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seekerxr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I did watch the first...two? Seasons of the show when it came out years ago so I did vaguely know what to expect when watching this but wow. WOW. However bad Joe was in the show he is ten times worse in the books.
From the very first page, the writing style of this book is just incredibly gripping. There is no easing you into this book's particular flavor of suspense and horror and revulsion; you're in the deep end from day one. You know exactly where this book is going, exactly how it's going to end, and all you can do is just watch uneasily as the bitter end grows closer and closer. The writing in this book is truly like nothing I've ever seen: first person from Joe's point of view yet also second person, as if his entire narration of the book is a story he is telling TO Beck. It's chilling and vicious and so incredibly unsettling you just can't look away.
Joe really is the worst sort of criminal and internal monologue tells you that clear as day. The worst part is he doesn't think he's bad, which is probably par for the course when it comes to people like him, but it still makes you a bit incredulous to read how he justifies the absolutely insane things he thinks about and does. The way he claims that Beck is the love of his life but half the time literally all he thinks and cares about is her body and when he'll next get to sleep with her.
That being said, I did have some problems with this book. It definitely shows its age at being early to mid-2010s literature with just a smattering of bigotry. I don't if the author put that in deliberately to show it was how Joe thought or if it was just a product of the attitudes at the time it was written. For me it was just on the border of too much sometimes, but never bad enough to stop reading the entire book.
I would say definitely do a bit more in-depth research on the trigger warnings before deciding to pick them up because the tags on Storygraph missed some important ones, but otherwise this book was pretty great. I won't be continuing the series, because having someone like Joe Goldberg as the main character and being in his head is a LOT, but I did enjoy this book!
From the very first page, the writing style of this book is just incredibly gripping. There is no easing you into this book's particular flavor of suspense and horror and revulsion; you're in the deep end from day one. You know exactly where this book is going, exactly how it's going to end, and all you can do is just watch uneasily as the bitter end grows closer and closer. The writing in this book is truly like nothing I've ever seen: first person from Joe's point of view yet also second person, as if his entire narration of the book is a story he is telling TO Beck. It's chilling and vicious and so incredibly unsettling you just can't look away.
Joe really is the worst sort of criminal and internal monologue tells you that clear as day. The worst part is he doesn't think he's bad, which is probably par for the course when it comes to people like him, but it still makes you a bit incredulous to read how he justifies the absolutely insane things he thinks about and does. The way he claims that Beck is the love of his life but half the time literally all he thinks and cares about is her body and when he'll next get to sleep with her.
That being said, I did have some problems with this book. It definitely shows its age at being early to mid-2010s literature with just a smattering of bigotry. I don't if the author put that in deliberately to show it was how Joe thought or if it was just a product of the attitudes at the time it was written. For me it was just on the border of too much sometimes, but never bad enough to stop reading the entire book.
I would say definitely do a bit more in-depth research on the trigger warnings before deciding to pick them up because the tags on Storygraph missed some important ones, but otherwise this book was pretty great. I won't be continuing the series, because having someone like Joe Goldberg as the main character and being in his head is a LOT, but I did enjoy this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism
Moderate: Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Gaslighting
Minor: Homophobia
urfriendash's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
CHILLING........
so i bought this because i loved the show, and everyone told me 'joe is so much darker in the book!' and i was like okay ill bite
i don't think joe is like super darker in this, but because we are limited to his inner dialogue in the show, we miss out on some of the crazy creepy stuff he thinks about. plus, the show made a lot of changes to the plot. like the paco plot doesn't exist in the books, and yk in the show ur like 'oh he a terrible guy but at least he's helping paco' well you cant say that in the book..
this book was actually scary, not cuz of some monster or vampire yk but because this could happen to anyone irl! plenty of people don't figure out their being stalked for years.. joes narrating was so crazy to me, like people actually think this shit. he's super perverted and he's great at gaslighting and manipulating!
anyway super good book, very disturbing, anddddd id say 13+. if your mature. there's a bunch of perverted stuff and sex scenes, as well as detailing of murder and stalking (obviously)
so i bought this because i loved the show, and everyone told me 'joe is so much darker in the book!' and i was like okay ill bite
i don't think joe is like super darker in this, but because we are limited to his inner dialogue in the show, we miss out on some of the crazy creepy stuff he thinks about. plus, the show made a lot of changes to the plot. like the paco plot doesn't exist in the books, and yk in the show ur like 'oh he a terrible guy but at least he's helping paco' well you cant say that in the book..
this book was actually scary, not cuz of some monster or vampire yk but because this could happen to anyone irl! plenty of people don't figure out their being stalked for years.. joes narrating was so crazy to me, like people actually think this shit. he's super perverted and he's great at gaslighting and manipulating!
anyway super good book, very disturbing, anddddd id say 13+. if your mature. there's a bunch of perverted stuff and sex scenes, as well as detailing of murder and stalking (obviously)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Murder, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Torture, Physical abuse, Stalking, Medical content, and Gaslighting
lots of perverted contents1ck4n's review against another edition
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Misogyny, Stalking, and Sexism
prinners's review against another edition
It's written terribly. Seriously, what's with the lack of punctuation? One sentence does not need to be 18 rows of text. And it wasn't just one time either, it was constant, in pretty much every chapter, multiple times.
