I loved this book. So well written. I found this book unputdownable!!

I did enjoy the book, unfortunately I had figured out the twist. But still a fun beach reading book.

There is no other way for me to describe this book other than heavy. At times it seems there is no real purpose to this book, there's no glowing happily ever after promised, but as you get into the minds of Jon, Chloe, and Eggs we begin to understand how obsession can take over your life. The teacher was obsessed with a book and a crazy idea, Jon is obsessed with finding a way to be with Chloe and around others, Chloe is obsessed with Jon and popularity, Eggs is obsessed with finding the answer. Each is in a terrible position where their life is out of control and though each could sit back and accept it, they don't.

It certainly wasn't the easiest book I've ever read, in fact it took me four days to get through it, but that's mainly due to the weight. The emotions in this book are heavy, it's very sad and disheartening how each character is so affected by a single event. Jon's world is not easy, there's no possible pathforward to make it easier either, but he pushes on and I loved that about him. I ached for him, for his life stunted in his youth, but he took what happened to him and I do feel like he lived in a smart way. His effort to save others, to protect them at all costs, and to still be a productive, functioning member of society is something I applaud. Chloe was impossible to connect to, a flighty woman who really only is herself when she is painting. I liked her and I hated her all at once. Eggs, on the other hand, is this sort of character you are so fascinated by, but you are also terrified of him. Readers grow to care for Jon, we want him safe, he doesn't mean for things to happen, so Eggs' efforts to find him, to take him down, are hard to accept. That said, his desperate obsession with Jon is so interesting, especially with his own personal experiences with life being so out of control, with illness taking over. For me, the heart of this story is in the characters, in the way they obsess and grow and come full circle.

Caroline Kepnes uses a sort of odd humor at certain times and the favorited pop culture references she is known for are weaved into the story. I know of H.P. Lovecraft, but I can't say I ever have or ever would read his work, so I felt a bit disconnected from the Lovecraft obsession. Kepnes gives a very solid effort to include details from Lovecraft's books, but when weird fiction just isn't your thing it sometimes just didn't click. I did love that it was a thing though, that there are these people who follow his work, who live by it in an odd sort of way, that Jon could see others who knew the stories even if they didn't know just how much of those stories are a part of him.

I didn't quite know what I was getting into when I started Providence, but I'm glad I read it. It's different, a very fascinating story that, though unreal at times, is easily applied to real life. I'm not usually a science fiction fan and lucky for me I can say this doesn't have as much in it as you might thing. It's there, it moves the story along, but it isn't what the book is about. I definitely suggest Providence to thriller fans and I think fans of Caroline Kepnes' previous novels should open their minds up for something a bit different. It's not Hidden Bodies or You., but it is Providence and it is very good.

Caroline Kepnes' latest offering is quite different from her previous two novels, but every bit as engaging. We trade psychotic stalker Joe for inadvertent killer Jon. Told through multiple POVs, each character is fully realized and sympathetic - somewhat of a difference from YOU/HIDDEN BODIES! This novel will appeal to Kepnes' established fans as well as newcomers, particularly those who enjoy Dan Wells' I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER series.

This is a well written book. There are several messages in this book. We should never give up, there are things in the world we don’t understand and are mysterious. This book wasn’t what I thought it would be. It often left me feeling sad. It doesn’t have a happy ending but it doesn’t had a bad ending either. It just is. Received an advance review copy in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

I wanted to love this book. I felt disconnected at parts though. I didn’t really understand the “I am Providence” and “lovecraft” references. I think if I had understood that better, it may have made more sense. I still love Caroline, and I will continue to read all of her books!

Very original story by Caroline Kepnes of "You" fame. She puts forth a new book completely different from her previous two. The main characters of Jon, Chloe, and "Eggs" in the book "Providence" are stuck in their own unique but tragic lives. The book follows Jon's disappearance and relationship with Chloe from when they are kids to when Jon is discovered in a mall four years after we was taken. Egg's story line focuses on him and his wife, Lo (whom I loved) and his desperate search for the reason why all these seemingly healthy people are dying from heart attacks. There were some parts of the story that dragged but the beginning and the end fly by and you hope that all three of these main characters get a happy ending. A little Lovecraft horror is thrown into this and that is the part I enjoyed the least. I guess because I am not a huge fan of Lovecraft and his creepy novels. I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading books where you have to suspend your belief a bit and enjoys books that are different. .

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this book.

This book was very interesting, and I finished it quickly. I was rooting for the main characters the whole time. Its about a loner who ends up getting kidnapped and coming back 4 years later and realizing he is now different and unable to be with the love of his life. I liked the concept of the novel. I was hoping for something a little more on the lines of Caroline Kepnes's previous novels, but it wasn't really similiar at all, but I did like the book and I thank you for the early copy. I look forward to more books by this author in the future.

