Scan barcode
abbuelita's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I really enjoyed this! The main character was fascinating and I couldn’t help rooting for her even as she became more unhinged. The sentence-level writing was excellent. Only reason I didn’t give five stars is because the ending felt like it was missing something.
scavengercat's review against another edition
3.0
4 ⭐️? I love a weird book. But I saw the ending coming and that made me enjoy it less when it happened.
alybre13's review against another edition
4.0
Excellent debut novel! "You" by Caroline Kepnes *Lite*, and from a female protagonist's perspective.
Major trigger warning for infertility
Major trigger warning for infertility
emilyhwinn's review against another edition
4.0
Content warning: This book contains content that is related to rape, sexual abuse, stalking and some sexually explicit content.
That being said, it was a very fast moving story… it felt sort of like watching a train wreck driven by a delusional narcissist. The anti-heroine was delightfully unlikable (yes, really) and the novel did a good job showing how easy it is to cross the line from often joked about “Facebook stalking” to full on obsession. I couldn’t put it down!
That being said, it was a very fast moving story… it felt sort of like watching a train wreck driven by a delusional narcissist. The anti-heroine was delightfully unlikable (yes, really) and the novel did a good job showing how easy it is to cross the line from often joked about “Facebook stalking” to full on obsession. I couldn’t put it down!
shimauchiha's review against another edition
4.0
Read this if you like:
-Women who self-sabotage, stalk and write.
- Complicated female dynamics.
- Book-within-book meta-narratives.
Do not read this if:
- You're triggered by
- You can't like unlikable characters.
- You only like stalkers in thrillers or mysteries.
- You'd be disappointed in a build-up with no confrontation.
My thoughts:
This book is kind of like [b:My Year of Rest and Relaxation|44279110|My Year of Rest and Relaxation|Ottessa Moshfegh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597676656l/44279110._SY75_.jpg|55508660] meets [b:You|36430011|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549463282l/36430011._SY75_.jpg|39913517]. Where instead of sleeping for a year, this time the rich white female protagonist decides to fill the void by stalking her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it.
There are some issues. At the beginning, the narrator's obsession goes from 0 to 100 so suddenly and she expresses no consideration of the consequences of her actions that she comes across as psychopathic, whereas the rest of the book mostly takes the position that she is just a run-of-the-mill stalker.
Reflecting that, the tone of the book also shifts from a more thriller-esque beginning to a more contemporary-introspective-character study towards the end. So depending on your personal tastes, you might find yourself enjoying one half more than the other.
The other issue with the inconsistency is that the beginning sets you up to expect a thriller-style conclusion with a huge confrontation, but the actual ending is the quieter type that suits the second half of the book, but might feel disappointing for the first half.
All that being said, I still enjoyed this. To me, this felt like a version of the voice-y angsty female narrators that have become popular with the likes of [a:Ottessa Moshfegh|3276202|Ottessa Moshfegh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1568839250p2/3276202.jpg] and [a:Salley Rooney|19172475|Salley Rooney|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], but less sophisticated and with more influence from faster-paced, plot-driven genres, which made it an easier read.
Besides, I will always have a soft spot for books with writer characters.
-Women who self-sabotage, stalk and write.
- Complicated female dynamics.
- Book-within-book meta-narratives.
Do not read this if:
- You're triggered by
Spoiler
rape or infertility- You can't like unlikable characters.
- You only like stalkers in thrillers or mysteries.
- You'd be disappointed in a build-up with no confrontation.
My thoughts:
This book is kind of like [b:My Year of Rest and Relaxation|44279110|My Year of Rest and Relaxation|Ottessa Moshfegh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1597676656l/44279110._SY75_.jpg|55508660] meets [b:You|36430011|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1549463282l/36430011._SY75_.jpg|39913517]. Where instead of sleeping for a year, this time the rich white female protagonist decides to fill the void by stalking her boyfriend's ex-girlfriend. Surprisingly, I quite enjoyed it.
There are some issues. At the beginning, the narrator's obsession goes from 0 to 100 so suddenly and she expresses no consideration of the consequences of her actions that she comes across as psychopathic, whereas the rest of the book mostly takes the position that she is just a run-of-the-mill stalker.
Reflecting that, the tone of the book also shifts from a more thriller-esque beginning to a more contemporary-introspective-character study towards the end. So depending on your personal tastes, you might find yourself enjoying one half more than the other.
The other issue with the inconsistency is that the beginning sets you up to expect a thriller-style conclusion with a huge confrontation, but the actual ending is the quieter type that suits the second half of the book, but might feel disappointing for the first half.
All that being said, I still enjoyed this. To me, this felt like a version of the voice-y angsty female narrators that have become popular with the likes of [a:Ottessa Moshfegh|3276202|Ottessa Moshfegh|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1568839250p2/3276202.jpg] and [a:Salley Rooney|19172475|Salley Rooney|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png], but less sophisticated and with more influence from faster-paced, plot-driven genres, which made it an easier read.
Besides, I will always have a soft spot for books with writer characters.
laura_shipman's review against another edition
2.0
This book had such a promising plot but ultimately went nowhere, made me cringe the entire time, and failed to deliver at the end. I’m extremely upset because this book could have been great if the plot was executed differently.
frannook's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Well, I'll be damned. This was a weird book and a wild ride.
steepedpages's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-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
1.5
This was a disappointment. I was hoping for something edgier, more intense or creepy, but the stakes never felt raised. The protagonist is incredibly unlikable, but doesn't seem to realize how awful she is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Stalking, and Infertility
Moderate: Sexual content
etovey's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I wanted this to end differently. It felt very lackluster for such a great story. Maybe I am just used to mysteries and thrillers that have major twists, but this left me wanting something different at the end. Up until the last chapter I would have given it much better ratings. The last chapter was a bummer to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Stalking, Rape, and Infertility