There's nothing charming or likeable about Joe. He's sexist and calls Beck a whore/slut/whatever you can think of, way too many times. I didn't find anything worth rooting for in him. And no, it's not sexy or hot that he randomly jacks off in random places all the time, such as Peaches bathroom or bedroom, wherever it was, when Peach and Beck were right in the other room. As if he wouldn't get caught immediately.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism
kelseyr713's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As you can see, this took me a long time to read. For whatever reason, I wasn’t compelled to find out what happened next, and it’s both tedious and upsetting to be in the protagonist’s head for too long. Can’t believe there are THREE more books in this series - how does he keep getting away with this??? Also feels dated in a few ways.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, and Confinement
Moderate: Alcohol and Car accident
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
brittsky's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Every time I read this (and this was my third time through), I’m surprised anew by how endlessly explicit it is. Joe’s inner monologue is lurid and obscene and it does not let up for a single second.
And yet, for some reason, this particular stream of obscenities really works for me. I think Caroline Kepnes is a uniquely talented writer, capable of giving us a cast of horribly depraved characters and a sick, twisted little plot, and making it both explosive and educational. I feel like this is the best sort of cautionary tale, getting to live in Joe’s head and listen to him rationalize how nothing he does is ever his fault. It’s so disturbing, but in a way that feels purposeful, and the unique second-person perspective makes the readers feel they are in it, experiencing it.
And yet, for some reason, this particular stream of obscenities really works for me. I think Caroline Kepnes is a uniquely talented writer, capable of giving us a cast of horribly depraved characters and a sick, twisted little plot, and making it both explosive and educational. I feel like this is the best sort of cautionary tale, getting to live in Joe’s head and listen to him rationalize how nothing he does is ever his fault. It’s so disturbing, but in a way that feels purposeful, and the unique second-person perspective makes the readers feel they are in it, experiencing it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment, Stalking, Murder, Sexism, and Rape
phantomgecko's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
A stream of consciousness from a misogynistic narcissist. Pretty disgusting tbh. Originally I tried to listen to the audiobook, but it was too intense. This is a book where the language really bothered me. Extremely vulgar and obscene. Very much reminded me of the internet, esp Reddit, which obvs was the goal.
Think of the whiniest, most foul-mouthed little incel you can, and that's this dude. Note how many times he refers to women as objects. How many times he reduces Beck to her sexual availability or genitals. How many times he misinterprets media to justify his actions. Also, lol at how judgmental he is about books. I think this is a more fun variation than being super judgmental about music or comics or video games.
Joe is seven layers of delusional, from thinking Beck is obsessed with him to awaiting the collapse of the internet so he can lord it over with his typewriters to thinking he ever helped anyone. However, some of what I thought he was making up at the beginning turned out to be close to the truth. Like how he says that Beck loves attention and is an exhibitionist. Still, I'd categorize him as an unreliable narrator.
Beck isn't a great person either. She has real issues and a way annoying personality. Joe's observation that she wants to be a writer more than she wants to write is spot on. Nevertheless, a victim is a victim whether or not they are "innocent" or you personally dislike them.See also Dr. Nicky.
One of the book club questions at the end asked something along the lines of, "did you find yourself wishing Joe would be punished for his crimes or did you want him to get away with it?" And like... ?????????? If you found yourself sympathetic to Joe's self-imposed, imaginary, selfish plight, maybe you need help too?
Here is a guy that murders four people by the end of the book, and frames another guy for one of the murders. This isn't a crime mystery, so the fact he gets away with everything shouldn't hold you up. Willing suspension of disbelief and all. But he actively and repeatedly blames every victim for their own murder. Most psychotic of all, he kills Beck, starts freaking out because he didn't mean it, realizes she's actually still alive, and then kills her again IMMEDIATELY and then cries because it's all her fault.
I honestly cannot adequately express how despicable the main character is. I understand that that is the point. I feel dirty for reading this book, tbh, and I'm not continuing the series. Joe is too accurately written, and that's too depressing for me.
Think of the whiniest, most foul-mouthed little incel you can, and that's this dude. Note how many times he refers to women as objects. How many times he reduces Beck to her sexual availability or genitals. How many times he misinterprets media to justify his actions. Also, lol at how judgmental he is about books. I think this is a more fun variation than being super judgmental about music or comics or video games.
Joe is seven layers of delusional, from thinking Beck is obsessed with him to awaiting the collapse of the internet so he can lord it over with his typewriters to thinking he ever helped anyone. However, some of what I thought he was making up at the beginning turned out to be close to the truth. Like how he says that Beck loves attention and is an exhibitionist. Still, I'd categorize him as an unreliable narrator.
Beck isn't a great person either. She has real issues and a way annoying personality. Joe's observation that she wants to be a writer more than she wants to write is spot on. Nevertheless, a victim is a victim whether or not they are "innocent" or you personally dislike them.
