Hidden Paperback – 12 Jun. 2018

Alix and her mum live in a small cottage on Hayling Island. Things have been tough since Alix's dad left to be with another woman and they get harder still when her mum breaks her leg, leaving Alix to do everything around the house. Life isn't much better at school, where she's disturbed by the racism that comes out in school during a class on immigration - particularly the abuse directed at her classmate Samir, which prompts her to try and find out more about him and his family.One morning, she and Samir see a man thrown out of a boat into the freezing water. Together they save the man's life but it's obvious that he's an illegal immigrant and worse, he's been tortured. As Alix and Samir try to work out what to do with the man, anti-immigration feeling in Hayling grows and soon they find it difficult to know who to trust, let alone what action they should take.Miriam Halahmy's debut YA novel (the first in a trilogy) is a beautifully written, literary look at immigration from a teenager's point of view.Alix is essentially someone who wants to do the right thing but finds it difficult to know what that is given the complex issues surrounding immigration and asylum seekers. Her developing friendship with Samir forces her to think more deeply about what those issues really mean and I enjoyed the way the pair slowly come to trust each other. Alix's first person voice is also strongly realised.However for me the most interesting character is actually the morally ambivalent Lindy who's not above bullying other girls, whose brother is racist and yet who seems to have her own code because she's the only character who isn't predictable in the story. This isn't to take away from the writing (which is excellent) but because this is an issue-based novel, the characters are painted in broad shades, which means there isn't much of a surprise in how they act. For me it's both a strength and a weakness of the book.The small community of Hayling Island is well portrayed and Halahmy has a good eye and ear for the school scenes, which feel very believable.All in all this is a well written, thought-provoking book with a strong contemporary feel that I'd recommend to any YA reader interested in a good story.

I am writing this as an adult who has just read a book written for teenagers. Also, I used to live on Hayling Island where the book is set and of course I found this interesting to imagine myself in the various places on the Island. The book covers the subject of immigrants, in fact what can be perceived as illegal immigration. It covers the problem with sensitivity during a story set around a young girl, her friends and a young Iraqi friend and his family. It is a gripping story and it also covers the relationships in families. It is a good read.

Teenage Alix finds her whole belief system challenged when new boy Samir joins her school. Until she got to know him, refugees and assylum seeker were only stories in the newspapers. But when they rescue a drowning man who turns out to by an illegal immigrant, it all gets very real indeed. ALix soon realises that her tight knit community is hostile to outsiders and there is prejudice everywhere.I think this is a great book to make teenagers sit up and think about who their classmates really are. Particularly in multi-cultural inner city areas. And it manages to be a really exciting story at the same time. (Please sort the spacing out for the e-book version though as without breaks it makes it a hard read.)

This is an enthralling book about Alix, a teenage girl who finds an asylum-seeker washed up on the beach, and with the help of her friend, a refugee from the same country, strives to keep him safe from the authorities who will send him back to almost certain torture or death. In the process of the story she finds out, sometimes to her surprise, who she can trust and who she cannot because of the racist views they hold. But despite the gravity of the subject matter, this book is written with a light touch so it is a real page-turner, and we entirely identify with Alix and will her to succeed.

Hidden is about Alix and friends who find a illegal immigrant washed up on Hayling. It deals with the prejudice against refugees and racial bullying well.I couldn't get into Hidden at first, it felt a little slow to start with, but it does pick up the pace soon after Alix and Samir find Mohamed. The ending seemed a bit sudden for some reason but I still liked it.

I really enjoyed this book because it was adventurous excited and quite scary at times. I'm not usually a scary book kind of person but that is why I took the one star off. Overall, I really enjoyed this book

I bought a set of Hidden for my Year 6s for a reading group book. They absolutely loved it and most of the children couldn't put it down. It is certainly a book to breed tolerance and respect... Clever, contemporary and gritty - should be on the bookshelves of every classroom in modern Britain.

This is a story about teenagers which adults will appreciate too. Two children from different cultures, with seemingly little in common, rescue a drowning asylum seeker on Hayling Island beach. Their efforts to keep him hidden, and their growing understanding of each other, lead to a delightfully positive resolution for all concerned. Highly recommended.