“If we were teenagers, I could kiss you. But I’m on a platform behind a counter wearing a name tag and we’re too old to be young.”
When Joe Goldberg first sets eyes on Guinevere Beck he knows they are supposed to be together. Their first encounter at his bookstore marks the beginning of their relationship, whether Beck (the name Guinevere being far too pretentious) knows it or not. Through searching the name on her credit card, Joe starts to learn everything there is to know about Beck, slowly easing himself into her life, taking control, and removing anything that gets in his way.
Told from the perspective of a charismatic psychopath (aka Joe), You takes us on a journey through his twisted mind. The author does an incredible job with this, to the point where I understood Joe’s feelings, frustrations, and ultimately actions. The supporting characters are not likable whatsoever, including Beck, which works in making the reader be somewhat sympathetic to Joe and his delusions. I did find however, that the story did drag in several places and feel that it would have been much stronger as a whole if it had been shorter. With Beck being an unlikable character, the story depends on Joe’s voice to engage the reader, and while Joe’s voice is interesting and at times amusing it was not compelling enough to engage me throughout the entire length of the novel. Having said that, it is a good book that is absolutely worth reading. The writing is excellent and seeing the world through Joe’s eyes is an experience.
About a Book 