Hidden is the first in a cycle of books by Miriam Halahmy, set on Hayling Island. Hidden tells the story of Alix, a fourteen year old girl who discovers a drowning immigrant, Mohammed on the beach. Along with her classmate Samir, they rescue and hide Mohammed in a secluded hut. Samir, like Mohammed, is from Iraq, and he suffers at the hands of a group of ignorant bullies at school. The attitude of her fellow classmates prompts Alix into some deep soul searching. She finds herself questioning the attitudes and beliefs of all the people she knows. The book is well written and brings to life the ordinary life that Samir and others like him have to leave behind and how difficult it is to be wrenched away from friends and family and thrown into a different culture. Through his friendship with Alix, he learns to trust people and gains confidence. The exploration of different relationships between characters encourages the readers to reflect on their own attitudes. There are many exciting twists and turns in this book and I am looking forward to reading Illegal, which continues the cycle with the story of Lindy.
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