How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
Review Detail
All our Hidden Gifts
Featured
Young Adult Fiction
903
Be careful what you wish for
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
While being forced to clean an old room in her Catholic school, Maeve finds an old tarot deck that instantly draws her in. She starts a side hustle reading cards for her classmates and discovers that, while she might not be the smartest one in her family of geniuses, she is exceptionally talented at tarot and likes the popularity that comes with it. When she's pressured into giving a reading for her ex-best friend, Lily, she draws a card she's never seen or heard of before: the Housekeeper. When Lily and Maeve begin to argue over the reading, Maeve shouts that she wishes Lily would just disappear. A few days later, Lily is gone. Now, everyone thinks Maeve had something to do with it, and it will be up to her, her new friend, Fiona, and Lily's genderqueer sibling, Roe, to find Lily and save her from a fate they never would have believed possible.
What I loved most about ALL OUR HIDDEN GIFTS is the voice. Maeve's narration is witty, sharp, and has an incredible journey of both self-discovery and learning from your mistakes. Maeve knows she did poorly when she harshly friend-broke-up with Lily and humiliated her a year or two before the story starts, but it takes her a while to realize that gaining the approval of people you barely like in an attempt to survive high school isn't worth hurting the people you love. And beyond that, even when you do apologize and try to fix your mistake, you aren't owed forgiveness, and that's something you have to come to terms with. Though Maeve is the sole narrator, all the characters have to find ways forward that allows them to remember and honor the past but leave some of the weight of it behind. I particularly like Roe's arc in this as well, as Roe struggles with romantic feelings for Maeve while knowing what she did to Lily.
The inclusion of witchcraft and tarot is really cool. Maeve is surrounded by brilliant people, those who are good in school or have a specific extracurricular they excel at. She finds her own talent in the most unexpected place (tarot/witchcraft) and her talent is never shown as less than the more traditional skills and talents of her friends and family. I also like that the story dispels (pun) some of the stereotypes of tarot reading, like that the cards usually aren't actually literal (ex. the Lovers card meaning a romantic relationship and the Death card meaning physical death).
Overall, ALL OUR HIDDEN GIFTS is a voice-fueled, fun, witchy story about growing up, growing better, and finding your path.
What I loved most about ALL OUR HIDDEN GIFTS is the voice. Maeve's narration is witty, sharp, and has an incredible journey of both self-discovery and learning from your mistakes. Maeve knows she did poorly when she harshly friend-broke-up with Lily and humiliated her a year or two before the story starts, but it takes her a while to realize that gaining the approval of people you barely like in an attempt to survive high school isn't worth hurting the people you love. And beyond that, even when you do apologize and try to fix your mistake, you aren't owed forgiveness, and that's something you have to come to terms with. Though Maeve is the sole narrator, all the characters have to find ways forward that allows them to remember and honor the past but leave some of the weight of it behind. I particularly like Roe's arc in this as well, as Roe struggles with romantic feelings for Maeve while knowing what she did to Lily.
The inclusion of witchcraft and tarot is really cool. Maeve is surrounded by brilliant people, those who are good in school or have a specific extracurricular they excel at. She finds her own talent in the most unexpected place (tarot/witchcraft) and her talent is never shown as less than the more traditional skills and talents of her friends and family. I also like that the story dispels (pun) some of the stereotypes of tarot reading, like that the cards usually aren't actually literal (ex. the Lovers card meaning a romantic relationship and the Death card meaning physical death).
Overall, ALL OUR HIDDEN GIFTS is a voice-fueled, fun, witchy story about growing up, growing better, and finding your path.
Comments
Already have an account? Log in now or Create an account
Powered by JReviews
How to resolve AdBlock issue?
X
FEATURED GIVEAWAYS
Giveaway: Golden Dreg Boy Series (D.K. Dailey) ~ (US Only)
Golden Dreg Boy Series (US Only) by: D.K. Dailey Release Date: July 2nd, 2020 Publisher: Tillable Ground Dreams About The Book 2 Prequels: Golden Dreg Boy, Prequel, T...
Posted in News & Updates
Giveaway: The Meanest of Meanies (Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley) ~ (US Only)
The Meanest of Meanies (US Only) by: Kristin Hensley & Jen Smedley Release Date: March 23rd, 2021 Publisher: Harpercollins About the Book From the beloved New York Times bests...
