Name: Providence
ISBN: 9781471162879

Caroline Kepnes

*** From the bestselling author of YOU, now a major Netflix TV series *** 'Compelling' Observer With her trademark flair, precision eye for detail and acerbic wit, Caroline Kepnes brings the suspense thriller to a whole new level with PROVIDENCE – a dark story of death, loss, horror, redemption and the love that binds us all.? In 2008, 13-year-old Jon Bronson disappears on his morning walk to school. After even his parents give him up for dead, only his best friend, Chloe, remains certain that he would come back. Four years later, Jon returns with no memory of anything after the day he disappeared. But something’s different about him. His presence seems to cause spontaneous nose-bleeds in those around him. When he hugs his father, the older man passes out. The family dog disappears. Jon’s only clue to his missing four years is the battered book left behind by the man he believes abducted him. And he and Chloe are determined to figure out what happened to Jon… before his presence does more than cause a couple of bloody noses. They’re sure they can solve the mystery and save Jon. But this is a Caroline Kepnes novel. You know that the worst is yet to come. 'The Netflix adaptation of Caroline Kepnes’ thriller You starts in December. The book is GREATNESS' Lucy Mangan *** PRAISE FOR CAROLINE KEPNES *** 'Intense and deeply disturbing, You is a dark story told in a fresh voice, and an addictive read from beginning to end... Both a thrill and a nightmare, and yet I didn't want to wake up' Jennifer Hillier, author of THE BUTCHER on YOU 'Both original and compelling. If you only read one new thriller this year, make it this one. It will stay with you long after you have put it down' Daily Mail on YOU 'Hypnotic and scary...never read anything quite like it' Stephen King on YOU 'I am RIVETED, AGHAST, AROUSED, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious' Lena Dunham on YOU 'YOU is superb. So funny, apart from anything else, and properly clever. It is: different, hot' Sophie Hannah on YOU 'I can’t remember the last time I felt so guilty for enjoying a book so much' S Magazine on HIDDEN BODIES 'There’s something deeply insidious about the storytelling of Caroline Kepnes. As satire of a self-absorbed society, Kepnes hits the mark, cuts deep, and twists the knife' Entertainment Weekly on HIDDEN BODIES 'So brilliant, we reckon it’s invented its own genre: hipster thriller, anyone?' Glamour on HIDDEN BODIES

Providence

2.5 stars.

I was SO EXCITED to finally read this, after how much I loved You. As a result, I may be rating this too harshly, but I'm just so disappointed.

There were elements of this I enjoyed, but the parts I disliked, I HATED. The early chapters were annoyingly written for some reason, like I get they were from preteens' perspectives, but I just found the writing frustrating. I especially hated how Jon called Chloe "Chloe Smells Like Cookies." I also found the writing when Jon and Chloe thought about each other downright insufferable...they're so desperate and lovesick about each other but they hadn't seen each other since they were 13?? I found myself rolling my eyes so much.

I also didn't find any of the characters terribly likeable. Chloe (view spoiler)[dates her best friend's tormentor, knowing he bullied Jon (hide spoiler)] and Jon (view spoiler)[runs away and tortures Chloe by calling her constantly then hanging up, barely talks to his parents, etc., telling himself that it's better for everyone if he just gets out of their lives but then he keeps making contact without explaining the situation? Not once did he think about telling them what was happening and why he couldn't see them in person for their own safety. Not to mention he gives me major Nice Guy vibes...there was a line about him running through NYC to get to Chloe and he kept meeting women's eyes and hoping they're thinking "there goes one of the good ones!" because it's just SO ROMANTIC for him to run across the city to crash her gallery after not seeing her for years. (hide spoiler)] Eggs was kind of an asshole to his wife as well, the typical "married to the job" type detective. Just annoying.

I do think I missed part of the good stuff in the book having never read Lovecraft. I did enjoy the Lovecraft parts and the parallels between the plot and the book mentioned throughout, but I didn't connect with it as much as maybe I should have. 

One thing that struck me was how I feel like Kepnes tried writing a Stephen King novel with a romantic subplot. Eggs as a character reminded me of several characters I've read by King in the past, and the supernatural element sounds like a King thing as well to me. I just feel like the influence was a bit too obvious to me.

Again, I really wanted to love this. It had its moments, and I definitely enjoyed parts of it, but overall it was a huge disappointment. The cringeworthy writing and the characters just did not click with me at all. :/ 

Oh, but I do REALLY love the cover.

