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hilaryistired 's review for:
Providence
by Caroline Kepnes
I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I (was mildly weirded out but still) super enjoyed You, so when I came across this on NetGalley, I was curious to see what Kepnes had come up with now. I was fortunate enough to be approved for it, and wasted no time diving in.
Much like You, the story itself is rather weird, and leaves you uncomfortable at times. Kepnes doesn't shy away from things awkward, weird or strange, and it's what makes this book work so well. Jon's character is a disaster and a half, but it's so well done that you can't help but read on as things get more and more crazy. It starts out as a pretty standard kids-in-love-but-not-there-yet story, and develops into something out of a horror novel, while never actually feeling much like horror.
The Good Points of Providence:
I loved how Lovecraft was used in the book. It was so well done, and so well used to advance the story and give you insight into what was supposed to be happening. This might be the first time I've come across a book that used another book so effectively.
I liked Jon's character, even in the weirder moments. I like how he was portrayed, and how he doesn't really grow up or change, because he never gets the chance to. I also like how he handles the situation he finds himself in and where that takes him. He's the standout throughout the book, though Chloe and Eggs were also great characters.
The whole plot line with Eggs trying to figure out how Jon did what he did and why was what made this book. I probably would have quit without his plot line, because it was by far the most interesting.
The Downsides of Providence:
I felt like there wasn't a bit of chemistry between Jon and Chloe. Their interactions and mild obsession with each other was just weird, and it didn't get better as the book progressed. In a story about impossible relationships, it really dragged it down because I never at one point felt like they could be together.
The first part of the book flew by, but the rest tended to drag. It got bogged down in all the thinking the characters did, and all the obsessing, and all the boring junk in between the beginning and end drama, and it made it harder to get through.
So many of the issues with this book could have been solved if Jon had just emailed Chloe and told her what was going on, especially since they texted and emailed quite a bit anyway. And it probably would have been a better book.
All in all, there were some good things happening in this book, but when it came down to it, it just didn't work well for me. I think that the lack of chemistry between Jon and Chloe was really what killed it. But if you like Lovecraft, horror that isn't scary, or monster-type stories, you should check out Providence!
I (was mildly weirded out but still) super enjoyed You, so when I came across this on NetGalley, I was curious to see what Kepnes had come up with now. I was fortunate enough to be approved for it, and wasted no time diving in.
Much like You, the story itself is rather weird, and leaves you uncomfortable at times. Kepnes doesn't shy away from things awkward, weird or strange, and it's what makes this book work so well. Jon's character is a disaster and a half, but it's so well done that you can't help but read on as things get more and more crazy. It starts out as a pretty standard kids-in-love-but-not-there-yet story, and develops into something out of a horror novel, while never actually feeling much like horror.
The Good Points of Providence:
I loved how Lovecraft was used in the book. It was so well done, and so well used to advance the story and give you insight into what was supposed to be happening. This might be the first time I've come across a book that used another book so effectively.
I liked Jon's character, even in the weirder moments. I like how he was portrayed, and how he doesn't really grow up or change, because he never gets the chance to. I also like how he handles the situation he finds himself in and where that takes him. He's the standout throughout the book, though Chloe and Eggs were also great characters.
The whole plot line with Eggs trying to figure out how Jon did what he did and why was what made this book. I probably would have quit without his plot line, because it was by far the most interesting.
The Downsides of Providence:
I felt like there wasn't a bit of chemistry between Jon and Chloe. Their interactions and mild obsession with each other was just weird, and it didn't get better as the book progressed. In a story about impossible relationships, it really dragged it down because I never at one point felt like they could be together.
The first part of the book flew by, but the rest tended to drag. It got bogged down in all the thinking the characters did, and all the obsessing, and all the boring junk in between the beginning and end drama, and it made it harder to get through.
So many of the issues with this book could have been solved if Jon had just emailed Chloe and told her what was going on, especially since they texted and emailed quite a bit anyway. And it probably would have been a better book.
All in all, there were some good things happening in this book, but when it came down to it, it just didn't work well for me. I think that the lack of chemistry between Jon and Chloe was really what killed it. But if you like Lovecraft, horror that isn't scary, or monster-type stories, you should check out Providence!