The unbreakable bonds of family and love are explored in this brilliant and tender story from the author of Guy's Girl.
On
the day she arrives in Canada for her older brother's wedding, Eliot
Beck hasn't seen her family in three years. Eliot adores her big, wacky,
dysfunctional collection of siblings and in-laws, but there's a reason
she fled to Manhattan and buried herself in her work—and she’s not ready
to share it with anyone. Not when speaking it aloud could send her back
into the never-ending cycle of the obsessive-compulsive disorder that
consumed her for years.
Eliot thinks she's prepared to survive
the four-day-long wedding extravaganza—until she sees her best friend,
Manuel, waiting for her at the marina and looking as handsome as ever.
He was the person who, when they met as children, felt like finding the
missing half of her soul. The person she tried so hard not to fall in
love with… but did anyway.
Manuel's presence at the wedding
threatens to undo the walls Eliot has built around herself. The fortress
that keeps her okay. If she isn't careful, by the end of this wedding,
the whole castle might come crumbling down.
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What I thought about How to Hide in Plain Sight
I was hooked on this book from the opening scene. Returning home to Cradle Island for her brother's wedding, Eliot Beck is forced her to confront some unresolved situations with her family and with Manuel, her former best friend she abandoned and someone she has deep feelings for.
The opening brought back my own memories of returning home after years away and how much things can change and yet remain the same. I was immediately engaged with Eliot's voice. This is a very emotional book, and it had me choked up a few times.
Eliot has OCD. She deals with intrusive thoughts on a daily basis and finds it easier to do that away from her family. Going back home was a big lift for her, but thinking she can handle four days, she drives herself home to find her former best friend waiting for her. She has much to deal between Manuel and her family.
There are some difficult themes here that are handled with sensitivity and realism. Mental health, particularly OCD which surprised me as I thought I knew about this disorder, the death of a family member, and family dynamics in a large family unit -- There's lots to unpack here and the story is rich with situations that I found familiar in my own life, which made the book relatable. Everyone's grown up and has adult problems, not just Eliot.
Like most family drama, this story can be hard to read at times because there is quite a bit of realistic family drama going on here. I actually liked that about it as it was central to my connection with this story. I appreciated the realism of both the family dynamics and the mental health issues.
Overall, I liked this #ownvoices story, especially the tough parts. Learning new aspects of OCD was a surprise, as was finding out just how much the author was connected to this material. There's a nice bit of romance too, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed.
About the Author
Emma Noyes is the author of Guy's Girl, How to Hide in Plain Sight, and The Sunken City trilogy. She grew up in a suburb outside Chicago and attended Harvard University, where she studied history and literature. She started her career at a beer company but left because she wanted to write about mermaids and witches — eventually publishing her first YA fantasy series. She now lives in Chicago with her Swedish fiancé and accident-prone Pomeranian.
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