Book Review: These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf

Imprisoned for a heinous crime when she was just a teenager, Allison Glenn is now free. Desperate for a second chance, Allison discovers that the world has moved on without her.
Shunned by those who once loved her, Allison is determined to male contact with her sister. But Brynn is trapped in her own world of regret and torment.
Their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

This is Heather Gudenkauf's second book, her first, The Weight of Silence was the TV Book Clubs pick and was very well received.
These Things Hidden is an extremely difficult book to review, I really enjoyed it but I don't want to spoil it for anyone by giving the plot away. The plot is pretty intricate and draws you in from the very first page. I read this book in one sitting as it flows so easily from chapter to chapter.
Allison is at the centre of the story and she has just been released from prison when we meet her in the first chapter. I can't really decide if I like Allison or not, her whole life has been transformed by one bad decision and that decision then transformed the lives of several others and not all in a positive way. The relationship she has with her sister Brynn is complex and this becomes more and more apparent as the book progresses. Allison realises that to get on with her future, she must address the issues from her past.
This book, as some others have said, has some similarities to Jodi Picoult's books, I think these comparisons are due the way in which the characters and their relationships with each other are really focused on.
I think that Heather Gudenkauf is a great story teller, I definitely want to read her first book and she is an author that I will look out for in the future.