Audiobook Review: Providence by Caroline Kepnes

Title: Providence Written by: Caroline Kepnes Published: June 19, 2018 by Lenny (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A propulsive new thriller about the obsessive nature of love when an intensifying relationship between best friends is disrupted by a kidnapping.  Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other, though they can never find the words to tell one another the depth of their feelings. When Jon is finally ready to confess his feelings, he's suddenly kidnapped by his substitute teacher who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity.  Mourning the disappearance of Jon and facing the reality he may never return, Chloe tries to navigate the rites of entering young adulthood and "fit in" with the popular crowd, but thoughts of Jon are never far away.  When Jon finally escapes, he discovers he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to protect Chloe and find the answers to his new identity--but he's soon being tracked by a detective who is fascinated by a series of vigilante killings that appear connected.  Whisking us on a journey through New England and crashing these characters' lives together in the most unexpected ways, Kepnes explores the complex relationship between love and identity, unrequited passion and obsession, self-preservation and self-destruction, and how the lines are often blurred between the two.

*** I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This fact has not changed my opinion. ***

I loved the You duology and I was super excited to check out her new book because it takes places where I live, in Providence. And even though this is a very different book, I was not disappointed. Kepnes really knows how to write an engaging book with complex characters.

What I loved about this book is that it's not your typical mystery or thriller. Yes, there are elements of that here. Kepnes writes a story that has you wondering and questioning from beginning to end. She does a great job of establishing a cat and mouse narrative where you root for both of them to succeed which adds a lot to the drama and adventure. But there was more too it then that. There is kind of a science fiction/horror element here. It's inspired by an H.P. Lovecraft story so that should give you some indication of what we are working with. And Kepnes did a great job of weaving the two together to craft an engaging and interesting story.

The book alternates perspectives between Jon, Chloe, and Eggs. This is kind of hit or miss for me but here it worked. The first half of the book is just Chloe and Jon. When Jon gets kidnapped Chloe, his best friend, is pining for him. It's a sweet story of friendship and seeing both perspectives you want them to reunite. But the really interesting part is when Eggs joins the narrative. There is a lot of mistaken intentions and misunderstandings that make the book full of conflict and drama. But I also think this was aided by the fact that for most of the book I listened to the audiobook and each character had a different narrator. They all did a really good job. I picked up the audio because Jon is narrated by MacLeod Andrews who I love, but I also really enjoyed the narrator for Eggs. He had the perfect Rhode Island accent. It wasn't too over the top and I loved that. Plus he has narrated some Lovecraft which was extra cool.

Kepnes also did a great job with establishing the characters. I loved in You how she was able to get you to sympathize with a serial killer, and in this book she gets you to sympathize with two different people who are on opposite ends of the conflict. It's not hard to sympathize with Jon. He was kidnapped and the backlash from what happened to him has crazy consequences. It was cool seeing him grow and develop throughout the book and become a little bit more grey in what he was doing morally. Eggs however lives in the grey. These are the types of characters who are doing the wrong thing for the right reasons or the right things for the wrong reasons. But either way, those are the kinds of characters that I love reading about.

I also really appreciated the setting of this book. As I said before, I live in Providence and I was a little nervous that this book wouldn't capture the city that I love but I think that it didn't. The entire book didn't take place in Providence, but the part in the city was great. There were landmarks that I recognized and she captured what it is like living in a college town (they are sometimes as annoying as she let on). Kepnes must be familiar with the city or she did her research. Either way I really appreciated that. Her books are usually show a lot of affection for New England and I appreciated that.

On the whole this was a really good read. It didn't blow me away like You and Hidden Bodies did but it still struck a cord emotionally. It had a lot of conflict and an engaging plot, great characters, and a setting that I really enjoyed.

I give You by Caroline Kepnes 9 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. I would definitely recommend this to fans of more mysteries or want to try something with subtle science fiction/fantasy elements. It's also a good book if you like reading thrillers with dubious characters.

