Review: Providence

Providence by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Caroline Kepnes caught me completely off-guard with You, offering a story that had me hooked throughout. In fact, it is one of those rare books where my rating was more of a four-point-five-star read rather than the four-star rating it was given, being close to the ever elusive five-star rating. The sequel, Hidden Bodies, was also enjoyable. It wasn’t quite in the same league as You, but it was another insanely addictive read. Thus, when I heard about Providence I was eager for another Caroline Kepnes read. I expected great things and was eager to have my mind blown.

Did I enjoy Providence as much as You? Sadly, I did not. Did I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Hidden Bodies? Again, the unfortunate answer is no. However, despite the fact I did not enjoy Providence to the same degree as Caroline Kepnes two prior books, I did find myself strangely addicted to this one.

I think my issue is that this story wasn’t in the same dark and twisted league as You. It brushed against the darkness, it had the potential to be all kinds of twisted, but it somehow became a lust filled story instead. It wasn’t a romance, but it seemed as though it wanted to be. I have no trouble with romance novels – there are times when I go on crazy romance binges, and they’ll be all I’ll read for a couple of weeks – but in this case I was ready for the suspense and twists I know Caroline Kepnes is capable of.

Rather than the suspense and twists, I experienced yearning. The yearning the characters experienced seemed to hold back what could have been a fabulous storyline. Someone is kidnapped and comes back with a strange power? This strange power leads to the things that occurred throughout Providence? No spoilers here, but it should have been amazing. Instead, it was just addictive. I was curious, I was turning the pages, but I was constantly waiting for that something more.

I think You set my Caroline Kepnes standard a bit too high, ultimately leading to disappointment with this one. Sure, it was fun for a quick read; however, it wasn’t enough to blow my mind.

Nevertheless, I will certainly dive into whatever Caroline Kepnes brings us next.

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