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3.28 AVERAGE
3.28 AVERAGE
So I have to say this book started out fabulously! I was hooked from the beginning and it just kept me on edge, turning pages and pages. Up until the end where I’m left on the edge thinking what the heck??? I personally like an ending or a closure and I get that not everything has a happy ending but I desperately wanted this one to have one. It’s not an unhappy ending but it’s not what I wanted.
2.5/5☆~ a sort of supernatural love story/mystery inspired by lovecraft that I just couldnt really get into. I kinda liked jon, but not much. I didnt like any other character, they all pretty much suck? the writing was.....ok, kind of stream of consciousness but in 3rd person told through 3 different characters starting when two of the MCs are kids up to their adulthood, but it felt a little jumpy so I just had a hard time really getting into it.
I dont know, I'll still probably read the next Kepnes book, but this didnt do it for me. maybe you'll have better luck!
I dont know, I'll still probably read the next Kepnes book, but this didnt do it for me. maybe you'll have better luck!
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jon? Joe?
While i found this book to be really interesting, the writing style was so similar to her You series that I kept envisioning the Joe character. That makes it difficult to keep the new character separate. Usually I’m not so bothered by something like writing style but it’s so significant. It’s when you’re in the character’s thoughts and they repeat words over and over. She usually does three words and then repeats them again later to tie in the thoughts and actions. Ugh... if you know what I mean, you know. I also didn’t like the lack of resolution. Some people find that fascinating but i would’ve liked at least some kind of justice or meaning behind it. Just my opinion... in would still read more from this author regardless.
While i found this book to be really interesting, the writing style was so similar to her You series that I kept envisioning the Joe character. That makes it difficult to keep the new character separate. Usually I’m not so bothered by something like writing style but it’s so significant. It’s when you’re in the character’s thoughts and they repeat words over and over. She usually does three words and then repeats them again later to tie in the thoughts and actions. Ugh... if you know what I mean, you know. I also didn’t like the lack of resolution. Some people find that fascinating but i would’ve liked at least some kind of justice or meaning behind it. Just my opinion... in would still read more from this author regardless.
In a small New Hampshire town, Jon and Chloe were best friends in high school, on the way for their relationship to become something more. Then, Jon was kidnapped by a substitute teacher when he was taking a shortcut through the woods to school. Chloe is frantic and eventually rebels when no one seems to care. Eventually, she returns to her popular friends and acts like everything is normal. Four years later, Jon wakes up in a mall basement with no memory at all of the time elapsed. He finds that he somehow hurts people by being near them and runs away until he can get a handle on the power after he kills someone. Chloe goes on to be a successful artist and a detective named Eggs starts to follow mysterious heart attack deaths with interest. Will Jon ever have a normal life or will his crimes catch up with him before that can happen?
Providence is a much different book than Kepnes' previous two book, You and Hidden Bodies. Some fans of those books are going to be disappointed with a Lovecraftian, supernatural story. However, the mutual obsession between Jon and Chloe brings in that intense point of view that she did so well. I love supernatural books, so this wasn't an issue for me. The plot has a lot of positive elements. I can't help but feel for Jon, abused by others as a child, kidnapped, robbed of four years of his life, and saddled with toxic powers to those around him. The Lovecraftian elements are well done and friendly to those not familiar with his work. Passages from The Dunwich Horror are provided for context and integrated into the story as Jon's obsession because it was the only thing left by his captor. His actual powers are mysterious for much of the book, but make sense and something I haven't seen before. I also enjoyed how unhinged Jon became nearing the end of the book as well as his evolving feelings about his powers throughout.
Unfortunately, I had numerous problems with the book as well. First, the book plods along and my interest phased in and out as it went. Second, Chloe is always defined by Jon and never really moves on unless it's to a toxic ex from high school. She never seems to know how to survive alone or find someone completely outside of her hometown and her trauma. It was incredibly frustrating to witness because of her potential and talent for art. Third, the way Chloe treated Jon when they were teens was pretty awful. She would hang out with him and treat him nice alone and then act like she didn't know him in front of popular people. She would never call anyone out for teasing or bullying him and seemed to just be using him. Fourth, so much would have been solved with a simple phone call, text, or email from Jon to Chloe.
