***NO SPOILERS***

Fascinating, murderous psychopath Joe Goldberg is back in all his glory, this time with a California tan and new #1 goal in appearance-conscious Los Angeles. Like [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1411958102l/20821614._SY75_.jpg|39913517], Hidden Bodies is coarse and edgy, hooking from the first page and picking up right where the first book left off. Readers will be pleased to discover that Hidden Bodies nicely connects with You, with occasional mentions of Beck, Benji, Peach, and the infamous "mug of piss." This isn't a separate entity.

The story feels very current. Pop culture references abound--as they did in You--everything from mention of Philip Seymour Hoffman to t.v. show “Better Call Saul.” Joe’s voice is as wry and humorous as ever, a kind of crass Holden Caulfield.

Some of Hidden Bodies's strongest parts are when Joe shares observations of his new surroundings. You is very focused on main character Beck, but Hidden Bodies is almost as much a biting commentary of Los Angeles as it is about the main players in Joe’s life. He’s jaded and insulting, yet there’s something oh-so-funny about his bold honesty. Yes, Joe is back.

However, this isn’t perfect. Kepnes crafted some gloriously outrageous scenes. They’re suspenseful and thrilling to watch unfold. Many are also laughably improbable. Where what occurs in You is wild but still possible (one of You’s many strengths), much of what happens in Hidden Bodies couldn’t happen. Kepnes’s characterization is top-notch (one of the many strengths of both books), but it isn't always realistic. On occasion, otherwise sane, sensible characters do nonsensical things. Things also happen too conveniently; there are lots of highly unlikely coincidences; and certain happenings just don’t make sense.

Still, Hidden Bodies keeps readers on tenterhooks from beginning to end and does some things one or two notches better than You. In particular, the California sensibility is well rendered. This is one of those books wherein the setting is almost like a character. This isn't just because of talk of Lyft and jabs at L.A. and Angelenos in general but because of the vivid characterization of some main-character Angelenos. There’s the swimming-in-money, gorgeous girlfriend; her druggie brother; their irritatingly officious friend; the surfer-dude coworker; the desperate neighbor. The list goes on. All these populate a story that goes up and down continuously. Just when it’s time to breathe easy, yet another thrill occurs to upend everything. It’s a formula that works superbly, and if there’s one thing that can be said about Hidden Bodies it’s that it’s thoroughly entertaining. ( )

Just like with the book You this was a reread for me. My thoughts are similar to the first time around but I will say I hated Love’s family even more after reading the book a second time around.
this is a three-star rating for me. I loved YOU I ate it up and wanted more and this one just left me feeling blah. I miss crazy Joe! I miss the "I'm-going-to-misinterpret-everything-the-girl-I-am-obsessed-with-does-and-turn-it-into-how-she-is-in-love-with-me" Joe. Trust me, Joe is still insane, but it is different. It isn't the kind of crazy that I found so endearing in the last book. I am let down. The good news is that book three has brought back crazy Joe in waves He is calm and crazy in a great combination. I will be posting that review either tonight or tomorrow.

Now, had I gone into this book not knowing how entertaining, funny, witty, and completely bonkers Joe was in You, then I probably would have enjoyed this book more because it really was good. BUT... knowing that the best parts of the last book were missing in this book lead me to disappointment. Again, not because the story was not good, not because I did not enjoy the book, but because I missed the brand of crazy that Joe embodied in You. I am so glad that this series continued these types of books are enjoyable for me. I wonder what that says about me as a person.
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I received an ARC Kindle copy of [b:Hidden Bodies|23492288|Hidden Bodies (You, #2)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437414470s/23492288.jpg|43082571] by [a: Caroline Kepnes|202260|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1417479736p2/202260.jpg] via NetGalley.

This story begins in a bookstore, and the main Antagonist / Protagonist Joe, is a multi-dimensional character. He has committed at least one heinous act, has a stalker mentality and is newly in love.

There is at least one major backstory that would probably be more solidified if I read [b: You|15507958|Me Before You (Me Before You, #1)|Jojo Moyes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1357108762s/15507958.jpg|17763198] #1 You.

This novel is New York busy, and becomes California Kooky with a lot of kinky sex, drugs and Hollywood types.

The characters are mostly believable, but I wouldn't want to be in the same grocery store with any of them.

