Gravy: Hide by Kiersten White

[Gravy]

Hide by Keirsten White

256 pages

The challenge: Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don’t get caught.

The prize: enough money to change everything.

Even though everyone is desperate to win—to seize a dream future or escape a haunting past—Mack is sure she can beat her competitors. All she has to do is hide, and she’s an expert at that.

It’s the reason she’s alive and her family isn’t.

But as the people around her begin disappearing one by one, Mack realizes that this competition is even more sinister than she imagined, and that together might be the only way to survive.

Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to hide but nowhere to run.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.

I've really been looking forward to this one.

[gali]

Sounds really good! I added it to my list.

It reminds me of the Hunger Games.

[Gravy]

It's giving me some major Squid Game vibes.


I'm not very far yet. I like Mack (MC), and a handful of other characters (which I'm guessing is going to suck when they start dying).

The inside of the cover is a map of the amusement park and I'm totally geeking out over it.

[Gravy]

I'm around page 71. Things are weird.

There's one character who is basically a golden retriever in human form. It's hilarious.

[gali]

I'm around page 71. Things are weird.

There's one character who is basically a golden retriever in human form. It's hilarious.

Sounds interesting! I love such stories.

[Gravy]

Page# 161

Oh wow. Things got a bit gory.

I'm fairly certain I know something.

The story feels like it should be wrapping up, but I still have more than a quarter of the book left. This fact is making me nervous.

[Gravy]

I'm very concerned about what is going to happen.


Also, there will be A LOT of content warnings coming.

[Gravy]

Finished!


Oh, this was fun!
I think it's fairly safe to describe this as a really clever allegory disguised as a creepy, gory horror story.
Many of the side characters are a bit one dimensional, but I think that's intentional to serve the message. However, if you're only reading this for the fun factor, it may come across as poor development. Personally, I was a little bothered by it before I got the point.
I'm not super happy with the end, but it's another one of those things that makes much more sense if you read this as an allegory.

I have to give it a 3/4 stars, but it's a very high 3.

Content warnings:

• Gore
• Suicide/Self Harm
• Passive Suicidal Ideation
• Negative Self Talk/Self Blame
• Clowns
• Demons
• Beheadings
• Guns
• Gas Lighting
• Murder
• Family Annihilator
• Parental Abuse
• Child Death/Murder
• Child Neglect
• Blood
• Polygamy
• Ableism/Neglect of Disabled Person/Child
• Military

This is not comprehensive. I'm sure there are things I'm missing.


Anyway, very good book, very clever allegory, and a fun read one way or the other.

[gali]

Sounds good! I will give it a try. Thank you.