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Hush #2
Hidden
A young girl must learn to survive and find her family against all odds in this heartbreaking companion to Hush from award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli.
Lost at sea when her sister is taken captive on a marauding slave ship, Brigid is far removed from the only life she knew as a princess and the pampered daughter of an Irish king.
Now Brigid has few choices. Alone and abandoned, she disguises herself as a boy and vows to find her innocent sister taken into slavery. Through her search many years pass and she grows from being a child to a woman, tough Brigid does not give up. She lives from the land, meets friend and foe along the way, and gains a reputation as a woman thought to be fierce enough to conquer men. It is not fierceness that guides her but the love of sister and the longing for her family to be united. One day she finds her way, knowing that her only real power comes from within herself.
Based on the legend of the first Norse woman pirate, award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli has told a remarkable survival story spanning years and continents and one that transports and transforms readers.
Lost at sea when her sister is taken captive on a marauding slave ship, Brigid is far removed from the only life she knew as a princess and the pampered daughter of an Irish king.
Now Brigid has few choices. Alone and abandoned, she disguises herself as a boy and vows to find her innocent sister taken into slavery. Through her search many years pass and she grows from being a child to a woman, tough Brigid does not give up. She lives from the land, meets friend and foe along the way, and gains a reputation as a woman thought to be fierce enough to conquer men. It is not fierceness that guides her but the love of sister and the longing for her family to be united. One day she finds her way, knowing that her only real power comes from within herself.
Based on the legend of the first Norse woman pirate, award-winning author Donna Jo Napoli has told a remarkable survival story spanning years and continents and one that transports and transforms readers.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published December 30, 2014
8 people are currently reading
778 people want to read
About the author
Donna Jo Napoli
138 books1,112 followersDonna Jo Napoli is both a linguist and a writer of children's and YA fiction. She loves to garden and bake bread, and even dreams of moving to the woods and becoming a naturalist.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
At various times her house and yard have been filled with dogs, cats, birds, and rabbits. For thirteen years she had a cat named Taxi, and liked to go outside and call, "Taxi!" to make the neighbors wonder. But dear dear Taxi died in 2009.
She has five children, seven grandchildren, and currently lives outside Philadelphia. She received her BA in mathematics in 1970 and her Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures in 1973, both from Harvard University, then did a postdoctoral year in Linguistics at MIT. She has since taught linguistics at Smith College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Georgetown University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Swarthmore College. It was at UM that she earned tenure (in 1981) and became a full professor (in 1984). She has held visiting positions at the University of Queensland (Australia), the University of Geneva (Switzerland), Capital Normal University of Beijing (China), the University of Newcastle (UK), the University of Venice at Ca' Foscari (Italy), and the Siena School for the Liberal Arts (Italy) as well as lectured at the University of Sydney (Australia), Macquarie University (Australia), the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa), and the University of Stellenbosch (South Africa) and held a fellowship at Trinity College Dublin. In the area of linguistics she has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited 17 books, ranging from theoretical linguistics to practical matters in language structure and use, including matters of interest to d/Deaf people. She has held grants and fellowships from numerous sources, including the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mellon Foundation, the Sloan Foundation.
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September 12, 2014Once, I considered myself a fan of Donna Jo Napoli; at least, I would recommend her work. However, after a rather disastrous reviewing of Skin, I realized that the only book I actually liked of hers was Beast, and even that book had some really strange passages in it. Like the lion mating. I suppose it's meant to be edgy, but it freaked me out as a preteen. Ew. The rest of the book was rather good, though. I am a sucker for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. I've not yet read Bound, but I don't know if I want to after making it only 19% of the way through Hidden before calling it quits.
I'm vaguely familiar with the backstory (thanks, other Goodreads reviewers of Hush), and I generally enjoy books with a Norse setting. If this had been written as a more straightforward adventure/escape story, I think I would feel more kindly toward it. But there's this whole hipster stylistic thing going on that made me groan.
Then, there was the birth scene. But I'm running ahead of myself. The setup:
Brigid and her siblings fled their home in Ireland, where they are royalty, because Brigid's sister refused to marry the man who cut off her brother's hand. Okay, that's legitimate. However, I gather that mom and dad just popped them on a pony and said, "Hey, have a great life!" which is not practical at all. En route to ... wherever, they're captured by Russian slavers. Melkorka, Brigid's older sister, ends up as a slave, and her story is told in Hush. When Hidden begins, Brigid has just jumped off the boat near Denmark and takes refuge in a barn. At this point, she is eight years old.