In order for me to like/love a book, I have to find commonality with the characters. I could not stand those people. Personally, it is not for me, but that does not mean that it is not entertaining, and could easily be converted into one of those B-Free movies I watch on Hulu. ( )

Great story and insight into Joes development via a "successful relationship." There are some parts that aren't really believable that pull the reader out of the story, such as the mug still being there after so many months. The ending also seems a little random and out of nowhere, however, hopefully the next book will elaborate more ( )

"Hidden Bodies" by Caroline Kepnes is the sequel to the best-selling thriller novel "You". It continues the story of Joe Goldberg, a charming and obsessive stalker who becomes increasingly dangerous as his obsession with the object of his affection, Love Quinn, grows.
The novel is narrated in the first person by Joe himself, which gives readers a unique perspective into the mind of a stalker and sociopath. Kepnes does an excellent job of making Joe a sympathetic character, despite his disturbing actions, by delving into his past and showing the traumatic experiences that have shaped him.
The plot takes Joe on a wild and twisted journey from New York to Los Angeles as he tries to escape his past and start a new life with Love. Along the way, he encounters a variety of characters, from Hollywood elites to struggling writers, all of whom become tangled up in his web of lies and manipulation.
These characters are also well-developed and complex. Joe's love interest, Love Quinn, is a particularly interesting character who is much more than she appears to be at first. The interactions between the various characters are realistic and believable, adding to the sense of realism in the story.
Kepnes' writing style is fast-paced and addictive, with plenty of suspenseful twists and turns to keep readers engaged. Her descriptions of Los Angeles are particularly vivid, bringing the city to life as a character in its own right.
While "Hidden Bodies" is a dark and unsettling read, it's also a captivating exploration of obsession and the human psyche. Kepnes is a skilled storyteller who has a talent for creating deeply flawed characters who are still able to evoke empathy from the reader. This novel is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. Fans of the first book will not be disappointed, and those new to the series will quickly find themselves hooked.
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I didn't exactly love "YOU", it was just ok. So I don't really know why I picked up the sequel "HIDDEN BODIES" other than...it was a sequel. I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, I like a good sex scene in a book and I'm not offended by graphic language when used in context. But both of these books just seem to push the envelope in that area. It shocks me that a female author throws around the "C" word as often as she does. And every other page the protagonist has to talk about how he's getting his "****" sucked or wanting to. Most of which was unnecessary to the story. I am assuming that the author, in trying to tell the story from a male serial killer's standpoint, felt that these were the things he'd be saying and thinking. For me, it was a bit uncomfortable and didn't feel like it added anything to the story. That being said, the PLOT of this book was better than the first one. I liked the twists, assuming he was going to kill everyone that wronged him but then he doesn't, not always. The new characters and the friendships he formed along the way. The way the protagonist changed his perspective about people (or did he?) That he could, even for a moment, think about the consequences of his actions on those he loved, but then going ahead and doing it anyway. And despite being a psychopath he could find true love, at least a form of it in someone who is probably just as sick as he is. I don't know that I would read a third book in this series, although the author did leave it hanging for a possible return ( )

Joe Goldberg is at it again! Joe continues to look for love in all the wrong places...and as a result, people end up dead. This time Joe is looking on the West Coast in search of a girl who took advantage of him. In the hills of Hollywood, Joe looks for this woman only to find something else...Love. She shows him that someone can accept him for all he is and be content with helping him become a better person. The ending caught me by surprise but it was definitely a good way to close out the Joe Goldberg story. ( )

This book took longer than it should have. I was unable to read for a couple of days. This book should be a movie. There is no such thing as a perfect murder. Just remember that ( )

Enjoyable for the farce that it is. I liked You much more than the sequel. This one just seemed too nonsensical. Joe was just killing person after person & it kind of got routine. His “rise to fame” was ludicrous. His close calls with law enforcement were extreme, even though I know it happens in real life.

I’m happy it moved fast. I didn’t want to DNF it, it was better than that, it was just too far fetched. I couldn’t make myself read the next book. I read a synopsis & that was enough. ( )

Damn, I enjoyed the hell out of this book. I wondered a bit at the beginning if I was going to, because it seemed to shift into second gear and stay there for a little bit, unlike the first novel in this (so far) duo, the absolutely breathtaking [b:You|20821614|You (You, #1)|Caroline Kepnes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1411958102s/20821614.jpg|39913517]. But this one had to take a touch longer only because it needed a bit more of a set up to take you where it needed to.

I'm not going to say anything about this novel, because I don't want to blow it for anyone, but seriously, just go and pick up You and this one and read them back-to-back as though they were one novel.

