Providence by Caroline Kepnes

Author : Caroline Kepnes
Title : Providence
Published : 2018
Publisher : Simon & Schuster UK
Pages : 384
Genre : Mystery / Thriller

     In 2008, 13-year-old Jon Bronson disappears on his morning walk to school. After even his parents give him up for dead, only his best friend, Chloe, remains certain that he would come back. 

Four years later, Jon returns with no memory of anything after the day he disappeared. But something's different about him. His presence seems to cause spontaneous nose-bleeds in those around him. When he hugs his father, the older man passes out. The family dog disappears. Jon's only clue to his missing four years is the battered book left behind by the man he believes abducted him. And he and Chloe are determined to figure out what happened to Jon... before his presence does more than cause a couple of bloody noses. They're sure they can solve the mystery and save Jon.

     Last year I read You it was such an unusual and amazing book. I was left so impressed by Kepnes, She gave me a fresh look on the stalker genre of books. So whilst trawling for a new book to read I came across Providence and remembering my previous experience I thought it might be time to spend some time with one of her books. 

     Once again Kepnes has brought a tremendous amount of depth to her charters. Much like You, you can feel your self sinking into them. They are hole and fully formed, people you might just pass on the street or meet in a coffee shop. Jon and Chloe form the bulk of our interactions and there is this close almost claustrophobic feeling to them. They are two people bound to each other, for better or worse. I suppose under the circumstances there is this underlying desperation that envelopes these two.  They want to know where Jon has been and what took place in those four years of absences. In many ways, the inclusions of a detective named Eggs gives us not only some breathing room but also a look at the situation from outside this twisted circle of events. Between the three I felt it gave the book a perfect balance. What this book made me realize again is that Kepnes is amazing at creating characters for the page that come off as effortlessly but are in fact greatly complex. They are deeply interesting and at times a little disturbing. 

     As for the story, I would say do not go in expecting another You. This is a monster of a whole different breed. Whereas You is far more about perpetrate Providence is a much deeper look into the victim. How things that are done to us can twist our souls into something we would never have imagined. This is a very well planned out book, and she has taken her time working out what to feed to us at just the right moment. There are a few themes that do cross over from her previous book. The main one being that of obsessions. In both cases, she shows a great proficiency for delving into minds that care just a little too much. Nothing she did here yanked me out of the story and the reasons behind there motives were believable to them. There is a bleeding of other genres here too. Most of this is pushed through with the inclusion of H.P Lovecraft's work. This notion of otherworldly monsters seeping into our world. But for me, Kepnes does this in a much more human way. Has every action we have ever perpetrated left an indelible stain on us forever.  

     Providence is a book I greatly enjoyed all be it for different reasons to You. It is a book that takes you to some dark places. As I said there is a desperation you find in seek out the truth as to what happened to Jon. There is also a melancholy here for what has been lost and can never be brought back no matter how much Jon and Chloe care for each other. For me, Kepnes is the current queen of the menacingly creepy novel.