Friday 6 January 2017

Audible Review ~ You (You #1) by Caroline Kepnes (narrated by Santino Fontana)


Book Description:

How far would you go for the perfect love? A young man's dark obsession with an enigmatic, gorgeous writer leads to murderous consequences in this erotic psychological thriller.

You walk into the bookstore and you keep your hand on the door to make sure it doesn't slam. You smile, embarrassed to be a nice girl, and your nails are bare and your V-neck sweater is beige and it's impossible to know if you're wearing a bra but I don't think that you are. You're so clean that you're dirty and you murmur your first word to me - hello.

When aspiring writer and recent Brown graduate Guinevere Beck strides into the bookstore where Joe works, he's instantly smitten. Beck is everything Joe has ever wanted: she's gorgeous, tough, razor-smart, and sexy beyond his wildest dreams. Joe needs to have her, and he'll stop at nothing to do so. As he begins to insinuate himself into her life - her friendships, her email, her phone - she can't resist her feelings for a guy who seems custom-made for her. So when her boyfriend, Benji, mysteriously disappears, Beck and Joe fall into a tumultuous affair. But there's more to Beck than her oh-so-perfect façade, and their mutual obsession quickly spirals into a whirlwind of deadly consequences.

Dark, masterful, and timely, debut novelist Caroline Kepnes' You is a perversely romantic thriller that's more dangerously clever than any you've heard before. A chilling account of unrelenting passion, this tale of love, sex, and death will stay with you long after the story ends.

Buy Links:


Our Review:

Reviewed by Donna ~ 5 stars


I have listened to many, many audible books but have never felt compelled to write a review for one. Usually my audibles are books I have already physically read, but with You, it was a recommendation that I couldn’t squeeze into my blog reading schedule, so I bought the audible instead.

I have to say, this is THE BEST audible I have ever listened to. Santino Fontana narrated the shit out of this book, his voice was perfect, his perfectly timed intonations brought the character to life, he was one with Joe. Comedic timing was spot on, that dark, creepy timbre was mesmerising as well as alluring and shiver inducing and I actually believed that Caroline Kepnes’s Joe Goldberg was at the other end of the mic when this book was made. This book turned into a reality thanks to Santino Fontana, a twisty, dark, reality of Joe, the seemingly innocuous book store manager.

For those that have not read You, Joe Goldberg works in a little book store and Caroline Kepnes takes no time in letting you know that Joe is a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Joe, for all intents and purposes is a stalker and right from the very beginning we are witness to him finding his next target. From the initial first glance, to the credit card receipt, to stalking on social media, hacking and firmly planting himself in her life. Joe is intense, calculating, extremely clever and a master manipulator but the way in which Caroline Kepnes keeps you in Joe’s head for the entire book actually makes you love him, well I did and with that added voice of Santino Fontana, Joe became real. Nothing and no-one will come between Joe and Becks and god help you if you try. This is beyond infatuation, but the clever and calculating way that this story is delivered only makes you want to know more.

Joe is a character you should hate, heck, I would never want to come across him, but as an outsider being privy to his thoughts and actions I found him fascinating. So many witty one liners that had me laughing out loud even though I should have been cringing. His nonchalance, his inherent belief in himself and what he is doing is normal, the extents to which he goes to beggars belief, yet I still loved him.

As this book progressed, my little snippets of Joe in the car on school runs was never enough and I found myself listening when I should have been reading other books, those last three hours, I was captivated, I just carried on listening till the end. I already have downloaded book two and that is primed and ready to go and I cannot wait to reconnect with Joe. I have questions I want answers to, so what will Joe get up to next? I will keep you abreast.

Stunning audio book and just goes to show what happens when the voice nails the character. This was more than a narration, Santino Fontana did his homework, he voiced his arse off, and it paid off.

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