Have you read Providence? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: Providence by Caroline Kepnes

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: Providence Published: June 19, 2018 by Lenny Books (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: A propulsive new thriller about the obsessive nature of love when an intensifying relationship between best friends is disrupted by a kidnapping. Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other, though they can never find the words to tell one another the depth of their feelings. When Jon is finally ready to confess his feelings, he's suddenly kidnapped by his substitute teacher who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity. Mourning the disappearance of Jon and facing the reality he may never return, Chloe tries to navigate the rites of entering young adulthood and "fit in" with the popular crowd, but thoughts of Jon are never far away. When Jon finally escapes, he discovers he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to protect Chloe and find the answers to his new identity--but he's soon being tracked by a detective who is fascinated by a series of vigilante killings that appear connected. Whisking us on a journey through New England and crashing these characters' lives together in the most unexpected ways, Kepnes explores the complex relationship between love and identity, unrequited passion and obsession, self-preservation and self-destruction, and how the lines are often blurred between the two.

Why I'm Waiting:

I loved the You duology by Caroline Kepnas. They were some of my favorite books of the year when I read them. They were really complex and dark mysteries and thrillers. I loved the characters and how you were in the head of a serial killer who was still very sympathetic, watching him murder people. I didn't even know she was coming out with a new book but when I did I knew I needed to read it!

But even if I didn't love this author I probably would still want to read this book. It sounds like a truly fascinating read with a kidnapping, Lovecraft, and what I think is a little bit of a supernatural element. I'm also super excited to read a book that takes place in Providence. When I read You it made me miss Rhode Island and I have since moved back there and am interested to see in Kepnes does it justice.
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I am definitely excited about this book. I was approved for an e-ARC on Netgalley so I am hoping to read it sooner rather than later. But I think I will save it for the summertime because I love to read thriller in the summer. There is just something about reading a gripping read on the beach and this will be such a perfect one.

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on Providence along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnas

**** This is a sequel and therefore may contain spoilers. If you have not read You, proceed with caution. But seriously, read You. It's amazing. Here's my review.****

Title: Hidden Bodies Series: You #2 Written by: Caroline Kepnas Published: February 23, 2016 by Simon & Schuster (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.  In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend—he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice...

This book is seriously messed up. I'm totally reeling by the way it ended. It was so freaking crazy. I loved the first book in the series so I had to read the second one and find out what Was going to happen next. And I was not disappointed. Everything I liked about the first book made this book seriously entertaining.

For one this, this is such a fantastic thriller. The author did a great job pulling in moments and loose ends from the first book while still creating a completely new plot lines for this story. It felt like a continuation of the story and yet still completely unique. It's not really a book with a heavy mystery element which I usually prefer but it is a book full of twists and thrills. It had me guessing and on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. There were so many omens throughout the book that had me shocked in the best possible way. It just had me so surprised and when it was all said and done I was left practically speechless.  The plot development is seriously crazy.

But he craziest thing about this book is the characters, especially the main character of Joe. I mean if I didn't know it in the first book I definitely know now that Joe is an absolutely horrible human being. He is a selfish, egomaniacal psychopath who can justify even the most awful behaviors. Yet there is something so compelling about him. You secretly want him to get away with it all even though you know he should get punished. Kepnas does such a great job in making him strangely likable.

A lot of what makes Joe so likable I think is that every character here is super unlikable. He surrounds himself or is surrounded by equally awful people. Albeit none of them are serial killers, but still. They are awful, vapid, annoying, and self-centered. It oddly justifies some of Joe's baser actions because you can almost let him convince you of their terribleness because in the darkest let of your soul, you were kind of thinking it yourself.

That's what this book does, it appeals to the darkest part of your soul. Because seriously, this book is dark. It's brutal and vulgar and dark. I loved that about the first book and I loved the fact that this second one was just as dark. This is a book that is definitely firmly in the adult category. Not that teens or fans of YA read can't read but just be warned that it is on the mature side. It's full of sex and violence and terrible people doing terrible things but I kind of loved that. This series is not for the faint of heart but if you like those kind of books then totally read this one.

