Growing up in Jakarta, Zioh, his younger brother Zeraiah, Tshabina, and Bhumi shared countless memories in every corner of the city. Their childhood was filled with laughter, secrets, and a bond that felt unbreakable, especially with Tshabina, the girl whose warmth could brighten even the darkest days.
What began as innocent friendship slowly became something deeper between Zioh and a string of loyalty, love, and unspoken promises binding them together.
“Only for me?” Tshabina would ask.
“Only for you.” The only answer Zioh would ever give her.
But everything changed the day Zioh and Zeraiah disappeared without a word, no goodbye, no explanation, vanishing into a truth no one knows except him and his family, leaving Tshabina and Bhumi behind. By then, Tshabina and Zioh weren’t just childhood friends anymore — they were fiancés.
Years later, Zioh returns.
Not as a lover.
Not as a friend.
But as Tshabina’s boss.
In her position, Tshabina has no choice but to follow Zioh wherever work takes him, forced to stand beside the man who once left her without a single goodbye.
With Zioh's return, the past they tried to bury begins to unravel, revealing piece by piece the truth behind why Zioh and his brother disappeared all those years ago. But the boy who once promised her forever isn’t quite the man who came back, and not every scar between them is the kind that heals with an apology.
Some promises never fade.
Some strings can never truly be cut.
A second-chance romance tangled with family secrets and old wounds that never fully closed.
Thank you so much for picking up Hidden String. To be honest, bringing this story to life was no easy feat. It took years of writing, researching, and countless rounds of editing and even now, I know it may not be perfect.
There is so much depth to Zioh and Tshabina that I realized I couldn't capture it all in just one book. Consider this a beginning; Hidden String is the doorway to The String Series, and Zioh and Tshabina’s journey will span two books.
Each installment offers a different rhythm and growth. You will see them struggle, play, protect one another, and learn to love through their individual flaws. Thank you once again for reading, for loving these characters, and for taking the time to understand them.
I can’t wait to share the rest of their story with you all.
I was really looking forward to reading this book, so imagine how disappointed I was to discover how badly written it was.
The worst part was that we only found out why Zioh was even mad at Sophie halfway through the book. I understand that Sophie was meant to learn the truth later because there was a lot to uncover, but I really would have preferred to get that information earlier. Also, Zioh called Sophie a sl•t and acted like a real a•shole, yet she was just okay with it—like, wtf? I also didn't understand how Zioh randomly stopped hating her (I guess he remembered it wasn't Sophie who killed his mother) and tried to get back with her. He had a crashout, called her, and boom—he loved her again.
The plot itself was interesting, but the way it was executed leaves a lot to be desired. The whole book was a mess. I felt like we were stuck in the same place through 70% of the story. And also, what was wrong with Andy? Or more like, what was even good about Andy? Their whole friendship was really weird to me. I thought it would be a standalone novel, but it turned out there will be a second book. I'm not sure if I should spend any more energy on this messed-up story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Dnf at 3% What the fuck You know this book is doomed from the start when i read the first chapter and i thought the pov was the girls but it turned out it was the boys I didn’t understand a shit first And don’t get me wrong I don’t read Indonesian book
i don’t remember the author saying this book is part of a duet. By the time I reached 70%, I still didn’t see much development in their relationship. I mean, I can see how Zioh has changed, but it’s still messy. As for the problem and the hints about it, I honestly don’t know where it’s going.
Tshabina… her personality… I don’t really know how to explain it. She’s good, but is she naive or just stupid? And what Zioh said to her—calling her a slut, a whore… girl, have some backbone. They’re all toxic, except Tsabinu. I hope Tshabina gets the love she deserves in the second book, because I’m sorry, I just can’t support her with Zioh right now hahaha.
and I hope the author not mention Zionists author aka J.K rowling
Not sure if Sophie really needed some meds or was just that soft? I really didn’t like the writing and I was confused for 80% of the book
Zioh… I understand his struggles but I still really didn’t understand his meaning? Has wasn’t nice and really didn’t care? I feel like this tried to be a really deep book, but lacked character development and the plot.
