Providence is thrilling and kept me on the edge of my seat in true Caroline Kepnes fashion. I was drawn to Jon as I was to Joe Goldberg (You & Hidden Bodies) in a haunting way, constantly torn between empathy and fear.

Meet New York Times Bestselling Author, Caroline Kepnes. She's a great mixture of lightness of being and dark shadows. Listen in on Willow's conversation with this wonderfully intriguing character writer/ blackjack player/ grade school choir dropout.

http://www.willowaster.com/podcast/2018/6/21episode26-caroline-kepnes

"There’s nothing I like more than getting into someone else’s head and seeing what it’s like in there."
— Caroline Kepnes

This book ultimately left me feeling disappointed. It felt like it was trying to be too many different genres - YA romance, sci-fi, cop thriller - without truly nailing any of them. Providence tries to be a love story between two teenagers, but I ended up just feeling frustrated by what kept them apart. I'm all for some Lovecraft allusions (of which there are a lot), but Kepnes doesn't really follow through on any of the true horror elements that could have added so much more suspense to the story. It felt so unfinished to me too. I'm sure Kepnes is planning on a sequel, but I won't be reading it.

I am a huge fan of Caroline Kepnes and this book did not disappoint. It is different than the other books I have read of hers but I still really enjoyed it. I highly recommend this and her other books. If you have not tried her books, do it! :)

What a great story. The author fleshed out the characters so well, I enjoyed them all so much. I love that the ending was bittersweet and wasn't your typical happy ending. I really hope the story will continue on, there is so much more to look forward to with this story.

You is one of my all-time favorite books and eventhough I didn’t enjoy Hidden Boddies that much, a new Caroline Kepnes book was something to get excited about. I wanted to point out that Providence has nothing like You and Hidden Bodies so as much as possible, try not to have very high expectations especially if you loved Joe Goldberg. Yes I know it’s hard but let’s keep an open mind before reading Providence.

On his way to school, Jon’s excitement to finally tell Chloe, his best friend, how he feels got cut short when he gets suddenly attacked and kidnapped. After four years, Jon wakes up in a basement room and next to him is a book with a short written note from his kidnapper who happens to be his substitute teacher. Jon, who is now back to his home and Chloe, realizes that he can hurt (unintentionally) the people around him so he decides to leave their town to protect the ones he love. He disappears to find out what really happened to him.

Fast-forward to present, Chloe is now a successful artist in New York. Jon is still in his mission to find his captor and causes series of fatal accidents that catches the attention of Eggie, a local detective. Obsessed with the sudden deaths of the local residents, he does everything to track the killer and is now determined that he has found the right one.

I was immediately drawn into the story because of Jon. He’s such a precious kid and I just want him to be happy. Chloe is an okay character but I didn’t really care that much about her compared to Jon . Oddly enough, I found Eggie’s story interesting. This book is written in the perspectives of these three characters and I had fun reading it.

This book has a lot of H.P. Lovecraft references I’m not familiar with (because I haven’t read any of his works) but I didn’t mind because the author provided enough details to help the readers understand more what the theme in the story is. Honestly, it’s really difficult to classify the genre of this book. It has a bit of everything. Mystery, sci-fi, urban fantasy, supernatural, thriller, crime fiction, drama, and romance.

Why I gave a 3-star rating? I felt like there’s something missing in the story. I wanted it to be more suspenseful. I was waiting for something big to happen especially towards the end but it didn’t come. Sure there’s a plot twist but it wasn’t really that impressive. There were so many questions that were left unanswered which was a little dissatisfying. I wanted to learn more about Jon’s disappearance and what really happens while he’s in the basement. What exactly did his sub teacher do to him for the past four years? Also, I didn’t totally get why Jon simply run away and didn’t tell her best friend and love interest, Chloe, why (or that) he has to leave. He could have give her at least some lame excuses. Communication is really important, guys.

This may be a different book from the other two novels I mentioned in the beginning of this post but there are still some similarities that will tell you that this is a Kepnes book. Aside from the brilliant writing, we have characters with obsessions and we see how social media plays a huge part of it.

Final Verdict : Caroline Kepnes is a very talented writer and I really admire her. I’m really happy to have read this book and will still read her future works.

