A lot of the early reviews for this are starting with 'I love Adam's channel and was so excited to read his book!' Well, I also love Adam's channel, but I was not planning to read this book at all! Every year I tell myself I'm going to read less YA, and I've been let down by many a Youtuber book in the past, so it wasn't on my TBR. However, then I dreamt about it, and I took it as a sign! I'm glad I did, because quite frankly, I was blown away!

Hiding Him is the perfect blend of steamy, cute and emotional. I love Cam and Finn so much and would love to spend more time with them. The writing quality is extremely high. In fact, it is some of the best queer romance writing I've ever read, especially the intimate scenes and the earlier instances of conflict. I was just there with them both, and scenes are so perfectly and originally described that I got swept up in the emotion of it all! One particular experience of mine as a queer person was reflected extremely accurately and I felt very seen, which I'm massively grateful for.

The only negatives I would say is that I wasn't a fan of the final conflict in the last 3rd of the book. I think it was introduced too late and put our main characters through too much, unnecessarily. I also don't think that the women and girls were particularly well written and the book would have benefitted from a sensitivity reader or two.

Having said that, I want to leave on a positive because I'm still reeling from how much I enjoyed this book! I honestly can't say how impressed I am!! I would recommend this to anyone who loves an MM romance, especially Heartstopper, even if you are trying to wean yourself off YA like me! I'm still smiling and giddy the day after finishing the book and I'm so grateful to have read it. It's fab!

4.5 stars

When I started reading this book I didn’t realize I would feel like the story was enveloping me in a warm hug. I couldn’t put this book down, I felt all the emotions pass through me: anger, happiness and at one point I even laughed out loud. I certainly felt like my emotions were on a rollercoaster that I really didn’t want to stop. This is perfect for those who love heartstopper and Simon vs the homosaipans agenda.

This book is fine - it’s a bit romcom 101 for my tastes, and I was a bit jarred by some of the word choices (are we really using the word buggar in a novel about gay teens?! I haven’t heard anyone under the age of about 60 use that word for years, and I’m old!)

It’s a solid British book, but it didn’t wow me like Simon Vs, and it did feel a bit derivative. I also felt the school aspects just didn’t quite ring true for me - there’s no way you’re at a school which appears to be half decent and that bullying behaviour isn’t getting picked up on to some degree. The part where the teacher basically shrugs and goes ‘yeah he’s awful to people, oh well’ just would not fly.

I throughly loved this book especially the character Cam. Even though I’m not a teenager anymore this book threw me back to when I was Cam’s age and I felt like I was going through everything he was going through. Everything from the friendships to the “enemy” character and the plot hooked me from the moment I started until the very end.

The story is sweet enough, although not exactly original. But, fine: it may be predictable, but the world needs nice queer love stories. The problem is that this one's so badly written. Poor grammar, incorrect word usage, and so many creative dialogue tags that they obscure the meaning of sentences.

I have been a huge fan of Adam's for years, following all of his Disney adventures on both YouTube and Instagram, so when he announced that he had written his debut novel I was over the moon! I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy on Netgalley (which I still can't believe) and I was not disappointed.

I loved Adam's debut novel, Hiding Him, which is a young adult, queer romance following the main characters Cam and Finn as they navigate sixth form life. It was great to read a book based in a British school as I could relate to a lot of the situations throughout and this made it quite a nostalgic read.

I laughed, cried and genuinely loved the characters and their friendship group dynamic. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a cute, heartwarming, easy read. Congrats Adam on your debut novel, and I really hope there is more to come!

Thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Comforting like a warm hug, I've been following Adam Hattan's YouTube channel for years, so it definitely piqued my interest when he announced he was venturing into writing — I'm happy to say Hiding Him is a worthy first-time effort that encapsulates the positivity and casual humor that have been a staple in his online presence.

As a longtime viewer to Adam's content, there's an extra layer of delights as there are numerous recurring video references sprinkled throughout. The coming-of-age story, while nothing groundbreaking, is heartwarming and flows nicely from one event to the next, and the romance definitely contains a dash of steam here and there!

One thing to note for non-British readers, be aware of the British terms utilizes throughout (such as sixth form), as some Googling might be necessary. (bigger publishing houses would usually re-edit for international market, but unsure if there's plan for it for this novel).

Overall, Hiding Him is a great extension to Adam Hattan's body of work, one that feels genuine, and demonstrate he can tell an engaging story. Excited to see where this direction will take him down the road (hopefully an adult romance is in the cards)!

A very fun and cute romcom that had me nostalgic for the feeling of being 16 and having your first intense crush.

This book is like Heartstopper meets Simon vs The Homosapiens Agenda in the most wholesome way possible.

My only minor criticisms were that sometimes it felt like it jumped around scenes or forward in time in a slightly jarring way but overall it was really enjoyable!

