Providence, by Caroline Kepnes

You, by Caroline Kepnes, caught a lot of attention, largely due to a rousing endorsement by Stephen King. The novel is a mesmerizing look at a stalker relationship in the social media age. You is a compelling thriller, but I felt that it also functioned as a satire of urban hipsters. The novel's second person narrative might have seemed like a gimmick or a fluke, but the sequel proved otherwise. Hidden Bodies is as satirical as its predecessor, but the target was La La Land, California.

I truly enjoyed both of these books, and I put Caroline Kepnes squarely into my must-read author list.

Kepnes could have easily employed the same character from those two novels into at least another book, but she wisely avoided the Thomas Harris Syndrome and went off in an entirely new direction with Providence.

Providence starts off with standard geek-boy in love with hip-chick plot, but this isn't The Amazing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. Caroline Kepnes boldly goes into uncharted territory as Jon, the awkward-but-smart quirky geek, is kidnapped and held hostage for four years. Chloe carries a torch for him, but understandably resumes her life as best she can. Then Jon is released, but has no memory of his internment. He is horrified to discover that he now possesses a deadly power he has little control over. The pair of would-be lovers are reunited briefly, but complications prevent the happy ending Jon yearns for.

Enter a cop, "Eggs" DeBenedictus, who is undergoing a relationship crisis himself. Eggs becomes obsessed with a string of unrelated mysterious heart attacks, and his investigation leads him to some unlikely places. Namely into the circle of Jon and Chloe's unrequited passion-from-afar for one another.

And what does H.P. Lovecraft have to do with all of this?

You'll have to read Providence to find out. And I heartily urge you to do so, regardless of whether you have read the previous Kepnes books.

Providence works well as a supernatural suspense and love story, and it can be enjoyed as such. But to me it has deeper layers. The novel reads like a parable of how love can both heal and kill. It also seems like a metaphor for relationships in this detached age of socialization through electronic gadgetry.

As I write this, the year isn't quite half over. Some exciting things are coming up in publishing, but I am absolutely certain that Providence will be one of my favorite books of the year. And I won't be surprised at all if it takes the top spot.

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