Honestly, didn’t finish it. Had about 50 pages left and still didn’t really see the point of it? Disappointed and glad I’m not the only one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This book is genuine trash and a waste of time. No plot and the guy just keeps yelling the whole time. This book is really confusing and I think a fifth grader can write better than whatever this book is. Don’t waste your time.
The book is so poorly written, the plot is fucked bcs wdym he randomly hates her and the reason isnt even FORESHADOWED, HOW CAN WE SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO HIM CALLING HER A SLAG (sl*t) multiple times through out the book, like writer idk what you were going for but god the plot seemed so interesting but it didnt deliver AT ALL The girls character is so deadass boring, wdym you cry and shit through out the novel The guy is just screaming and fighting demons, the ones no reader can see and treating the girl like absolute shit and calling her wh*re and sl*g Only decent thing was Tsabinu, that guy too seemed too nice to be true so yea
I saw this book teased on TikTok and I thought “this is different than most I’ve read let’s give it a go”. And to be honest I had a really hard time in the first quarter figuring out the difference between the twins. But once I got myself squared away and figured out who everyone was, I was hooked. I kept wanting to know why Zioh hated Sophie so much. And how did that factor into his mom’s death? But the reveal from Andy about Bahkti?! I was hooked. I stayed up till 2am riveted and trying to figure out how she was going to wrap this all up so quickly. Only to realize that he was still trapped in Cindy’s spell and we had to wait till book 2!!! I scoured the internet for another 30 minutes for a possible release date for number 2 because I need answers!!!
*if you’re not willing to take the time to read the development of the characters and understand the psychological aspect of this book you’ll leave it disappointed and feeling like Sophie lets herself get walked all over. But she can tell he isn’t himself and has something else going on - and forgives him for when he lashes out.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was a good read. I literally went to the authors page looking for the next book.. The main lead truly does love her. I don’t doubt that. I just hope the next book has a happy ending.
i don’t recommend idk i thought it was gonna be this yearning love story with a lot substance and it ended with a thriller type twist… not my cup of tea but interesting story line
ARC Review Advanced Reader Copy Provided by Author
This is my first time reading a book with an Indonesian FMC and a British MMC, and I genuinely had so much fun with it. As an Indonesian woman, I really admire the author for bringing this theme to life, every aspect of Indonesian culture is portrayed beautifully and with care.
I could deeply relate to Tshabina’s feelings after being left by Zioh so suddenly, and the way they both have to confront the ugliest sides of themselves that they’ve kept hidden from each other. There’s a lot of banter between them, which I enjoyed, but at first I couldn’t quite understand why Tshabina was still so head over heels for Zioh after everything.
That said, I have to admit their inner conflicts, miscommunication, and that raw sense of yearning eventually made me feel connected to both characters. I understand why Zioh acts the way he does, and when I know he actually had a serious mental issues AND STILL TRYING HIS BEST not to hurt her is another level of love 😭 ik it's not easy n I'M SO PROUD OF U ZIOHHHH!! 🥹💖
My favorite part of this book is the abundance of sweet, heartwarming lines that will make you smile, giggle, and kick your feet in the air.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, and I would highly recommend it to all my bookish friends, especially Indonesians. I really hope I can get a physical copy someday, and I’d love to read the second book if there is one. Great job on your debut novel, Angie!
2.5⭐️ Ffs, I hated this book so much but I still want to know what will happen next Maybe hate is a strong word but the characters were so childish in the beginning, the fmc couldn’t stop crying my eyes started to hurt, and the book was unnecessarily long and repetitive(+seriously? You owe me a Labubu??) Tsabinu was such an asshole like, how can you treat your sister like that when you’ve done the same thing for TEN YEARS. Also, I don’t care what anyone says but Andi is such a bad friend. I know Zioh is trying his best but what he called her? Yeah, no. And girl, there is something called dignity and having a backbone, please look that up instead of reading these unnecessary books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.