What a beautifully written book.

I can’t believe this is his debut novel, great storyline, characters who are recognisable as people you could either love or dislike and many funny parts that made me laugh out loud.

George, Cam’s brother came out with some corkers so be ready for them. I could definitely see the authors sense of humour in many parts of the book.

I especially liked the ‘Moooorning!’ from Cam’s mum while walking the dog, was lovely to see the authors well known catchphrase in for all us Disney vlog followers.

The scenes changed well from one part to the next, I really liked Cam and Finn’s characters. Their friends Geri and Robyn were fab too, always having their backs and watching after them. There was lots going on in the story but it didn’t feel that it was too much either.

If you’ve not read an MM (male and male) romance before or you’re a Young Adult (YA) reader, then this is a great introduction into these genre.

I look forward to my pre ordered signed hardback landing on my doorstep when it’s released on July the 2nd.

I loved watching Adam Hattan's vlogs (especially his Disney adventures) so when I heard his was releasing his debut novel I was so excited for him.
I read this in a day and I did genuinely enjoy it. The characters were a delight. I loved the little hint to Geri as it certainly gave ginger spice vibes.
But this was such a cute queer YA book that is perfect for the summer giving Heartstopper vibes from boy meets boy to the seasons going by and how their feeling for each other develop but also trying to adjust to it all while being in school.

Thank you NetGalley and Adam Hattan for the ARC! This was a really wonderful debut! We need more queer coming of age stories and this one was so cute. I loved all the banter, the humor and heart in Hiding Him. The only reason I took one star off is because I felt the dialogue was a little bit stiff at times. All in all, I really enjoyed Hiding Him and it was the perfect book to start off Pride Month!

What an adorable romance between Cam and Finn! I loved their story line and that many difficult topics were covered over the course of the story. I also loved all the pop culture references throughout and Cam’s quips! Thank you to NetGalley and the author for my ARC.

Ps the letter to the authors younger self was also

Thank you to Adam Hattan and NetGalley for a Galley of this in exchange for an honest review.

I requested Hiding Him because it sounded like something in the same vein of Heartstopper, I series I love, and like a few other YA romances I have read. I want to start with the good things!

This was an easy read, the language was straight forward, the characters distinct, and the overall story line enjoyable. I liked the humour, and the way the teens interacted felt honest, and realistic. There was a solid emotional base in this book, and Hattan knows how to pull on heart-strings. Without being tropey, Hattan also manages to strike on a lot of conventions, and I think employs them well.

All that being said, I had a few things about this book that cap it pretty solidly at a 3 star max. Whilst I know this is a galley, there were significantly more spelling and grammatical errors than I would expect. I hope these were caught before the book went to print! It just needs a good red-pen, SPaG check honestly. This had the unfortunate effect of making a concise, clear, writing style read as much younger than it was.

Another issue I had was the representation of schools. Now, I appreciate that the author is likely drawing on his own experiences at school, but some of it was just google-able. Maybe I missed somewhere what year it was meant to be, but A1 / A2 was discontinued in 2017 and sixth-forms now run straight A-levels, where exams take place in Yr13 only for most courses. Not a huge thing, but something easy enough to change, and something which anyone 25 or younger will know has changed / is not right.

Minor spoiler: Another small adjustment which would make the difference: bullying / altercations definitely happen in schools... but if a teacher witnesses you slapping your bf, even if you are a girl, you're getting expelled. That's an unprovoked attack on another student. If the teacher hadn't witnessed it, then like... yeah, no problems.

This book gets 3 stars because the story-line was strong enough, and the characters compelling enough, that I wanted to make it to the end. I hope that the errors here were caught before production started, and I hope, if they weren't, that this might go through revisions prior to the next print run.

First of all I would like to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Adam for years and have watched all of his vlogs (for any of his fans you will pick up some references hidden in the book) and was over the moon to see that he has written a book, I had pre-ordered it as soon as it was announced but feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to be given an ARC.

What can I say I loved every second of this book! For a debut novel it was fantastic and had really good writing. The characters were all loveable and I felt they were all developed so well and helped to really push the story forward. This book explored conversations around navigating emotions and you could feel the raw emotion and personal experiences pouring from the page. As a YA novel I wasn't expecting a lot of spice but there was still a decent amount (as much as you would expect from a YA novel). If you are a fan of Heartstopper and even Love Simon then you will be an instant fan of this book.

Fantastic debut and I hope we get to see some more books in the future.

3.5 stars - A charming yet weighty story about first love, coming out, family failings, friendship, and bullying. Hiding Him appears lightweight and fluffy on the surface, but it tackles heavy issues. In fact, my favourite thing about this book is how it combines dark moments and feelings with a dependable positivity so you trust things will somehow work out.

Cameron is the only person who is out at his school, and things have not been easy. However, his friendship group help him feel supported and safe. When a new boy arrives, he feels instant sparks. But will Finn feel the same?

