Sutanto's The Obsession stands out from most of the thriller that I have read because we get to see the story unfold from both the stalker and stalkee's point of views. Although he doesn't know her for very long before blackmailing her into dating him, Logan is convinced that he and Delilah are meant to be. His need for her doesn't just verge on obsession, it is a perfect example of obsession. While he never becomes a relatable or really even a likable character, it is fascinating to see part of the story from his perspective so that it feels like we have a deeper understanding of the whole picture. Delilah never fully becomes a likeable character in this reviewer's opinion, but I did find myself rooting for her along the way. My biggest negative with this book was the ending. There was a lot of buildup, but the ending seemed to fall flat because it felt very abrupt and did not give a satisfying resolution to the story.

Sutanto writes some of my favorite books today—fast-paced, unputdownable, and full of wicked wit and characters I root for from the jump (even when they might make some questionable decisions!!). I loved this one!

Oh, I really enjoyed reading these books! I actually got both of these books as ARCs before they were released, but they kinda slipped my mind-until her Dial A for Aunties books brought them to my attention. And I'm so glad that they did, they were so thrilling and entertaining!

These are both set at Draycott Academy. The Obsession came out first, but The New Girl was set beforehand, the drama that was referenced about the previous year. And we briefly see Logan at the beginning of New Girl, what with the taking away of his first female obsession, Sophie.

Both of these books have some pretty rage-inducing scenarios. A parent's significant other being abusive, but also a cop. A stalker. Rich, privileged girls who don't like the space you're taking at the school, and the methods of bullying. A corrupt school. Urgh!

I felt for the both of these girls, they were just both in awful situations. Some of their responses to these situations is technically and morally wrong, but it was against these awful people, and it was so great to see them get some comeuppance! They were both really satisfying mystery thrillers!

Loved reading these books and I can't wait to read more by Jesse Q. Sutanto!

Sadly this didnt gel for me. It’s good, just didnt connect well with the writing style, and I had to DNF about half way in.

Reminiscent of You. Good for YA fans that love books with unlikeable characters and questionable narrators. Wasn’t sure how it would end and quickly read to find out. Strong 3.5 so I rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

This was a great book! High school students really enjoy it and it doesn't stay on the shelves. I can't wait to see what else this author has to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Twisty and smart but also an important topic for teens. I don't think enough teens understand the ways that dating violence can look - it isn't just physical aggression. Jesse Q. Sutanto is a great author who I look forward to reading more of!

I was guaranteed to love The Obsession. The premise is the kind of lovely twisted thing I’ve spent years asking for, so short of something like bigotry, ugly prose, or the book ending with Delilah forgiving Logan and moving forward with him as her forever guy, of course this would be a hit for me. When I was a teenager, I even started writing a surrealist YA novel to the same effect. There’s no way what I wrote then could compare to this book. The Obsession is just so, so good.

There’s an often cited statistic that 40% of police officer families experience domestic abuse, but the numbers vary and that statistic comes from two studies done in the early 90s. Even so, it’s generally understood cops are more likely to abuse their partners and children than someone from the general populace. Our heroine Delilah Wong lives under the thumb of her mom’s boyfriend Brandon, an abusive cop who has taken control of her mom’s finances and done unspeakable things. It’s not a surprise that she snaps one day and kicks the jack out from under the car he was working on. It should be easy enough to play off a man crushed under a car as an accident.

Except a boy named Logan started stalking her a short time before and has video proving the death was no accident. He’s obsessed with her after deciding half-Singaporean Delilah’s resemblance to his deceased, Japanese American crush Sophie is a sign from fate that Delilah is meant to be his. (I guess they all look alike to someone like him.) If she won’t be with him of her own free will, he’ll just take that video to the cops. Anything is worth it to keep Delilah with him.

But Delilah is never going to be under any entitled guy’s thumb ever again–and that’s where the twisted goodness starts.

The Obsession really nails its tagline: boy meets girl, boy stalks girl, girl gets revenge. It alternates between Logan’s and Delilah’s unique perspectives, which amps up the tension of a novel that will already have you tensed up like you’re in the dentist’s chair getting a filling.

The only issue I have with The Obsession is Delilah’s attempt to armchair diagnose Logan via Google. Self-diagnosing with the Internet’s help generally isn’t that bad. I’ve done it myself a few times and been both right (my autism diagnosis) and wrong (thought I had eczema on my arms, turns out it’s tinea versicolor). You just don’t try to diagnose other people. Leave that to actual medical professionals like psychiatrists.

The attempt to pin Logan’s behavior on a mental illness doesn’t sit right with me either. Some people are perfectly awful without being mentally ill. See: Brandon.

The ending is everything I wanted from this novel and then some. Then I realized Sutanto wrote a second novel set at the same school, The New Girl. Though it doesn’t star a stalker and his vicious prey, I think I need that book now. Plus the jacket copy mentions the new main character sees a girl arrested on her first day and I really need to know if that girl is Delilah. I hope not.

Tired of romanticized stalking and ready for an anti-heroine? Pick up The Obsession and enjoy.

Definitely reminded me of You which is the reason why I picked this up. It was simple but great if you also like watching You
I thought the writing was great for a debut novel although it did seem rushed at the end. Other than that I don’t have any other complaints on this.

