“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 … 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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There is something for every reader in these pages—thrills, chills, and a complex love story. Kepnes is a writer to add to your must-read pile.
The infinite talent of Caroline Kepnes shines through every page of this extraordinary tale. Providence is sure to be one of the best thrillers of the year.
When the newest book, Providence, by Caroline Kepnes became available, I excitedly requested and downloaded it on NetGalley. Her first book, You, is one of my favorites, and her second, Hidden Bodies, was very strong. I rushed through Providence this week turning the pages and watching a strange story unfold before my eyes. There are many parts I enjoyed, a few I thought were just okay, and in the end would give it about 3.5 stars.
Let’s start out with a little bit about the story… two teenagers are best friends in love with one another but unwilling to tell the other. We see why they click and what is appealing in both. Then Jon goes missing. The book jumps several years later and Chloe is now dating the guy who picked on Jon when they were younger. We have no idea what happened to Jon. More time passes and we find out Jon was kidnapped by someone at their school, and when he wakes up, he’s been in a medically-induced coma for years. He’s physically matured and somehow developed a bit of a supernatural power. This is where I got worried… I’m not a fantasy or sci-fi reader, but I’m trying to branch out, so this was a really great opportunity to check out another genre.
I wasn’t disappointed. It was exactly what I thought it would be. I love how the ‘other worldly’ talents integrate into the story, but I had tons of questions like a two year old: why, how, when, where, what… yet I believe it’s important as a reader to hold your own questions at bay and read with an open mind. I never got the answers, but then again, you don’t always get them in sci-fi or fantasy (from what I understand). It just happens and you go with the fun aspects of something new or different. That said, I found ways to enjoy the book for what it is. A coming-of-age story where the main character is a bit older than normal because of everything he’s gone through. And you end up questioning what is right and wrong. Is one bad or evil action able to be redeemed, or should someone suffer / die because of it.
Throughout the course of the ~400 pages, Jon struggles to balance his love for Chloe and his inability to control the powers when he gets emotional. It’s a love story, a suspenseful drama, a mystery chase, and a bit of a reflection on life. Kepnes is fond of (and strong at, too) developing characters with obsessions, social media-frenzied anxiety, and over-indulgence in human emotional needs. I mean this in a positive way, too. She gets right to the core of what makes some people tick or focus on the little details that sit within a person’s mind all day long. It helps pull you in to the story and the characters.
Many readers will compare this to You, and if they aren’t sci-fi or fantasy genre buffs, they may struggle a little. I am not familiar with HP Lovecraft’s books, which are a central theme in this one. Although Kepnes does a good job and explaining what you need to know, it would be better if you had read Lovecraft. I hope readers will see this as something similar yet purposely different to both books, as it stands out as an interesting and quick read where you see a different slice of humanity and psychological rhythm. Character development is spot on. Plots are woven well. Settings are very clear. And there’s a subtle page-turning push you feel trying to understand where it’s all going.
For me, it’s a good book. I’m glad I read it. I’d recommend it only to folks I think would be willing to cross all the different genres and go for a peculiar and crafty ride. Thanks to NetGalley, Kepnes and her publisher for getting me an early copy.
An artist, a mutated vigilante, a charming hunter, a sickly detective, and a literary lunatic: Caroline Kepnes brings them together in this propulsive and original story. It kept me up at night, scared and thinking.
A compulsively readable novel about the complexity of love, relationships, and the monsters we allow ourselves to become . . . Plus I have a new favorite character, named Eggs.
I knew nothing about this book going in except that it wasn’t going to be about my book boyfriend Joe. I was apprehensive because I really miss him. I want more of him. I was not disappointed in this one though. Jon is almost as swoon worthy, just in different ways.
This book was like nothing I have ever read. Caroline is good at that. Giving us stories that we never thought we would read and love. This book was part thrilling, part magical, part heart breaking, part sweet and romantic, and completely epic. It’s the ultimate epic romance story without all of the unicorns and rainbows.
Jon. Where will you end up Jon? How will you get your happily ever after? You sure deserve it after everything you have gone through. My heart was pounding through so much of this book. My mind was reeling how everything would turn out in the end.
Poor Chloe. She is such a great character. So real and genuine. I wanted to her to get her happily ever after just as much as I wanted Jon to get his. From childhood to adulthood, Chloe never lost her way. She continued to let Jon’s memory live inside her. She never gave up.
