Friday, October 17, 2014

You - Caroline Kepnes

You is the deliciously creepy new novel from Caroline Kepnes.

When Guinevere Beck walks into a New York bookstore, she immediately catches the eye of the clerk, Joe. A light flirtatious conversation ensues, but for Joe it is much more than that. Beck is the one he's been looking for. They're meant to be together. But Joe wants to make sure everything is right first - so he begins gathering information.... he discovers where Beck lives, begins watching her home, stalking her online profiles and hacks into the cell phone she 'lost' at the bookstore.

You is told entirely from Joe's point of view in an unending, seriously disturbed stream of consciousness narrative. The matter of fact attitude in dealing with roadblocks (Beck has a boyfriend already) to his ultimate goal (Beck) is truly chilling. But just as frightening is his ability to explain and rationalize almost anything. Beck isn't quite the golden girl Joe envisions. But no matter, they will be a beautiful couple. He just has to win her over - bit by bit.

None of the main characters in You are likable. And yet, when I thought about Joe and Beck, it is actually Joe that elicits a modicum of sympathy. I know! Beck is the 'stalkee' and the one in seeming danger, but I really didn't like her at all. Kepnes's character development was excellent.

Kepnes has penned her own version of the 'stalker' novel. It's different - and it's darn good. Kepnes has written for Entertainment Weekly and television. She knows how to grab the reader and hold them. I was hooked from first page to last. And I started getting a little paranoid after the first few chapters.....Read an excerpt of You. And I loved the ending. This one has film written all over it.

You can keep up with Caroline Kepnes on Facebook and on Twitter.

2 comments:

bermudaonion said...

The is the second review I've seen of this book today. It sounds intense!

Tessa~ Here there be musing said...

Mmmmmmmmm... Sounds like a book, which one has to be brave, to enter.

-sigh-

Don't think I'm that brave, right now.

Which doesn't make for much of a comment, but... :-)

Tessa~
"Here there be musing" blog
"Here there be more words" blog