Ever since I first saw the cover of this book, I knew I wanted to read it as it drew me in and I also loved the sound of the story. Other than that, I went in blind which for me - tends to make me enjoy the story more so than if I had an idea as that's when I get disappointed. The book was a little confusing, to begin with, and we are presented with Logan who is back at High School this semester and ready for a fresh start. We learn that Logan had a "secret relationship", though as we will discover Logan's feelings tend to run more one-sided with a girl named Sophie. Sophie then died and Logan spiraled out of control. Now he's back for a fresh new year and it looks like a new girl in his sights - Delilah. Delilah is new at school and lives with her mum and her mum's abusive cop boyfriend Brandon. Delilah is Sophie's doppelganger and now Logan wants to date her and so his weird stalkerish behavior comes back into play. What will happen though when his cameras catch Delilah aka Dee doing something that could land her in prison? When Delilah tries to break up with Logan, he hangs it over her head and now she is trapped in a controlled relationship. Delilah though as we are about to learn is probably more psychotic than Logan and it looks like he has met his match in the second half Delilah realizes the only way to get control back over her life is to eliminate the problem which is Logan. I have to admit, if you thought Delilah was this pushover little half-Asian, then think again. I am now looking forward to reading The New Girl which looks from what I gathered at the end of this book - Sophie's story before her death - almost like a prequel to The Obsession.

I picked this book up mainly because I heard it was a good read for people who enjoyed the book You and that was one of my all time favorites. I was not disappointed I highly enjoyed being on this rollercoaster of a ride. It was a wild, unpredictable ride, that kept me on the edge of my seat.
Logan was such a disturbing character, once everything started unfolding. Most of the book I just wanted to wring his neck! Delilah was the true definition of a survivor. This girl did everything and I mean EVERYTHING she needed to make sure everyone she loved was safe. Though she made questionable decisions I loved her as a character.
Overall I highly recommend this book. I was a huge fan of everything that went down, even the very uncomfortable parts.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The Obsession by Jesse Q Sutanto.

When Delilah first meets Logan, she is enchanted. He is handsome, attentive, and seems absolutely enamored with her. But Logan has a problem, and a past. When Logan falls for someone, it's not just love, it's full on obsession. So when Logan witnesses Delilah do something that could land her in jail for a long time, he sees this as an opportunity to make her his forever...

I actually enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. It just had a different flavor, and it was as fun as it was disturbing. It moves at a nice pace, and is extremely satisfying. I'm already reading another of Sutanto's and enjoying that one just as much.

This book is incredible! A high school 'You', this story tells of Logan, a teenage boy who did everything to turn himself into the perfect boyfriend for his obsession. After tragedy, he turns his attention to the new girl, Delilah, who has some secrets of her own. A twisted, engaging and tantalising read, this book kept me guessing and having a great time. This is a fast-paced book that I cannot recommend highly enough!

Tried reading but this content is not for me. Writing was simple and easy to understand, but not a fan of the approach to these issues. DNF. Recommend anyone debating this read through all the reviews to ensure an understanding of what you’re getting into.

3.5 stars
Trigger Warnings: Abusive relationships, death, drug use, stalker/obsession.
The Obsession was one of those books that I wasn't sure if I would like or not, but I did and it was such a quick read for me.
Delilah's mom is dating a guy that is not only abusive but is also a detective making it so they are in a very tough spot when it comes to how to get away from him and the situation they are currently in. However one day Delilah sees a chance to do just that and takes it and it somehow doesn't get pinned on her. Because of what she did her stalked now has blackmail on her and is forcing her into a relationship. From here is where the book really kicks off because we see Delilah having to deal with both what she did and now having to deal with fake dating her stalked who thinks they are really dating. It's a precarious situation but one that Delilah handles as best as she can.
She does get some help from her best friend which ended up being vital in being able to do what she does to get away from her stalker.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and ended up reading the majority of it in one day! Delilah is one of those characters that was constantly surprising me with not only what she was able to do, but also how she went about things. She's smart and finds ways not only to help provide for her family, but also in how to get out of terrible situations as well. This book was so much better than I thought it would be and I can't wait to read more by this author in the future!

I'm really looking forward to this getting a second book after the cliffhanger that this one ended on.

This book wasn’t for me. I can’t even believe this is the same author who wrote Dial A for Aunties. Two books on opposite ends of the spectrum. I will however continue to read her books because she’s really a fabulous writer

A really excellent, scary-good insight into a sociopath's brain, counterbalanced with a strong and determined young woman who has a few tricks up her sleeve. I raced through this book!

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as I did! First, I just loved that the MC wanted to go to the National University of Singapore. I am actually moving to Singapore soon to start working there! I had NEVER seen NUS mentioned in a YA book (I'm totally used to seeing MIT, Harvard, Stanford, etc.), so I thought that was really cool.

I loved the MC. She was such a bad bitch. I loved how she handled everything and really took charge of her life. I don't agree with murder, but I can see how she felt those were her only options.

I can't wait to read the next book!

In a word: creepy... BUT I LOVED IT!!! does this mean there is something wrong with me?

First of all I loved the two perspectives we got here, because Dee and Logan have two very different personalities I think, and they were perfectly portrayed. Obsession on the one hand, and commitment and "love" on the other. Being in the head of these two characters was really the true jewel in this book, making it stand out with the way both characters acted and thought, giving me all the chills in the world. I think the character development was deep enough to understand the relationship between Logan and Delilah, and it also helped that, in addition to being on the tip of the seat all the time, the writing was easy and well paced.