Hidden

 

Bibliography

Frost, H. (2015). Hidden. Square Fish/Farrar Straus Giroux.

ISBN 9781250056849

Plot Summary

Hidden is a verse novel told through alternating perspectives of two girls named Darra and Wren. When it first starts, they are 8 years old, and we hear from them again years later at summer camp, where their lives cross again. The story starts with a carjacking that Wren was accidentally locked into. The thief ends up being Darra’s father. Darra finds out about Wren but keeps it a secret and feeds her cat food. Eventually, Wren escapes and gets back home. During this and the events that unfolded afterwards, it deeply impacted both girls. Years later, they meet at summer camp where they slowly form a friendship, and the truth from both sides unfolds.

Critical Analysis

For this book, I highly recommend not closing your book at page 142. Page 143 explains that there is another part to this story, Part 3. Darra’s poems are written in a form invented for this book because the last words of the longest lines tell another story. They are the memories of Darra’s father before the events happened. Wren’s poems are written in free verse. There are more details on the Diving Deeper: Notes on Form page. 

In this story, you follow both Wren and Dara’s trauma and memories of the event that took place. Wren’s story is written to show her fear and helplessness of being trapped, and Dara’s shows her confusion, guilt, and shame over her father’s actions. Showing both viewpoints is great for the reader because it shows that there are more feelings for this one situation, there was more than one victim, and the worst part was it was all because of the desperation of a father. Darra’s hidden message, I feel like, was her true voice that she was scared to speak. It took time for me to read each word down the side of the poem, and it took time to understand. I think that was the author's way of saying that anyone with trauma takes time to understand and to learn their truth. I read the whole book with the thought that it was the end. Then, when I got to the diving deeper, I was shocked that there was more “hidden”. That alone made this book stand out for me because I have never read one like this. By the end of the story, I wished for more and found myself thinking about how their relationship will continue to grow as adults. I enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend anyone who would not consider themselves a reader of poems to check this out.

Review Excerpts

"Beginning with a horrific story of an accidental kidnapping, this poetic novel is impossible to put down....A masterpiece!" - Shirley Mullin, Kids Ink Children's Bookstore

"Like Frost's Printz Honor Book, Keesha's House (2003), this novel in verse stands out through its deliberate use of form to illuminate emotions and cleverly hide secrets in the text." - Booklist

"Starred Review. Frost's tale exhibits her trademark character development that probes the complexities of intimate relationships. ... Both tender and insightful, this well-crafted, fast-paced tale should have wide teen appeal. Poetry. 10-16." - Kirkus

Awards and Recognitions

• William Allan White Award—2014 Winner, Kansas, grades 6-8

• Lee Bennett Hopkins Children’s Poetry Award, Honor book

• ALA Notable Book

• CCBC Choices

• Bank Street Best Children’s Books, Starred

• 2012 IRA (International Reading Association) Teachers’ Choices

• VOYA’s “Perfect 10” List

• Kirkus Review’s Best Children’s books of 2011

• Fuse #8 (School Library Journal)

• “100 Magnificent Children’s Books of 2011”

• Richie Partington’s “Best of 2011” list

• Sylvia Vardell’s “Top 20 Children’s Poetry Books of 2011”

• Paul Hankin’s “Top ten plus 1” list of 2011 Middle Grade Fiction

Connections

• Assign students to watch an event happen, partner them up, and they need to pick someone. Have them write their version of it and compare it to their partner's. Then combine the two to recreate a story like Hidden. Depending on the grade level, it could be events as heavy as 9/11, or as light as going to an amusement park.