Book Review: YOU (YOU, #1)

Title: You (You, #1)

Author: Caroline Kepnes

Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Pages: 464

My GoodReads Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

 

Having watched the series before I read the book, I couldn’t get Penn Badgley’s voice or persona out of my mind. And for once, I liked the series better.

 

From the moment that creative writing student Guinevere Beck (Beck, to friends) walks into Mooney’s Used and Rare bookshop, where Joe Goldberg is employed, he becomes hopelessly infatuated with her. The infatuation turns very quickly into obsession, as he stalks her physically and on social media. It’s an easy task, as Beck is an open book, always announcing her activities to the world on social media.

Beck, even as she begins to respond to Joe’s overtures, can’t get rich entrepreneur Benji, her not-really-boyfriend, out of her mind. She’s also too much in thrall of her college best friend, Peach Salinger. Joe will have to get rid of the hurdles in his path if he is to have a meaningful relationship with Beck. Fortunately, for him, he is quite adept and experienced at getting rid of the competition.

 

The story is written in the second person PoV—so hard to pull off, but pulled off spectacularly here—of Joe, addressing Beck directly from the first moment he claps eyes on her. What makes it scary is that even though the story is written in the second person, which means that Joe is technically writing to Beck, she is never going to be able to read this account. Therefore, he can be honest with her, and us. He is under no obligation to gatekeep his thoughts.

The whole narrative is one long interior monologue which serves as the framework for the action and the dialogue within. The run-on sentences show the state of his mind.

 

 

As a character, Joe is the most interesting I’ve encountered in a long time. He sees Beck for the first time, is overwhelmed and wants to pop in an Ativan. Right away, we know that he is a person of interest. The impression is confirmed soon enough as we see how deranged he can get.

Joe is devious and manipulative and not a guy you want to get on the wrong side of. For that matter, he’s not a guy you want to get on the right side of either, but Beck doesn’t know that.

Joe is clearly an overthinker, nimbly slipping secrets and revelations into his mental conversations with Beck.

What works in favour of Joe is that the others around him are equally unlikeable. Compared to Joe, the other characters—Peach, Benji, even Beck—come across as severely entitled and annoying. Granted that obsession doesn’t need any sound motive, but Beck was so not worth it. She was shallow, deceitful and not even a good writer. I can understand that the author wrote her like that to get us to feel conflicted about Joe, but he was smart enough to see that she wasn’t worth it.

 

The writing makes us find Joe fascinating and creepy in equal measure. But there are some aspects of Joe’s character that were hard to figure out. What’s with the typewriter he takes to bed?

 

There are multiple references to Stephen King as an author and to his books, The Shining and Doctor Sleep. The author goes all out to show her devotion to King’s oeuvre. Joe says, “Home soda will never be as popular as Stephen King.” Quite a bonus then that King appreciated Joe’s charms and this book.

Stephen King is not the only name to be dropped in this book. There are a number of bookish, musical and pop culture references strewn through the book. I found them overdone. At one point, Joe is effusive in his praise for Coke, while putting down Home Soda, Benji’s brand.

 

What didn’t sit right with me is that we hear nothing about any police investigations into the many deaths that dot the book. Why don’t the police look into where the victims’ phone has pinged off which towers? How come there is never any investigation? And these are wealthy people, not some hobos that no one cares about. Most of the cases are wrapped up so quickly, which seems unbelievably contrived.

Also the descriptions of the sex were very gratuitous, and unnecessary. Almost like erotica, which isn’t something I enjoy reading.

I would have liked it if Beck had had a few aces up her sleeve. But no, she was boring, and her only talent was apparently sex.