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I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy this book, knowing that it was about a man stalking a woman. But I decided to give it a try and before I gave the TV series a try.
I was blown away by Caroline Kepnes’s writing, it drew me in from the first page and made me want to keep reading so much that I had to force myself to put it down to sleep.
It is all written from the perspective of Joe Goldberg as he falls in love with Guinevere Beck. The trouble is Guinevere (or Beck as she prefers to be called) doesn’t know who he is and has a boyfriend of her own. Joe begins to stalk Beck and try to learn everything about her by watching her while she is in her apartment.
After a while, Joe and Beck finally go on a date and Joe starts to see his dreams become a reality… while Beck is still hung up on her ex. Joe knows that he needs to do something about him and all of the other people in Beck’s life that take the focus away from him.
This book gives an insight into the delusions that a stalker might have that leads them to start stalking the object of their desire. Whilst I enjoyed reading the book, at times it was quite disturbing to read some of Joe’s thought processes and how he wasn’t wrong, everyone else was.
I will be looking at reading the sequel at some point in the future as I would like to know what else Joe gets up to.
I was blown away by Caroline Kepnes’s writing, it drew me in from the first page and made me want to keep reading so much that I had to force myself to put it down to sleep.
It is all written from the perspective of Joe Goldberg as he falls in love with Guinevere Beck. The trouble is Guinevere (or Beck as she prefers to be called) doesn’t know who he is and has a boyfriend of her own. Joe begins to stalk Beck and try to learn everything about her by watching her while she is in her apartment.
After a while, Joe and Beck finally go on a date and Joe starts to see his dreams become a reality… while Beck is still hung up on her ex. Joe knows that he needs to do something about him and all of the other people in Beck’s life that take the focus away from him.
This book gives an insight into the delusions that a stalker might have that leads them to start stalking the object of their desire. Whilst I enjoyed reading the book, at times it was quite disturbing to read some of Joe’s thought processes and how he wasn’t wrong, everyone else was.
I will be looking at reading the sequel at some point in the future as I would like to know what else Joe gets up to.
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Merissa (12019 KP) rated Down on the Farm (Ames Bridge #1) in Books
Oct 24, 2017
Down on the Farm (Ames Bridge #1) by Silvia Violet
Down on the Farm is the first book in the Ames Bridge series, and we meet Beck, who has returned to the town he grew up in to sort out his grandma's home, and get some respite from the stress that he has been under recently. The only trouble is his grandma's house is right next door to the guy that Beck had a crush on when he was younger, but who bullied Beck whenever he saw him.
This story got me from the start. Beck and Cal have an instant spark between them that everyone else can see. Cal is worried, with reason, about how being 'out' and dating will affect his farm. He already struggles because of his sexuality, and thinks dating will just make it even harder. Beck has to learn that Cal has changed from his younger days, and perhaps, there is a chance for them both.
Down on the Farm is full of amazing characters, some huggable, some punchable. Either way, they are never bland, and it does give an insight into just how hard it might be. There is plenty of story, with steamy bits too (gotta say, I loved the barn scene! phew!!) It isn't all about the sex though, but about how these two men have to think about what they want and if they are brave enough to reach out for it.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pacing was smooth, with enough angst to make it tense in places. Highly recommended by me.
Oh, and one other thing - can I just say how much I loved Elsie and Irene! A couple of stars right there. And I certainly hope they make an appearance in future books.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This story got me from the start. Beck and Cal have an instant spark between them that everyone else can see. Cal is worried, with reason, about how being 'out' and dating will affect his farm. He already struggles because of his sexuality, and thinks dating will just make it even harder. Beck has to learn that Cal has changed from his younger days, and perhaps, there is a chance for them both.
Down on the Farm is full of amazing characters, some huggable, some punchable. Either way, they are never bland, and it does give an insight into just how hard it might be. There is plenty of story, with steamy bits too (gotta say, I loved the barn scene! phew!!) It isn't all about the sex though, but about how these two men have to think about what they want and if they are brave enough to reach out for it.
