Hidden City

The Unimaginables #1

by J.S. Furlong

Teenage chess champion Stacy Goldman only believes in what she can prove. When her family flees NYC in the wake of 9/11, Stacy lands in Richmond VA, a city with a secret supernatural subculture that draws her into a world of threats, challenges and monsters - everything Stacy is sure doesn't exist . . .




Let me be clear, I am NOT a vampire hunter.

I do not have fighter skills, I am not the Chosen One. I am Stacy Goldman, a self proclaimed math nerd from Battery Park City, NY with a formidable GPA, a 2200 rated chess game (yes, that's good) and no belief, NONE in the unreal, occult spiritual blah de blah. I do have a weakness for coffee and the cute Goth boys that follow my best friend like rats follow a trash truck.

So when the airplanes hit the Towers and my father made the incomprehensible decision to abandon the City for a "safer home" in Richmond VA, I became the new girl in an �ber hard catholic School (what I'm Jewish!) and my sensible seeming new friends turned out to be . . . well, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you.

Inside these pages is what happened.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

434 pages, Hardcover

Published October 31, 2021

About the author

J.S.(Jen Selby) Furlong is an author, producer and actor. Raised in the Washington DC professional theatre, Jen spent her teenage years inhabiting other people's lives on stage and making them real.Her first published book was a LARP guide to playing truly evil bad guys: Antagonists for Mind's Eye Theatre, the LARP for Vampire: The Masquerade from White Wolf Publishing. Written under her maiden name, Jennifer Albright, this book was a natural integration of both writing and acting.

The largest portion of her writing began when she took a hiatus from acting to have children. A college professor once read a story she wrote and wrote on her paper "Not bad. You should publish this." Those words stuck with her. Hidden City was first drafted in 2004 just before the birth of her second son as an effort to write something her children could eventually read. Jen's teenaged heroines struggle with truth, possibility and who they are. Now mother to four of them, Jen loves teenagers and writes books that she hopes teens, tweens and adult lovers of YA will enjoy. A few random facts about Jen: 1. While writing this book initially she was also writing for and producing modern theatrical circuses, one of which she co-wrote with Neil Gaiman. 2. Jen's career in television and film includes a tiny but pivotal role on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. 3. Jen is a graduate of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and attended both Ithaca College and The University of Mary Washington.

One of her goals is to speak as many languages as she needs to run circuses and buy goats around the world. She lives in Virginia with her animals, her adorable husband and whomever else happens to be home. Follow Jen on IG at @iamjenfurlong. Hidden City is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was initially attracted to this book by the cover and the description of the story. I absolutely love vampire stories so I was excited to start this one. Sadly I was quickly disappointed.  By about halfway through I was extremely bored and ready to quit but decided to stick it out anyway. For me it was an incredibly slow read and there was too much focus on the fact that the main character was Jewish. I get that the whole point was she had to believe in her faith in order to defeat the big scary monsters but did practically every page have to mention the fact she's Jewish? I'm sure I'll be in the minority when I say giving this book 3 stars is a stretch because so many people love stories like this one but it just wasn't for me. 

[Amber R. Duell · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read for fans of The Queen's Gambit--but with a supernatural twist. Who can say no to vampires, right? The MC was witty, the writing enjoyable, and the plot refreshing. Overall, it was a brilliant page-turner that you should check out if it sounds like your cup-of-tea.

[Allison R · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an exciting read! I was a bit weary of the vampire bit, having grown up in the era of Twilight, but was pleasantly surprised to see how interesting and well-incorporated it was into the plot. Stacy is such an interesting and witty character who really brought the story to life, and I love that her chess-playing actually mattered to the plot. Stacy felt so real, and is someone I would've loved to have as a friend at that age! If you like supernatural elements, sarcastic main characters, and intense fight scenes I would definitely recommend it!

[James Pohlman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast-paced supernatural adventure

Excellent introduction to a hidden, supernatural Richmond. The protagonist is easy to get behind and develops nicely over the course of the story. Great showing! Can't wait for book 2.

[Emilia Doran · Rating 1 out of 5]

Good fucking god this was a nightmare

[Brandann Hill-Mann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for the opportunity to leave an honest review.

The only complaint I really had is that the MC's tendency to use random nicknames made it frustrating to follow who she was talking about during action scenes. Several of the characters were referred to by more than one nickname, and even their real name added to the mix.

