Love hurts...
When aspiring writer Guinevere Beck strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe works, he’s instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: She’s gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and as sexy as his wildest dreams.
Beck doesn’t know it yet, but she’s perfect for him, and soon she can’t resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom made for her. But there’s more to Joe than Beck realizes, and much more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade. Their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences . . .
A chilling account of unrelenting passion, Caroline Kepnes’s You is a perversely romantic thriller that’s more dangerously clever than any you’ve read before.
Publication Date: September 30, 2014
Well, that was different! I think it’s safe to say most
readers will not have read anything much like You before. I was a little leery
at first because of the second person narration, but Joe hooked me and I pulled
an all-nighter to finish the book. You was suspenseful, funny and definitely a
little on the bizarre side. But I loved it and I won’t be forgetting Joe and
Beck anytime soon.
Second person narration is always tough for me. I usually
end up throwing in the towel after the first few chapters. But the narrator of
You was so compelling and freaking crazy I had to keep reading. Joe is the
stalker of the novel and I found it incredible how I didn’t completely loathe
him. He was funny! There was a lot of dark humor in the book and Joe skewers
certain classes of people with exact precision. I felt horrible for laughing
alongside someone so depraved, but Joe makes you believe many of his actions
are almost justifiable.
Beck wasn’t the most likable character and her flaws helped
make the book work. If she were this perfect young woman, then the ick factor
would be a little too much for me to take. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely
felt like I needed a long shower after reading, but Beck’s caustic personality
made it easier to stomach some of the creepier things Joe does in his pursuit
of her.
The pacing was excellent and I found so many of Joe’s
diatribes hilarious. There were so many quotable lines within the book that I
stopped highlighting after the first few chapters. Joe works in a bookstore and
I loved the way he would come up with these outrageous connections between his
life and his favorite books and movies.
The ending I guessed although I was hoping for a different
outcome. But in a way the book’s conclusion fit with the overall creepy feel of
the novel. For fans of
psychological suspense and thrillers, this book is a must read.
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Thanks to the publisher for a copy of the novel for review!
