Providence
Books | Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
3.4
(180)
Caroline Kepnes
“Part love story, part supernatural thriller and completely engrossing” (People)—from the acclaimed author of You, now a hit Netflix series IN DEVELOPMENT AS A PEACOCK ORIGINAL SERIES FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS OF YOU “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
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More Details:
Author
Caroline Kepnes
Pages
368
Publisher
Random House Publishing Group
Published Date
2018-06-19
ISBN
0399591443 9780399591440
Community ReviewsSee all
"I'm going to say this upfront - do not go into Providence expecting a thriller, and you will get much more enjoyment out of the book. I was warned by reviewers before me, and I am glad that I had the proper expectations going in. This is also completely different than You & Hidden Bodies, so don't be disappointed when it's not Joe Part 3. It's a great story on its own. <br/><br/>I'm not really sure what genre to classify this book as - it's a mystery, a supernatural story, a romance, a tragedy, a coming of age story, a (partial) procedural, a serial killer story...it has a little bit of everything. <br/><br/>This book does have a lot of Lovecraft references, particularly to The Dunwich Horror. I'm currently listening to the audiobook of The Dunwich Horror since I had never read it. Reading this beforehand may help you appreciate Providence a little bit more, but you can still grasp it just fine without reading it. I don't have much of a background in Lovecraft & I still enjoyed this story. <br/><br/>Providence starts out very strong, and I think Kepnes did an excellent job with the coming of age portions. The book starts to slow down around the middle, and is a bit repetitive at times, but never to the point where I was actually bored. I still liked the characters & hearing about what was going on in their lives. <br/><br/>Another strong point of this book is the writing of heartbreak. As I got more invested in the characters, I really began to feel for them & wanted things to work out for them. The closest thing I can compare this to is 11/22/63 - in both books, the writing is excellent, the romance is more than tolerable, and there's more of a story surrounding everything than just love. <br/><br/>My biggest complaint is that I feel like I was still left with a few questions, and I wish more time could have been spent on certain storylines. There is still enough to wrap up the ending well, so I am happy with the book has a whole. I am so excited that I was able to read more from Caroline Kepnes, and I can't wait to see what she does next!"
"Definitely different "
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Brandi Carson
"Providence is nothing like her series You. It is not a book I would pick up and choose to read. I am not into super natural. With that being said, Caroline Kepner does have a way of making her character real. Their voices draw you into the story."
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Samantha
"http://www.anurseandabook.com/2018/05/providence-by-caroline-kepnes.html<br/><br/>Who didn't love You or Hidden Bodies? So, so good. An original voice and two fresh reads. So I was beyond excited to get an advance copy of Providence by Caroline Kepnes from Netgalley. I finished it in a weekend.<br/><br/>Jon is a small, nerd like kid, but he is tightly bonded with cute, popular Chloe, who floats between sitting in a shed with Jon and hanging out with the cool kids, straddling the gap easily. <br/><br/>One morning, Jon is kidnapped by a substitute teacher with an obsession with H.P. Lovecraft. Jon reappears from the basement of a mall years later - I do have to admit the nurse in me wondered how a substitute teacher could put a child into a medical coma for years -hint, can't happen. Sometimes being a nurse is a pain when you are supposed to suspend disbelief.<br/><br/>When Jon comes back, he has a power that causes him to leave home and avoid any close human interaction. I don't want to provide any spoilers, but in this area, the book felt very Stephen King, who I love.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, Chloe grows up, reconnects with an old school friend, all while still pining for Jon. And an emotionally detached detective is working to track Jon down to find out why so many people around him die.<br/><br/>I really liked the book, but I found the detective to be a bit of a drag on the story. I didn't have any desire for him to find Jon, and I didn't really understand his obsession or how he made the connections. I also didn't understand how a certain character showed up at the end, but I liked the Pushing Daisies feel of the climax.<br/>"
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Marcee Feddersen