For You and Only You - by Caroline Kepnes (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author Caroline Kepnes, whose acclaimed YOU series inspired the hit show on Netflix, follows "addictively charming antihero" (The Washington Post) Joe Goldberg to the hallowed halls of Harvard, where he leaves crimson in his wake.

"Twisted . . . delightfully creepy."--Rolling Stone

A POPSUGAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

Joe Goldberg is ready for a change. Instead of selling books, he's writing them. And he's off to a good start. Glenn Shoddy, an acclaimed literary author, recognizes Joe's genius and invites him to join a tight-knit writing fellowship at Harvard. Finally, Joe will be in a place where talent matters more than pedigree . . . where intellect is the great equalizer and anything is possible. Even happy endings. Or so he thinks, until he meets his already-published, already-distinguished peers, who all seem to be cut from the same elitist cloth.

Thankfully, Wonder Parish enters the picture. They have so much in common. No college degrees, no pretensions, no stories from prep school or grad school. Just a love for literature. If only Wonder could commit herself to the writing life, they could be those rare literary soulmates who never fall prey to their demons. Wonder has a tendency to love, to covet, but Joe is a believer in the rule of fiction: If you want to write a book, you have to kill your darlings.

With her trademark satirical, biting wit, Caroline Kepnes explores why vulnerable people bring out the worst in others as Joe sets out to make this small, exclusive world a fairer place. And if a little crimson runs in the streets of Cambridge . . . who can blame him? Love doesn't conquer all. Often, it needs a little push.

Review Quotes

"Joe Goldberg lives on. . . . For You and Only You delivers everything a fan could want. . . . Yes, it's a book about writing books, and yes it's very meta. . . . Kepnes obviously knows the world well, so the zingers land with authenticity. . . . What makes For You and Only You stand out is how pitch-perfect Joe's voice is when he's 'talking' to the Wonder who lives in his head. . . . [Joe's] voice is so confident that at times Kepnes puts it in all caps and it feels right. . . . Joe is an addictively charming antihero and after four books, he still feels fresh and original."--The Washington Post

"Compulsively readable and laugh-out-loud funny."--The Boston Globe

"Hard to put down . . . another witty, irresistible mashup of crime fiction and romance, crafted with care and slicked with satire . . . Kepnes dissects that disturbing trope [of stalkers as romantic] with an icy scalpel . . . Kepnes's group portrait of the workshop members and their dynamics is comedy gold. . . . The plot twists keep on coming, so fast Joe's wisecracks can hardly keep up, barreling toward a truly surprising finale. The key to For You and Only You, and all of this series, is Joe's unmistakable voice, seductive and sharp and, once we realize we've fallen for it, frightening."--Tampa Bay Times

"Kepnes gleefully portrays the most back-stabbing seminar yet, dropping literary names with abandon as she twists the plot. Joe Goldberg might be a narcissistic, manipulative, murderous, utterly unreliable narrator, but he's damn entertaining."--Kirkus Review (starred review)

"Puckish . . . Kepnes waggishly satirizes the publishing industry, and her outsized characters' egos and anxieties lay the foundations for delightfully deranged plot twists. . . . Joe's stream-of-consciousness narration engages throughout, rendering readers both confidante and accomplice. Kepnes reliably entertains."--Publishers Weekly

"Within this intensity, [Joe Goldberg's] snark-laden observations about ego, love, and loyalty ring true."--Booklist

About the Author

Caroline Kepnes is the author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence, You Love Me, and numerous short stories. Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and previously worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and now lives in Los Angeles.