Review: Hidden Bodies

Hidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I adored You, so it should come as no surprise to know I went out of my way to get my hands on Hidden Bodies. I’d planned to read it sooner, but things happened; nevertheless, it was worth the wait.

You was a true masterpiece. It hit almost every possible button. When such a thing happens, you’re always worried about sequels. Excited, yes, but also worried nothing will be as good as the first. When the reviews started to come in about Hidden Bodies, they were mixed. In fact, I became worried as quite a few people seemed disappointed. Still, I was desperate to see what came next for Joe. I adored his story and needed more of it.

I can safely say that I enjoyed where his story went. I admit that it wasn’t quite as good as the first, but it was still a good read. I laughed, I squealed, and I enjoyed it. All the things a book is supposed to make you feel can be found in this sequel.

It’s not as gritty as the first, so some people may be put off by that. It’s also a bit slower to start. Once you’re into the story, however, you’re trapped in Joe’s spell and it is impossible to escape. As with the first book, you want the best for Joe. He is a wonderful anti-hero. You’re never quite one hundred percent sure as to where things are going to go next. Anything could happen with Joe, things going in all sorts of directions. It’s great to read. It really wasn’t what I was expecting, but that was part of the fun. If Joe’s story had followed the first book in the exact same way, I would have been disappointed. This has all the usual Joe magic, but the story doesn’t shift in the same way as the first.

Also, the internal monologues! Joe’s internal monologues are certainly some of my favourite. They’re just as amusing in this one as they were in the first. Pretty much everything that he thinks is pure gold. There are so many brilliant lines – I could sit here reciting them for hours on end. It’s worth a read for Joe’s internal monologues alone.

I’m not quite sure what I thought of the ending, though. As with most of the book, it wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I’m still not sure if this is a good or bad thing. I liked the way the ending played out, but the actual ending itself has left me unsure. I don’t know if I’ll ever reach a solid conclusion regarding my feelings towards the ending.

Overall, it was a great second book. It wasn’t quite as magical as the first, but it was still enjoyable.

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