I wanted to get to the end of this book so badly. At the same time, I didn’t want this story to come to a close. I wanted to bask in Jon and Chloe was a little longer, but I also couldn’t take another second of agony.
Fans of Caroline Kepnes will NOT be expecting this story. It is absolutely nothing like her previous two books. I just hope everyone keeps an open mind and embraces the genius that is this book.
4.5/5 stars!
PROVIDENCE is a tale of love and heartbreak, (literally and figuratively), infused throughout with a powerful longing for something that’s just out of reach. I. LOVED. IT. !!
Young Jon Bronson is stolen away from his life and his first love, Chloe. He wakes up in a body he doesn’t recognize because it’s been 4 years since he was taken. The only clue he has as to what happened is a copy of Lovecraft’s THE DUNWICH HORROR which contains a short note to him inside. He soon discovers this book is not the only reminder he has of his experience. What is the other reminder? Will Jon be able to resume his life at school, with his parents, with Chloe? You’ll have to read this to find out!
I’m not going to lie, at first I was disappointed to discover this wasn’t a book about Joe Goldberg. Then when I heard this tale was somehow related to Lovecraft I was excited again. Turns out, this tale is actually only tangentially related to Lovecraft, so those unfamiliar with his work need not worry. It also turns out that Jon Bronson is a much better person than Joe Goldberg EVER could have been. That is the fact that made this book so difficult to put down. Look, I’m the type of person that loves it when everybody dies at the end of a story. The fact that I was rooting so hard for Jon surprised even me!
There is a whole other subplot going on here, involving Eggs, (a police officer) and Lo, his wife. While the story of Jon and Chloe involves young love with more than the normal obstacles in the way, Eggs and Lo showcase an entirely different tale of love-the long term marriage kind; the marriage facing major obstacles kind. Somehow, Eggs and Lo sneaked in through the back door of the main plot and stole my heart. I just wanted so badly for them to make it through.
All of this proves to me how powerful and capable of a writer Caroline Kepnes really is. These are not my types of stories, YOU, HIDDEN BODIES and now PROVIDENCE. I am not a romance reader, but somehow I became wholly invested in the fates of Jon and Chloe, of Eggs and Lo. I hope that that all of their stories will captivate you as well. If any of what I’ve written sounds appealing to you, go and get this book and find out what happens. Come seek me out when you’re done and we’ll shed our tears together.
My highest recommendation!
*I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*
As kids, Jon and Chloe are best friends, even though she realizes that Jon is a little different from the other kids. Then one day Jon vanishes after taking a shortcut on his way to school. The town searches for him, but it’s a bit halfhearted they must admit, as he is not one of the popular and beloved kids. But his absence strikes Chloe in the heart. She finds solace in her art and begins fitting in better at school, making more friends. Still, she cannot forget Jon or how much he meant to her. Imagine her shock when Jon turns up four years later, after escaping from a kidnapper, and revealing himself to be viral and strong–everything he wasn’t before the kidnapping. He also quickly learns that he has a strange and uncontrollable power over people, especially when he’s feeling strongly about something. This power drives Jon into seclusion, isolating him from his beloved Chloe. Jon begins to search for the truth about what has made him this way, while Chloe tries to figure out her place in the world, with or without Jon.
Well, this was an interesting one and nothing like what I expected. Obviously Kepnes is well-known for her novel, You, which is a story of love and obsession gone wrong. Supposedly many reviewers felt that this new book was a far twist from YOU, but I couldn’t help but feel that parts of it reminded me of that novel, due to some of Jon’s obsession and focus on Chloe. Still, I can understand that feeling, as PROVIDENCE also has a bit of an almost paranormal science fiction twist to it. That is a change. It requires a little suspension of disbelief, but once you go with it, the book is incredibly addictive and hard to put down. I read it in one day while on vacation, completely addicted to the strange and fascinating plot.
There’s no denying that Kepnes can write, and you become immersed in her characters. I was intrigued by Jon and a bit by Chloe as well. I didn’t adore them, but they were multi-faceted, and their dilemma unique. I’ll admit that I didn’t even know that Lovecraft–the author on whom Jon’s situation is based–was real, so obviously all of those references went right over my head. Ha! I might have gotten into that scenario more if I knew the author, but the whole “turned you into a monster–or did I?” concept isn’t exactly difficult to follow, and it’s an interesting idea.
