Review of Hidden Lives

[Ams Strong]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hidden Lives" by A L Townson.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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When a young woman named Sarah paid a visit to her dying mother, Annie, I expected her to bring along gifts and well wishes, much to my disappointment. Sarah brought a bundle of death wishes to her estranged, almost paralyzed mother. What could be the origin or explanation for all of this hate? Hidden Lives by A L Townson tells how Annie made herself detestable to virtually every family member. When these family members take turns visiting Annie on her sickbed, we find justification for their hatred towards Annie through multiple flashbacks into Annie’s childhood and motherhood. Had Annie always been a misanthrope? If not, what were her motivations?

Much of this story is full of suspense and drama, especially in the first part. Reading through the story feels like peeling off the layers of a mystery-containing onion, with the big answers lying within the last pages. Even though most of the story unfolds in the hospital, the story rarely gets boring because the characters are diverse and intriguing. The author also featured funny side stories, like that of a young priest contending with his sexual desires.

Although this is a fictional story, the author has indirectly discussed, among other things, a well-known fact in psychology: when children suffer severe abuse by their parents, their suffering often projects into multiple areas of their social life. In the worst case, these children grow up to be abusers. Parenting is challenging, and if improperly implemented, parents and children may be negatively affected. The birth of children can strengthen or weaken family bonds. To avoid becoming like this fictional family, families should be on the lookout for each other’s emotional needs instead of living hidden lives; this is the principal takeaway message of this story.

There are a few grammatical errors and one typographical error in this book. Other than that, this book was well-edited. This book also contains multiple instances of non-borderline profanity and verbal abuse. Although there is no scene with actual sexual intercourse in this book, there are references to a nude painting, wet dreams, people having had sex, and kissing between two men. The level of violence in this book is extreme. There are scenes where some characters wish to commit suicide or have others killed, including infants. There are also scenes of child abuse and a murder scene by suffocation.

Overall, I rate this book five stars out of five. There is absolutely nothing I disliked about the book. I loved the suspense built into the story and the drama between the main characters. This story contains multiple lessons applicable to real life, like how to raise children and care for your loved ones. I recommend this book to people of all major religions but not to children.

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Hidden Lives
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[NetMassimo]

The family at the center of this story must be really dysfunctional and there are some dark parts full of violence, so I should be in the right mood to read it despite my curiosity about what's happened. Regardless, thank you for your great review!