All in all I loved it. It's really amazing and I thought it was a fantastic sequel. I once again listened to the audiobook and it was great. No one does morally ambiguous characters like Santino Fontana. He truly embodies the charm of Joe while also capturing his terrible characteristics. He makes him a character that you love to hate.

I'm honestly not ready to see this series go. I don't think there are any plans for a third book but I would seriously love it if there was. There are definitely some possibilities of where this story can go but it ended in a very messed up and very satisfying way.

I give Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnas 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Definitely get a copy of this book. If you enjoyed the first book you have to get this one. It's just as messed up. And seriously if you like thrillers and books with terrible people doing terrible things you need to read this series. If you like audiobooks I recommend this one.

Have you read Hidden Bodies? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Audiobook Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

Title: You Series: You #1 Written by: Caroline Kepnes Published: June 28, 2016 by Delacorte Press (Random House) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: 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.

I had heard great things about this book so I snagged the audio from the library. I'm glad I did because this book is dark. Dark and creepy and vulgar and one of the best thrillers I have read in a long time.

This book is a roller coaster ride of emotions and thrills. I usually prefer a book that slowly builds to an exciting conclusion and this was not like that. Sure, it had a fantastic ending that had me terrified and on the edge of my seat but it didn't slowly get there. It hit you with something and then brought you down, then back up again when you least expected it. But it wasn't badly paced. It was all part of the experience. This is the kind of book that benefited from that kind of uncertainty and unexpected twists and turns. It made for a very thrilling read.

But this is a psychological thriller and therefore had some absolutely insane characterizations. Being inside the head of Joe Goldberg is not a fun place to be. He is a creepy, narcissistic, sociopath. But that makes him such a compelling antihero. I spent so much of the book wanting to tell him not to do what he was doing, to stop being such a creep, and to just move on. But at the same time I sympathized with his jaded dislike of others. The best parts of him connected to the worst parts of me. It was such a strange feeling to empathize and understand where a character is coming from and at the same time be so terrified of them.

And Santino Fontana, the narrator of the audio, really brought Joe to life. A lot of why I think I liked him in those rare moments were because of Santino. He made this character feel so real and that was what made him so interesting and complex. You felt the highs and the lows of his personality. When he was annoyed, you were annoyed. When he was excited, you were excited. When he was angry, you were nervous. It made for such an emotional read. And frankly it may have ruined Santino for me. How can I watch Crazy Ex-Girlfriend without thinking about this book now? Dammit, I love that show and I love him on it.

The other really unique thing about this read is the format. It's not totally in second person but it is sort of in that narrative style. Joe frequently refers to "you" and as a reader sometimes you forget that he means Beck and not you, the reader. And that makes things all the more terrifying and creepy. This is not a guy you want referring to and interacting with you. And the format just makes for such an interesting thriller. I have been reading a few books written in this style lately and I definitely enjoy it. It makes for an immersive experience and with a book that is full of thrills that is engaging.

But I do feel like this book has to come with a bit of a warning. It is not for the faint of heart though. It is dark and vulgar and slightly gruesome. There is a lot of sex and violence.  As a typically YA reader I have to warn you that this book is far from clean. It's creepy and gross and will make you cringe quite often throughout the book. But that kind of added to the thrills. It felt so raw in that way. And even more like something I shouldn't be enjoying.

But I did enjoy it. I enjoyed it a lot. On the whole this was a complex and dark thriller. It had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end and I absolutely loved it.

I give You by Caroline Kepnas 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy! This book is really fantastic. I would definitely recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers and anyone who likes books about antiheroes and murderers. I would also totally recommend the audio. It's a great format for the book and a great narrator.

Have you read You? What did you think? How creeped out were you by reading it? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!