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A review by sophiesometimesreads
Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I think my rating of this book is 3.75 stars. I said I wouldn’t go into quarters for my ratings but this felt better than some of the 3.5 stars I’ve given recently but not quite as good as the 4 stars, so I’ve compromised on 3.75 stars.
The plot itself wasn’t too bad, a bit slow at points but overall interesting and relatively intriguing. I did like the constant references back to the untied ends in the last book, particularlythe mug left in the Salinger house , as I was worried these details would be glossed over for the sake of a new storyline in LA. The last 100 or so pages were probably the best, where it picked up and things got really interesting. The ending was a mild cliffhanger and does make me want to read the next book, and I did like finally seeing someone see through Joe and figure out his antics because through both books I was thinking that surely someone would at least figure out this guy was using multiple pseudonyms eventually, if not tie him to at least one of the murders .
The book was missing that second person prose that just really topped off the first book and set it apart from other thrillers, I was hoping at the start that the narration regarding Amy was done in first person only as she wasn’t his next obsession, just a fling, and it would come in once he got a new obsession… but I was unfortunately disappointed and the book was first person the whole way through. The prose didn’t make the book bad, but it was a large selling point in the first book that I think could’ve heightened the reading experience in this one, too. I also found the second person narration made Joe seem less outright creepy and calculated.
I felt like there was a bit of a shift in Joe’s character from the first book. Obviously, characters can change over time and between books but I felt it was a bit abrupt in this case, seeing as we picked up almost where we left off in the last book, and it felt more like Kepnes lost Joe’s essence a little between the first book and its sequel. He was colder and more calculating and he seemed to have less passion and more anger, rather than being fuelled by his insecurity in himself and his obsession. I think Kepnes found that original drive that Joe had in the first book by the end, but the first half to two thirds felt different. This wasn’t bad, if it were a new character then I would have been fine with it, but it just departed from what I felt made Joe his creepy, obsessive, lovestruck self in the first book.
Overall, not as strong as the first but still a decent read and I’ll continue with this series.
The plot itself wasn’t too bad, a bit slow at points but overall interesting and relatively intriguing. I did like the constant references back to the untied ends in the last book, particularly
The book was missing that second person prose that just really topped off the first book and set it apart from other thrillers, I was hoping at the start that the narration regarding Amy was done in first person only as she wasn’t his next obsession, just a fling, and it would come in once he got a new obsession… but I was unfortunately disappointed and the book was first person the whole way through. The prose didn’t make the book bad, but it was a large selling point in the first book that I think could’ve heightened the reading experience in this one, too. I also found the second person narration made Joe seem less outright creepy and calculated.
I felt like there was a bit of a shift in Joe’s character from the first book. Obviously, characters can change over time and between books but I felt it was a bit abrupt in this case, seeing as we picked up almost where we left off in the last book, and it felt more like Kepnes lost Joe’s essence a little between the first book and its sequel. He was colder and more calculating and he seemed to have less passion and more anger, rather than being fuelled by his insecurity in himself and his obsession. I think Kepnes found that original drive that Joe had in the first book by the end, but the first half to two thirds felt different. This wasn’t bad, if it were a new character then I would have been fine with it, but it just departed from what I felt made Joe his creepy, obsessive, lovestruck self in the first book.
Overall, not as strong as the first but still a decent read and I’ll continue with this series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Alcoholism