When I say Hidden Bodies is as satisfying as You, I mean it satisfies that craving to read more about our new favourite psychopath, Joe Goldberg. Hidden Bodies is a continuation to You, picking up right where the first book left off. But not everyone will enjoy how the story in Hidden Bodies unfolds.
Those who enjoyed the New York setting in You, will be disappointed to know that Hidden Bodies takes place in Los Angeles instead. After Joe suffers some unfortunate events, he packs up and heads to Los Angeles in pursuit of someone who did him wrong.
From then on, Hidden Bodies begins to feel like a bunch of random events. The twists and turns become so bizarre that it feels like a reality show called “A day in the life of Joe Goldberg”. But even if the events feel random, Joe’s voice is so strong that you can’t help but tear through the pages.
Besides Joe —and a few returning characters with a short stay— Hidden Bodies features a new cast of supporting characters. One of the most entertaining aspects of the book is reading about how Joe views people from California, versus people in New York. Expect to see many Californian stoner stereotypes here.
Two of the most prominently featured new characters are Love and Forty, who are wealthy twins looking to make an impact in the show business. They become an interesting part of Joe’s journey, and they wind up changing him in many ways. While Forty is far from a likeable character, Love is so forgiving of everyone around her that her character isn’t at all believable.
But once again, even with the complete randomness of this book, I was just as glued to it as I was the first one. There’s something about Joe’s character that is complete gold.
Hidden Bodies wouldn’t be a true sequel to You if it wasn’t packed with murders. This book continues tradition in that regard, but I must say that they’re not as impactful. You succeeded by making the reader care about the characters that died.
You, the reader, felt a sense that something significant had changed when a character died in the first book. But in Hidden Bodies, you’ll feel completely desensitized to the murders that occur. This is partly due to the fact that the same person is able to continue their killing spree almost uncontested. It becomes harder to suspend disbelief with each killing.
But Joe does face some conflict. In general, Joe is much more vulnerable in this book than the first, though it’s often emotional.
With a new book already confirmed, I’m not sure how much longer the magic of Joe Goldberg can continue without the stories becoming laughable. Regardless, Hidden Bodies lives up to the trills of You. You is the better book, but if you finish it feeling the longing for more, Hidden Bodies will fill the void.
As for the author, it’s clear to me that there aren’t enough Caroline Kepnes books in the world. Looks like Providence will need to be bumped up my TBR.