Posted in News & Updates
Top 5 Things To Love About Chicago! + Win a Copy of The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy (Mary Winn Heider) ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight The Losers at the Center of the Galaxy by Mary Winn Heider. Read on for more about Mary and her book, an guest post, plus an giveaway! ...
Posted in News & Updates
Author Chat with Mark Crilley (My Last Summer With Cass), Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to chat with Mark Crilley author of My Last Summer With Cass. Read on for more about Mark, his book, plus an giveaway! Meet Mark Cril...
Posted in News & Updates
Spotlight on Bloom (Nicola Skinner), Excerpt, Plus Giveaway! ~ (US Only)
Today we're excited to spotlight Bloom by Nicola Skinner. Read on for more about Nicola and her book, an excerpt, plus an giveaway! Meet Nicola Skinner ! ...
Posted in News & Updates
Author Chat with John Peragine (Max and the Spice Thieves), Plus Giveaway! ~ (US/Can Only)
Today we're excited to chat with John Peragine Read on for more about John, his book, plus a giveaway! Meet John Peragine ! John Peragine is ...
Posted in News & Updates
Latest Book Listings Added
In this tender, nuanced coming-of-age love story, two boys—one who...
Bite-sized facts about bodies of water from around the globe,...
Magnificent, hand-painted illustrations by a rising star of Czech watercolor...
It's Mouse's first day of school. It's Dinosaur's first day...
In this sparkling and romantic YA debut, a reserved Bangladeshi...
From hot dogs and hamburgers to ice cream and pizza,...
As their communities were being destroyed, groups of Jewish women...
Blast off into outer space with this mess-free sticker craft!...
When twin heirs are born in Tourin, their fates are...
Brave young Pedro faces monsters and greedy guards when he...
Latest Member Reviews
"STING is an intriguing YA dystopian retelling of THE COUNT OF MONTE CHRISTO. The world has been ravaged by climate..."
"DEFY THE SUN is a fantastic conclusion to this YA fantasy duology. This book picks up right where the first..."
"EVE OF MAN by Giovanna and Tom Fletcher is the latest in YA dystopias. In the story, a phenomenon of..."
"CITY OF BEASTS is the must-read dystopian of the fall. Highly recommend for fans of THE DIVERGENT, DARKEST MINDS, and/or..."
"THE MEMORY THIEF is an engrossing YA fantasy that will keep you turning pages late into the night. Etta lives..."
"BREAKOUT by A.M. Rose is an edge-of-your-seat, YA dystopian adventure that will have you turning page after page well past..."
"BREAKOUT is a thrilling and fast-paced YA sci-fi/dystopian. Lezah is in prison for a crime she cannot remember. This future..."
"THE LAST VOYAGE OF POE BLYTHE is a fascinating YA fantasy/dystopian that is even better than Condie's Matched series. The..."
""Never Fade" continues the Darkest Minds series with what felt a bit like an intermediate book. Beginning after the end..."
"“True North” is a fantastic continuation of the True Born series. Lucy is on her own with her parents and..."
"When her parents take her sister to Russia, Lucy has nobody except the True Born Storm. Lucy agrees to be..."
"TRUE BORN follows Lucy and her twin Margot as they deal with the drama and politics of a post-apocalyptic world...."
"Original Review: http://www.literarychaos.com/ This book is one of those dystopia-esque novels that I had a really hard time getting..."
"THE MIND VIRUS by Donna Freitas is the third and final installment of the UNPLUGGED series. The story opens with..."
"THE BODY MARKET by Donna Freitas is the sequel to the young adult dystopian novel, UNPLUGGED, released in summer 2016...."
"Selection fans get excited! THE SELECTION COLORING BOOK, based on the series by Kiera Cass, is getting ready to celebrate..."
"Kelly St. Clare is a genius! An evil genius for sure, but she's still a genius! This book was..."
"L.E. Sterling’s TRUE NORTH is the second in her True Born trilogy. The series takes place on a dystopian Earth..."
"You don't expect science fiction to have you rolling in laughter. The story: Let's face it, the..."