One of the book club questions at the end asked something along the lines of, "did you find yourself wishing Joe would be punished for his crimes or did you want him to get away with it?" And like... ?????????? If you found yourself sympathetic to Joe's self-imposed, imaginary, selfish plight, maybe you need help too?
I honestly cannot adequately express how despicable the main character is. I understand that that is the point. I feel dirty for reading this book, tbh, and I'm not continuing the series. Joe is too accurately written, and that's too depressing for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual harassment, and Sexual content
Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Car accident, Classism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Bullying, Confinement, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness
wyabook234's review
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Confinement, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Police brutality
snowhite197's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
david_slack110507's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I've had this on my tbr list for a good while however after I watched the series on Netflix (and thoroughly loved it) I was hesitant about whether to read the book until I learned that the books are pretty different to the adaptation with this one being the most faithful and even this book is different to the series adaptation. Some of the changes the series made I liked and preferred what was in the book however I do prefer other aspects of the book over the tv show.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book on Audible and I really think that's one of the best ways to experience this story, Santino Fontana really nails it at playing Joe and showing just how unhinged yet deluded he really is, something I think the book does better than the TV show adaptation. In the show and specifically the first season (Which adapts the first book in the You series), Joe is a much more complex character than he is in the book in terms of morality. In the show, we learn bits about his past with it having an abusive and toxic environment that he grew up in and we also see him trying to help Paco out of the same situation as he sees himself in Paco's situation, this acts as a way to humanise Joe combined with the fact that because it is told from his perspective means that his actions despite how despicable they are and then combated with Joe being a 'nice' person. It creates a contrast and I do think that while it's evident that Joe is a horrible person, these added complexities mean that he could be viewed as not entirely evil.
The book completely goes against this instead having no situations where Joe is seen as potentially a flawed person. There is no Paco and any situations involving him hurting others are played out exactly as they should be, Joe is portrayed as the monster that he is. I think both the TV show and the book have very interesting takes on Joe and they both work: Showcasing Joe as the monster he is shows that the book isn't trying to romanticise his behaviour however having a multi-dimensional and complex version of Joe as seen in the TV show results in a much more interesting character.
I actually feel most if not all the changes the show makes were for the better: In the show, the women are much more capable, sure they have their issues but, in the book, they are portrayed as being completely useless and defences which is most likely done on purpose to feed into Joe's heroic narrative/saviour complex. However, in the show, they are able to take care of themselves to some degree.
I also want to point out that I really did like this especially for the fact that it didn't romanticise Joe's actions, despite all the comparisons I have to the show I still think that this stands well on its own and I do feel like while I prefer the show's adaptation/interpretation, this was still very strong and acted as a strong commentary on the 'nice guy' culture. Overall, a very strong start to the series and I'm very interested in where the series goes from here as well as how different it will be from the Netflix show.
I listened to the audiobook version of this book on Audible and I really think that's one of the best ways to experience this story, Santino Fontana really nails it at playing Joe and showing just how unhinged yet deluded he really is, something I think the book does better than the TV show adaptation. In the show and specifically the first season (Which adapts the first book in the You series), Joe is a much more complex character than he is in the book in terms of morality. In the show, we learn bits about his past with it having an abusive and toxic environment that he grew up in and we also see him trying to help Paco out of the same situation as he sees himself in Paco's situation, this acts as a way to humanise Joe combined with the fact that because it is told from his perspective means that his actions despite how despicable they are and then combated with Joe being a 'nice' person. It creates a contrast and I do think that while it's evident that Joe is a horrible person, these added complexities mean that he could be viewed as not entirely evil.
The book completely goes against this instead having no situations where Joe is seen as potentially a flawed person. There is no Paco and any situations involving him hurting others are played out exactly as they should be, Joe is portrayed as the monster that he is. I think both the TV show and the book have very interesting takes on Joe and they both work: Showcasing Joe as the monster he is shows that the book isn't trying to romanticise his behaviour however having a multi-dimensional and complex version of Joe as seen in the TV show results in a much more interesting character.
I actually feel most if not all the changes the show makes were for the better: In the show, the women are much more capable, sure they have their issues but, in the book, they are portrayed as being completely useless and defences which is most likely done on purpose to feed into Joe's heroic narrative/saviour complex. However, in the show, they are able to take care of themselves to some degree.
I also want to point out that I really did like this especially for the fact that it didn't romanticise Joe's actions, despite all the comparisons I have to the show I still think that this stands well on its own and I do feel like while I prefer the show's adaptation/interpretation, this was still very strong and acted as a strong commentary on the 'nice guy' culture. Overall, a very strong start to the series and I'm very interested in where the series goes from here as well as how different it will be from the Netflix show.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, Sexism, Murder, Sexual content, Kidnapping, and Misogyny
Moderate: Blood, Deadnaming, and Grief
Minor: Mental illness, Death of parent, Alcohol, Homophobia, Car accident, and Suicide attempt