The novel is told from the points of view of Jon, Chloe, and a detective named Eggs. I enjoyed Eggs’ perspective; he added a much-needed third viewpoint to the tale. Eggs is tracking Jon, but we also get a nuanced look at his relationship with his wife.
In the end, this is a weirdly fascinating novel that is hard to describe. I’m glad I read it, as I can’t imagine not reading any of Kepnes’ books, truly. It’s a story of dysfunctional and potentially misguided love, but I enjoyed how you could feel Jon and Chloe’s need for one another stretching and pulling across the pages. Kepnes is just so good at obsession and oddity (and love) that I couldn’t stop reading. I enjoyed this one.
I was a little apprehensive going into Providence because of all the less than stellar reviews out there. Not that I wouldn’t read it since it is written by one of my favorite’s Caroline Kepnes, but I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Well I’m very glad to have gotten a chance to read this book because I really enjoyed it.
Providence is about Jon who gets kidnapped only to return 4 years later a completely changed person. He now has certain powers, and fearing for the people around him, he runs off leaving everyone behind. The book is basically about what happens to Jon after he comes back from the kidnapping, with viewpoints switching from him, his soulmate and one true love who he has to leave behind (Chole), and a detective named Eggs. There are quite a few time jumps as well and I really liked the style that Kepnes wrote this book in. It kept me fully engaged the entire time and I had to find out what was going to happen because this book was just so interesting.
There are some great bookish one-liners, as well as some that aren’t book related but that I found hilarious. One of my favorites being from Jon’s mom:
She said she understood why they call it “working out” and that it wasn’t the right job for her.
I mean how funny is that?
There are a lot of references to the author H.P. Lovecraft in the book and while I didn’t know anything about the guy, this didn’t get in the way of me enjoying the book. It is also extremely important to note that this book is NOTHING like You or Hidden Bodies so make sure you don’t go into it expecting something like them because you are going to be disappointed. I appreciated this (even though I do miss my Joe) because it shows just how versatile Kepnes is by writing something completely different from her first 2 novels. Something that I think is REALLY good.
I also want to point out that I don’t think this book is really a thriller. For me it felt more like a coming-of-age / mystery / romance story with a touch of the supernatural/unexplained.
The biggest, and really only, issue I had with the book was that I didn’t love how everything was wrapped up in the end. I felt like some of the answers I really wanted, and the resolution I was desperately hoping for, just weren’t there.
Final Thought: While it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, I really enjoyed Providence. I think you just need to go into it with the correct expectations without expecting something it isn’t (a thriller/another book like YOU or HIDDEN BODIES). If you like a touch of the unexplainable in your books then you just might like this one. I think Kepnes writing was as great as ever, and there was enough mystery in this book to keep me reading. Also, the romantic aspect wasn’t overpowering which was really nice. She is such a strong author, and I can’t wait for the next book from her.
Providence in 3-ish words: Intense, Gripping, Dynamic
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.
This isn’t my type of book. It was hard to get through for me. I’m not a love story kind of person. Sadly, it doesn’t have a happy ending.
Providence is not a new YOU. I didn’t expected it to be, I was very okay with it. But I couldn’t connect with the characters or the story. I felt that Jon should tell Chloe the truth and that Chloe fell into the cliché of loving the bad boy. This was not the book for me, but what I’ve seen there are a lot of readers out there loving the story. So, give it try and judge for yourself.
this is the best book I’ve read or listened to in a very long time. I finished it very quickly. I couldn’t stop listening. The narration is perfect. The story is awesome! I have read all her books and love them all. If you’re anything like me and like horror, Twisted, edge of your seat books. This is for you.
Part supernatural suspense, part love story, and all the tack-sharp prose we’ve come to love from Caroline Kepnes. Different in big ways from YOU and HIDDEN BODIES, but 100% a great read!
The description of Providence as “part love story, part detective story, and part supernatural thriller” is apt. It is a tale about unconditional, unrequited love; a detective who is determined to solve a mystery and in the process finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew; and a “what if?” exploration about the results science might produce.
When the story opens, Jon and Chloe are growing up in a small New Hampshire town, Chloe is beautiful and popular. Jon is a bit of a nerd who gets bullied at school. But the unlikely twosome are the best of friends.