The main point of concern is the Vicious Man-Eating Pigs in the barn. Yes, I understand that pigs will eat human flesh and can be quite vicious, but I think Napoli might have a porcine vendetta, because she portrays swine as Utterly Evil. As Brigid enters the barn, she relates, "I concentrate. I musn't fall. I musn't release my hands. A taste of my blood could excite hungry pigs into a frenzy. How hungry are these pigs?" Okay, she's eight, and maybe her brother told her scary stories involving pigs. Later, a pig headbutts Brigid awake. "If I don't react fast and hard, the lot of them will attack. I go rigid; I've seen pig attacks. Though these pigs are short, I know they can get vicious ..." Then she punches a pig in the eye and gets all weepy about it. Yes, I know, she's eight. A whimpering, sniveling, unlikeable, pampered eight-year old who says things like, "It's unfair I had to fight the pig. It's unfair I'm here at all." Wah.
I cannot believe I devoted a whole paragraph to Death by Pig.
When she's not fighting pigs, Brigid hides in the hay and tries not to get caught. This next scene ... okay, full disclosure: I thought it was an unnecessarily graphic description of a drunken man having a poo. "He lurches forward, and though his back is to me, I can tell he's sick. He groans in pain. He yanks wildly at the drawstring on his trousers and now he's ripping them off. He squats and he's stifling yells, I'm sure of it. His head writhes on his neck and the pain goes on and on. Misery like that can only come from a struggle with the devil." It isn't until this "man" yanks out a baby and tosses it to the pigs that I realized it wasn't an epic battle with constipation, but rather childbirth.
For the third time: yes, I realize that at this point, the narrator is eight years old. But her other comments make her seem very experienced in the ways of life and death. How do you not notice the difference between pooping and having a baby? Do babies really smell like rotten eggs, like Brigid says? And when she starts licking the baby clean ... my stomach did some serious acrobatics.
One day, she decides that she and Og, the baby, can't survive in the barn any longer, so she goes to the house, where the Norse family immediately decides she must be an elf and Og her elf-baby. Logic? Anyone? As I kept reading, I kept not caring what happened to anybody. I guess eventually Brigid becomes a lady-pirate and nets herself a Man, as any self-respecting lady-pirate does. At this point I was just rolling my eyes so hard and simultaneously thinking of all the other Norse stories I could have been reading that I gave up.
To be fair, Napoli does give a nicely thorough author's note in the back, with sources, but I don't know of many teens who would particularly care.
I personally would not recommend this, but if you're a die-hard Napoli fan and don't mind the menace of Flesh-Eating Pigs, go right ahead with this one.
I received an ARC from Netgalley.
I'm vaguely familiar with the backstory (thanks, other Goodreads reviewers of Hush), and I generally enjoy books with a Norse setting. If this had been written as a more straightforward adventure/escape story, I think I would feel more kindly toward it. But there's this whole hipster stylistic thing going on that made me groan.
Then, there was the birth scene. But I'm running ahead of myself. The setup:
Brigid and her siblings fled their home in Ireland, where they are royalty, because Brigid's sister refused to marry the man who cut off her brother's hand. Okay, that's legitimate. However, I gather that mom and dad just popped them on a pony and said, "Hey, have a great life!" which is not practical at all. En route to ... wherever, they're captured by Russian slavers. Melkorka, Brigid's older sister, ends up as a slave, and her story is told in Hush. When Hidden begins, Brigid has just jumped off the boat near Denmark and takes refuge in a barn. At this point, she is eight years old.
The main point of concern is the Vicious Man-Eating Pigs in the barn. Yes, I understand that pigs will eat human flesh and can be quite vicious, but I think Napoli might have a porcine vendetta, because she portrays swine as Utterly Evil. As Brigid enters the barn, she relates, "I concentrate. I musn't fall. I musn't release my hands. A taste of my blood could excite hungry pigs into a frenzy. How hungry are these pigs?" Okay, she's eight, and maybe her brother told her scary stories involving pigs. Later, a pig headbutts Brigid awake. "If I don't react fast and hard, the lot of them will attack. I go rigid; I've seen pig attacks. Though these pigs are short, I know they can get vicious ..." Then she punches a pig in the eye and gets all weepy about it. Yes, I know, she's eight. A whimpering, sniveling, unlikeable, pampered eight-year old who says things like, "It's unfair I had to fight the pig. It's unfair I'm here at all." Wah.
I cannot believe I devoted a whole paragraph to Death by Pig.
When she's not fighting pigs, Brigid hides in the hay and tries not to get caught. This next scene ... okay, full disclosure: I thought it was an unnecessarily graphic description of a drunken man having a poo. "He lurches forward, and though his back is to me, I can tell he's sick. He groans in pain. He yanks wildly at the drawstring on his trousers and now he's ripping them off. He squats and he's stifling yells, I'm sure of it. His head writhes on his neck and the pain goes on and on. Misery like that can only come from a struggle with the devil." It isn't until this "man" yanks out a baby and tosses it to the pigs that I realized it wasn't an epic battle with constipation, but rather childbirth.