If I’ve been away for a long time, part of the reason is this book. Providence is not an easy read, and that’s due to the subject matter. It’s a love story, but it is a very ugly love story. Seeing as though I’m just putting myself out there in the dating scene again, it is probably the kind of book that I wanted to skip over and move on from. That’s not to say that the book is terrible or poorly written. It isn’t. There’s a fair bit to admire in the telling of this tale – the way it feels literary with its multiple narrative viewpoints, but yet feels pulpy in a horror novel way. However, if you’re looking for an uplifting tale, your best bet would be to probably look elsewhere.
Providence is the story of a boy named Jon Bronson, who has a crush on a neighbour and classmate named Chloe. One day, he is kidnapped and put into an induced coma by his capture. Four years later, he re-emerges, but is a changed person. He now has a superpower – he can cause people to go into cardiac arrest at will. Thus, upon discovering this with his friends and family, he secretly goes into hiding so that he cannot hurt the ones he loves. Chloe, meanwhile, holds a bit of a torch for Jon, becoming a celebrated painter who paints images of him. However, she, too, after awhile moves on and is set to marry the nemesis of Jon – a boy who bullied Jon while growing up. At the same time, a homicide detective nicknamed “Eggs” is twigging into the fact that a whole bunch of young people dying with no history of heart failure isn’t just a coincidence, and gets closer and closer to nabbing Jon as Jon carries out his deadly business, which, it should be noted, he can’t help.
Providence is probably a bunch of things, but, to me, this is a story about family and what binds them together, and how they may lose each other. Jon, of course, secretly still pines for Chloe, but can’t bear to be near her for the fear of hurting her. In that sense, I suppose this novel kind is a riff on the notion of how people can hurt other human beings with their emotions. It is also a bit of a beauty and the beast horror story: Jon is given a copy of H.P. Lovecraft’s The Dunwhich Horror as a parting gift from his captor, so I suppose you could say that this book is one big power chord about the impact of other books, whether they are celebrated or not. (This is my first time being acquainted with The Dunwhich Horror, so my impressions of it are that it might be a lesser work in Lovecraft’s oeuvre.)
Despite this, and the fact that the book is well written, I had a hard time handling it. The notion of being separated from someone you immensely care about – and having the reason for it being not your fault – is a bit tough to encounter. And, so, I read it slowly, only approaching it when I felt like I was really ready for it. I literally went weeks before opening my Kindle to the slow burning sense of disgust that this book wants to make you feel. So, yes, a tough read indeed. Would I recommend it? It’s hard to say. I enjoyed the book when I felt comfortable enough to read it, and it works as a piece of well-versed entertainment. However, if you want a feel good romance about the state of human emotion, well … maybe not so much.
What does hold the book together is the narrative bits featuring Eggs as the protagonist. He’s something of the moral glue for the characters as he slowly starts zeroing in on what may be really happening to them. He’s not perfect – he has a son presumably with autism who is dead to him – but you do want to see Jon get captured if only so he’s not a danger to himself, lest of all others. Consequently, the Jon chapters are a little tough. Yes, he does manage to kill some particularly nasty people, but he also inadvertently kills some nice people too.
If there’s a major flaw with this work, it is that we don’t get a sense of the justification for why Jon has been made this way by his captor. Why would someone want to give someone else the power to kill people indiscreetly? Providence never really answers this question. Thus, there is a bit of a dark hole in the narrative of this novel. Why pick Jon? It is because he’s young and in touch with his feelings? Is it something more? We never know. And then there is the whole question of how this kind of telepathy really works, and why the captor seeks this power out. (Let alone why he wouldn’t want to be granted the power of giving people heart attacks to himself.) There are a lot of questions that aren’t really answered in this work, and that’s kind of problematic. I suppose that Providence is meant to be an easy-going good read, a piece of horror fiction, but there’s something vacant about it.
Thus, my feelings for this book are rather mixed. Are we supposed to enjoy the fact that Jon has the ability to take out people of all walks of life? Or are we supposed to empathize with Eggs’ quest to get to the bottom of things and put the cuffs around Jon? I don’t know. I certainly wouldn’t want to question a novel’s morals – after all, this is probably just meant as a thriller. However, there were elements that troubled me. And saddened me. I felt sorry for Jon and Chloe and wished that true love could find them in the end. Whether or not they get that is up to the reader to decide. Anyhow, I apologize again if I was a little pokey with this one, but you can say that Providence conjures certain feelings. Whether or not you want to feel the yearning that this novel mines so acutely is another question altogether.