One morning Jon takes a remote route to school in order to avoid being confronted by a group of bullies led by the most popular boy at school. But he never arrives at school. He vanishes and the desperate search for him is futile. Eventually, Chloe gives up hope that Jon will be found, and carries on with her life. Her popularity at school does not wane, especially since she ends up dating the very boy who taunted Jon.
Four years after he disappeared, Jon awakens. He has no memory of those years and has physically transformed. He has grown and is strong. His abductor is gone, but left him a cryptic note. And Jon realizes that he is not far from home.
When he returns, his parents are elated, of course, and he desperately wants to renew his relationship with Chloe. But he is horrified to learn that in the time he has been away he has developed a mysterious power to bring harm to others. And those he loves are not immune. He cannot control that power or alter its outcome so he dares not be near Chloe.
Living in self-imposed exile in Rhode Island, Jon supports himself by delivering papers and performing other work that doesn’t require him to interact with others he cares about. He tries to get close to someone new . . . with disastrous results.
Jon decides to put his power to use delivering justice to those who deserve it which brings him to the attention of Detective Charles “Eggs” DeBenedictus. Eggs is a dedicated investigator who tends to get himself into hot water with his superiors because of his determination to follow up on clues that don’t seem relevant to his fellow officers. He thinks he is on the trail of a serial killer, but the profile doesn’t quit fit. Meanwhile, Eggs has a troubled home life. His wife wants him to take care of himself by undergoing his annual physical examination. She also wants him to accompany her to visit their severely autistic son who resides in a care facility. Eggs avoids doing either one as he becomes increasingly obsessed with the case.
Meanwhile, Chloe becomes a successful artist who specializes in painting the eyes of the boy who still haunts her. She plans to marry her high school boyfriend, moving into his luxurious apartment with him. But she can’t forget Jon, especially since he occasionally is unable to resist the urge to communicate with her.
Providence is an inventively unique story about a bond between two people that defies description and all attempts to sever it. It is a tale about a young man who loses four years of his life through no fault of his own and, upon learning that he has acquired a power he neither wants nor can control, just wants to resume leading a normal life. It is an exploration of the impact Jon’s transformation has upon everyone he loves — even though they don’t know about the strange power he possesses. Kepnes has woven a nuanced, complex story about loyalty, trusting one’s instincts about another person’s spirit, and the lengths to which we are willing to go in order to maintain relationships that bring meaning to our lives and make us feel better about ourselves. It is an entertaining and heart-breaking story that readers will ponder long after reading the last page.
Thanks to NetGalley for an Advance Reader’s Copy of the book.
Difficult to follow
For me, Providence was one of my most anticipated reads of 2018. There was so much pre-release buzz surrounding it and I’ve been dying to read something by this author, so I took the leap and dove into Providence.
Jon and Chloe were the best of friends. They understood one another in ways that no one else seemed to get. They shared an intense connection. However, on the day that Jon is supposed to confess his true feelings for Chloe, he goes missing. I was so intrigued by this. I was dying to know more. I needed answers. I wanted to know what happened with Jon….4 years later, Jon finally returns home, but life has changed a lot in the time that he was away. He is convinced that if he can change himself; get better, he can finally have what he’s always wanted with Chloe…In addition to Jon and Chloe’s storyline, we also have the one of Detective Eggs. Eggs has been consumed by a string of deaths and will stop at nothing to solve the case. How can people who are healthy just have their hearts stop beating? Eggs is convinced that all of these murders are connected and will risk everything to find out the truth….
I’m going to be 100% honest with you. I wanted so much to love this book. I really did. But, it just didn’t work for me. I was really intrigued by the story in the beginning. I wanted to know what happened to Jon and couldn’t wait to see where the story would go once he returned. That intrigue lasted about 25-30% into the story. After that I just felt confused and lost. This book has a heavy H.P. Lovecraft presence and that was just totally lost on me. I’ve never read anything by Lovecraft, so all of those references were over my head. I Am Providence and The Dunwich Horror were seriously huge themes throughout the book and they just left me with a giant question mark over my head. Maybe if I had a better understanding of HP Lovecraft and those stories, this story might of clicked for me, but it just didn’t.
Providence is one of those books that you’re either going to get or you’re gonna be left in the dark, like I was. It’s going to be a hit for some and a miss for others. From mystery and suspense to supernatural themes, this book certainly had a lot going on. I think this author is a very unique story-telling and has a great writing style. Even though this book was a total miss for me, I’m still glad that I gave it chance and checked it out.