For the third time: yes, I realize that at this point, the narrator is eight years old. But her other comments make her seem very experienced in the ways of life and death. How do you not notice the difference between pooping and having a baby? Do babies really smell like rotten eggs, like Brigid says? And when she starts licking the baby clean ... my stomach did some serious acrobatics.
One day, she decides that she and Og, the baby, can't survive in the barn any longer, so she goes to the house, where the Norse family immediately decides she must be an elf and Og her elf-baby. Logic? Anyone? As I kept reading, I kept not caring what happened to anybody. I guess eventually Brigid becomes a lady-pirate and nets herself a Man, as any self-respecting lady-pirate does. At this point I was just rolling my eyes so hard and simultaneously thinking of all the other Norse stories I could have been reading that I gave up.
To be fair, Napoli does give a nicely thorough author's note in the back, with sources, but I don't know of many teens who would particularly care.
I personally would not recommend this, but if you're a die-hard Napoli fan and don't mind the menace of Flesh-Eating Pigs, go right ahead with this one.
I received an ARC from Netgalley.
April 14, 2015
I'm angry at this book because it was SO CLOSE to being a five star read (of which there are not many on my shelves) but it crashed and burned in the last 20 or so pages. This is the story of a lost Irish princess who gets kidnapped by slave traders and makes a new life for herself in 3 different homes as she works towards the goal of growing up so she can get on with the business of rescuing her sister. .
Though this story had Napoli's standard grit and adversity, there was an optimism that ran through this narrative and I felt like there was a glorious ending in store even throughout all the hard times. The settings were fantastic, the characterization ranged from adequate to delightful (even the love interest whose presence was a little spare charmed me completely) and the plot moved swiftly and had me in its clutches entirely.
And now for the bad news- while the predicted happy ending came through, it was resolved so abruptly and dryly it was almost like reading the outline of the last third of this saga before Napoli had a chance to flesh it out and bring it to life. I went to sleep that night rewriting the ending in my head and now I know why there's something called fanfiction.
Though this story had Napoli's standard grit and adversity, there was an optimism that ran through this narrative and I felt like there was a glorious ending in store even throughout all the hard times. The settings were fantastic, the characterization ranged from adequate to delightful (even the love interest whose presence was a little spare charmed me completely) and the plot moved swiftly and had me in its clutches entirely.
And now for the bad news- while the predicted happy ending came through, it was resolved so abruptly and dryly it was almost like reading the outline of the last third of this saga before Napoli had a chance to flesh it out and bring it to life. I went to sleep that night rewriting the ending in my head and now I know why there's something called fanfiction.
November 12, 2019
This was such an entertaining read and I felt so attached to the protagonist, Brigid, because we saw her grow up 8 years through the course of the book. I also loved how it took place in an ancient time that many wouldn’t have knowledge about, so the reader is also able to learn more about the Irish and surrounding countries in the year 900. I just thought it was fascinating and an amazing novel.
June 20, 2018
Maybe it's cheating to say I read this when I only read the first couple chapters, but I DID NOT like it. It started out reather inappropriate, with the 8 year old girl watching a MAN give birth or something, which makes absolutely no sense at all(if that wasn't what happened I have NO idea what did but it was inappropriate!) Then barely in the next scene the little girl is naked and in front of strangers. I'm sorry, but this author did a horrible job to start out with. I have read some of her books before and they weren't bad. In fact, I liked them. But really, I have no interest in reading further with her pathetic book. I am rambling on here, and for good. I wish I had never picked up this book.
September 9, 2017
An adventurous, well thought-out historical novel that appeals to feminists and empowers anyone who reads it.
September 21, 2015
Ok, Little back story: I went to the library with a friend who loves to read and was wanting some recommendations (Amber, as soon as you get on goodreads like I told you to a million years ago, you'll see this and you should text me and tell me you found it. That'll be a cool thing! Humor me!) and I was flinging all these books at her and all of a sudden I got a sadly familiar pit in my stomach.
The pit
Of
Jealousy.
Here she was, running her hands over the covers of books who's spines she hadn't cracked yet, pages she hadn't folded, each one full of twists and turns and character growth and "eeeeeeeeeeeee!! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" moments (I would recommend nothing less). And I realized...I want that feeling! I want to feel the excitement of opening up that first page and having no idea what it would contain.
In that moment...I hated you, Amber.
Jk, I could never hate you! You're adorable!