With no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The pacing was smooth, with enough angst to make it tense in places. Highly recommended by me.
Oh, and one other thing - can I just say how much I loved Elsie and Irene! A couple of stars right there. And I certainly hope they make an appearance in future books.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Slow Burner
This series came highly recommended, but I didn't get into it straightaway. In all honesty, I failed to see what was so captivating about the object of the stalker's affections, Beck. She came across as vapid and irritating, and unable to take responsibility for herself.
If you are able to get past the annoying characters and suspend belief/overlook certain flaws, then it's actually a very good story, which is worth persevering with.
The story is told from the POV of the stalker, Joe, and we get a good insight into his reasoning and rationale, and watch how he twists situations and circumstances to his advantage.
I probably wouldn't have persevered after the first episode, mainly because I found Beck so annoying, but my husband was enjoying it so we carried on watching. I'm glad we did (although Beck doesn't get any less irritating, if I'm honest).
The twist in the final episode of the series was a real cliffhanger to end on; rather than loose ends being tied up, things are becoming more unravelled for Joe.
If you are able to get past the annoying characters and suspend belief/overlook certain flaws, then it's actually a very good story, which is worth persevering with.
The story is told from the POV of the stalker, Joe, and we get a good insight into his reasoning and rationale, and watch how he twists situations and circumstances to his advantage.
I probably wouldn't have persevered after the first episode, mainly because I found Beck so annoying, but my husband was enjoying it so we carried on watching. I'm glad we did (although Beck doesn't get any less irritating, if I'm honest).
The twist in the final episode of the series was a real cliffhanger to end on; rather than loose ends being tied up, things are becoming more unravelled for Joe.
Zoe Rebecca Bevan-Bryan (17 KP) rated You in Books
Jan 22, 2020
Joe Goldberg works in a bookstore in New York. One day, a gorgeous girl walks into his store, and Joe is immediately transfixed. She charms Joe in their brief encounter and so he searches for the name he saw when he swiped her credit card. He lucks out, easily finding Guinevere Beck all over the Internet. In fact, she seems to live a great deal of her life publicly on Facebook and Twitter, allowing Joe to digitally watch her from afar. But quickly, Joe begins to actually watch "Beck," as he learns she is called: hiding outside her apartment and eventually arranging a chance encounter. Beck and Joe's lives quickly become entwined, as Joe becomes more and more obsessed with his perfect girl. Beck thinks Joe could be the ideal boyfriend, and he's determined to be just that: no matter what it takes.
Oh my, I have some mixed feelings about this book, but ultimately wound up rating it 4 stars simply because I just couldn't put it down, and I don't think I will stop thinking about it anytime soon. I actually found myself feeling suspicious of other people during and after reading it, as if being watched -- that's how good Kepnes was at weaving her tale of stalking and obsession. Joe is a fascinating character, and you become almost immediately sucked into his delusions. The book is told from his point of view, and it's written as if he's speaking directly to Beck. Once you become used to that, it's compulsively readable.
This is not a book full of characters with whom you will love and empathize. Now I admit that there were times that Joe felt so normal that you forgot he's basically batshit insane, and sometimes Beck herself (the victim, you have to remind yourself) is pretty terrible, too. This is a book about awful people doing terrible things to everyone in their lives. It's dirty (Joe's brain is not a pretty place) and dark, so dark. It dragged a little bit for me about 3/4 through (it's a pretty long book), but picked up very quickly as it neared the end.
In the end, I found this book to be amazingly intense. I continued to have complicated feelings for Joe up until the last pages. The novel is certainly a warning about our digital age and how easy it is to have your digital footprint (and subsequent actual life) invaded. It's also a twisted story of obsession. It will keep you turning the pages late into the night (with the curtains CLOSED).