If a line was drawn from Mary Shelley through H. P. Lovecraft, it would end with Caroline Kepnes. Providence is a mesmerizing story that had me in tears by the ending.

Caroline Kepnes has proven that she is a dynamic writer. While I liked her previous novels (so much) I LOVED this book to pieces. It is so different than anything I was anticipating but that it what made me enjoy it so much more. I highly recommend it to all readers.

4.5 stars

Holy moly. Caroline Kepnes is quickly becoming one of my favorites. I LOVED her first two books, so I was very excited when I saw this book was coming out.

I was interested to see if I enjoyed this book as much, as this was a completely new story. The answer was an enthusiastic yes!

She definitely has a way with character development. I would love to read another story with these characters, or new characters. Keep them coming!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

on and Chloe are best friends who have grown up together in a small town in New Hampshire. Jon is sort of an outcast and is bullied by his peers. Chloe does not care when her friends ridicule her for sitting with Jon at lunch or for hanging out with him after school. Both feel a connection to the other and feel as if he/she has finally found someone who "gets" him/her. Then one day Jon is kidnapped and not seen or heard from in four years.

Chloe has gone on with her life and makes attempts to fit in and be a "normal" teenager even though her best friends is missing. Jon suddenly wakes up from a medically induced coma to learn he has been kidnapped by a substitute teacher who leaves him a note telling him that they did "good work" and "you're welcome." Jon realizes he has powers now and that people are not safe around him. Jon decides to leave town but not before attracting the attention of a detective who becomes obsessed with a series of deaths that appear to be connected.

I know a lot of people are really enjoying this book, but it was not for me. We are not all going to like the same books, this is a book I had high hopes for, but just didn't enjoy. There is a strong emphasis on H.P. Lovecraft here and that is not a bad thing, possibly fans of Lovecraft will enjoy this book more. I believe a lot of the references were lost on me. There are also some elements that just had me scratching my head. I admit, I wanted to learn more about his kidnapping and what occurred while he was kept in the basement. Jon never learns the full truth and I guess that is why the reader never learns the truth either.

This book started out good. I was really enjoying it up until Jon decided to leave town for good. That is where the book went downhill for me and I found myself losing interest in this book fast. I knew that this book was going to be nothing like "YOU" and I was expecting that, but this book just failed to grab me. I'll go so far as to say I was bored while reading this book. I found myself skimming through parts that were just dragging on and on and on.... Sadly, this book was just not for me.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated the writing but I didn't click with the story. I know many will.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I guess I went into this expecting another YOU. Not exactly, but just something as good and dense and witty.

I did not get that. Everything that made YOU good was either absent or half-hearted in PROVIDENCE: the writing was not clever, the pop culture references were clumsy, and the observations weren't snappy. The characters were unlikable, and not in a fun way. I never believed in their relationships, which clouded my enjoyment of the entire book.

I don't think it's fair to compare the two though, and I doubt I'd have liked this even if I hadn't read YOU first. Because what really ruined it for me was the thin, vague plot. Everything about Jon's kidnapping just didn't work for me; in particular, I didn't understand why the story needed to rely so heavily on H.P. Lovecraft. Why couldn't it stand on its own? I'm entirely unfamiliar with Lovecraft, so maybe this book wasn't for me.

Toward the end I felt it got better, but I'd already tortured myself slogging through the first 90% of the book, so I didn't care.

I’m a huge fan of Kepnes other books so I probably rated up because I do like her style of writing.

I enjoyed “Providence” and loved the characters, but I feel like the ending was really rushed. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a very different read for me but I really enjoyed it. The way it started off literally had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering and waiting to see what happened or was going to happen to Jon. Seeing Chloe change so much and adapt in his disappearance was heartbreaking. It was so hard for her to let go but in the end she had to for her own growth. Once he came back in to the picture is where the real turn happened. The blurb was vague compared to how this book turned out. So I really had no clue what was really supposed to be going on. I was blown away by the direction it took. It was a real, it was heartfelt, and just tugged on your heartstrings. To want to be with someone so bad but you can't at fear of putting them at risk. I would definitely recommend this read.

Let me start this off by saying, if you're looking for the magic of You and Hidden Bodies , you won't find it here.

It started off good. I was intrigued, enraptured even. I was dying to find out what happen to poor Jon and how Chloe was going to cope with his disappearance even though I didn't feel her sincere loyalty for him in the beginning. It seemed like she was really struggling..and then...FOUR YEARS LATER. FOUR. With very little development, descriptions, or anything of substance happening in between. Just BAM. Time warp.

Okay, fine. I can deal with that. Then? He's back. A thing or two happens.... and then a year later.

This book is basically a bunch of ramblings and time warps. There is very little actual dialogue past a few lines here and there. It reminded me a lot of J.K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy in that it was wordy and we were described conversations, but not shown the actual conversations. It was so frustrating.

Simply put, it was just boring. All of it was meaningless, pointless, back and forth with no development whatsoever. Even the climax of the book was anticlimactic and the epilogue just made the entire book feel even more pointless.

