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A review by janine1122
Providence by Caroline Kepnes
2.0
I wish I could rate this book higher, I really do. But I just can't.
When the audiobook started, I was uncertain. I almost stopped then. But, then I didn't. I thought it would get better. Unfortunately, it never really did.
The only other book I've read by Kepnes is You which I loved so much. It was different and dark and unique and so, so interesting.
This was not that. So here we go, and the rest is going to be spoilerful....
And Chloe. F***ing Chloe. What was her deal?! Like, seriously. I didn't get her AT ALL. It made absolutely no sense to me that she would carry a torch for John all these years. That somehow, despite having minimal to no contact with him from the time he reappears on, she would live her entire life always somehow hoping he would turn up. And when she does finally decide to move on with her life (both during his disappearance and after he's gone dark as an adult), the ONE PERSON she connects with is the dude who always tortured John????? Like, you love John, and you have this connection with him you don't have with anyone else in the whole world. But if he's not around, then Carrig will do, even though he's probably the person who has been worst to John? Give me a freaking break. I didn't feel bad for her, I didn't understand the torch, I didn't get any of it at all.
Then Eggs. Oh, Eggs. I liked him. I wanted to like him more than I did. His parts of the book were definitely my favorite, both narration wise in the audiobook, and just as part of the story in general. Honestly, it was probably his introduction into the book that ensured I saw it through to the end. I liked his gruff demeanor, his determination. Although that determination also frustrated me. I hated the way he knew he shouldn't be quite so obsessive, that if he was it was going to ruin his marriage -- and then he just went ahead and did those things anyway. It wasn't fair to Lo, his wife, and it made me have a real issue with him as the story went on. He put his poor wife through so, so much, and even though he loved her and knew what he should do, but he was just too damn laser-focused and selfish to actually do it. So irritating.
AND THEN!!!!!
All three of these idiots converge. And Eggs all of a sudden both finds the person he's been looking for the whole damn book, but doesn't even care?! Because he recognizes John's good heart.
For crying out loud.
At the end of the day, I think the most frustrating thing is that nothing ever got resolved in any real way. With the exception of Eggs, possibly, none of the characters are any different by the end of the book than they really are at the start. Nothing significant has really changed, the mystery of John is ultimately never solved. Where John and Chloe are after he reappears is essentially where they are at the end of the novel as well.
Which is incredibly frustrating. I expected so much more of Kepnes and this story. And, if I'm being honest -- a cover as eye-catching as this one deserved a better story to back it up.
When the audiobook started, I was uncertain. I almost stopped then. But, then I didn't. I thought it would get better. Unfortunately, it never really did.
The only other book I've read by Kepnes is You which I loved so much. It was different and dark and unique and so, so interesting.
This was not that. So here we go, and the rest is going to be spoilerful....
Spoiler
The problem is, I didn't really like any of the characters. I mean, John was fine. But he was also kind of generic. I didn't really feel anything at all for him, other than a sort of "oh man, that must suck" kind of feeling about the fact his getting close to someone and feeling anything for them would kill them. But I never really felt a connection to John. Maybe this was intentional? But I doubt it.And Chloe. F***ing Chloe. What was her deal?! Like, seriously. I didn't get her AT ALL. It made absolutely no sense to me that she would carry a torch for John all these years. That somehow, despite having minimal to no contact with him from the time he reappears on, she would live her entire life always somehow hoping he would turn up. And when she does finally decide to move on with her life (both during his disappearance and after he's gone dark as an adult), the ONE PERSON she connects with is the dude who always tortured John????? Like, you love John, and you have this connection with him you don't have with anyone else in the whole world. But if he's not around, then Carrig will do, even though he's probably the person who has been worst to John? Give me a freaking break. I didn't feel bad for her, I didn't understand the torch, I didn't get any of it at all.
Then Eggs. Oh, Eggs. I liked him. I wanted to like him more than I did. His parts of the book were definitely my favorite, both narration wise in the audiobook, and just as part of the story in general. Honestly, it was probably his introduction into the book that ensured I saw it through to the end. I liked his gruff demeanor, his determination. Although that determination also frustrated me. I hated the way he knew he shouldn't be quite so obsessive, that if he was it was going to ruin his marriage -- and then he just went ahead and did those things anyway. It wasn't fair to Lo, his wife, and it made me have a real issue with him as the story went on. He put his poor wife through so, so much, and even though he loved her and knew what he should do, but he was just too damn laser-focused and selfish to actually do it. So irritating.
AND THEN!!!!!
All three of these idiots converge. And Eggs all of a sudden both finds the person he's been looking for the whole damn book, but doesn't even care?! Because he recognizes John's good heart.
For crying out loud.
At the end of the day, I think the most frustrating thing is that nothing ever got resolved in any real way. With the exception of Eggs, possibly, none of the characters are any different by the end of the book than they really are at the start. Nothing significant has really changed, the mystery of John is ultimately never solved. Where John and Chloe are after he reappears is essentially where they are at the end of the novel as well.
Which is incredibly frustrating. I expected so much more of Kepnes and this story. And, if I'm being honest -- a cover as eye-catching as this one deserved a better story to back it up.