Melissa Deitrick

For fans of YOU....stay away. I was so excited to hear that Caroline Kepnes had created another book but it was nothing like the YOU books

Zoe Smolen

Another great book from Caroline Kepnes! If you're looking for another "You", this is not that book, but it's a great story in so many of it's own ways. There's dueling story lines, some science-fiction, and even some romance. I can't wait to read what she puts out next.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Kath Lau

You is one of my all-time favorite books and eventhough I didn’t enjoy Hidden Boddies that much, a new Caroline Kepnes book was something to get excited about. I wanted to point out that Providence has nothing like You and Hidden Bodies so as much as possible, try not to have very high expectations especially if you loved Joe Goldberg. Yes I know it’s hard but let’s keep an open mind before reading Providence.

FULL REVIEW HERE

Ruth Parker 

I’m so disappointed in this book. 
I LOVED the first 50 pages of so... but then after that there was almost no point in reading. 
I hate to say it but I didn’t care about Eggs’ chapters and as a character I just wasn’t bothered.
The story seemed like such an interesting and good idea. But it fell totally flat. So disappointed. Sad Face.

“Part love story, part supernatural thriller and completely engrossing” (People)—from the acclaimed author of You, now a hit Netflix series “A dark beauty of a book, Providence kept me up at night with characters that made my heart a little bigger.”—Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share an intense, near-mystical bond. But before Jon can declare his love for his soul mate, he is kidnapped, and his plans for a normal life are permanently dashed. Four years later, Jon reappears. He is different now: bigger, stronger, and with no memory of the time he was gone. Jon wants to pick up where he and Chloe left off—until the horrifying instant he realizes he possesses strange powers that pose a grave threat to everyone he cares for. Afraid of hurting Chloe, Jon runs away, embarking on a journey for answers. Meanwhile, in Providence, Rhode Island, healthy college students and townies with no connection to one another are inexplicably dropping dead. A troubled detective prone to unexplainable hunches, Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus suspects there’s a serial killer at work. But when he starts asking questions, Eggs is plunged into a shocking whodunit he never could have predicted. With an intense, mesmerizing voice, Caroline Kepnes makes keen and powerful observations about human connection and how love and identity can dangerously blur together. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE “Providence is a novel that doesn’t fit into one box—it’s tender and dark, eerie and cool, heartbreaking but also an affirmation of the power of love. Kepnes perfectly captures each character’s struggle and pain in such a unique, unconventional way that every page—every sentence—is a delightful surprise.”—Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars “Caroline Kepnes is cool right this minute. . . . [Providence is] terrifically conceived and executed. . . . Kepnes has an exhilarating, poppy, unexpected voice.”—The New York Times Book Review “An addictive horror-tinged romance that’ll keep you guessing.”—Entertainment Weekly

A Novel

Rebecca Blomberg 

Stephen King for the avocado toast generation: dark, twisted, hilarious and unmissable. In 2008, 13-year-old Jon Bronson disappears on his morning walk to school. After even his parents give him up for dead, only his best friend, Chloe, remains certain that he would come back. Four years later, Jon returns with no memory of anything after the day he disappeared. But something's different about him. His presence seems to cause spontaneous nose-bleeds in those around him. When he hugs his father, the older man passes out. The family dog disappears. Jon's only clue to his missing four years is the battered book left behind by the man he believes abducted him. And he and Chloe are determined to figure out what happened to Jon... before his presence does more than cause a couple of bloody noses. They're sure they can solve the mystery and save Jon. But this is a Caroline Kepnes novel. You know that the worst is yet to come. With her trademark flair, precision eye for detail and acerbic wit, Caroline Kepnes will bring the suspense thriller to a whole new level with PROVIDENCE - a story of loss, horror, redemption and the love that binds us all. *** PRAISE FOR CAROLINE KEPNES *** 'Intense and deeply disturbing, You is a dark story told in a fresh voice, and an addictive read from beginning to end... Both a thrill and a nightmare, and yet I didn't want to wake up' --Jennifer Hillier, author of THE BUTCHER on YOU 'Both original and compelling. If you only read one new thriller this year, make it this one. It will stay with you long after you have put it down' --Daily Mail on YOU 'Hypnotic and scary...never read anything quite like it' --Stephen King on YOU 'I am RIVETED, AGHAST, AROUSED, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious' Lena Dunham on YOU 'YOU is superb. So funny, apart from anything else, and properly clever. It is: different, hot' --Sophie Hannah on YOU 'I can't remember the last time I felt so guilty for enjoying a book so much' S Magazine on HIDDEN BODIES 'There's something deeply insidious about the storytelling of Caroline Kepnes. As satire of a self-absorbed society, Kepnes hits the mark, cuts deep, and twists the knife' Entertainment Weekly on HIDDEN BODIES 'So brilliant, we reckon it's invented its own genre: hipster thriller, anyone?' Glamour on HIDDEN BODIES