Hidden Child - Anne Cassidy

A five-hour car journey can be quite a bore without a good book, so I decided I had to buy something to read in time for Easter weekend, and went into the bookshop, fortunately with a voucher left from World Book Day, to browse the latest titles. Now, I can be quite awkward when it comes to books; I'll read almost anything, but I have to be in the right mood.


It didn't take me long to find a book that seemed quite appealing. One ...
...written a few titles recently which I had yet to read, so I decided to give one of them a go, and opted for 'Hidden Child', by Anne Cassidy. The cover didn't give too much away; an image of a teenage girl half-hiding herself with her sleeve. The blurb simply asked a question or two, not going into too much detail, yet somehow managing to lure me in. After purchasing and reading the first two pages, I was itching to continue, but thought it was best ... more

A five-hour car journey can be quite a bore without a good book, so I decided I had to buy something to read in time for Easter weekend, and went into the bookshop, fortunately with a voucher left from World Book Day, to browse the latest titles. Now, I can be quite awkward when it comes to books; I'll read almost anything, but I have to be in the right mood.

It didn't take me long to find a book that seemed quite appealing. One of my favourite authors, whom I have met (!), had written a few titles recently which I had yet to read, so I decided to give one of them a go, and opted for 'Hidden Child', by Anne Cassidy. The cover didn't give too much away; an image of a teenage girl half-hiding herself with her sleeve. The blurb simply asked a question or two, not going into too much detail, yet somehow managing to lure me in. After purchasing and reading the first two pages, I was itching to continue, but thought it was best to wait until the journey. Otherwise, I would never put it down!

Finally, after almost a week of fumbling through the pages and resisting the temptation, the time came for me to read on and discover the wonders that lay inside the story. I found the plot was quite interesting; different from any that I had read prior. It starts off with a basic introduction to the main characters; Anna and her teenage daughter Lou. Although they are mother and daughter, their relationship is, and always has been, more of a 'best friends' bond. Together they are close, and it has always been that way, just the two of them; Lou's was told her father died in the war when he was fighting as a brave soldier during a major bomb explosion. Over the years, Anna had them uproot and move on, always running or hiding from one thing or another. After they settle in a basement flat, Anna with a job helping women in similar situations; 'battered wives', homeless and unsupported mothers with children, Lou feels this may actually be the time they stay and do not move. Though, after a trip to the Coast with Anna, Anna's friend Ruth and her little boy, Lou starts to remember things; she seems images of a little girl walking along by this rocking horse, whom she thought was herself. Despite this, Anna swears Lou had never been there before. This makes Lou start to wonder more about her father, their life before he died. After investigating the facts herself a little further, she finds out some hurtful truths about Anna she may have been best not knowing. Will their relationship remain so strong?

What's The Verdict?
--------------------------
Straight away I knew this book was going to be a winner, and there's no denying that it kept me amused during the long car journey! The first thing that I found fascinating was the bond between Anna and Lou; often you will find characters with such like a relationship in books, however there was something special about theirs, it was lifelike almost. Anna is quite a peculiar character, not one I could suss out at first. She seemed friendly enough, despite taking the odd object and forcing Lou to run from strange men. As for Lou, there was not much depth in her character, but as her unclear past was a main focus to the plot, this can be excused and fitted in rather well.

The title throws you off track a bit; it made me think of plots nothing like the actual story, though I was not disappointed by the unique theme Anne Cassidy had created. I'd never read anything quite like this, and hope to find more books with a similar outline.

Comparing it to Cassidy's other books, it certainly is one of her best. Though not my favourite, it is one I can certainly recommend! It is a great read, not to difficult and easy enough to follow. Of course, if you have ready any of Anne Cassidy's books or novels before and enjoyed her work, then I'd say this is definitely one to try! Also, it's one of her shorter stories, so if you are new to her writing, then giving this one a go first is a great way to start! If you haven't read any of her material, then I can suggest this, possibly to those who loved stories by Jacqueline Wilson; this is a step up in mature reading - a nice bridge between childrens' and adult books. At a tiny price of just £4.99, you really have no excuse not to read this, especially as you are likely to find this fascinating read in the local library too!

*****
I am thrilled that I came across this marvellous story, as it provided me with an amazingly unique and gripping read to keep me occupied on the journey. Anne Cassidy is a truly incredible author and I shall continue to read her fascinating stories!

© Amy 2008 

...less