** A copy of Providence was provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review **

I loved You by Caroline Kepnes. I was looking forward to Providence even though I did not care for the sequel of You.

This book was so creative. It reminded me of a Stephen King book. A lonely adolescent with one friend/love interest is kidnapped by a substitute teacher. 4 years later he wakes up in a mall basement with no memories of the past 4 years. He is big and strong now. His only friend is so happy he is back. But something weird happens to people when they are around him.

This book has a strong storyline. It’s suspenseful and interesting and it has likeable main characters.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Caroline Kepnes book. I requested it because I recognized the author. That being said, it wasn't quite what I hope it would be. The writer's style was good and that story was okay, but I just had a hard time getting into it.

Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT a sci-fi fan. At all. But this was a very compelling read and I was very interested in what happened next. Good job, Ms. Kepnes.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of Providence from the publisher (Lenny books) and Netgalley. All opinions expressed below are my own.

Synopsis:
Growing up, Jon and Chloe are best friends, which people don't always understand. Jon is dorky and weird - the kid that gets bullied and picked on. Chloe is pretty and popular. One day, when Jon is walking to school, he is kidnapped by a substitute teacher. Years later, Jon escapes after being held in a medically induced coma. The only problem is, people keep dying around him.

Review:
Okay, I'll admit it - I wasn't a big fan of YOU by Caroline Kepnes. I feel comfortable saying that because everyone is obsessed with the book. Yes, it was different, but it just didn't mesh with me as a reader. In spite of that, I was still interested in reading Providence. I didn't know much of anything about the plot prior to starting the book.

I really enjoyed the supernatural/science fiction aspects of this story. I had never heard of H. P. Lovecraft, so this was a new and informative storyline for me. While I wouldn't classify this as truly suspense or thriller, it definitely had a creepy vibe where you didn't quite know what would happen next. I enjoyed the author's take on the themes of self imposed isolation which was explored differently in each character.

Overall, I rate Providence 3.5 stars. I liked this one, but didn't love it. I'd definitely recommend it for fans of Kepnes' other works.

A departure from You and Hidden Bodies, but equally as fast-paced. I enjoyed it and will recommend it to those who want a different kind of thriller than the usual fare.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Caroline Kepnes for allowing me to read and review Providence. This book, with all of its hype, had me so excited to read it that I purchased the Audible book as well!

Jon Bronson is about 14 when he is kidnapped by Roger Blair, an H. P. Lovecraft fanatic who keeps him under sedation for four years and somehow gives him special powers during his captivity. Then Blair releases Jon, who must come to terms with the fact that he is now quite strong and can kill people and animals without touching them. Then the story skipped ahead another six years. The story is told in alternating chapters by Jon, his childhood friend Chloe and Eggs, a police detective who is trying to connect the deaths of a bunch of random people. This book just wasn't for me. It was mostly internal monologues and painfully slow. The conglomeration of young adult angst and mild horror didn't do it for me. I quit after reading about 40%. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.

Jon and Chloe are best friends in school. Since Jon is bullied while walking to school, he goes another way through woods. Jon is bullied at school too. Jon and Chloe go to a shed in the woods to visit and talk. Jon is going to school when he is kidnapped. Who kidnapped him? Chloe searches for him along with others but aren’t successful in finding him. Four years go by and suddenly Jon is in the mall. He is recognized even though he has grown. When Chloe hears the new that Jon is back, she runs to him at his parents home. However, she gets a bloody nose and faints. Chloe goes to the hospital. When Chloe tries to see him, Jon refuses and won’t tell her why. Chloe doesn’t give up trying to see Jon. Why won’t Jon see her?

In this novel, you will discover what a true relationship is. It is a novel that is a mystery, science fiction and romance. The story is written with well-written, descriptive characters and plot. There are twists and surprises in it. I enjoyed the plot very much. It’s a good story. Read it!

There is something doubly disappointing about the idea that Ms. Kepnes' latest novel is so forgettable. Her first two novels were spectacular pieces of twisted fiction. The idea of a character possessing strange powers that threaten others made me hope that Providence would be more of the same. Reader, lightning does not strike a third time in this instance.

