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gatosenojados's review against another edition
2.0
This was an NSYNC summer audiobook. I usually like their books, but this was was annoying. It was a mixture of the narrator's condescending voice, the main character's weird aggression (maybe it's a teenage boy thing, I don't know.) and the fact that it was in second person.
The story was told in an unusual way, it wasn't a story with a beginning, middle and end. It was more like the telling of a sequence of events. 2 stars.
The story was told in an unusual way, it wasn't a story with a beginning, middle and end. It was more like the telling of a sequence of events. 2 stars.
abaugher's review against another edition
5.0
Told in second person, this is your story, of how you were doing in school, and how you liked that girl, and how you met Zack--charismatic, persuasive, and charming. And the perfect backstabber. And, this is your story of how you make your own choices in your life.
OK, i flew through this great story.
i got to the end.
Then went back and read the first few pages.
Then read the last few lines at the end agin.
Then I went "OOOOHHH! I got it!"
I hope i actually did get it.
OK, i flew through this great story.
i got to the end.
Then went back and read the first few pages.
Then read the last few lines at the end agin.
Then I went "OOOOHHH! I got it!"
I hope i actually did get it.
theseventhl's review against another edition
5.0
I could go on and on about how this book made me think and feel but I'm afraid I would pass Goodreads' character limit, so I'll try to keep it short enough. People have compared it to the works of Ellen Hopkins, and it is a very apt comparison indeed except that in the case of You everything is directed at the reader - the reader becomes the main character, pulled forcefully into the action. For young teens who are currently experiencing what You's troubled protagonist is going through, this will be a quite effective slim book to read.
It also helps that the main protag is one that readers will be confused and conflicted on whether he's someone to cheer for or someone to hate. This is, of course, up to each reader to decide for themselves - I personally found him lacking in features that would make me like him, as most of his misfortune is pretty much his fault. The fact that I feel this so vehemently - and the fact that I can't get this bloody book out of my head days after reading it - is a powerful testament to this book's staying power. It will pull violently at your emotions, twist and turn them, and never let go until the final page, in which the novel's ending pages will sit in your mind and haunt your thoughts in the most delicious ways for days to come. If you like your YA books with a believable male protag caught up in his own cautionary tale with a unique POV twist and is very dark in nature, you will absolutely love You. It won't take you very long to read it - because once you start, it will be hard to put it down until it's over.
Note of Discretion: A free copy of You was provided to me via a free contest held by Goodreads and HarperCollins.
It also helps that the main protag is one that readers will be confused and conflicted on whether he's someone to cheer for or someone to hate. This is, of course, up to each reader to decide for themselves - I personally found him lacking in features that would make me like him, as most of his misfortune is pretty much his fault. The fact that I feel this so vehemently - and the fact that I can't get this bloody book out of my head days after reading it - is a powerful testament to this book's staying power. It will pull violently at your emotions, twist and turn them, and never let go until the final page, in which the novel's ending pages will sit in your mind and haunt your thoughts in the most delicious ways for days to come. If you like your YA books with a believable male protag caught up in his own cautionary tale with a unique POV twist and is very dark in nature, you will absolutely love You. It won't take you very long to read it - because once you start, it will be hard to put it down until it's over.
Note of Discretion: A free copy of You was provided to me via a free contest held by Goodreads and HarperCollins.
4saradouglas's review against another edition
4.0
This is definitely a book you find yourself thinking about a lot once you finish it. I'm not entirely sure why it was written in 2nd person, although that was the main reason it was shot to the top of my to-read list, so if it was just a marketing ploy... good for them. Working in a high school I see students like Kyle every day, and Benoit did a great job creating him. Very believable. You know exactly how Kyle feels... you make a few mistakes and suddenly it's clear that you've put yourself on a certain "loser" or "slacker" track and there is no real way to take it back and start over. You find yourself wondering if there was anything Kyle could have done to change the way his story ended or if it was just his destiny. And you realize you said the word "you" in your review way more often than usual and "you" finally realize why the novel was written in 2nd person. Good job Benoit!
debbiebarr's review against another edition
4.0
I was worried that this book would be a "gimmick" kind of book, where the interesting part of the writing (being told in the 2nd person) would be the only interesting part of it. Not so! The characters were well developed and interesting, even the minor ones, and I definitely felt the same "out of control" sense the character did. While the ending was not my favorite, I still felt that it was worth the read.