All of that said, I had worried that this would be a story of a Jewish girl having to embrace Christianity to save her life, and I was pleased to be wrong. I adore stories told from perspectives of what we have deemed 'normal' (ie: Christian), and it's refreshing to read a story about being Jewish that is not a Holocaust tragedy. Stacy's religion plays well into the story with a nice twist on the vampire genre, and aside from the main plot, I love that it's so normalized in the backdrop of the setting. Excellent work.

I'm looking forward to the next book!

[C.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Hidden Kingdom, The Unimaginables Book 1 by JS Furlong as a free ARC for an honest review.

After 9/11 Stacy’s father relocates the family to Richmond, Virginia, and she isn’t happy about it. Her friends, her grandmother, her chess coach and chess team are in the City and she’ll do anything to get back there. She just has to bide her time. In the meantime, she does what she can to try and fit in. When her new friends take her out on the town and she witnesses what looks to be a vampire feasting on a fresh kill (WTH?!?), everything Stacy thought to be true changes.

This is a Buffy meets Queen’s Gambit with an Anne Rice gothic feel and I enjoyed several things about this book. First, the chess (especially when it was integral to the plot). The protagonist Stacy’s snark was great. Her wrestling with her faith added depth. Finally, the third act was stellar. I think this is a strong indie YA fantasy and people who enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural will dig it.

[Tara Taffera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book with strong characters who come to life on the page. Love Stacy with her witty nicknames and snappy dialogue. I am an avid reader but will admit not in this genre. I wanted to read it before passing on to a young adult who I know will love it as I did!

[Carolyn Kramer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book rocks. I'm a huge Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan, I love a good YA novel, and this book really hits the spot when it comes to action/fun/character development. It's refreshing and totally engrossing. Exactly what I needed today! Vividly written and a total delight. I fell in love with the characters. I hope Book 2 comes out asap cuz I'm gonna need some holiday distractions! Thank you for releasing this and saving me from an otherwise unadventurous day.

[McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took this book on my honey moon and basically read it one sitting. It's a bit of slow start but once it picks up. I didn't put the book down.

[Richard Hilliker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hidden City." A marvelous story . Forgiveness, empathy and courage to name just a few of the fine qualities exhibited throughout Stacy's journey. Lessons to be learned. Looking forward to Book Two. Perhaps another video trailer?

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full disclosure - I went to college with the author and we used to LARP together. So I had a good chuckle at some of the points where I knew where they inspiration came from. This was a fun romp, a good read for any young adult (or older) looking for some good vamp action.

[Mayzie Espey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved how the author wrote like a normal person would think/speak. There were parts where I would think or even say that’s something would say and chuckle to my self. The twist of thinking like everything is a chess game in the vampire world was interesting and very different from others that makes it stand out. The only bad thing I would have to say is at points it was a bit slow. Sometime I did have a hard time trying to figure out what the author meant in some situations (a me problem).

[Noah Gillispie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I met Ms. Furlong at the Ren-faire and thought the premise of the book sounded cool so I got one. Well, I'm glad that I did because this is one of my favorite books I've read all year.

Stacy Goldman and her friends were an enjoyable cast of characters who I wanted to root for the whole way. The themes of faith, forgiveness, and dealing with trauma were deep and explored well. The resolution was wildly satisfying.

I'm very excited to read book two.

SPOILERS WHILE I TALK ABOUT MY FAVORITE PART.











The scene where Stacy is on the phone with her mother who suffers from Bipolar Disorder was moving and will stick with me for a long time. It broke my heart, I was angry with Mom, and I sympathized with her affliction all at the same time.

[Holly Chamberlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5) I bought this book at a renaissance fair in June at the author's booth (where she read the first page out loud so that was cool!). I am glad I did! I live in Richmond so a lot of the spots were super familiar to me! I frequent Maymount a lot so I had the PERFECT images for all the spots!

But anyways, FOR THE REVIEW!!! This was such an interesting book! It was refreshing to read because of how creative it was. Plus there were so many twists and turns, so it was one of those books you get sucked into easily. I would have never thought I'd be giving a book about chess/vampires a five star, but here I am. The writing was fun and the characters were relatable. Each of them had their flaws, which was also refreshing because sometimes authors don't really highlight their characters flaws very much. And I feel like MC was very dynamic.

Some of the cons: I'm not too sure how I feel about the budding romance between MC and nick because of the age gap. I hadn't realized how much older he was until the end. It could be a friendship attraction, but I felt romance. I love Nick, but... yeah? There was one point where the nicknames got a bit confusing for me, but overall, I am excited about a second book and loved this a lot more than I would have thought!

