Scan barcode
sidekicka7x's review against another edition
5.0
This was even better than You. And Joe.....yeah, Joe has some issues. I love this nook and all the insanity that comes with it.
_abigailcoats's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
briannesha's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
natibns's review
2.0
*2.5⭐️
I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as the first, but I didn’t know it would be that bad...
It definitely had some good aspects and I also can’t say, I didn’t enjoy my time reading this book, that’s why +1.5⭐️
I knew it wasn’t going to be as good as the first, but I didn’t know it would be that bad...
It definitely had some good aspects and I also can’t say, I didn’t enjoy my time reading this book, that’s why +1.5⭐️
ihateprozac's review against another edition
3.0
CW: murder and violence, animal death/cruelty
The first quarter of this is STRONG. The sequel feels organic, it feels like classic Joe Goldberg is back in the game, and taking his story to LA makes absolute sense.
Then he meets and it starts to read like You fanfiction. It loses the grit and pizzazz that the first one had, and everything comes a bit too easy to Joe. The author doesn’t build that tension and anxiety that’s present in the first book, where you’re constantly stressed about whether Joe will get caught. The
And I wasn’t feeling the relationship between Joe and. I didn’t care about them as a couple, there was no chemistry, and the situations they found themselves in felt like badly written AU fanfiction. Just Do LA people never look out their damn windows or wonder where their friends are?
Don’t even get me started on the Fincher arc. Just………….what.
I think this book lost some of its magic by not being written in Second Person. It didn’t have to be written in the style of a stalker and his prey - it could’ve been pointed at his new relationship - but this also contributed to the feeling that this was just You fanfic.
It wasn’t all bad though, I swear! While it read like fanfic, the story was undoubtedly compelling and had me up past my bedtime trying to finish it. I desperately needed to know what would happen to Joe and how this sordid LA tale would unfold!
Things this book does well:
- His compulsion about the mug of urine was really well executed.
- Joe weaved another complex web of lies that had me on tenterhooks
- Celebrity and LA adds a whole new layer of complexity to his tale
- I liked the twist in his relationship and the repercussions it had for the story.
- And I really liked Forty as a supporting character.
And I really loved the ending. It’s an insane mix of ambiguity, rich white privilege, delusion, and it doesn’t feel quite real……..in the best way! There are realistically only two ways this series could’ve ended but Caroline Kepnes took one of those endings and added a delicious twist.
Overall......not great but not terrible. It lost some of the magic of the first book but still made for a really interesting read! I don't regret reading it in the slightest, and I look forward to seeing where the TV show takes elements of this book for Season 2. However, it did feel like weird Joe Goldberg fanfic at the end of the day.
Representation: None, basically everybody is white. Ugh.
The first quarter of this is STRONG. The sequel feels organic, it feels like classic Joe Goldberg is back in the game, and taking his story to LA makes absolute sense.
Then he meets
Spoiler
LoveSpoiler
victims don’t even struggle the way they did in the first novel, they kind of just……….instantly die.And I wasn’t feeling the relationship between Joe and
Spoiler
LoveSpoiler
picking up and moving to their random mansion in Malibu with no repercussions from your real life? Just jetting off to Mexico and breaking into Axl Rose’s home and redecorating?Don’t even get me started on the Fincher arc. Just………….what.
I think this book lost some of its magic by not being written in Second Person. It didn’t have to be written in the style of a stalker and his prey - it could’ve been pointed at his new relationship - but this also contributed to the feeling that this was just You fanfic.
It wasn’t all bad though, I swear! While it read like fanfic, the story was undoubtedly compelling and had me up past my bedtime trying to finish it. I desperately needed to know what would happen to Joe and how this sordid LA tale would unfold!
Things this book does well:
- His compulsion about the mug of urine was really well executed.
- Joe weaved another complex web of lies that had me on tenterhooks
- Celebrity and LA adds a whole new layer of complexity to his tale
- I liked the twist in his relationship and the repercussions it had for the story.
- And I really liked Forty as a supporting character.
And I really loved the ending. It’s an insane mix of ambiguity, rich white privilege, delusion, and it doesn’t feel quite real……..in the best way! There are realistically only two ways this series could’ve ended but Caroline Kepnes took one of those endings and added a delicious twist.
Overall......not great but not terrible. It lost some of the magic of the first book but still made for a really interesting read! I don't regret reading it in the slightest, and I look forward to seeing where the TV show takes elements of this book for Season 2. However, it did feel like weird Joe Goldberg fanfic at the end of the day.
Representation: None, basically everybody is white. Ugh.
jonahandthetale's review against another edition
4.0
A good sequel, the show is still better though.