No, but I was extremely jealous. I had a basket full of books I had already read several times before and wanted to enjoy again. I've been burned so many times before, picking out a new book and, ugh, it's awful. Or, ugh, it's full of bad stuff. So here lately I'd been a bit of a book-coward, only checking out books I'd already read and KNEW are good.
And so, gathering my courage, I reached out and grabbed the first interesting-looking book I saw.
Enter: Hidden!
OK, so this book is about a young Irish girl who's been kidnapped and then escapes, but is stuck in this foreign country where people hate Irish people and she has to survive. So, naturally, she becomes a pirate.
Is that not the most awesome premise you've ever heard??
Ugh, I LOVE books about tough women. And pirates. And especially tough women pirates.
Characters:
Brigid is definitely a strong lead. I did feel very connected to this character. She just felt....real. It opens with her only being eight years old do you get to see her grow. I DID feel that she was a bit too wise for your average eight year old; she makes a lot of heavy decisions and has a bunch of knowledge that I don't remember having at eight, but, oh well. She grows up and becomes a wonderfully smart woman. Also pirate. It's pretty awesome.
Storyline:
So, I didn't realize this was part of a series when I started it and there were a few plot points where I was like, "wha?" But I assume it must have been covered by the first book. Some parts of the story did feel a little rushed or underexplained, but Brigid was such a great character that I didn't mind.
Overall, I recommend this book to everybody. The very fact that Brigid's highest motivation is love, and that motivation ends up turning her into a slave-freeing pirate means that this book should be read by all girls and women (so they can see how to be tough and loving at the same time) and also read by all boys and men (so they can also see how to be tough and loving at the same time. Toughness and lovingness knows no gender.) so. Everybody go pick up a copy at your earliest convenience.
The pit
Of
Jealousy.
Here she was, running her hands over the covers of books who's spines she hadn't cracked yet, pages she hadn't folded, each one full of twists and turns and character growth and "eeeeeeeeeeeee!! Ohmygodohmygodohmygod!" moments (I would recommend nothing less). And I realized...I want that feeling! I want to feel the excitement of opening up that first page and having no idea what it would contain.
In that moment...I hated you, Amber.
Jk, I could never hate you! You're adorable!
No, but I was extremely jealous. I had a basket full of books I had already read several times before and wanted to enjoy again. I've been burned so many times before, picking out a new book and, ugh, it's awful. Or, ugh, it's full of bad stuff. So here lately I'd been a bit of a book-coward, only checking out books I'd already read and KNEW are good.
And so, gathering my courage, I reached out and grabbed the first interesting-looking book I saw.
Enter: Hidden!
OK, so this book is about a young Irish girl who's been kidnapped and then escapes, but is stuck in this foreign country where people hate Irish people and she has to survive. So, naturally, she becomes a pirate.
Is that not the most awesome premise you've ever heard??
Ugh, I LOVE books about tough women. And pirates. And especially tough women pirates.
Characters:
Brigid is definitely a strong lead. I did feel very connected to this character. She just felt....real. It opens with her only being eight years old do you get to see her grow. I DID feel that she was a bit too wise for your average eight year old; she makes a lot of heavy decisions and has a bunch of knowledge that I don't remember having at eight, but, oh well. She grows up and becomes a wonderfully smart woman. Also pirate. It's pretty awesome.
Storyline:
So, I didn't realize this was part of a series when I started it and there were a few plot points where I was like, "wha?" But I assume it must have been covered by the first book. Some parts of the story did feel a little rushed or underexplained, but Brigid was such a great character that I didn't mind.
Overall, I recommend this book to everybody. The very fact that Brigid's highest motivation is love, and that motivation ends up turning her into a slave-freeing pirate means that this book should be read by all girls and women (so they can see how to be tough and loving at the same time) and also read by all boys and men (so they can also see how to be tough and loving at the same time. Toughness and lovingness knows no gender.) so. Everybody go pick up a copy at your earliest convenience.
December 18, 2014
Original review can be found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.com/...
I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really struggled with this book. It is geared towards the young adult audience so I tried to put myself in a younger frame of mind. I enjoy this genre so I didn't think it would be an issue. Unfortunately I had a hard time picturing young people reading and enjoying it. The story was painfully slow and written in such a way that I fear will not hold the attention of a young reader. Don't get me wrong...there are some interesting parts but there are also a lot of eye rolling parts as well. At the point where Brigid gets locked in the tower is where I contemplated giving up on the story but I powered through it. My opinion did not change. It just never grabbed me and I didn't feel the characters the way that I want to when reading a book.
