You by Caroline Kepnes: You're in for Quite the Ride

You by Caroline Kepnes is wonderful. In the spirit of the book, I will be adopting the style that it's written in for a more immersive experience. You'll be unsettled, and that's the point. You're put directly inside your head - or, rather, the characters'.

Warning: This book features explicit sexual content and graphic descriptions of gore and stalker behavior. This book should not be read by anyone under the age of 16. If you are 15, talk to a librarian or your parents before reading it!

You by Caroline Kepnes is interesting. You will enjoy it. As I said before, you will be unsettled. If you couldn't tell by now, it's written talking both about and directly to you. I share my thoughts; you absorb them and witness 'your' actions through Joe's eyes.

As main characters go, Joe is interesting. (In this paragraph, I will refer to Joe as 'you'. If you find this exhausting, you likely won't enjoy the book.) You're diabolical. It's alarming how easily you slip through the cracks. You are way too good at being a stalker. You avoid sharing your past with the reader, and therefore you keep us directly in the present. When your past is brought up, it's in reference to Beck. Beck, the woman you are obsessed with. As far as characters go, you, Joe, are the most unique in all my reading experience. You're volatile and your motives are never clear. Although you're driven by an intensive need for Beck, immediately developing an obsession with her, you're willing to let her go when she needs to be. Or so it seems.

That's enough of that. Time for the main point: the plot. This book is about a stalker, told from his perspective, who becomes obsessed with a young writer in New York City. It sounds garden - variety YA/Adult fiction, but it simply is not. The plot moves quickly, and even though it's over 400 pages of relatively small print, it's over before you know it. As Joe and Beck grow closer, the plot ebbs and flows naturally. You's timeline is the most natural I've ever read. It never seems rushed, or too slow. It's told at the same pace as Joe's thoughts, centered around you as they are. In this case, I'm referring to Beck as you, because that's how Joe does it. Even writing this review the day after I read it, the style of thoughts and semantics of the book itself are stuck in my head (in the best way possible).

As I mentioned above, the style is unique. Certainly, this book is not truly in the second person, it's in the first person, as most books are. However, Joe's central thought processes are so centered around Beck ('you') that it puts us directly inside the book. Kepnes' attention to detail is the same way as Hemingway's - the setting itself is left with little description, and the iceberg theory is left in play. We can read into the actions of those around Joe, but through his very narrow lens. The ignorance of traditional grammar in most situations also leads the reader into a complete grounding inside Joe's head. Because of this combination of elements, You by Caroline Kepnes is rated a 9.5/10.

Why a 9.5/10? It ended. Yes, there are more books in the series, but this left me satisfied. I know I knocked a point off because it 'ended' and you may be saying, well, it actually didn't, sure, that's true. However, Joe and Beck's story seemed to be one that could have just continued - and that's because Kepnes is an excellent writer. The ending itself was surprising as I read, but unsurprising at the same time. As I look back, of course, it should be obvious. But that's the mark of good writing, isn't it?