I am so, so, so disappointed in this book. When I saw this on NetGalley I was like OH MAN! Sign me up! I hate leaving authors I love terrible reviews, but I am required by the law of NetGalley to do so.

Unpopular opinion here and it pains me to say this, but I did not like this book at all. The big clue for me in the blurb should have been "an uncontrollable power that endangers.." and I ignored it. After that part of the story came into play my interest immediately faded. The book did start off great - two young friends at that awkward age are dancing around the feelings they have for one another then the boy is kidnapped and everyone who cares about him is thrown into turmoil. But as time went on I realized I didn't love these characters, I didn't like them nor did I hate them. I just didn't care about them. I didn't connect with any of them and I didn't get any depth from them. It was a boring story, full of nothing. I felt like I was reading forever and only made it to 52% before I skipped (it wasn't even worth a skim through) right to the epilogue which was just as boring and unsatisfying as everything that came before it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So many thoughts. Please bear with me . . . .

The basics of Providence is that it is about a boy who disappeared and returned four years later . . . different than he was before. It becomes his mission over the years to “fix” himself of this change in order to be with the girl he has always loved. In addition to that story is one that runs parallel about a detective trying to figure out what really caused a series of death by heart attack in various young/healthy people and the wife who is trying her best to keep their marriage intact.

First things first, it goes without saying that I read this wrong. A handful of reviewers received copies before Providence even went on NetGalley and they all creamed their collective jeans over it. Maybe some of my fellow wrong-readers will be joining me in short order, but for now I will occupy the corner of shame all by my lonesome.

I’d like to say my “meh” reaction had nothing to do with The Books of Joe, but that would be bullshit. I mean, if I hadn’t fallen head-over-heels in love with Joe and instead had thought he was uggo and 1-Starred his stories I obviously would not have been running people over in order to obtain an advanced copy of this book. I also wouldn’t have had such high (or perhaps unrealistic) expectations for this book.

I’d love to be able to say that I didn’t feel like I was missing anything by not being a Lovecraft superfan, but that would also be total bullshit. Part of Kepnes’ charm is that she is willing to go balls out with pop culture references and clearly gives not one rip if these contributions will date her books in the future. My knowledge of all things Lenny Feder, familiarity with a little more than just the basics regarding Jon’s dilemma that "with great power comes great responsibility," and an obsession with The Boss so extreme as soon as a mere song title was mentioned his voice started singing oh so relevant lyrics in my head . . .

♪♫♪“Sometimes it’s like someone took a knife baby edgy and dull and cut a six inch valley through the middle of my soul . . .” ♪♫♪

Definitely added to my reading experience. But it was because of my brain’s complete worthlessness except when it comes to trivia questions that I felt a glaring hole of stupidity and inability to truly “get it” when it came to references regarding I Am Providence and all the secrets that may be (are probably) contained within the pages of The Dunwich Horror - a book I have never read.

And worst of all was that I was really into this story at the beginning. I was smitten with little Jon, the outsider, and was enthralled with both his disappearance and reappearance. I was completely ready to fall in love with him as a man and form some freaky polygamist cult with him and Joe (and Eggs) as my brother husbands. The writing (which unfortunately I can’t quote because rules are rules when it comes to ARCs) was BRILLIANT – simply painted onto the page. But then?????? It got so boooooooooooooooooooooring. The knife-blade writing style that defines Kepnes’ voice became dull and nothing happened and there were still like nearly 300 pages left of the book and Chloe was a cardboard cutout of even more nothingness (and maybe she was supposed to be nothing, but she can’t have a voice and occupy so much narration time and be NOTHING FFS) and Eggs who was basically the amalgamation of every Bruce Willis playing the “old man” character you could ever imagine even lost his charm and I was like . . . . meh.

I don’t have the genetic makeup that allows me to “DNF” a book, so I can’t say that thought ever crossed my mind. I will say that this should never have taken me more than one sitting to read if I had liked it as much as Kepnes’ prior two novels and I definitely shouldn’t have found my mind wandering to other selections on my TBR and wondering if I should have read them before this. I have no choice but to be honest. I didn’t love this. I am very appreciative for the opportunity to read an advanced copy, I’m even more appreciative that Kepnes and/or her publisher is so generous and appear to be willing to offer copies to nearly everyone who requests them, I’ll absolutely read the next thing she comes up with, but unfortunately for me Providence missed the mark.

2.5 Stars and I’m rounding up because I can’t in clear conscience round down. I can’t wait to see what my friends think. (As long as they leave their pitchforks and torches at home.)

Advanced copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Providence is an awesome read! I was super excited to be given an advanced copy. I have read other books by Caroline Kepnes, and this one is completely different than her other reads, but just as amazing.
Providence is a dark romantic thriller that will take you on a wild ride about love and loss.
I would recommend this book.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.