Providence is an interesting novel that combines Lovecraftian horror with a mystery thriller. It's a bit out of the box for Kepnes and I enjoyed it about as much as her You series. Even though I have mixed feelings about most of her books, I enjoy the unique ideas she brings to her novels. I would still be curious to read whatever new releases she comes out with, particularly if it has a more fantasy or horror angle.
Providence is a much different book than Kepnes' previous two book, You and Hidden Bodies. Some fans of those books are going to be disappointed with a Lovecraftian, supernatural story. However, the mutual obsession between Jon and Chloe brings in that intense point of view that she did so well. I love supernatural books, so this wasn't an issue for me. The plot has a lot of positive elements. I can't help but feel for Jon, abused by others as a child, kidnapped, robbed of four years of his life, and saddled with toxic powers to those around him. The Lovecraftian elements are well done and friendly to those not familiar with his work. Passages from The Dunwich Horror are provided for context and integrated into the story as Jon's obsession because it was the only thing left by his captor. His actual powers are mysterious for much of the book, but make sense and something I haven't seen before. I also enjoyed how unhinged Jon became nearing the end of the book as well as his evolving feelings about his powers throughout.
Unfortunately, I had numerous problems with the book as well. First, the book plods along and my interest phased in and out as it went. Second, Chloe is always defined by Jon and never really moves on unless it's to a toxic ex from high school. She never seems to know how to survive alone or find someone completely outside of her hometown and her trauma. It was incredibly frustrating to witness because of her potential and talent for art. Third, the way Chloe treated Jon when they were teens was pretty awful. She would hang out with him and treat him nice alone and then act like she didn't know him in front of popular people. She would never call anyone out for teasing or bullying him and seemed to just be using him. Fourth, so much would have been solved with a simple phone call, text, or email from Jon to Chloe.
Providence is an interesting novel that combines Lovecraftian horror with a mystery thriller. It's a bit out of the box for Kepnes and I enjoyed it about as much as her You series. Even though I have mixed feelings about most of her books, I enjoy the unique ideas she brings to her novels. I would still be curious to read whatever new releases she comes out with, particularly if it has a more fantasy or horror angle.
I loved the first half of the book. Unfortunately, it hit a point where it seemed entirely too predictable, and I didn’t enjoy the end.
Jon disappears and his only friend, Chloe, struggles with how to hold on to him and move on at the same time. When Jon reappears, both he and Chloe are different. Jon in ways he is only starting to understand, and Chloe has finally found a way forward without her friend only to have his return upend everything. Added to the mix, after a jump forward in time, is Eggs a detective whose marriage is on the verge of collapse and who is struggling with how to engage his son with a severe form of autism. Their search for each other and figuring out how to be the best versions of themselves makes for a compelling story.
I'm having a hard time categorizing this book - not really science fiction, not really a thriller, kind of a mystery. This is not a book that defies genres, it just feels like Kepnes is trying to throw too much in to make it appealing to different audiences. At its core, the story is about healing/coping with emotional wounds and loving someone when it's not easy. Overall 3 out of 5
I'm having a hard time categorizing this book - not really science fiction, not really a thriller, kind of a mystery. This is not a book that defies genres, it just feels like Kepnes is trying to throw too much in to make it appealing to different audiences. At its core, the story is about healing/coping with emotional wounds and loving someone when it's not easy. Overall 3 out of 5
Honesty 3 stars only bc I love her writing style. The actual plot of the book started out so promising but it genuinely dragged on so long and the ending was so unsatisfying
I read this because I'm headed to Providence, again. I love that city. I appreciated the Waterfire and Lovecraft references. I liked the idea of this book, although I thought less often of Wilbur and more of Frankenstein's monster. I imagine Jon and he have a lot in common. I occasionally lost patience with Chloe's storyline and found it hard to believe that she would even consider dating that bully. I see that many fans of Kepnes's You disliked this book, but I never read it so I can't compare. Overall, I really enjoyed it.
Held my attention, but the end fell flat. I may read the last few chapters later to see if I feel the same after a second read.