YOU REVIEW

You (You #1) by Caroline Kepnes
Publish Date: September 25, 2014
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Status: Finished

         When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.
         There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight-the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.
         As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way-even if it means murder.

This book is Hannibal Lector Silence of the Lambs meets Kevin Spacey American Beauty/Humbert Humbert Lolita (in terms of obsession, not age gap) with a dash Sex & The City. I'm sure this mix sounds super appealing and you're salivating to get this book, but it's underwhelming. I really like dark, gory, and twisted stuff but this book bored me: the violent scenes and the characters.

Joe is always lurking and observing Beck's interactions. Beck is a psychologically interesting character, but I'm not her biggest fan. She's in a constant a state of self-loathing; she's hypocritical and attention-seeking. She is free-spirited, but also toxic and a liar. Her games and Joe's obsession got old as the story progressed. Joe has a lot of angsty social commentary/inner-dialogue. He's cynical and obsessed. I know books don't have to have likable characters, but if I have to read their thoughts for 400 pages...

The writing is gritty, dirty and mature. This book is rather explicit because there are sexual situations and swearing. Even with all that, I didn't latch to the story. I read/finished this book for the sake of reading/finishing it. When there was violence or build-up, I wasn't held in suspense. I knew where the plot was going, and I wasn't surprised by the ending. I didn't feel anything, other than boredom.