Book review: 'The Hideaway' is a well-written middle-grade book that deals with domestic abuse and family love

In The Hideaway, readers are immediately immersed into Billy's difficult family life. He and his single mom were quite happy until she met Jeff. But when Jeff's protectiveness turned controlling and then abusive, Billy retreated within. Until he refuses to retreat anymore.

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After hearing yet another argument that he knows will end with Jeff hurting his mom, Billy runs away to a hidden cove in a graveyard he's already scouted out. He doesn't have many plans other than to stay away from the home life he can no longer endure.

But his stay keeps getting interrupted by people. An old man turns up and tells Billy he needs to help him clean the forsaken graveyard. With nothing else to do, Billy helps. But he can't figure out why the old man is so keen on clearing things out and for what event he's working hard toward.

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Back at home, Billy's mom is frantic to find her son and the police are soon involved. But the officer quickly realizes that Jeff, who comes across and kind and concerned, isn't what he appears to be.

Told via two perspectives, The Hideaway does a terrific job telling about domestic violence in a way that isn't as scary as it could be, but still shows the import of how it affects those being abused and those having to witness the abuse. It also shows how important it is to reach out to others and how willing many people are to help, once they understand what's going on.

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But living through abuse isn't the only thing going on in The Hideaway. The wonderful ways families can love and care through each other throughout time is also very much a theme. Forgiving past mistakes, continuing to care for those who leave us, and many other wonderful lessons can be learned from this book. I won't go into too many details, because I'd hate to be a plot spoiler, but this book has a wonderful ending that opens up happy possibilities for readers to focus on.

This book has clean language and its ending is a happy one; I was eager to see how my teenage son reacted to this book (he loved it). But this book isn't one I'll be giving to my younger children any time soon. While The Hideaway can create some great conversation opportunities within a home, it can also scare children who don't have the maturity and ability to deal with some of the sad and potentially scary situations presented in this book. 

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The Hideaway seems geared toward a Halloween release and one of its settings is a graveyard, but I'd peg this book more as a Day of the Dead book, as opposed to a Halloween one.

Book Breakdown:

256 pages with many black and white illustrations

Best for ages: 11+

Educational factor: low

Moral content: Use your best judgement when giving this book to your children to read. This novel deals with an absentee father, domestic violence, potential date rape, violence toward women, keeping secrets from parents, and running away to solve problems.