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A review by bunnybaby13
You by Caroline Kepnes
5.0
I had been so desperate to get back into reading. I used to devour books when I was younger; I could finish a 300 page novel in less than three hours in elementary school. But I slowly, for reasons still unknown to me, grew out of reading and stopped altogether. I would read required books for school and there were many I enjoyed reading, but it was never enough to want to get back into reading. I have been searching for years for something to catch my attention, something to obsess over, something to just completely mystify me. And I found it, with “You.”
Given the subject matter of the book, and the writing style, the last few sentenced of my above paragraph are almost humorous. I was unbelievably captured by this book; it would never escape my mind and I looked forward every day to my alone time when I could just sit in silence and devour it whole. I knew about it because I am a huge fan of the series on Netflix. I adored the first season, rolled my eyes at the second season, and enjoyed the third season. I have always maintained that the first season is the best. Perhaps because of my commitment to New York, or maybe because I really adored Beck in the show. I just thought it contained a really wonderful something that I could never quite name but couldn’t find anywhere else.
I don’t remember when I realized it was based off of a book, but it was at some point during my first watch of the first season, before Netflix picked it up and renewed it. This was a few years ago, when I was still in my “I don’t read” phase, so although I was mildly intrigued, I had no plans to read the book. But I decided to change that a little bit this year with Christmas, and asked for the paperback. I was actually very excited to dive into it when I opened it. I was tempted to even run upstairs and hide for a few hours on Christmas Day just to dissect everything in this book. Why it happened with this particular novel, I don’t know, but I had been searching for this feeling for years. To finally have it again was the most incredible Christmas gift I could have asked for.
I was so impressed reading this. I have not been this impressed by a book in years. Though my reading has been minimal for quite some time, I always appreciated much of what we read in my English classes. But this? Oh boy, this was a whole new ball game. I couldn’t set it down, no matter how tired I was. I would think about it constantly, all day, desperately waiting for when I would get even five minutes of alone time so I could run upstairs to my room and devour just a few pages. Obviously the basic concept of the book is fabulous and I am very into it. But the execution is unbelievably addicting. To hear Joe’s thoughts bounce between three different things in one sentence, to seeing him so easily rationalize all kinds of sick and perverted things, to then seeing him view himself, unironically, as a romantic? I’m sold.
It is so much dirtier and darker than anything the show made. I thought I knew what would happen because I had seen the first season a few times, but no. I can’t even put into words how much better it is. This made me sick, this made me want to cry, this made me feel genuine terror and horror in a way I thought I would be prepared for but I absolutely was not. I have already ordered the next two sequels and I am hopelessly awaiting their arrival. I am so happy that I felt so much joy reading again. It was not what I was expecting this Christmas, but I am welcoming it with open arms. <3
Given the subject matter of the book, and the writing style, the last few sentenced of my above paragraph are almost humorous. I was unbelievably captured by this book; it would never escape my mind and I looked forward every day to my alone time when I could just sit in silence and devour it whole. I knew about it because I am a huge fan of the series on Netflix. I adored the first season, rolled my eyes at the second season, and enjoyed the third season. I have always maintained that the first season is the best. Perhaps because of my commitment to New York, or maybe because I really adored Beck in the show. I just thought it contained a really wonderful something that I could never quite name but couldn’t find anywhere else.
I don’t remember when I realized it was based off of a book, but it was at some point during my first watch of the first season, before Netflix picked it up and renewed it. This was a few years ago, when I was still in my “I don’t read” phase, so although I was mildly intrigued, I had no plans to read the book. But I decided to change that a little bit this year with Christmas, and asked for the paperback. I was actually very excited to dive into it when I opened it. I was tempted to even run upstairs and hide for a few hours on Christmas Day just to dissect everything in this book. Why it happened with this particular novel, I don’t know, but I had been searching for this feeling for years. To finally have it again was the most incredible Christmas gift I could have asked for.
I was so impressed reading this. I have not been this impressed by a book in years. Though my reading has been minimal for quite some time, I always appreciated much of what we read in my English classes. But this? Oh boy, this was a whole new ball game. I couldn’t set it down, no matter how tired I was. I would think about it constantly, all day, desperately waiting for when I would get even five minutes of alone time so I could run upstairs to my room and devour just a few pages. Obviously the basic concept of the book is fabulous and I am very into it. But the execution is unbelievably addicting. To hear Joe’s thoughts bounce between three different things in one sentence, to seeing him so easily rationalize all kinds of sick and perverted things, to then seeing him view himself, unironically, as a romantic? I’m sold.
It is so much dirtier and darker than anything the show made. I thought I knew what would happen because I had seen the first season a few times, but no. I can’t even put into words how much better it is. This made me sick, this made me want to cry, this made me feel genuine terror and horror in a way I thought I would be prepared for but I absolutely was not. I have already ordered the next two sequels and I am hopelessly awaiting their arrival. I am so happy that I felt so much joy reading again. It was not what I was expecting this Christmas, but I am welcoming it with open arms. <3