Hidden Bodies
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4.2 • 298 Ratings
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
*** THE SECOND BOOK IN THE YOU SERIES, NOW A HIT SHOW ON NETFLIX ***
Praise for Caroline Kepnes and You:
“Hypnotic and scary.” —Stephen King
“I am RIVETED, AGHAST, AROUSED, you name it. The rare instance when prose and plot are equally delicious.” —Lena Dunham
In the compulsively readable follow-up to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls “the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman.”
Hidden Bodies marks the return of a voice that Stephen King described as original and hypnotic, and through the divisive and charmingly sociopathic character of Joe Goldberg, Kepnes satirizes and dissects our culture, blending suspense with scathing wit.
Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past ten years, this thirty-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he’s heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.
In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbour. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can’t stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don’t always stay that way. They re-emerge, like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: truelove. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he’s more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn’t want to hurt his new girlfriend — he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he’s done, he may not have a choice...
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Caroline Kepnes’ debut, You, really got under our skin, due in large part to her stalker antihero, Joe Goldberg. Now Joe’s back—and just as creepy—as he navigates a new relationship with a technology-averse, bookish and warm-blooded blonde named Amy. Hidden Bodies is a great read: entertaining, unsettling and giddily deranged. We loved witnessing the manipulative, psychopathic Joe get a taste of his own medicine. When Joe heads to Los Angeles in search of revenge, Kepnes revels in skewering the city’s image-obsessed culture.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Joe Goldberg, the narrator of Kepnes's dark, quirky sequel to 2014's You, is a serial killer who otherwise leads a normal life as a New York City bookstore manager. Joe's relationship with M.F.A. student Guinevere Beck, whom he pursued in You, ended badly, and he's devastated when his current girlfriend, Amy Kendell Adam, mysteriously disappears. By tracing Amy's computer search history, Joe discovers that she has registered for an acting class in Hollywood. He vows to go there, find Amy, and make her pay for deserting him. Once in Hollywood, he continues his murder spree, all the while hoping to find Amy. In his search, he meets many well-drawn characters, including an L.A. policeman and a rich, drug-addicted playboy. Meanwhile, Joe undergoes a surprising personal transformation, and remarkably, the author convinces the reader to empathize with her killer protagonist.
Customer Reviews
Enthralling
Caroline Kepnes has continued the captivating story of Joe Goldberg and his serial killer tendencies from “You” in the bewitching sequel “Hidden Bodies”. Her writing effortlessly encapsulates the workings of a murderer’s mind; allowing us to spectate upon his self-justifications and fiercely obsessive nature. The first-person perspective enables the reader to understand the intricacies of Joe’s past and the reasoning behind his often ghastly decisions, while simultaneously gaining an insight into the story behind other vital characters — and the way in which Joe’s actions impacts upon their lives. Written wonderfully; it will take you on a scintillating journey from start to finish.
Insanely good
I am obsessed with Kepnes’ really unique writing style, it stands out, it’s fast paced, hooking, and so consistently witty. I was laughing so much at such random points through out the book and found it such an experience living through Joe, with his quick thinking, obsessive and pessimistic inner monologue. I am in love with this book and the author, and contrary to other reviews, found it just as amazing as the first novel.
Hidden bodies
Reading about Joe Goldburg is like delving into no other characters mind. The path of murder, untruths, rights and wrongs is entertaining and original. Kepnes left me on my toes until the very last minute, I had no idea how this story would end. This is book two in the You series. I must admit, reading Hidden Bodies in comparison to You left me feeling a bit deflated. I had hope of so much more, I needed so much more. I can only hope that this won’t be the last book. I need more of Joe, I need to know that this isn’t the end of his twisted life.
"I don't believe in love at first sight. But I do believe in electricity, the way it can recharge you."
In You, we are left with Joe in a good place. He has a new girlfriend, Amy who is so quirky you can’t help but smile at the relationship that her and Joe have. They are both lovers of old books, they seem to have found the perfect balance with each other, but when Amy wrongs Joe, he goes on a mission, packing up his life and moving to track her down and end her.
Along the way to living his new life, Joe comes across a whole bunch of strange and appealing friends. One in particular, while he is on the hunt for Amy. But when he crosses the path of my most favorite character, Love, Joe’s life is about to change for the better. He now has an ally. Someone who knows his every secret, and is ok with who he is. Love makes things better, but who she surrounds herself with and her family will work their way into Joe’s life and some will help and some will harm.
"And this, this is why you have to kill people. If you don't, they don't learn anything. They just reemerge, more muscled, more manipulative, more hell-bent on taking you down."
In an odd way, Joe makes you feel ok for his wrongdoings. Disposing of people he no longer deems acceptable, the people that do wrong by the world and those around him. I do have to admit, I found some of his murders in this book a little more wrong than than in its predecessor, You. I don’t know if it’s because the insight was there as to why he did what he did, or if the connection we had to the characters wrongdoings was more known. At the same time, I did feel a little relieved when two people we taken care of in Hidden Bodies.
I loved and absolutely hated some of the side characters in this book. If there is a book three, and I am praying to anyone who can get into Caroline’s ear and tell her WE NEED IT, I want more of Love, and her family, and the dysfunctional followers of Joe.
Review by Kayla