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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
This may be the most repetitive book of all time. You know when you read Frankenstein, and you think, the landscape is lonely, the monster is lonely, Victor is lonely, now, PLEASE kill something?! Anything! That is this book on steroids. Guess what? John is lonely, Chloe is lonely, their love is oh-so-star-crossed, and the ANGST, my goodness! Of course, a five minute conversation could have fixed it all, but, nooooo. I made the mistake of listening to it on audiobook. If I had seen a paper copy, I would have read the first four chapters and the last four chapters, and would not have missed a THING.
Loved this book! Caroline Kepnes knows how to write! Thank you Caroline for sending me an advanced copy of your book. It is a strange concept that someone can “reprogram”, if you will, another human to make him capable of instantly giving anyone who gets close to him a heart attack, but that’s what is happening here. Jon, a loner, a loser from high school, is kidnapped by a substitute teacher, Roger Blair, of his and put into a medically induced coma for four years. When he comes to he is in a mall and is significantly larger and healthier than before. He quickly finds out tho that he cannot be around people or he gives them heart attacks. Which means he cannot be with his one love, Chloe. A lot more ensues in his quest to figure out where Roger is and figure out what’s wrong with him, all while he and Chloe deal, separately, with their need to be together, all while a detective, Eggs, is trying to track down whoever is making people die from heart attacks.
I enjoyed the chapters alternating from perspective to perspective. There’s a lot of real sentences, it’s written like people think, like they would speak rather than like a novel that’s all polished and perfect. The characters aren’t perfect by any means. At one point I just didn’t know who I was supposed to consider “good” and “bad”. Always entertaining though, and kept me reading wanting to know about these characters and more about what will happen in the end.
Can’t wait for this book to be released and for all of the Caroline Kepnes fans to read it and for new Caroline Kepnes fans to be created!
I enjoyed the chapters alternating from perspective to perspective. There’s a lot of real sentences, it’s written like people think, like they would speak rather than like a novel that’s all polished and perfect. The characters aren’t perfect by any means. At one point I just didn’t know who I was supposed to consider “good” and “bad”. Always entertaining though, and kept me reading wanting to know about these characters and more about what will happen in the end.
Can’t wait for this book to be released and for all of the Caroline Kepnes fans to read it and for new Caroline Kepnes fans to be created!
I really enjoyed Providence. Great characters and the story moved along at a great pace. An enjoyable read.
I don’t know how I feel right now! This book grabbed me in from the start, and never let go. I felt my heart breaking for the characters, and there were many moments where I felt the need to just set the dang book down and breathe. Thank you Caroline for another amazing novel! It’s beautiful, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s quite possibly my new favorite book.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was enjoying this book up until the point where Krishna kept getting called a good guy. Someone bumped into him in a store and apologized multiple times. In response, he beat the living piss out of him? The cops, the friends, and Jon all comment about how good of a person he was. Liking Harry Potter does not make up for beating a stranger senseless. Ugh. Okay, moving on...
I was drawn to this book because of my love for Lovecraft. However, I felt at times that the author didn't really do enough research prior to writing which bothered me. "Cthulhu you there"? Really? Lmao I think the Lovecraft world is too big for lazy attempts at incorporating it into this book; it just felt like a missed opportunity.
All that being said, her writing was phenomenal as always. The voices she creates are always personable. It held my interest (I did finish it) and I will continue to read her work. This book just fell very short for me after the first third of it. I felt like Jon's power was revealed to us far too early. It all ended up dragging on with no real twists.
I was drawn to this book because of my love for Lovecraft. However, I felt at times that the author didn't really do enough research prior to writing which bothered me. "Cthulhu you there"? Really? Lmao I think the Lovecraft world is too big for lazy attempts at incorporating it into this book; it just felt like a missed opportunity.
All that being said, her writing was phenomenal as always. The voices she creates are always personable. It held my interest (I did finish it) and I will continue to read her work. This book just fell very short for me after the first third of it. I felt like Jon's power was revealed to us far too early. It all ended up dragging on with no real twists.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
2.5 stars. I hate to say it but I didn’t like this book. I love Kepnes’s previous work but the story (or lack there of) didn’t entertain me at all. I have to say the characters were good the emotions were well written and all the back story was in place but to me the story just didn’t go anywhere. And when it did it took its sweet sweet time getting there. All in all I’m very disappointed with this new release.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
2.5 stars, rounded up (only because I have mad respect for Caroline Kepnes as an author; this book was… something else)
What… the what? What did I just read?
This book was science fiction, but not? Jon is transformed into this man with powers but we don’t know how he got them and we never really find out the full extent of his powers as Jon is too scared to see what he can really do. Most of the deaths he causes are accidental and even the ones that aren’t? I’m not sure Jon fully realizes what it is his powers are and what he can do.
The bond between Jon and Chloe is… bizarre. I get Jon’s obsession with Chloe but her obsession with him? Nope, don’t buy it after all those years. It’s weird.
And Eggs? What a mess of a character. I mean, we all are our own beautiful little messes but dang. Reading about his marriage made me infinitely thankful for my partner.
This whole book was slow, dragging on far longer than it needed to. I don’t feel the climax of the story offered much to me and the epilogue left me with more questions than when I started this book.
Honestly, this is one that could probably be skipped. An odd little book that didn’t hit right, at all.
What… the what? What did I just read?
This book was science fiction, but not? Jon is transformed into this man with powers but we don’t know how he got them and we never really find out the full extent of his powers as Jon is too scared to see what he can really do. Most of the deaths he causes are accidental and even the ones that aren’t? I’m not sure Jon fully realizes what it is his powers are and what he can do.
The bond between Jon and Chloe is… bizarre. I get Jon’s obsession with Chloe but her obsession with him? Nope, don’t buy it after all those years. It’s weird.
And Eggs? What a mess of a character. I mean, we all are our own beautiful little messes but dang. Reading about his marriage made me infinitely thankful for my partner.
This whole book was slow, dragging on far longer than it needed to. I don’t feel the climax of the story offered much to me and the epilogue left me with more questions than when I started this book.
Honestly, this is one that could probably be skipped. An odd little book that didn’t hit right, at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail