend “Anya” tells him what to draw.
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Mallory suspects Anya is a ghost — naturally.
π΅️ Mallory Investigates
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Mallory digs (not literally… yet) into the history of the guest cottage and finds out about Annie Barrett, a woman who supposedly died there.
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With help from her kinda-boyfriend Adrian (cute landscaper alert), Mallory goes full amateur ghost hunter.
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SΓ©ances, baby monitors, spooky voices — the whole works.
π© The Maxwells Get Weird
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Ted (the dad) starts making creepy advances.
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Mallory finds drawings she doesn’t remember making — is Anya using HER to draw too?!
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Adrian finds out about Mallory’s past (thanks, Ted π) and dumps her. But then he realizes she was right about the ghost stuff.
π THE BIG REVEAL
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Mallory connects the dots: Teddy is actually Flora, a girl the Maxwells kidnapped as a toddler!
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“Anya” = Margit, Flora’s real mom, who Ted and Caroline murdered during their twisted baby-snatching scheme.
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The Maxwells planned to kill Mallory with a fake overdose to cover their tracks — but Ted swapped the drugs for baby powder because, well, he’s in love with Mallory now (ew).
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Caroline shoots Ted and goes full villain mode.
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Teddy/Flora helps Mallory take her down — in true fairy tale fashion, with a magical arrow fragment.
π‘ The Aftermath
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Flora is reunited with her real dad, Jozsef.
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Mallory writes Hidden Pictures as a gift for Flora — a way for her to someday learn the truth.
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And no, this book isn’t Fox News propaganda or anti-trans. No one is trans. Flora is a kidnapped girl raised as a boy. That’s it.
π Where to Buy Hidden Pictures
π Buy on Amazon (affiliate link — thanks for supporting the blog!)
π If You Liked This, Check Out:
✨ The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay — tense, psychological horror
✨ The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward — twisty and unsettling
✨ Home Before Dark by Riley Sager — haunted house vibes
π― Final Thoughts
Hidden Pictures is one of those books that sticks with you — creepy, heart-pounding, and so well done.
π Get the physical copy if you can — the drawings take it to another level.
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