I received an advanced readers copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I really struggled with this book. It is geared towards the young adult audience so I tried to put myself in a younger frame of mind. I enjoy this genre so I didn't think it would be an issue. Unfortunately I had a hard time picturing young people reading and enjoying it. The story was painfully slow and written in such a way that I fear will not hold the attention of a young reader. Don't get me wrong...there are some interesting parts but there are also a lot of eye rolling parts as well. At the point where Brigid gets locked in the tower is where I contemplated giving up on the story but I powered through it. My opinion did not change. It just never grabbed me and I didn't feel the characters the way that I want to when reading a book.
May 27, 2015
Actually 3.5 stars
I kind of liked this book, but the pacing didn't work for me. At the beginning of the book, Brigid, the main character, is eight years old. By the end she's about sixteen. This spans a LOT of time and I felt like I was constantly jumping around and that not much was actually happening. When something of interest would happen, it seemed like I was thrown into it rather jarringly. I didn't have much time to connect with most of the characters, and Brigid herself...she never felt the age she actually was. That could've been because her voice didn't change at all between eight and sixteen. I'm sorry, but I'm sixteen now, and the way I talk/think has changed a TON since age eight.
The story was okay. Honestly, the most interesting part to me was learning about old Ireland, Norway, Denmark, and the surrounding countries. Also, the author's note at the beginning about the old Norse language was fascinating. :)
I kind of liked this book, but the pacing didn't work for me. At the beginning of the book, Brigid, the main character, is eight years old. By the end she's about sixteen. This spans a LOT of time and I felt like I was constantly jumping around and that not much was actually happening. When something of interest would happen, it seemed like I was thrown into it rather jarringly. I didn't have much time to connect with most of the characters, and Brigid herself...she never felt the age she actually was. That could've been because her voice didn't change at all between eight and sixteen. I'm sorry, but I'm sixteen now, and the way I talk/think has changed a TON since age eight.
The story was okay. Honestly, the most interesting part to me was learning about old Ireland, Norway, Denmark, and the surrounding countries. Also, the author's note at the beginning about the old Norse language was fascinating. :)
April 7, 2015
Page turner! I loved the strong female central character and the setting of early Scandinavia. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the cover which makes the character look like a Little House on the Prairie character.
March 2, 2015
Not for me...
February 11, 2019
After finishing the first book in this series, Hush, I wanted to read this one as well. Going into it, all I knew was that it was Brigid's side of the story. I was completely blown away by this book. While I enjoyed Hush, I enjoyed Hidden so much more. I could literally not put it down (broke my previous record of finishing a book in 4 days by finishing this one in just under 3). Every time I put it down, I longed to pick it up again and continue reading about Brigid's adventures. This book moved so much faster than it's predecessor--so much more action and variety--that I was sad when I finished the last page. I definitely recommend this book and it's okay if you haven't read the first one as this one, I think, gives enough explanation to what happened in the first book that this one could be read on its own.
December 28, 2023
I loved Hush, and was eager to read Hidden. However, the beginning and middle disappointed me.
It was choppy and boring at times. And the Tower thing? What even was that? I felt like all of a sudden, the story was trying to be a fairy tale instead of historical fiction. But once Brigid became a pirate and started freeing slaves, I loved every minute.
I would highly recommend that if you are bored by the beginning, just skip to Part Four(Chapter 24) and see if you like it from there.
Also, Major Spoiler Ahead, if you only want to continue to find out if Brigid finds Mel:
She does find her. Mel has a son, and Mel decides to stay in Iceland to let her son grow up, and then he can go and be a king in Ireland when he is grown.
It was choppy and boring at times. And the Tower thing? What even was that? I felt like all of a sudden, the story was trying to be a fairy tale instead of historical fiction. But once Brigid became a pirate and started freeing slaves, I loved every minute.
I would highly recommend that if you are bored by the beginning, just skip to Part Four(Chapter 24) and see if you like it from there.
Also, Major Spoiler Ahead, if you only want to continue to find out if Brigid finds Mel:
She does find her. Mel has a son, and Mel decides to stay in Iceland to let her son grow up, and then he can go and be a king in Ireland when he is grown.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2018
Fin uppföljare till Hush. Intressant att man även fick följa systern. Väldigt seg i starten och långt innan något hände. Senare halvan väger dock upp med händelser. Boken har lite samma problem som Hush med att allt faller på plats och slutar idylliskt.
July 6, 2017
While some of the events stretch believability, I enjoyed a glimpse of an unfamiliar time and era. Napoli is an excellent writer of historical fiction.
November 20, 2017
3.5 stars Interesting, quick historical fiction read!
December 23, 2017
I thought it was a good book for what I like reading. The two reasons I took off a star was the mature content, subtle by there, and the sudden ending.
August 15, 2018
3.5 ⭐️ The story had some really cool developments but I feel like it went about it too fast. Also, the end was a bit anticlimactic.