They'll likely be the best damn books you read this year. ( )

DNF. Really bad. But I’ll still a fan of YOU. ( )

I’m not exactly sure why I feel this book so enjoyable, but I did. I was disappointed when it ended. I feel like we really get to know Joe better and his motivations become so much clearer. He’s just the most likable murderer ever! ( )

Alright... hear me out!!! I know you’re not supposed to root for the killer but it’s so hard not to with Joe. He’s so charismatic and seems to have such good intentions... for the most part. ( )

I actually liked this one better - a lot less intense and creepy lol - but I also listened to it so that could be why - started the show the other day - just as creepy ... I feel like it's not over, I feel like I need more ( )

Woo boy. The sequel to "You" was just flat out terrible. I read it immediately after finishing "You" and was disappointed. Kepnes decides to not have Joe tell his story directly to his love interest in this one. Also we ended up with Joe kind of all over the place. It seems like he is in love one minute and then ready to toss it all away the next. This isn't the same Joe who couldn't bear to be away from Beck for even more than a second. This Joe seems to be mimicking the guy in the last book. Also Kepnes weirdly throws Joe in a Hollywood setting and meeting famous people and I just lost all interest after a while. Eventually Kepnes remembers the first book and that pushes in here and there, but we don't get back to the events in "You" until really the end of the book. I also didn't like the love interest in this book (Love) because she didn't seem real at all. Maybe that's what Kepnes was going for, but I thought she was delusional as anything. The only person that seemed to have any sense and saw Joe for what he was, was Amy.

"Hidden Bodies" picks up almost a year after the events in "You." Joe is happy and in love again. He has met someone new, Amy, who is just as crazy about Joe as he is with her. They work in the bookstore together and even though Joe isn't a fan of Amy's grooming habits he is happy and in love.

Quick aside #1 the Joe we met in "You" would never have put up with Amy's grooming habits. He would have either made her change or talked about it enough to make her do something about it. This was one of the instances while reading that I felt like Kepnes had switched around Joe's character.

After a quick getaway back to one of Joe's crime scenes, Joe is shocked to realize that Amy has been playing him for a long time and managed to get away from him to become an actress in Hollywood.

Quick aside #2, so Kepnes tries to explain this away by the fact that Amy is totally off the grid and Joe can't snoop on her the way he wants to. He does still get into her phone, but doesn't see anything there that alarms him. Frankly there are red flags galore around Amy and Joe isn't a stupid person (recall how he sussed out Dr. Nick) so him being shocked by the fact that Amy was planning on ripping off the store and getting away from him didn't seem realistic to me.

Joe realizes that he needs to get away from New York, follow Amy, and kill her. Yup, the same guy who was in love with her a minute ago is now just straight up going to kill her.

Quick aside #3, it would have made more sense for Joe to want to track Amy down to make her love him again or work on things, etc. because once again, see You book #1 and the events with Beck.

Joe is not in top form in this one to me and is written so inconsistently. He makes assumptions about mostly everyone he meets and most if not all, are incorrect. He is also weirdly obsessed with getting a blow job every five seconds. I found "You" to be in your face about sex, masturbation, and how much Joe loved sleeping with Beck. But in this one he seems like an oversexed frat boy. And when Joe finds another love in this one (via a character named Love that made me hard cringe) it didn't feel the same. He seemed ready to give up any time the road got tough with her. When once again, this is the same guy who straight up murders someone because he thinks the guy was making fun of him via his ex girlfriend.

The secondary characters in this one don't breathe for me as a reader like Beck did to me. Love was insipid and one wonders why she would even look twice at Joe considering the other men she was with prior him. Joe's next door neighbor seemed sad and once again we don't find out much about her except Joe hates her because she's needy. In fact, in this one it seems like all of the women are needy harpies that just need to be told what to do via Joe and have hot sex with him. There's seriously a scene where Love tells Joe she doesn't like to have oral sex and Joe is upset about it and my brain just tried to run away from me.

Love's family seemed one dimensional and even her twin brother Forty (why God, why?) just seemed like a rich boy stereotype. Kepnes was going in a different direction slightly with Forty and Joe and then she punted things and I thought that would have worked better than what we ended up getting in the end.

The writing wasn't as engrossing in this one. I found myself getting bored reading about Joe following around his rich girlfriend and her family. It didn't seem to matter and his contempt for Beck and Amy throughout this book didn't ring true. Switching up the narration from Joe talking to Beck (the object of his obsession) to Joe just talking about random things and how much he hated and wanted to kill everyone he met was just boring. The flow wasn't good either. I think I fell asleep a few times here and there and finally at one point started to skim because I just wanted to get the book over with.

The setting change to California actually wasn't a good idea. I don't know, it didn't seem real and Kepnes name dropping real celebrities after a while turned me off. Everyone in Hollywood is fake but Joe. Yes, murderous Joe is the only real person there.

