Review: You by Caroline Kepnes

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I know I’m  super late on the bandwagon but at least now I know why readers raved about this book. I have never quite read anything like this, a psychological thriller told in the voice of the psycho himself. For that alone Ms. Caroline Kepnes already deserves an applause. But more than that, You tells a dark and bold story of obsession in the character of Joe, a smart and quite funny, well-read, dedicated, passionate, highly focused and social media/internet-skilled in his stalking endeavors- a true and accurate picture of an obsessed man when love struck and would do just about anything including murder just to make the girl he loves fall for him.

The title is perfectly befitting because Joe is all about “you”, you being Beck , the object of his obsession. The writing is in the second person point of view except the narrative is directly addressed to Beck so it definitely reads very stalkery and creepily. But at the same time, the title is also perfect because it somehow convinced me as the reader that Beck is also obsessed of herself because even though I know that everything Joe says is mostly unreliable, he still has this hypnotic convincing power that lures me to believe him which makes it sound like I’m rooting for Joe, the bad guy which I kind of am, I guess, and wow, how totally effed up is that? Lol! The book does have the power to muddle your reasonable senses, distort your straight sense of right and wrong. So really, more praises for the author for that.

I actually have just seen the first episode of the Netflix movie and man, it’s even making Joe look better than the book. That adlib, his little boy neighbor that Joe is selflessly reaching out to. It’s like trying to make the audience fall for him more. Crazy! Lol. Now I’m really curious about the second book.