A story about a “perfect” family being haunted and a recovering drug addict turned Christian babysitter was quite an interesting setup. Children drawing cryptic pictures and eccentric parents have been done many times in media, but the twists and turns this story takes are just so unexpected. The new babysitter, Mallory, has such an interesting perspective in general. Her past leads others to find her untrustworthy, but her newfound faith keeps her on the right path. The family takes a chance on her, and she and the child, Teddy, get a long swimmingly. It’s surprisingly wholesome overall, though the supernatural aspects turn up the tension a bit. Caroline and Ted are the perfect parents, at least on the surface. Every small glimpse at their history dispersed throughout the story cracks the facade. Nobody is perfect; no matter how hard they try.

This, I think, is one of the main themes of the novel. People sometimes do terrible things to themselves or others, but don’t realize their villainy. Some think they can justify their actions as the greater good or the consequence of circumstance. No matter the reasoning, the choices change who they are. Mallory repents for her choices, pledging to live a better life, while others still feel righteous in their actions.

The story is really about Mallory, as she finally finds a place to belong, though the supernatural occurrences lead her to conferring with the neighbor, Mitzy. She’s a strange old lady that reads auras and tarot for a living, so given the situation, makes sense to turn to. Though there are only a couple scenes with this character, she left an impact on me. She’s a generally distrusting person who watches questionable news programs and smokes way too much weed, but her intentions in helping Mallory are pure. I felt for the old woman in that she shut herself up from the rest of the world, preventing her from truly living. Teddy was also a compelling character in himself for being a small child. His inability to articulate what was going on makes sense for he didn’t understand it himself. He and Mallory’s relationship was really sweet. There was also the landscaper, Adrian. He was also really kind to Teddy, and eventually a companion to Mallory. Her inability to be honest with him about her past is believable as anyone with that sort of baggage doesn’t want to lay it all out immediately to a new acquaintance. I really liked how their relationship developed overall.

After finishing the story, there were some other themes that I knew some readers would find controversial. I won’t expound too much on that here, to avoid spoiler talk, but I will say that I didn’t find any depictions here problematic. As an LGBTQ liberal with a Christian upbringing, I found the writing completely inoffensive. You could argue the twist was to push an agenda, however, the rationalization within the narrative is enough of a basis to realize that that assumption is false. Even if the author is trying to make a statement, what harm is that? Art is meant to be an expression of opinion and different perspectives should be considered before disregarding the art as a whole. Again, I don’t think this story is anti anything really. It’s a complex narrative that explains its decision-making with well-developed reasoning if you read between the lines.

Hidden Pictures depicts some sensitive topics with the appropriate amount of consideration. Mallory’s unique perspective is appreciated as a window into the ideal suburban facade. Ted and Caroline are a compelling couple as the glimpses into their past give a sense of unease on top of the haunting itself. A local legend, a crazy old lady with a Ouija board, and a child drawing strange pictures really help sell the thriller nature of the story. It’s not particularly scary, but the mystery itself was compelling in its own right. I’d recommend this to those that enjoy reading stories with unique perspectives that don’t mind exploring sensitive topics.