Series: Standalone
Author: Caroline Kepnes
Published: Sept 30, 2017 - Atria
Format: Galley
Pages: approx 430
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.
Have you ever read a book that was so insanely good, you were afraid to write the review because you didn't think you could accurately convey the freaking awesome nature of the book? That's me with this book. I just finished it a couple days ago, and it is still right on the forefront of my brain. This is a book that I need to buy in print so I can have it on my shelf. Maybe all by itself. Not that I'd put it all alone on a bookshelf, cause you know, that'd be crazy. Ahem (cough cough)
I don't even know where to begin.
F-K yes, I found her.
That's how easy it starts. Joe is working, and this girl comes in. She's different. Right away she catches his attention, and it is game on. This game of cat and mouse begins. Except the cat is more like a rabid puma and the mouse is a stuffed toy, unaware of the danger around it. This isn't just a book about stalking. Clearly, Joe is a stalker, and clearly he is delusional. But this book is about his life, Beck's life, and the life Joe thinks they should have together. It's not to be taken lightly, even though there are funny moments here and there. Joe has the sense of humor of someone I could see myself hanging out with. Dry and witty, even biting at times. He feels like someone I could know. Heck, most of the time he seems like someone I would want to know.
YOU makes you understand the mind of a stalker. Through this whole book I felt like I was living and breathing in Joe's brain. And I was comfortable there, ya know? Joe is not just smart, he's intelligent. He's totally cognizant of things around him, even if those views are sometimes skewed by his obsessions. He's always planning ahead for every contingency, and he's prepared.
I just don't even know what to say. This book made me crazy, I loved it so much. It's one of those books I will be telling everyone about. YOU is so different from anything I've ever read, and I've definitely dipped into the dark side of things. Caroline Kepnes wrote a fantastic story, and that's not even scratching the surface. It is definitely scary, on so many levels. Once again, I find myself quoting my friend Marc when I say the scariest monsters have human faces. But when you are reading this, you won't think Joe is a monster all of the time. I know I didn't.
And do yourself a favor. Check up on social media on some of the characters. Stalk them. They're out there, and that is really awesome.
This book is a five star read. It's on my favorites list. And some people might even be getting it for Christmas. It's completely unique and unusual from anything I've read, but yet, it's so real and completely plausible, that it scares me to the core.
YOU on Goodreads
Caroline Kepnes on Goodreads
Caroline Kepnes has no website, that I can see. Tell her to get one!!
Buy It!
YOU on AMAZON