*Some swearing and talk of sex, though nothing graphic and no F-bombs.
*Some swearing and talk of sex, though nothing graphic and no F-bombs.
kimlynn77's review against another edition
4.0
A good book for reluctant readers and a story that would keep teens engaged. One moment can truly snowball out of control. I wasn't too fond of the second-person narrative. It felt like I was being beat over the head with the constant "yous".
missbookiverse's review against another edition
3.0
Thriller-mäßig gibt es nicht allzuviel von You zu erwarten, viel interessanter ist der Schreibstil. Erst dachte ich die Du-Perspektive läuft darauf hinaus, dass ich selbst das Gefühl haben würde Protagonist des Buches zu sein, der Autor schlägt aber schnell eine andere Richtung ein. Es geht um Kyle und seine Geschichte. An Kyle bin ich nie besonders dicht herangekommen, aber das ist nicht schlimm, denn der Stil hat durch seine abgebrühte Beobachtungsfunktion viel mehr Finesse zu bieten. Anstatt ausgelutschte Teenager-Dialoge wiederzugeben, wird das ganze so zusammengefasst:
Der Autor trifft den Nagel auf den Kopf und übt nebenbei Kritik am (amerikanischen) Schulsystem. Kyle beobachtet nämlich ganz richtig, dass es oft nur darum geht vorgelegte Fakten auswendig zu lernen und dass Zusammenhänge und eigene Gedanken keine Rolle spielen.
Um der Geschichte mehr Tiefe zu verleihen, hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass Kyles Schwarm Ashley mit mehr Herz dargestellt wird. Er steht zwar tierisch auf sie, aber die Hälfte der Zeit hört er ihr nicht zu, weil sie ununterbrochen redet und dabei nicht den sympathischsten Eindruck macht. Dadurch waren Kyles Reaktionen am Ende schwerer nachvollziehbar.
Das steckt drin: Blazer in zahlreichen Farben, eine allerliebste kleine Schwester, ein kleiner Psychopath und einiges an Alkohol.
You rattle off the expected swearwords, Derrick adds a few extra with Max rearranging the cominbations.
(S. 17)
Der Autor trifft den Nagel auf den Kopf und übt nebenbei Kritik am (amerikanischen) Schulsystem. Kyle beobachtet nämlich ganz richtig, dass es oft nur darum geht vorgelegte Fakten auswendig zu lernen und dass Zusammenhänge und eigene Gedanken keine Rolle spielen.
Um der Geschichte mehr Tiefe zu verleihen, hätte ich mir gewünscht, dass Kyles Schwarm Ashley mit mehr Herz dargestellt wird. Er steht zwar tierisch auf sie, aber die Hälfte der Zeit hört er ihr nicht zu, weil sie ununterbrochen redet und dabei nicht den sympathischsten Eindruck macht. Dadurch waren Kyles Reaktionen am Ende schwerer nachvollziehbar.
Das steckt drin: Blazer in zahlreichen Farben, eine allerliebste kleine Schwester, ein kleiner Psychopath und einiges an Alkohol.
kristenremenar's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked the second-person voice, and all the foreshadowing. At times I had a bit of trouble suspending disbelief, and the end got a little didactic, but all in all, a good YA read.
jenniepicky's review against another edition
4.0
"You're surprised at all the blood." starts this novel, by Charles Benoit, with an interesting narrative style. I was worried that the narration would feel too contrived in a novel setting, but it felt more like Kyle sat down and said "Let's just say you did this, and this resulted, and you felt this way...then what?" And I ended up liking the style quite a lot by the end. Absolutely a worthwhile read.