[Jennifer Braxton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met the author at a Ren Faire and purchased Hidden City and Tattooed Angel (book 2). It took me a while to get into Hidden City. It starts out slow and I found myself putting it down, power reading through other books/series and picking this back up sporadically. Until I got about halfway through and ended up finishing the rest of the book in one night. All that to say, stick with it. I am excited to start Tattooed Angel tonight.

This is not a romance, so if that's your thing this probably isn't for you. The story revolves around a 14/15 year old Jewish girl who's life has been uprooted and plopped into a town where she knows nobody. She ends up stumbling right into the world of the unimaginables, struggles to believe it, and finds an inner strength in herself that she didn't know she held. The world building is done well, and each of the main characters in the story are developed well.

There's the right mix of humor, teen angst, and mystery to it. I'm excited to dive into this world in Book 2. I probably learned more about chess than I ever would have known considering I can't play without a cheat sheet telling me what piece can do which moves, and that may very well be why I had a hard time getting through the first half of the book. Haha

[Emzq · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a 14 year old fantasy loving reader, this book was amazing! In general I don't read fantasy books that take place in relatively modern times or vampire books, but I loved it. I listened to it on audio book in one day and may or may not have stayed up until midnight to finish it. Later I read it on my kindle and was not disappointed the second time. Each time I was rooting for Stacy (The main character) and noticing little clues that were there the whole time but not glaringly obvious. This book takes place about a month after 9/11 and the author did a great job of including Stacy's trauma and grief. All of the characters were engaging and unique with multifaceted relationships. It is appropriate for almost any YA readers and maybe younger depending on the reader. I can only think of three short, supper mild, scenes with gore. I think it is appropriate for anyone who has read the first Harry Potter. Even though there is not a lot of gore it is by no means boring or slow. I highly recommend this book for any fans of any kind of fantasy including adults. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

[Jade Tarbania]

I’m not going to lie, I started reading this book not being a big fan of vampire books. Why? Because I met the sweetest author at a Barnes and Noble who was local to my hometown and mixed history with the supernatural. So why not try something new? I bought a copy for myself and my sister in law so we can both read it.

I have to say, I was so impressed. I have no interest in chess and was wondering how that would play into the book, but it fit so beautifully. I fully understand the character’s love for chess and it benefited her when she needed it. I promise I won’t drop spoilers, but I am so excited by how much I enjoyed this book. The book was beautifully written, the cover is gorgeous, and it made me want to give chess a second chance. When the second book releases, you can bet I’m buying it!

Thank you for giving me something new to read and expanding my book interests. This book kept me reading. I work 50+ hours a week and I finished this book within 2 sittings and partial slow moments at work. And that was me getting halfway through the book and trying not to finish it all in one night!

Buy the book!

[Vicki DeVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a thrilling ride! First of all, who knew Richmond Virginia was a hot-bed of supernatural activity? Well, except for said supernatural beings, that is! Stacy, the Jewish chess champion from New York City thought she could handle anything after 9/11 and the bullies of the chess world, but her dad and stepmom have other ideas and moved their family, including her, to what they believed was a safe environment. All Stacy wants to do is graduate high school early and return to her nice, normal life in New York. Fate might have other ideas, though. The characters are great! Stacy, Finder and Tully are full of secrets and discovering them is part of the excitement of this story. She may act tough, but Stacy has a soft spot for her little brother, Steve. Their shared secret (spoiler, so not telling) is a nice twist in the story--and something to look forward to in the next book...which I'm pre-ordering! I love how Stacy has grown and matured by the end of the book, and cannot wait for the next one.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you like vampire books?🧛🏻‍♀️
I recently finished Crave with my book club so I was excited to start Hidden City by J. S. Furlong!
After 9/11, Stacy’s dad moves their family to Virginia from NYC and she feels completely lost in this new city.
She’s is missing her best friend and grandmother, but makes an effort to fit in. After finding some new friends she sees something that shakes her entire belief system and realizes she is not in NYC anymore!
Is there such a thing as vampires?
Do vampire hunters really exist?
Before she has time to really make up her own mind, she is thrown into this world and has to literally fight to escape!
This is a great YA read but adults will enjoy it too! I loved J. S. Furlong’s writing style, very readable and will keep you up at night! She’s also a super sweet person!
Thank you @iamjenfurlong for this gifted copy!
We have this book available to purchase on our Amazon Storefront!
Please go check it out!🧜🏼‍♀️🌺

