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kristinamj's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
nikki52010's review against another edition
5.0
Like yesterday.
Will leave a review when I can wrap my mind around this. Omg!!
busterkeaton15's review
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
joelette's review
2.0
What was that? What a let down considering You was a refreshing original work.
katykelly's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
I was asked to read this, and reading the synopsis, realised that it was a follow-on from the author's debut. I read that first (title: You) and was glad I did as You was a fabulously dark and twisted story of obsession and sociopathy. I wouldn't really have enjoyed this as much if I hadn't already met the protagonist, and certainly the references to events in the first book wouldn't have made as much sense.
While you can read this by itself, you would both be missing information and a real treat by not seeking out Kepnes' first book and reading that before Hidden Bodies.
Bookseller Joe Goldberg, once obsessed with Guinevere Beck, now has a new love. Amy Adam is everything Beck wasn't - she doesn't use social media, she switches phones every few weeks, she loves the same books as Joe. But now she's disappeared. Joe vows to find her, and unwilling moves to Los Angeles, seeking Amy at every turn. His encounters with the aspiring wannabees, the eccentric, the downright vile take him in unexpected directions, and his own ambitions for love and success take a upward turn. Or do they?
You was a tight thriller of a story centring on Joe's obsession with Beck, and his sociopathic destruction of everything around her. Here he is taken out of his (and our) comfort zone and thrust into a big city that he hates, which at first I didn't like. But gradually I found the whole thing hilarious. It's broader in scope, and features such a cast of unbelievable characters (a screenwriter called Forty, a sex-aholic neighbour, a moral-free comedian (sorry Russell Brand, but I thought of you, that I couldn't wait for Joe to get his murderous fingers on some of them.
For yes, if you haven't read the first, Joe isn't averse to a little murder here and there to get closer to what he wants. He is always able to justify himself, of course. Sometimes he's even sorry. But can he get away with it forever?
Like Dexter (TV series, Jeff Lindsay books), you find yourself rooting for Joe (though Dexter does have more of a relatable moral code - Joe is just downright sociopathic. But that doesn't stop you enjoying the ride! It does go slightly off the rails as several storylines at once are up in the air and you can't see how it's all going to fit together by the end. Though actually, I loved the end.
The end does give closure of sorts but also leaves room for continuation, and let's face it, if you've been with Joe for two books, you'll be wanting more. I am.
Joe is a character you don't forget easily. Amy and the other people Joe meets are all well-described too, very vivid and really entertaining. But he is a wonderful creation. I've read The Book of You, also about an obsessed killer, Dexter of course, even elements of I Let You Go concern obsession, but Joe is I think my favourite obsessive so far. Kepnes has created a fantastic killer, one who loves literature (sold me with that one!), sees the silly flaws in others, and makes you smile at him, even as he's brutally murdering someone who doesn't really deserve it.
The violence of the deaths isn't graphic, but is something to be wary of if you're not keen on grisly deaths.
This can be read as a standalone, but with so many references to the first book, I highly recommend reading that first. They work well as a pair.
I was asked to read this, and reading the synopsis, realised that it was a follow-on from the author's debut. I read that first (title: You) and was glad I did as You was a fabulously dark and twisted story of obsession and sociopathy. I wouldn't really have enjoyed this as much if I hadn't already met the protagonist, and certainly the references to events in the first book wouldn't have made as much sense.
While you can read this by itself, you would both be missing information and a real treat by not seeking out Kepnes' first book and reading that before Hidden Bodies.
Bookseller Joe Goldberg, once obsessed with Guinevere Beck, now has a new love. Amy Adam is everything Beck wasn't - she doesn't use social media, she switches phones every few weeks, she loves the same books as Joe. But now she's disappeared. Joe vows to find her, and unwilling moves to Los Angeles, seeking Amy at every turn. His encounters with the aspiring wannabees, the eccentric, the downright vile take him in unexpected directions, and his own ambitions for love and success take a upward turn. Or do they?
You was a tight thriller of a story centring on Joe's obsession with Beck, and his sociopathic destruction of everything around her. Here he is taken out of his (and our) comfort zone and thrust into a big city that he hates, which at first I didn't like. But gradually I found the whole thing hilarious. It's broader in scope, and features such a cast of unbelievable characters (a screenwriter called Forty, a sex-aholic neighbour, a moral-free comedian (sorry Russell Brand, but I thought of you, that I couldn't wait for Joe to get his murderous fingers on some of them.
For yes, if you haven't read the first, Joe isn't averse to a little murder here and there to get closer to what he wants. He is always able to justify himself, of course. Sometimes he's even sorry. But can he get away with it forever?
Like Dexter (TV series, Jeff Lindsay books), you find yourself rooting for Joe (though Dexter does have more of a relatable moral code - Joe is just downright sociopathic. But that doesn't stop you enjoying the ride! It does go slightly off the rails as several storylines at once are up in the air and you can't see how it's all going to fit together by the end. Though actually, I loved the end.
The end does give closure of sorts but also leaves room for continuation, and let's face it, if you've been with Joe for two books, you'll be wanting more. I am.
Joe is a character you don't forget easily. Amy and the other people Joe meets are all well-described too, very vivid and really entertaining. But he is a wonderful creation. I've read The Book of You, also about an obsessed killer, Dexter of course, even elements of I Let You Go concern obsession, but Joe is I think my favourite obsessive so far. Kepnes has created a fantastic killer, one who loves literature (sold me with that one!), sees the silly flaws in others, and makes you smile at him, even as he's brutally murdering someone who doesn't really deserve it.
The violence of the deaths isn't graphic, but is something to be wary of if you're not keen on grisly deaths.
This can be read as a standalone, but with so many references to the first book, I highly recommend reading that first. They work well as a pair.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
Meet Joe. Joe is a stone-cold serial killer. You don't want to date Joe. At least, you don't want to piss off Joe. It could have deadly consequences. So, when Joe moves to Los Angeles to track down yet another scorned lover, it might surprise you that everything is coming up roses for Joe. Joe meets a mega-wealthy family and fits right in with this strange yet endearing group. He falls in love with a girl named "Love". Things couldn't be better for Joe. His life is really turning around.
But ... Joe's made some mistakes.
Absolutely chilling.
But ... Joe's made some mistakes.
Absolutely chilling.