Synopsis
You look exactly like your twin brother. Exactly. You think like him, for him, with him, cannot live without him. Cannot. Don't want to. Don't want to. Other kids play Hide & Seek. But you and he play Hide & Be. Your parents died when you were two. The foster parents were sometimes nice and sometimes awful. They could never tell you apart because one of you would hide; the other would just be. Be bad. Be blamed. Be good. Get the Jesus Strap. Get the ice cream cone. There were always eyes on you, then him. Wondering which one you were. There were always voices in your head, his. They can't judge you because you could always be him, or you. You did not need friends because you are his and he is yours. You learn you don't need anyone else; they can't see you, just him. Or are they looking at him, not you? If one of you dies, the other will be. You.
Review
Hide and Be is a psychological thriller lover's dream! There isn't a single moment you're not trying to figure out who is who and who is lying. This can make it confusing at times, so while the page count is on the lower end, I had to slow down and re-read some sections for clarity. That's not a bad thing, I just see some reviews calling this a quick read, and I'm not sure I agree with that. YMMV.
The characters were all likable, and the pacing kept things moving. I'm a sucker for sibling/twin/birth order psychology, so this was fun to think about both while reading and after closing the book. Anyone who enjoys thrillers or psychological stories should absolutely pick this up!
Thank you Books Forward for a copy of this book, I can't wait to dive into My Brother Myself!
Dates read: Feb 17, 2024 - Feb 23, 2024