[Mary Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read! I loved how the protagonist used her chess knowledge to fight against the supernatural! Yes, it has a The Queen’s Gambit mixed with supernatural kind of vibes, and it did not disappoint. Stacy (the protagonist) was such a lovable and witty character with her two new friends she befriends (Finder and Tully), who are absolutely awesome with the skills they have.
Since I actually read a little more mature vampire books, it was a little slow for me. However, it did start to pick up and enjoyed the uniqueness of the plot.
It is a YA supernatural that is appropriate for any YA readers. Even younger readers can enjoy it, depending if they’ve read the Harry Potter series. That’s what I would compare it to on the fighting/gore level.
This is refreshing, unique read I would recommend!

[Allison Cardona · Rating 4 out of 5]

at first I didn't think I would like this book. after reading the description and hearing a girl that likes chess and goes to a very good school and then vampires, in my head I though "how would those mix" after reading it though I have to say its a really good book and the mix is really good. near the end I feel like certain parts were dragged out too long but it still very good.

(my best friend and I actually got to meet the author at a Ren fair and we decided to get the first book and take turns reading it. and she talked about the book a little bit which she made it sound better than the description so we were excited, which the book turned out really good.) i just need the second book now.

[Mrs W Woodruff · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the main characters - Finder, Tully, and Stacey in the book. About mid book started to remind me of the Twilight Saga with vampires. This is the first book in the series, I intend to read book two, even though this book began to get a bit dull.

Stacey moved to Richmond, VA from NYC after the attack on the World Trade Center. She was now the new Jewish girl in a private Catholic School. She was a chess champion who was bullied by one of the competitors. Finder came to her defense when she was being bullied and this became a new friendship.

Finder was different but Stacey wasn’t sure how. One evening attracted to a Goth looking man, her world began to change. She soon enters into the “Hidden City” will she be able to get out alive.

[Lara Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I only found it b/c her DH and mine were HS friends who just caught up... She seems to be the kind of person who is good at pretty much everything, including writing.

I found Stacey charming. Her relationship with her father felt very real to me. She captured the feeling of being new in a school full of people who have not only known each other since kindergarten, but who share drastically different religions and cultural customs. And the twist! I never saw that coming.

As a former YA librarian, I would want this in the stacks. Book 2 is already on the kindle.

[Gaby Perdomo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book reminded me of the books I wished had existed when I was growing up as a young girl interested in fantasy novels yet felt disgruntled over the lack of representation for multidimensional female characters of color. I envy the new generation of young readers that get to enjoy this book featuring a coming of age story,an existential questioning of faith,and combating mythical monsters. I personally know the author is an incredible person along with being a great writer. I can't wait to see the series of these books continue!

[Julia]

Chess? Richmond? And… vampires?! It starts off slow but then picks up midway through the book. At first the focus on chess and moving to a new state, but then the story takes a different more supernatural turn. It’s a combination that works surprisingly well.

The main character, Stacy, has good development and the supporting characters are interesting too. I’ve had the fortune of meeting the author in person and she was very sweet and funny. If you are interested in chess and/ or vampires then you’ll enjoy this book.

[Christina Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This book took me so long but that's because I really read half then stoped and read the half this week ! And really it was just because this was my first fantasy read in quite some time and it took me a minute to read but wow ! The ending was so good and I'm excited to see what the next couple books will be like! I really like the chemistry between nick and Stacy and I hope to see more of them in book two !

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really solid story line. The chess idea developed throughout the entire plot and I did not have to be a chess player to understand the connection. The connection was strategy and anyone can understand how strategy can affect a plot line. I liked the characters although it was a shame that Meredith was not more a part of the story as i really liked her. Every scene seemed very intentionally connected to the plot, even scenes with Steve…and he was one if my favorites.

[Roane Furlong · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD

This book was fantastic! And I cannot wait for book 2 this December! When I started Hidden City I could not put it down- it starts really strong and dosnt slow down, the characters feel like real people and are so lovable. Especially Steve. We love Steve 🥺❤️

11/10 would recommend, read this book!!

[CR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is SO LATE!! 🤦🏻‍♀️

Hidden City by JS Furlong was great! Humor, friendship, kindness, and of course the paranormal come together to blend and out of this world story that you won’t be able to escape from until you’ve read the last page!