You by Caroline Kepnes

The Blurb On The Back:

I want you. I need you.
I can make you love me.
You drive me insane.
I’ll love you as long as you live.
I love you to death.
You.
You.
You.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Caroline Kepnes’s debut thriller is a creepy and at times darkly hilarious tale of obsession that went off the boil slightly in the final quarter but still kept me turning the pages. What makes it work is the way Kepnes makes you care for Joe as he sets about his twisted quest. Kepnes hints at his damaged background, from the uncaring mother to the bookstore owner who takes him in but isn’t adverse to twisted discipline. I particularly liked the fact that despite being well read, he does feel the fact that he didn’t go to college and resents the way some of Beck’s friends look down on him for it. Beck is also finely drawn – emotionally damaged as well, her daddy issues make her attracted to men who use her – she wants into the world of rich friend Peach but lacks the resources or the dedication to make her own money. There are some blackly hilarious scenes to the book – my favourite being those between Joe and Beck’s on-off boyfriend, the self-obsessed Benji who Joe gives literature tests to. Equally good are the scenes involving Beck’s pretentious and needy friend Peach as they engage in a battle for Beck’s affections. The story did go a little off the boil in the final quarter with Kepnes tipping her hand too much with the introduction of a psychologist – although again, there’s a lot of black humour as Joe uses him and inadvertently gets treatment for his obsessive behaviour. That said, the voice is pitch perfect and Kepnes did keep me interested in knowing what happened to the characters and on the basis of this, I eagerly await her next book.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the review copy of this book.