There are several areas in which the story falters. The first is in Jon and Chloe's relationship. The synopsis makes it sounds as if it is part of the magic that later becomes such a large part of Jon's life. However, a reader never gets that impression from the story itself. They are 13 years old when Jon disappears and still finding themselves and their niche in their small social world. Chloe, in particular, must reconcile her desire to be among the popular students and the person who she calls her best friend. I say calls her best friend because she still allows the popular students to bully and beat Jon; two people with such a strong connection would never allow that to happen to the other without interference. Later, after Jon disappears, what Chloe feels - in my opinion - is nothing but guilt. The guilt manifests itself in never being able to forget Jon. Upon his return, she continues to feel guilty at having moved on in her life while he was...well...not able to do so (without giving away a key plot point). Is there love there? Probably. Is it a mystical bond? I don't think so, at least not the way Ms. Kepnes makes it appear to be. There are so many other emotions at play in their relationship, not to mention all of the issues that coincide with being a teenager and young adult, that to call it mystical is to ignore the mundane.

Also, H. P. Lovecraft and his novels provide a disconcertingly large part of the focus of the novel. To understand what they bring to the story would require knowing information about him and about his stories. Ms. Kepnes tries to provide the basics for readers, however, it is not enough to bridge the gap of unfamiliarity. I feel that someone who is a Lovecraftian would appreciate Providence much more than I did if only because they will understand some of the connections between Jon and Lovecraft the author is trying to make. So much of the novel either references Lovecraft or specific plot points of his novels that I believe I lost a significant level of detail and insight by not being familiar with either.

To me, Providence is another story about obsession with characters who would greatly benefit from counseling and maybe even medication. However, Ms. Kepnes does everything in her power to pretend it about something else, and that is where the story loses me. Ms. Kepnes does not need magic or superpowers to create compelling characters; that she does with Jon and Chloe is a letdown. It feels a bit like she took the easy path with this novel and with these characters, using Lovecraft and at least one of his novels to develop the plot and relying on magic powers and a mystical connection rather than properly developing the characters. Her previous novels proved that she can write amazing stories. Unfortunately, I found nothing amazing in Providence.

Tough for me to give feedback on this one. I saw this going on so many TBR lists on Goodreads. Unfortunately sci-fi is one of my least favorite genres and there was a little too much in this one for me. I think I’d better like the author’s previous book.

Oookay... I've been delaying this review because truthfully, I didn't absolutely love this book. And given that I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher Lenny, I always feel a but guilty when I can't write a completely glowing review. Especially because I also love Lenny! And the fabulous, boundary-pushing women's work that they publish both in their newsletter and now, in novel form. 

Let me say I was drawn to Providence because of the thriller/supernatural aspect. The first half or so of the book engaged me, but then it started to flag for me. I haven't read any Lovecraft, which for sure made it difficult for me to connect with that aspect of the narrative. And as for Chloe... I am nearly always in favor of a flawed main character, but in this case, there wasn't a whole lot of positive there to balance out the flaws for me. 

This is absolutely a case of not the right reader for this book. There is a lot to love here - it just wasn't up my alley. That being said, I am super grateful to NetGalley and Lenny for the opportunity to read it.

What a creepy, interesting, get-into-your-head read this was! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am still engaged with it a day later, my last thoughts before falling asleep the night I finished it were of the two main characters. Starting in high school Chloe and Jon are friends but a different kind of friend, not boyfriend and girlfriend although they each think that is what they want. This story then takes a turn for the bizarre. The setting of Providence and other parts of New England are true to place and time (I live out side of Providence) and play an important part in the story. A quick read since you won’t be able to put it down! Thank you #netgalley for the opportunity to read and review #providence

It pains me to write this review. Unfortunately, it wasn't my cup of tea.

Let me tell you what I did love about this book; the writing, Kepnes has a way with telling stories, this book is no exception. It was a personal issue that I didn't take to the content. This doesn't mean that the quality of writing diminished any.

There was a very strong opening and honestly, I was intrigued and pulled in right from the jump. It was when we hit the twist that I started to lose interest.

I always suggest readers take a chance, if their interest is piqued let no one tell them otherwise unless they read it and feel the same.

*Thank you to Netgalley for providing an advanced review copy*