Fourteen competitors have been chosen for the Olly Olly Oxen Free Hide and Seek Competition. The $50,000 cash prize could change their lives forever, and all they have to do is hide out in an abandoned amusement park for seven days without being found. Sounds good, right? Only no one offers any concrete information on the company sponsoring the competition, the townspeople regard them with disdain or fear, and no one knows who the seekers are or seen them without being eliminated. As the days progress, Mack begins to suspect something much more sinister is happening. She’s used to surviving, doing what’s only best for herself. But she’s grown to care for some of these people. Does Mack have what it takes to survive together, not alone?

This novel is a fantastic thriller, integrated flawlessly with the supernatural! I had no qualms with the pacing or the middle of the plot. It can seem a little slow at the beginning, but it takes time for the characters to discover the magnitude of their situation. The last half certainly offers a lot more on-screen action and twists that had me questioning what was going to happen and the direction the story was going – in a great way. I thought the characters were all well-written given the circumstances of the novel. Obviously, since there are fourteen contestants, not all will receive equal page-time and the ones who died in the first days were more forgettable. Still, White establishes some manner of identification for all of them, even if it’s just game designer or YouTube prank host. Considering the cover story for the “competition” is a reality show, I feel that’s a valid way to portray so many characters. The ones who last longer than a day or so do at least get a backstory, a life’s dream, and a motivation for competing. Even the more shallow characters, like Beautiful Ava are given complexity.

(And isn’t it sad that after working so hard to make a livelihood out of her face and beauty, making a horrible mistake to cater to an audience that never existed, playing ruthlessly to win and sacrificing herself after discovering the true consequences of her plans–she remains the Other Ava). Legrand was an interesting character. Given I had just finished Together We Rot right before this, he mostly reminded me of Elwood. Ava and Mack had a great dynamic and developing relationship, learning to be trusting and vulnerable again after the traumas they suffered. Brandon holds a special place in my heart, though, and I figured from the beginning that he’d meet a tragic end. So happy and earnest and desperate for friends, his exposure to human cruelty plus the overtaking anger and despair was particularly heartbreaking for me.

The supernatural conspiracy elements of this novel were fantastic, for the most part. The invisible monster threw me off at first. It felt like an excuse to not have to describe the monster and it’s definitely plot protection against exposing the conspiracy. However, I was much more satisfied with the monster once we got it from the perspective of someone who can actually see it. I thought that was an interesting element, along with the descendants of the sacrifices connection, and the monster refusing to eat the dead. I still don’t fully understand all of the rules, but they do provide the framework for some fantastic twists. Such as: Buzzed Ava can’t be killed by the monster and Brandon’s body is left untouched so the monster requires more sacrifices. Buzzed Ava’s fake-out death was a true shock. Just as the characters thought, I also believed this competition would take more of a Squid Game approach where only one would make it out (though I couldn’t decide if it would be Mack or if she’d sacrifice herself for Legrand). I’m extremely grateful that Buzzed Ava and Mack didn’t lose another partner. Once we hit that reveal, the twists just kept coming. They make it out of the park, but Mack seemingly gives herself up to Linda to ensure Legrand’s sister is taken care of and to appease her own guilt for her indirect part in her sister's death. But then Mack pulls out the “I said we’d give her sacrifices. I never said they’d be us.” Only, that’s still not the real plan because instead of offering up the park guards they blow up the gate!

The ending gave me emotional whiplash! The trio frees the monster and then Mack leaves Linda to be eaten, not caring for what the monster does beyond that. I kept rewinding my audiobook, afraid I had missed something. It still catches me off guard, but it fits with the story arc and I think it would make a killer ending at a movie theater. (There are so many aspects of this novel that would lend well to a movie or visual medium in general. I can not wait to get my hands on the new graphic novel adaptation.) Despite that, there were some questions I still have.

I would’ve loved a more definitive answer on what happens to the town and the monster. I can to some extent acknowledge and appreciate the almost dystopian answer where our main characters have survived, but may have severely messed up the world. Given Asterion boasts that the monster’s blessing helped them build the country into a better place by getting footholds into technology, the economy, politics, and the courts, maybe it’s the people and not the monster who will collapse the system.

My big question, however, revolves around Elmera. They spend so much time planning to get Legrand out so he can save his sister from their cult and yet that problem remains unsolved. Logistically speaking, it couldn’t have fit into the book. I thought when they escaped the first time, the novel would end after they had saved Elmera, but since White pulled so many twists to get them back in, that subplot seemed to be abandoned. I guess it is grounds for a sequel, but White hasn’t professed any interest in a follow-up. I have some hang-ups, but it's still a very memorable and powerful ending.