January 5, 2020
Very much enjoyed this, did not even know it was a companion booj
October 31, 2021
Brigid is one lucky girl.
March 20, 2023
Just remembered this gem I read in high school. Soooo good.
April 12, 2023
It was a good book but I was mad at the ending. Still a must read!
March 23, 2024
I enjoyed this book but I rated it 3 stars because I felt like the ending was extremely rushed.
March 17, 2017
I wasn't completely happy with how quickly things wrapped up at the end of the book, and something seemed a little off about Mel's decision to remain in Iceland. However, I did like much of the rest of the story. I wondered what had happened to some of the characters later...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2015
2.5 stars
I love how historical novels like Hidden give us a look into life as it was in the past. Hidden explores the adventures of an Irish girl who finds herself in Norse territory. I especially enjoyed seeing the different cultures of the time and wish that more time was spent world building. There's so much potential for historical fiction to teach us about the lives that people led in the past. I also love the focus of sisterly bonds. Though Brigid and her sister become separated at a young age, Brigid always remembers her sister and makes decisions based on what will allow her to chase after her sister faster. We don't see familial bonds enough in YA lit, so I was delighted to see this.
It was surprising to see that family wasn't the entire focus of the novel. The synopsis is misleading in that it doesn't tell us how much of Brigid's growth depicted throughout the novel. This causes Brigid's concern for her sister to be put on the back burner. I think it's really neat how the novel takes us through the important moments of Brigid's life. It helps give us a feel of how Brigid has grown over the years and how her experiences with different people help shape her into the person that she becomes. However, this comes with a cost. While it shows us the overarching span of Brigid's growth, we don't get to know her with the depth that we might have otherwise gotten if the story had focused on a more specific timeline. Just when I got settled into one period of Brigid's life, the story skips a few years to show us what she got out of her time in the place she was staying and has her move on. This is problematic because it feels more like we're watching a documentary of Brigid's life rather than partaking of an adventure alongside her. Furthermore, it takes the focus off Brigid's goal of finding her sister, which is the entire reason that Brigid postpones her journey home.
At the same time, it's moving to see Brigid sacrifice the different lives she might have otherwise led in pursuit of her own happiness. So many years pass before Brigid is able to begin her search for her sister. Anything could have happened in that time, and she doesn't have the Internet or media to help her. Nevertheless, she refuses to give up hope that she will find her sister one day. Her determination to rescue her sister leads her to touch lives she might not otherwise have come into contact with. It's a great reminder that our determination to reach out own goals can bring us to do things for others, thus resulting in greater happiness all around.
I do wish that the novel didn't skip around so much. The whole of Brigid's story is more than one novel has sufficient room to tell properly. It would have been better to tell it across several books or to skim over her younger years faster and focus the novel on the search for her sister. As it is, this was an enjoyable novel albeit one with a loose, poorly structured plot. I recommend this for readers looking for a historical novel that depicts Irish and Norse culture.
Read more of my reviews at Imaginary Reads
I love how historical novels like Hidden give us a look into life as it was in the past. Hidden explores the adventures of an Irish girl who finds herself in Norse territory. I especially enjoyed seeing the different cultures of the time and wish that more time was spent world building. There's so much potential for historical fiction to teach us about the lives that people led in the past. I also love the focus of sisterly bonds. Though Brigid and her sister become separated at a young age, Brigid always remembers her sister and makes decisions based on what will allow her to chase after her sister faster. We don't see familial bonds enough in YA lit, so I was delighted to see this.
It was surprising to see that family wasn't the entire focus of the novel. The synopsis is misleading in that it doesn't tell us how much of Brigid's growth depicted throughout the novel. This causes Brigid's concern for her sister to be put on the back burner. I think it's really neat how the novel takes us through the important moments of Brigid's life. It helps give us a feel of how Brigid has grown over the years and how her experiences with different people help shape her into the person that she becomes. However, this comes with a cost. While it shows us the overarching span of Brigid's growth, we don't get to know her with the depth that we might have otherwise gotten if the story had focused on a more specific timeline. Just when I got settled into one period of Brigid's life, the story skips a few years to show us what she got out of her time in the place she was staying and has her move on. This is problematic because it feels more like we're watching a documentary of Brigid's life rather than partaking of an adventure alongside her. Furthermore, it takes the focus off Brigid's goal of finding her sister, which is the entire reason that Brigid postpones her journey home.
