Reviews

I was nervous when I saw all the not so great reviews but I ended up liking this book even more than the first one. (Shocking I know!) This is probably because I watched season 1 of YOU on Netflix, then read the first book, then watched season 2 before reading this book. I know a lot of people read the book first, but I find when I read the book first I’m always disappointed in the show/movie.
Going into this book I thought it would follow the same plot as the show because season 1 followed the book very well, but boy was I wrong. The show really just went in its own direction, and I liked having a completely different story to read. I liked how things turned out in the book way more than in the show.

lauratheintractable's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

The 4 stars are because Caroline Kepnes is a brilliant writer and this book was impossible to stop reading. She is a master at character development and at weaving the threads of a plot together and seeing inside Joe's mind is chilling.

But.

This is not as good as "You"; I had the sense that maybe Kepnes was holding back, refusing to let Joe be as narcissistically evil as he was in her debut book. Maybe she's grown fond of him? I don't know. As a reader, you were always drawn toward sympathy for Joe, simply because of Kepnes' unparalleled skill. But in this book there seems to be an element of wanting to redeem him, and I am not sure I can walk that path with her.

andreats's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

amyhungerford's review against another edition

Go to review page

1.0

There is really no more accurate review than this...

tongue thumbs down GIF

emleemay's review

Go to review page

3.0

I buy violets for Amy. Not roses. Roses are for people who did something wrong. I have done everything right this time around. I’m a good boyfriend. I chose well.

And so begins the sequel to Kepnes' beautiful little mindfuck - [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411958102s/20821614.jpg|39913517]. We are taken, once again, inside the mind of Joe Goldberg as he, yet again, pursues his "true love". This time, his adventures take him all the way to Los Angeles.

[b:Hidden Bodies|23492288|Hidden Bodies (You, #2)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437414470s/23492288.jpg|43082571] is good, but honestly, Kepnes has lost a little magic here. I think it was always going to be hard. [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411958102s/20821614.jpg|39913517] presented us with a unique kind of narrator - the kind of charming, intelligent, witty sociopath that we all loved to hate. Armed with gorgeous prose and an underlying murderous quality, Joe was something new and surprising.

This book is... more of the same. It's beautifully-written and the writing has a dynamic flow that keeps the pages moving quickly, and yet there's no spark of discovery. Readers will come to this book knowing what to expect from Joe and getting it, which, while sometimes enjoyable, does not add much to the story.

Joe's narrative is as dark and hilarious as before. I especially liked his criticisms of Los Angeles; even though I personally love the city, it's funny to see his perspective as a New Yorker. His observations are witty and oh so true.

But, where the first book was different and shocking, this book was merely "fun". I personally feel [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411958102s/20821614.jpg|39913517] ended in a perfect place to haunt its readers and make them think long after they put the book down. [b:Hidden Bodies|23492288|Hidden Bodies (You, #2)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437414470s/23492288.jpg|43082571] attempts to add to a story that didn't really need to be extended - and it shows.

The plot occasionally felt like rambling. Joe was less exciting to read about. So, while an entertaining commentary, this book just wasn't needed.

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Store

pia_de_e's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I should have listened to friends that said you have to read book 1 in this series (You) before reading Hidden Bodies. There are many situations that happen in books 1 that lead directly to this book, so I was somewhat lost.

Joe Goldberg is looking for true love. When he thinks he has finally found it, he is betrayed once again, so he travels across the country, all the way from New York to California, to find the girl who has treated him badly and kill her. Seems every time he doesn't have his way he just decides to eliminate the problem, instead of fixing it.

Though he doesn't find her, he does meet Love, who seems to be the perfect woman for him. But that doesn't stop him from leaving a trail of dead people behind him. We have a very creative killer here.

Though I did like it, I didn't love it. I have seldom seen a cast of characters so shallow and full of themselves.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

More...