A review by mrsfionnacharming
You by Caroline Kepnes

challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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

I did not think I was going to like this book as much as I did. Coming from watching the TV show over the past few years and thoroughly enjoying it in a guilty pleasure sort of way, I thought I’d try out the book and oh my god!

It’s hard to talk about this book without comparing it to the show. This book doesn’t humanise Joe- who is for all intensive purposes a murderous stalker. When watching the show, the scenes with him and the various children he aids throughout almost felt as though the show were trying to justify his actions, explain away bad behaviours and make us route for him in the wrong way.

This book gets you inside the mind of Joe and it’s not as if you justify his actions but you get to see why (from his perspective) they need to be done. You see the spiral of obsession, the darkness of jealousy and the inevitable eruption of rage.

My only concern for this book are those that brand it as romance??? Please rethink x
Expand filter menu Content Warnings