Every Hidden Thing

By Kenneth Oppel

Somewhere in the Badlands, embedded deep in centuries-buried rock and sand, lies the skeleton of a massive dinosaur, larger than anything the late nineteenth-century world has ever seen. Some legends call it the Black Beauty, with its bones as black as ebony, but to seventeen-year-old Samuel Bolt, it’s the “rex,” the king dinosaur that could put him and his struggling, temperamental archaeologist father in the history books (and conveniently make his father forget he’s been kicked out of school), if they can just quarry it out.

But Samuel and his father aren’t the only ones after the rex. For Rachel Cartland this find could be her ticket to a different life, one where her loves of science and adventure aren’t just relegated to books and sitting rooms. And if she can’t prove herself on this expedition with her professor father, the only adventures she may have to look forward to are marriage or spinsterhood.

As their paths cross and the rivalry between their fathers becomes more intense, Samuel and Rachel are pushed closer together. Their flourishing romance is one that will never be allowed. And with both eyeing the same prize, it’s a romance that seems destined for failure. As their attraction deepens, danger looms on the other side of the hills, causing everyone’s secrets to come to light and forcing Samuel and Rachel to make a decision. Can they join forces to find their quarry, and with it a new life together, or will old enmities and prejudices keep them from both the rex and each other?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 20, 2016
• ISBN: 9781443410335

Kenneth Oppel

Kenneth Oppel is the author of numerous books for young readers. His award-winning Silverwing trilogy has sold over a million copies worldwide and been adapted as an animated TV series and stage play. Airborn won a Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award and the Canadian Governor General’s Literary Award for children’s literature; its sequel, Skybreaker, was a New York Times bestseller and was named Children’s Novel of the Year by the London Times. He is also the author of Half Brother, This Dark Endeavor, Such Wicked Intent, and The Boundless. Born on Canada’s Vancouver Island, he has lived in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, Canada; in England and Ireland; and now resides in Toronto with his wife and children. Visit him at KennethOppel.ca.

Reviews for Every Hidden Thing

[kaylaraeintheway · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Two paleontologists, both alike in snobbery, in the dangerous badlands where we lay our scene. From forth the prideful loins of these two foes, a pair of star-crossed lovers...Well, I don't want to spoil anything. Suffice it to say, I really liked this story about Rachel Cartland and Sam Bolt, the offspring of the dueling scientists, and their adventures in the unsettled territories of the American West, on a quest to find the greatest dinosaur of all. This made me want to read more about the Bone Wars and the actual scientists on which Cartland and Bolt were based. I appreciated how Rachel was portrayed most of all; she is smart, determined to prove herself in a "man's field", and does not possess a single romantic bone in her body. Sam, bless his heart, is thoroughly in love with her, but still sometimes falls victim to the restrictive gender norms of the time. Throw in social commentary on the conflict between the Native Americans and the destructive "new" Americans, and you have a recipe for a fun, thoughtful read.

[et.carole · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A nice charming little novel about two teenagers finding love and dinosaurs. I enjoyed the swapping of the traditional male invested in his work and woman in love with him tropes. I also enjoyed that this novel was both romantic and realistic, and how by following the two main characters past their marriage, the book comes to a more satisfying conclusion.