At the same time, it's moving to see Brigid sacrifice the different lives she might have otherwise led in pursuit of her own happiness. So many years pass before Brigid is able to begin her search for her sister. Anything could have happened in that time, and she doesn't have the Internet or media to help her. Nevertheless, she refuses to give up hope that she will find her sister one day. Her determination to rescue her sister leads her to touch lives she might not otherwise have come into contact with. It's a great reminder that our determination to reach out own goals can bring us to do things for others, thus resulting in greater happiness all around.
I do wish that the novel didn't skip around so much. The whole of Brigid's story is more than one novel has sufficient room to tell properly. It would have been better to tell it across several books or to skim over her younger years faster and focus the novel on the search for her sister. As it is, this was an enjoyable novel albeit one with a loose, poorly structured plot. I recommend this for readers looking for a historical novel that depicts Irish and Norse culture.
Read more of my reviews at Imaginary Reads
February 8, 2015
Title: Hidden
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: N/A, companion novel to Hush
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This book was given to me by the publisher, Simon and Schuster, through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I read Hush a long time ago, when it first came out, about the mute Gaelic slave woman named Melkorka. (Great book, by the way--one of my favorites by Napoli!) This book, Hidden, is about her little sister, Brigid. Brigid jumps off the slave ship that has taken her and her sister far from home, and ends up being taken in by a small farm nearby. This book takes place over a period of eight years, and I liked the way that it went--it was all very quick, and I enjoyed the ending as well.
But honestly, even though I loved Brigid and her journey, I wish more of it had been about the actual pirates--that's what I was expecting to read about. But all the same, I really liked this novel: I loved the way Napoli took such pains to research the novel; I really felt like I was immersed in the culture of medieval Europe. Brigid was the shining star of this novel, a woman determined to make her own way and survive, on her own terms. This book screamed "GIRL POWER!" and I was in love with it. The pacing was breakneck--I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a matter of hours. Every character in this novel, however fleeting, really stuck with me, and this book really felt like a window back into that time--it was an enjoyable novel. The bottom line: Meticulously researched, immersive, and powerful, Hidden (and its 'prequel', Hush) was a wonderful novel! Next on deck: Dante's Kiss by S.L. Nadathur!
Author: Donna Jo Napoli
Age Group: Teen/Young Adult
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: N/A, companion novel to Hush
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
This book was given to me by the publisher, Simon and Schuster, through Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I read Hush a long time ago, when it first came out, about the mute Gaelic slave woman named Melkorka. (Great book, by the way--one of my favorites by Napoli!) This book, Hidden, is about her little sister, Brigid. Brigid jumps off the slave ship that has taken her and her sister far from home, and ends up being taken in by a small farm nearby. This book takes place over a period of eight years, and I liked the way that it went--it was all very quick, and I enjoyed the ending as well.
But honestly, even though I loved Brigid and her journey, I wish more of it had been about the actual pirates--that's what I was expecting to read about. But all the same, I really liked this novel: I loved the way Napoli took such pains to research the novel; I really felt like I was immersed in the culture of medieval Europe. Brigid was the shining star of this novel, a woman determined to make her own way and survive, on her own terms. This book screamed "GIRL POWER!" and I was in love with it. The pacing was breakneck--I couldn't put it down, I finished it in a matter of hours. Every character in this novel, however fleeting, really stuck with me, and this book really felt like a window back into that time--it was an enjoyable novel. The bottom line: Meticulously researched, immersive, and powerful, Hidden (and its 'prequel', Hush) was a wonderful novel! Next on deck: Dante's Kiss by S.L. Nadathur!
March 5, 2015
While not as wonderful as Bound, there's a lot to like in Hidden. Brigid, kidnapped by slavers with her older sister, escapes and finds herself in the Norse lands, far from her home in Eire. Though she does adapt to her new life, finding and leaving new families through her childhood, Brigid's desire is always to find her sister and return to her homeland. Resourceful, clever, and fierce, Brigid gains love and shelter from peasants to kings. As she matures, there's even a romance - but her heart is with her sister, and so Brigid escapes yet again, becoming a pirate and rescuing other captives bound for slavery.
The good? A strong female protagonist and plenty of rich historical detail about a time and place not often found in children's books. The bad? As another reviewer mentioned, Brigid's voice doesn't change from eight to sixteen. Though she experiences significant emotional and spiritual growth, even becoming more Norse and less irish, Brigid's voice never reflects that growth. Too, given her experiences as a child and an outsider, her trials don't seem that traumatic. Everything seems to come right for Brigid fairly quickly, and she's never actually injured or abused. Napoli considers this YA, but it reads more as middle grade.
Brigid's adventures and and willingness to challenge others' expectations and beliefs make this a good read, but it doesn't measure up to some of Napoli's other works. If it were possible, I'd say 2.5 stars.