Let me start by saying that the author clearly has talent. Providence is well-written and the character development is good. My feelings are based solely on my enjoyment, or lack thereof, of the story itself. Actually, it’s two stories, loosely connected until they finally merge together in the latter part of the book. The parallel storylines do make sense once it all comes together and both are easy enough to keep up with.
Caroline Kepnes was new to me, so I went into this one without any expectations or comparisons. The book is listed in the mystery/thriller genre and the blurb sounded intriguing, so I dove in. And then I dove back out – several times. Either I completely missed it or it just wasn’t there, but I found absolutely nothing in the book that mysterious or thrilling. The only mystery for me was what happened to Jon while he was kidnapped. What did Roger Blair do to him? No spoiler here, we’re told who the kidnapper is from the time it happens. We also know that whatever he did to Jon caused some major changes. Changes that have dire consequences. But, we’re never given the details. So, I suppose that aspect is more an unanswered question than a mystery.
All of that, while relevant to my feelings about the book, still isn’t what clinched it for me. As I said, I didn’t find anything that would make me think this story is a thriller. What I did find is one of the most depressing stories that I’ve read in some time. We have Jon, who is forced into a lonely existence because of the effects he has on those around him. Effects which cause no small amount of guilt. Then we have Chloe, who can’t let go of her feelings for Jon and attempts to move on with a manipulative jerk. And let’s not forget Eggs and Lo. We only get Lo’s story through Eggs, and while that info leads me to believe she’s a bit of an optimist, his view on everything is anything but. I won’t go into details, but my opinion of him was clouded almost from the time he comes into the story. Not by his gut instinct that the deaths of so many people must be connected, but by his personal life and how he deals with it. What it boils down to is from the time Jon is kidnapped to the last page, I just felt bogged down and sad. Sad for these characters and their circumstances.
It should be mentioned that there is a good deal of reference to Lovecraft and his work throughout the story, especially one book in particular. Quite possibly, if I were more familiar with Lovecraft’s work, I may have had different feelings, but I’m not and I didn’t.
Just Another Book Bitch’s ALWAYS SPOILER FREE REVIEW
Caroline Kepnes is one of the best wordsmiths of our generation. Plain and simple.
This highly intelligent suspenseful read is nothing short of breathtaking… You may or may not have read You. (*whispers if you haven’t YOU have to!!!) If you have, trust me when I say Kepnes blew it out of the water with Providence. I’m still left hypnotized by her words. The beauty, the pain, the human insight… I almost feel like I’m in a trace. I can’t form the words to truly express how remarkable this book is. Nothing can or ever will do it justice. The only thing you can do is READ THE BOOK Read it … Breathe it… and let it consume you.
“it’s almost as if the tentacles on the book are holding me, as if they’ve grown out of the cover and onto my hands, snaking up my arms, into my ears”
The author’s words of course, but exactly how I feel. This is a book that will stay with you. It can haunt you one moment, and inspire you the next. A book that will stay with you to be read and reread.
“Being alive is nothing without being able to live”
Providence is a brilliantly insightful love story. While observing the characters during their self-discovery you get a glimpse into the human nature. In all its ugliness and all it’s beauty. The front row seat we’re given into the mystery that is the human heart, with its false truths and its ever-present hunger for its mate. The inevitable damage it ensues. The cracks and the bruises it suffers when we hand it over to others, or when we hold on to it too tightly… Kepnes’s words are nothing more than mystifying and humbling. I’m in utter awe of her.
There are so many reviews you’ll see… Some great, some not so great. I try and write a spoiler free review because I think to live the book is the only true way to read. There are tons of “book report” type reviews out there and if that’s your thing go for it! But take a chance. Go in blind. You need to read Providence with no expectations… Let Kepnes’ words encompass you and transform you. Providence will move you.
Big thanks to author Caroline Kepnes for an early paperback copy and to Random House and Lenny Books. Thank you all for the opportunity to review.
Find/follow me on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter @JustAbookB or My Blog Page justanotherbookbitch(dot)com
I think I might be in the minority here, but this was a miss for me. I spent most of the book lost and confused. There is no depth to the writing, abrupt time jumps and really no character development. The 2 main characters spent very little time together, didn’t even speak for years, but they were soul mates??? And the ending……so unsatisfying.