The ending was so weak. We don't know what future is ahead for Joe, but Joe sees his life as pretty perfect and one wonders if he isn't right. ( )

Joe, Joe, Joe! We know Joe's history and he seems to have left a little bit of a clue behind, which is eating at him. He has become involved with Amy Adam, but she has messed with him and disappeared to California.
Which makes Joe trek all the way there from New York to "take care of her". He becomes involved with a the Quinn family and falls in love with Love. Does he fall back in to his historic ways? You will have to read to find that out.

This character is such a fun character to hate, like, understand, etc. ( )

Okay

Loved the writing of course however!! This book was totally not needed. I get that people wanted loose ends tied but it was better as a mystery of what had happened to Joe. ( )

This book started to drag by page 300. I liked it just fine but it should have been around 300-350 pages rather than 440. ( )

Disclaimer: I did not finish this book, I stopped reading right around the 50% mark.

Review: There was little to no consistency in character/how characters acted, plot, or writing style between books 1 and 2–which is quite disappointing considering how gripping You was. Will not be continuing with the series.

That being said, I believe You CAN be read as a stand alone and it is 100% worth reading! ( )

This was pretty good. Probably better than the second season of the show.
It had some very Patricia Highsmith, Talented Mr. Ripley, vibes. Good characterization, almost no likeable characters, but I was still dug in and racing to the end. Some ok plot twists. Good plot points that make sense.
Also, the show was a good adaptation of the book.
Excited about the next one. ( )

I don't even know what to say.

I can't explain to you how I came to root for an insane psycho killer, (Qu'es'tque ce?), but I did.

YOU AND HIDDEN BODIES are original books with twists, turns, hot sex, vicious murders and close calls. I'm pretty sure I had some type of mini-stroke in there somewhere.

Santino Fontana is an incredibly talented narrator who totally became Joe to me.

Where can I get in line for Caroline Kepnes' next book? ( )

Hidden Bodies, the second in Caroline Kepnes' 'You' series, continues pretty much right from where the first book ended. After the events in book #1, Joe falls for another girl, Amy, and when she burns him, he packs up and takes off for Los Angeles, determined to find her and get his revenge. But along the way, he finds some distractions and leaves some bodies in his wake, all while determined to become a better person.

Joe Goldberg is one of those unforgettable characters. You love to hate him; you hate to love him. He's full of self-confidence and arrogance, yet deep down he also has a heart and shows regret. A lovable villain. This book is somewhat different than the first -- the pacing is different and it's not quite as stalkerish or creepy, but it's still very engrossing. And that ending....what?! I'm curious to see what Kepnes has in store for Joe in the next book. ( )

Psychopath or not, Joe is one of those characters you can't help but love.

Hidden Bodies picks up right where You left off. Joe believes he's chosen right this time around and is - more or less- happy with Amy. Until she betrays him and he ends up following her to Los Angeles.

Eventually Joe meets Love and he forgets about Amy - for the most part. Love is "it" for him, she's his perfect match so he decides that he will do whatever is necessary to keep her. Problem is...some secrets just won't stay buried and his past is about to come back and bite him in the ass.

Despite recieving the same rating, I didn't enjoy this quite as much as the first book.
Yes, Joe is still unsettlingly endearing and still has his homicidal tendencies but when Joe finds Love, he begins to change and - at times - I couldn't help but miss the Joe we met in You.

I really hope there will be a third book. I NEED more Joe in my life! ( )

Congratulations, Caroline Kepnes!
You totally succeed in ruining the whole point around Joe's character. I can't believe that I actually finished this garbage.
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Joe Goldberg will forever be one of my favorite fictional characters for his sarcasm and cynicism.

Hidden Bodies, book two of the You series, continues where the first book left off. Joe is happy finally with his girlfriend Amy. After the trouble with Beck, he’s glad to be moving forward with his life…until she decides to rob his bookstore and disappear. Flushed with anger and embarrassment, he moves out to Hollywood in pursuit of Amy, hoping to find her and add another to his ever-growing body count.

Out in Hollywood, he meets a variety of interesting characters. The most important of them, Love and Forty Quinn. He believes Love to be his soulmate but in order to have a future, he must first clear up his past.

While I loved every bit of this book, I found myself liking it slightly less than the first one. The reason for that was that it seemed as if he had TOO many close calls and got away unscathed without the police being called. I can see this happening once but it just became a regular occurrence throughout the second half of the book. The first time is when he breaks into a woman’s apartment thinking it’s where Amy lives and the girl lets him go (but not before asking him for his number). The other time that really bothered me was when one of the people he tried to kill (I won’t say the name as to avoid spoilers!) turns up alive, he doesn’t decide to call the police but rather blackmails Joe to do as he says.

That bit made me frown but I thought the ending of the story wrapped it up really well. However, I can see this potentially leading into a third book and I really hope that’s the truth because this is one addicting series.
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