Oh my, I have some mixed feelings about this book, but ultimately wound up rating it 4 stars simply because I just couldn't put it down, and I don't think I will stop thinking about it anytime soon. I actually found myself feeling suspicious of other people during and after reading it, as if being watched -- that's how good Kepnes was at weaving her tale of stalking and obsession. Joe is a fascinating character, and you become almost immediately sucked into his delusions. The book is told from his point of view, and it's written as if he's speaking directly to Beck. Once you become used to that, it's compulsively readable.
This is not a book full of characters with whom you will love and empathize. Now I admit that there were times that Joe felt so normal that you forgot he's basically batshit insane, and sometimes Beck herself (the victim, you have to remind yourself) is pretty terrible, too. This is a book about awful people doing terrible things to everyone in their lives. It's dirty (Joe's brain is not a pretty place) and dark, so dark. It dragged a little bit for me about 3/4 through (it's a pretty long book), but picked up very quickly as it neared the end.
In the end, I found this book to be amazingly intense. I continued to have complicated feelings for Joe up until the last pages. The novel is certainly a warning about our digital age and how easy it is to have your digital footprint (and subsequent actual life) invaded. It's also a twisted story of obsession. It will keep you turning the pages late into the night (with the curtains CLOSED).
Debbiereadsbook (1186 KP) rated Flare (Style #1) in Books
Apr 17, 2022
great start to a new series!
I was gifted my copy of this book via Booksprout.
This is the first in a new series by Hogan, set in and around a fashion store for men. As such, it lays down the setting for the series, and introduces us to a lot of people who need close attention paid to!
I liked this, I liked this a lot. Its very well told, with both Rhys and Beck having a say. I loved the supporting cast too, getting to knew new book people is far more enjoyable than getting to know new real people!
The way Hogan deals with Rhys' attack, and the aftermath that he is still dealing with all this time later is classic Hogan: VERY well written, dealt with VERY sensitively, extremely well researched and delivered in a way that doesn't overwhelm you with the techincal details.
So why 4 stars and not 5? I dunno, but I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page, and I can't make myself change it to 5, and that pains me so.
Because Rhys and Beck are PERFECT for each other: polar opposites, but very well suited. I loved that Beck keeps putting his foot in it with Rhys' and, I think, Rhys begins to like that. Loved that Beck was looking after his teenage nephew, while his mother is . . away (*spoilers!) Loved that Rhys has a whole host of friends, who may or may not know what happened all those years ago.
I loved that circle of friends, and the supporting cast, and I was putting together pairings cos I haven't paid too close attention to who might be next!
A really REALLY strong 4 star read, sorry I can't stretch!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
This is the first in a new series by Hogan, set in and around a fashion store for men. As such, it lays down the setting for the series, and introduces us to a lot of people who need close attention paid to!
I liked this, I liked this a lot. Its very well told, with both Rhys and Beck having a say. I loved the supporting cast too, getting to knew new book people is far more enjoyable than getting to know new real people!
The way Hogan deals with Rhys' attack, and the aftermath that he is still dealing with all this time later is classic Hogan: VERY well written, dealt with VERY sensitively, extremely well researched and delivered in a way that doesn't overwhelm you with the techincal details.
So why 4 stars and not 5? I dunno, but I wrote 4 stars at the top of the page, and I can't make myself change it to 5, and that pains me so.
Because Rhys and Beck are PERFECT for each other: polar opposites, but very well suited. I loved that Beck keeps putting his foot in it with Rhys' and, I think, Rhys begins to like that. Loved that Beck was looking after his teenage nephew, while his mother is . . away (*spoilers!) Loved that Rhys has a whole host of friends, who may or may not know what happened all those years ago.
I loved that circle of friends, and the supporting cast, and I was putting together pairings cos I haven't paid too close attention to who might be next!
A really REALLY strong 4 star read, sorry I can't stretch!
*same worded review will appear elsewhere