The good? A strong female protagonist and plenty of rich historical detail about a time and place not often found in children's books. The bad? As another reviewer mentioned, Brigid's voice doesn't change from eight to sixteen. Though she experiences significant emotional and spiritual growth, even becoming more Norse and less irish, Brigid's voice never reflects that growth. Too, given her experiences as a child and an outsider, her trials don't seem that traumatic. Everything seems to come right for Brigid fairly quickly, and she's never actually injured or abused. Napoli considers this YA, but it reads more as middle grade.
Brigid's adventures and and willingness to challenge others' expectations and beliefs make this a good read, but it doesn't measure up to some of Napoli's other works. If it were possible, I'd say 2.5 stars.
January 31, 2015
This tale was unique enough, and I really looked forward to reading it. However, two things majorly irked me.
First off: The voice of the main character at the beginning, eight-year-old-Brigid, is the same as the character near the end of the book, late-teens-Brigid. It may be me just being picky, but this did not sit well with me. I literally looked back at the introductions to check that Brigid was eight.
Lastly: This whole story seemed quite a bit...spontaneous. It did not have good flow, and several times I contemplated putting it down. The constant skipping around detracted from realism, and I just simply did not find this story believable. Here is an example:
So yeah...hence my hesitance to give said book a better rating.
First off: The voice of the main character at the beginning, eight-year-old-Brigid, is the same as the character near the end of the book, late-teens-Brigid. It may be me just being picky, but this did not sit well with me. I literally looked back at the introductions to check that Brigid was eight.
Lastly: This whole story seemed quite a bit...spontaneous. It did not have good flow, and several times I contemplated putting it down. The constant skipping around detracted from realism, and I just simply did not find this story believable. Here is an example:
So yeah...hence my hesitance to give said book a better rating.
June 4, 2016
First of all, I want to say that I hope Donna Jo Napoli never stops writing because I love the way she tells a story. When I found out there was a sequel to Hush, I was thrilled to finally find out what happened to little Brigid after she jumped from the slave ship. I loved Hush and it remains one of my favourite books. Hidden is beautifully written and it was such a pleasure to read about Brigid as she grew from an eight year old to a fifteen year old. I thought Napoli did a brilliant job of making Brigid’s world real to the reader. I liked the characters and the adventures Brigid encountered. When she became a pirate and began to attack slave ships, I was so immersed in the story, I couldn’t put it down. I wanted Brigid to succeed. Having said that, although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I have to say, I was disappointed by the final three chapters of the novel. Napoli rushed the ending. She squeezed what should have been one hundred pages into twenty-six. It spoiled a book that what would have ended up being amazing. It’s not so much Brigid’s sister’s decision to remain in Iceland that bothered me, but the abrupt end to Brigid’s career as a pirate. So all and all, I loved most of this book and just wish that Napoli could rewrite the final twenty-six pages creating instead a new, longer, more satisfying ending.
March 23, 2015
Donna Jo Napoli's books are hit or miss for me. Of the last two I read, I didn't care for one (Bound) and liked the other, but since Hush was the one I liked (even if I remember little about it), it's no surprise that I enjoyed Hidden as well.
The story quickly moves through Alfhild's (formerly Brigid) childhood, several times skipping forward in time. This is a double-edged sword, since it means that the story moves along at a quick pace but also that a lot of characters don't get much development and certain things get left off-page, so to speak. Alfhild herself develops from a headstrong but powerless child to a young woman with agency leading a band of female "pirates." I honestly wish the pirate part of the story had lasted longer; the women of the crew were confident and capable, and I wanted to see more of them.
There were a few things in the narrative that were perhaps a little too convenient or "lucky," but somehow it didn't bother me as much in this case as it has in others. Perhaps because in this setting, a lone girl like Alfhild would *have* to be incredibly lucky to get as far as she did. YMMV.
Overall, an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to those who liked Hush as well as perhaps fans of the TV show Vikings.
August 29, 2015
This companion volume to Hush features Irish princess Brigid and her fate after she and her older sister are snatched by a Russian slave ship. At only 9 years old Brigid must be made of strong stuff to survive an escaping jump into freezing cold water (leaving her sister on the ship), a serious hand injury, then a long trek towards the uncertainty of help from a Norse farm. As her story progresses from childhood into young womanhood we follow her from the farm to an adoptive family to a coastal town where she is taken in by the king and queen after she saves the prince from a snake. Eventually, though, Brigid decides to strike out and accomplish her life's goal: to find her sister and make a real life for herself back in her homeland. Napoli based the character of Brigid on Alfhild, a Danish woman who may or may not have been an actual person. This compellingly told story, full of adventure and often gritty detail, reads beautifully, but it is helpful to read the author's afterword that gives historical and geographical context. Junior high, up.
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