Fourteen strangers. One abandoned theme park. Seven days of hide-and-seek for a life-changing $50,000. It sounds like the plot of a generic Netflix reality show or a derivative slasher flick, but Hide by Kiersten White is doing something much more sinister than just counting down body parts.
Honestly, I picked this up thinking it would be a breezy, spooky thriller. I was wrong. It's actually a heavy, claustrophobic look at what people are willing to endure when they’re desperate. Mack, our protagonist, is a survivor. Not in the "I survived a bad breakup" way, but in the "I survived a family massacre and spent years living in shelters" way. She is small, quiet, and hyper-aware of her surroundings. She's the perfect person to hide in a decaying park called Amazingland.
But the park isn't just empty. It’s hungry.
The Reality of Amazingland and Why the Setting Matters
The book breathes through its setting. Amazingland isn't your typical shiny Disney-style park; it’s a mid-century relic rotting in the sun. White spends a lot of time describing the peeling paint on the tea cups and the way the weeds have reclaimed the asphalt. It feels real because we’ve all seen those urban exploration photos on Reddit of abandoned places that feel like they’re watching you back.
Mack enters the competition because she has nothing. No home, no family, no future. She’s joined by thirteen others, including a TikTok influencer looking for clout and a veteran looking for a fresh start. You’ve got this diverse cross-section of society all pinned against each other for a sum of money that, in the grand scheme of things, isn't even that much. That’s the point. The "game" is designed to exploit the people who need the money most.
It's Not Just a Game
The rules are simple. Hide. Don't get caught. If you're found by the "seekers," you're out. But when people start disappearing and never actually make it to the "losers' lounge," Mack starts to realize the stakes aren't just financial.
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There's a specific tension here that White nails. It’s that feeling when you know something is wrong, but you’re so used to being gaslit by authority figures that you stay quiet. The contestants are told they are part of a grand social experiment. They want to believe it. They need to believe it because the alternative—that they are being sacrificed to an ancient, cosmic horror—is too insane to process.
Why Some Readers Struggle With the Pacing
Let’s be real for a second. If you go into Hide by Kiersten White expecting a fast-paced Squid Game clone, you might be frustrated for the first hundred pages. White takes her time. She builds the dread slowly.
Some critics have argued the middle section drags. I disagree. The slow burn is necessary because it forces you to sit with these characters. You learn about Brandon, the guy who just wants to provide for his family, and Ava, who uses her brightness as a shield. When the horror finally ramps up, it hurts more because you actually care about the people getting picked off.
- The first act is all about the psychological weight of the game.
- The second act shifts into a survivalist nightmare where the environment becomes the enemy.
- The final act? That’s where the supernatural elements go full tilt.
It’s a tonal shift that catches people off guard. One minute you’re reading a social thriller about poverty, and the next, you’re dealing with a Minotaur-like entity in the bowels of a theme park. It’s jarring. It’s supposed to be.
The Deeper Meaning: Capitalism is the Real Monster
If you strip away the monsters and the blood, this book is a massive middle finger to the "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" mentality. The wealthy elites who run the game—the ones who own Amazingland—view the contestants as literal fuel.
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They don't see Mack as a person. They see her as a battery.
White draws a direct line between the historical practice of human sacrifice and modern economic exploitation. It’s a bold move for a book often categorized as YA or "crossover" fiction. She isn't subtle about it. The villains are the kind of people who talk about "tradition" and "the greater good" while sipping expensive wine as others die for their entertainment.
Mack as the Anti-Heroine
Mack is a fascinating lead because she’s not particularly "likable" in the traditional sense. She’s prickly. She’s paranoid. She’s terrified of human connection. But her trauma is her superpower. Because she spent her life hiding from a real-life monster (her father), she is the only one who recognizes the supernatural monster for what it is.
She doesn't want to be a hero. She just wants to exist. Watching her realize that she has to care about the other contestants to survive is the emotional core of the book. It’s about breaking the cycle of "every man for himself."
Practical Takeaways for Readers and Writers
If you’re a fan of horror, there are a few things to keep in mind before you dive into this one. First, check the content warnings. White doesn’t shy away from themes of domestic violence and child abuse, particularly in Mack’s flashbacks.
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Second, pay attention to the mythology. White is known for her retellings (like the And I Darken series), and she brings that same scholarly approach to the folklore in Hide. She blends Greek myth with Americana in a way that feels fresh but grounded.
What you should do next:
- Read it in the dark. Seriously. The atmosphere is 50% of the experience.
- Look for the clues early on. There are hints about the true nature of the park scattered in the first fifty pages that you’ll totally miss if you’re skimming.
- Check out White's other work. If you like the dark, feminist energy of Hide, you’ll probably love The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein.
- Discuss the ending with a friend. The final chapters are divisive. Some love the supernatural payoff; others wanted it to stay a grounded thriller. You’ll need someone to vent to.
This isn't just a book about a game of hide-and-seek. It’s a book about who gets to stay hidden and who is forced into the light to be consumed. It's a sharp, nasty, and deeply necessary piece of modern horror that stays with you long after you close the cover.
Actionable Insights for Writers Inspired by Hide:
- Subvert your setting: Take something joyful (a theme park) and rot it from the inside out. Use sensory details like the smell of grease and stagnant water to build unease.
- Focus on motivation: A character hiding for fun is boring. A character hiding because they have $0 in their bank account is a character readers will follow into the dark.
- Layer your monsters: The supernatural entity is scary, but the human beings who enable it are much, much worse. That’s where the real horror lives.
To get the most out of the experience, try reading it alongside other "social horror" novels like The Chain by Adrian McKinty or Alice Isn't Dead by Joseph Fink. Comparing how different authors handle the "deadly game" trope will give you a much better appreciation for what Kiersten White achieved with Mack's journey through Amazingland.