Cam and Finn have totally different experiences, but both reveal the hurtful things those closest to us can do with or without even realising. That being said, at its heart, this book is a YA romance. I felt Cam's internal thoughts were always super sensual which I found odd (is this a 16 year old boy thing??) but otherwise his characterisation made it easy to connect with him. He's kind, anxious, and funny - this makes it all the sadder when you realise what has been happening for years.

As an educator, it made me sad he felt he couldn't express his struggles with his concerned teacher, but with how his family acts it also was very believable and shows how complicated a young person's situation can be. It did bother me that there are no consequences for the boys who said and did such cruel things. This was the only gap in the story that gave me pause (other than Cam's dad never being called out for his nonsense!).

Overall, a lovely book that will bring a smile to your face and will hopefully give insight at the same time.

I sometimes struggle with the young adult genre anymore, but that was definitely not the case with this book. I devoured it! I absolutely could not put this book down.

Cameron (Cam) and Finn are absolutely adorable together. They face the struggles of coming out, budding relationships, classes, school bullies, and the struggle of trying to keep Finn’s sexuality a secret for as long as possible.

If you can’t tell already, I absolutely loved this adorable story. As a debut novel, it sets high expectations for the author’s future works.

eARC copy:

Adam Hattan’s debut novel, ‘Hiding Him’, has the cutest romance storyline between Finn and Cameron. You fall in love with Cameron as a character from the first chapter, and it’s lovely to see him find his way through sixth form. Although there are some bumpy rides between his friendship group and Finn, it’s enjoyable to see Cameron discover himself, make mistakes, and learn from them. Cameron is lovable because he’s kind and caring in all he does, and his love and care for Finn shine through in each chapter.

Without giving any spoilers away, all I’ll say is that the ride is the perfect location for what happens on it, and it had me smiling and laughing throughout the entire chapter.

Finn is such a lovable character, and it was nice to see how strong his relationship with his mum is. I felt a real connection to Finn’s character and backstory, and it’s nice to see it all come together for him.

I loved the pace of the book and really enjoyed reading a YA romance that not only had the right level of spice but was also set in the UK—a nice change from most that are set in America. For a debut novel, it was incredible. I hope this is the first of many YA romances from Hattan.

As soon as Adam announced about this I was so excited to read it, being an avid watched of his YouTube channel for years I knew that I’d be in for a treat with his debut YA novel, and I was absolutely right!…Now I know I sound like I’m already a bit biased but I am never one to rave about something that I didn’t genuinely love, and this was such a joy to read from the very start with a short and sweet dedication to the end with its emotional and heartwarming afterward.

You can absolutely tell how much passion and heart went into this, and how close to home writing it was, that just added to the authentic and raw nature of the whole story and I loved that. Adam has a real talent for writing, effortlessly flows so well, delivering a lot of humour but also many emotional moments sprinkled throughout.

The characters all feel so real, I loved Cameron and Finn, and felt so invested in their relationship from its shy awkward beginnings of first love and teenage anxieties, while dealing with sexuality and acceptances, it was such an emotional journey and I adored all the heartwarming moments within it.

I flew through this is 2 days, it was the perfect cosy romance read while having moments that made my heart hurt but plenty that put it back together again. Of course it’s a shiny 5 ⭐️ read for me and I will be looking forward to having a physical copy on my shelf, and I really am looking forward to reading his next novel which I’m sure will be another cracking read.

If you are a fan of the Heartstopper series and Love Simon then I would have no doubts that you will fall in love with this too.

3.5⭐

This is a lovely young adult rom-com with teenage drama and friendships. There’s always the bully, but this story is not heavily focused on it and mostly remains pretty light and upbeat. It’s well written too, especially for a debut novel.

So, why do I give this charming novel a perfectly good 3.5 stars but not more? Because it is perfectly good but not much more — to my tastes at least. I bet tons of people will just enjoy this to pieces, but my weaknesses lie in fantasy and mystery, and it just takes a bit more to impress me with a contemporary dramedy.

"Finn and I are each sat with our feet up on the sofa. A couple of times, our toes have accidentally touched. The first time was on purpose. The second and third times were also on purpose… But the fourth time was by accident. Unless he did it on purpose."

The novel is funny but not hilarious. The romantic relationship is very cute but not to die for. The book is a little bit British but not ridiculously British (which is how I prefer them). I definitely think 'Hiding Him' deserves its place in the current LGBTQ+ YA romance boom (there is one, right?) and there are some great moments, but overall it's still just 'nice' for me.

My thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

This was a joy to read. Adam has written a charming romcom filled with heart and wit. The various relationships explored in Cam’s story are so important, and teach us how we can support our friends or loved ones in the LGBTQ+ community. What a wonderful debut novel. 🩷