Hiding Him | A Cosy, Endearing and Heartwarming Read | Book Review

Adam Hattan who is primarily known for his YouTube channel, is now putting pen to paper with his debut novel, Hiding Him. I was fortunate enough to have been sent a copy of the book in advance of the release, and I had such a wonderful time reading it! A cosy, endearing and heartwarming read, Hiding Him is a book full of the emotions and complexities of being a teenager – growing up, finding yourself and first loves.

Book: Hiding Him
Author: Adam Hattan
Genre: Young Adult (Contemporary Romance/Romcom)
Rating: 4 Stars
Release date: 02/07/2024

Disclaimer: Whilst I was sent a free copy of the book in advance of the release to read and review, this in no way influences my review. All thoughts and opinions are completely my own!

To bring you all up to speed before I share my thoughts, here is the blurb, taken from Storygraph:

“Let’s get one thing straight: Cameron Hawkins isn’t. What he is, is hopelessly single and longing to escape his village in the arse-end-of-nowhere. That is until a newcomer arrives: Finn. He’s tall, dark, obscenely handsome and somewhat of an enigma…

Is Finn the answer to Cam’s happily ever after? Or will shadows of the past stand in the way of their palpable chemistry?

Hiding Him explores coming of age, coming out and hearts coming together. In this warm and cosy read, get ready to laugh with friends, relish in a little spice and gird your loins for several adrenaline-charged moments.”

Firstly, I think it is a strong testament to Hattan’s skilled writing that I am able to read this book as an adult in my mid-20s, and still thoroughly enjoy a book that is aimed at young adults. I think it does go without saying that my reading experience will be vastly different to a young adult reading it, but the fact that I am not the target age for this book, yet I still got caught up in this delightful story speaks volumes in itself.

The main word that springs to mind when I want to talk about this book is adorable. It reminds me of what it was like to be a teenager growing up, and the confusing emotions that can bring; Hattan has perfectly encapsulated Cam’s teenage experience; the first love, discovering more about yourself every day, learning about boundaries and healthy relationships…being a teenager is not easy and can be a messy experience; factor in Cam being openly gay, and the complexities continue. Whilst this book is a cosy and warm read at its heart, Cam is exposed to homophobia and bullying throughout the book. Whilst this is never something someone should experience, it would be unrealistic to write a queer romance book and have this not be included. The sad reality is this is what LGBTQ+ people face more often than people realise, but the way Hattan has seamlessly written the homophobia and bullying into Hiding Him is both truthful and respectful.

Hattan has found his way with a very enjoyable writing style. The book is paced well – it is a fast and easy book to get through, yet there is adequate time given for the plot to progress and the characters are given the time and space to be fully fleshed out, and for readers to see them grow across the course of the book. Something I really appreciated is that Hiding Him is the host to a diverse cast of characters, all of whom are established well individually. The side characters are not merely just there to play roles in Cam and Finn’s story; they all have their own personalities and stories which are equally as enjoyable to read about. Every character in this book is so lovable and has been vividly brought to life. The relationships between all the characters in whatever form are believable with a good chemistry established between everyone, making them all a joy to read about.

The pacing in Hiding Him is well balanced; it does move somewhat swiftly from Cam first spotting Finn to developing feelings for him and the progression from there, but there’s still time given to let the plot unfold. Furthermore, the inclusion of subplots leads to an overall well-rounded book – the story has layers and is really engaging; whilst it covers the sad but truthful themes that come with being a teenager – especially an lgbtq+ one -, there is plenty of lightheartedness to bring a cosy, warm and summery read. I even found myself laughing out loud on public transport reading this! And at the same time, I just wanted to give everyone in this book a hug and a cup of tea, and reassure them that eventually – one day – everything will be okay!

Whilst I think Hiding Him is a fantastic book for someone to lose themselves in for a short while, least of all for the reasons I’ve discussed above, Hiding Him is fantastic for one more, huge and vital reason: it can make people realise they are not alone. This book can bring people comfort, can give people a story they can relate to, this book can make people feel seen. Stories have the power to uplift and move people, to open people’s eyes and get people thinking – and Hiding Him is no different. This book has the possibility to be a great conversation starter on so many layers about so many things. But it also has the possibility to help teenagers who may feel alone and that no one understands. Hiding Him is an example of a book I definitely didn’t see growing up, but the kind of book young people today need. A book they can read and can feel seen in. Everyone deserves to see themselves in stories and characters, and Hiding Him is a book I think will do that for a lot of people. And if that’s not a beautiful thing to take away from a book, I don’t know what is!

A cosy, heartwarming and endearing read, Hiding Him is a gorgeous book full of heart to lose yourself in this summer. Hiding Him is out on the 2nd of July.

To find out more about Adam Hattan and to pre-order Hiding Him, you can do so here: https://www.adamhattan.com/

I have also done a reading vlog of this book, which you can view here: https://youtu.be/ysEVd5Rs1Nk

In my first unboxing video, I wanted to try and do a yellow look theme to match the book and sunglasses and tote bag, before realising I do not own a yellow outfit…but there was still at least a valiant attempt to match the outfit to the book, at least by vibes!