Providence - by Caroline Kepnes (Paperback)

About the Book

"Growing up as best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe are the only ones who truly understand each other and their intense connection. But just when Jon is ready to confess the depth of his feelings, he's kidnapped by his substitute teacher, a discredited scientist who is obsessed with H.P. Lovecraft and has a plot to save humanity. After four years in captivity, Jon finally escapes, only to discover that he now has an uncontrollable power that endangers anyone he has intense feelings for. He runs away to Providence to protect Chloe while he searches for answers. Across town from Jon, Detective Charles "Eggs" DeBenedictus is fascinated by a series of strange deaths--young, healthy people whose hearts just. stop. Convinced these deaths are a series of connected, vigilante killings, he jeopardizes his job and already strained marriage to uncover the truth. With heart, insight, and a keen eye on human frailty, Kepnes whisks us on a journey through New England and crashes these characters' lives together in the most unexpected ways, exploring the complex relationship between the powerful and the powerless, love and identity, self-preservation and self-destruction, and how the lines are often blurred between the two"--

Book Synopsis

"Part love story, part supernatural thriller and completely engrossing" (People)--from the acclaimed author of You, now a hit Netflix series

IN DEVELOPMENT AS A PEACOCK ORIGINAL SERIES FROM THE EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS OF YOU

"A dark beauty of a book, Providence kept me up at night with characters that made my heart a little bigger."--Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive

Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share an intense, near-mystical bond. But before Jon can declare his love for his soul mate, he is kidnapped, and his plans for a normal life are permanently dashed. Four years later, Jon reappears. He is different now: bigger, stronger, and with no memory of the time he was gone. Jon wants to pick up where he and Chloe left off--until the horrifying instant he realizes he possesses strange powers that pose a grave threat to everyone he cares for. Afraid of hurting Chloe, Jon runs away, embarking on a journey for answers.

Meanwhile, in Providence, Rhode Island, healthy college students and townies with no connection to one another are inexplicably dropping dead. A troubled detective prone to unexplainable hunches, Charles "Eggs" DeBenedictus suspects there's a serial killer at work. But when he starts asking questions, Eggs is plunged into a shocking whodunit he never could have predicted.

With an intense, mesmerizing voice, Caroline Kepnes makes keen and powerful observations about human connection and how love and identity can dangerously blur together.

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY REAL SIMPLE

"Providence is a novel that doesn't fit into one box--it's tender and dark, eerie and cool, heartbreaking but also an affirmation of the power of love. Kepnes perfectly captures each character's struggle and pain in such a unique, unconventional way that every page--every sentence--is a delightful surprise."--Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars

"Caroline Kepnes is cool right this minute. . . . [Providence is] terrifically conceived and executed. . . . Kepnes has an exhilarating, poppy, unexpected voice."--The New York Times Book Review

"An addictive horror-tinged romance that'll keep you guessing."--Entertainment Weekly

Review Quotes

"A dark beauty of a book, Providence kept me up at night with characters that made my heart a little bigger."--Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive

"Part love story, part supernatural thriller and completely engrossing."--People

"Providence is a novel that doesn't fit into one box--it's tender and dark, eerie and cool, heartbreaking but also an affirmation of the power of love. Kepnes perfectly captures each character's struggle and pain in such a unique, unconventional way that every page--every sentence--is a delightful surprise."--Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Little Liars

"Caroline Kepnes is cool right this minute. . . . [Providence is] terrifically conceived and executed. . . . Kepnes has an exhilarating, poppy, unexpected voice."--The New York Times Book Review

"A fascinating genre-bending novel you won't be able to put down . . . A beautifully crafted narrative that deftly combines a sweet coming-of-age love story with elements of Lovecraftian horror and supernatural suspense, Providence is Kepnes at her best. A rich novel brimming with as much heartfelt emotion as genuine thrills, it will keep readers flipping the pages at a rapid pace, searching for answers to their own questions about love, truth, connection, and what it means to be human."--Bustle

"An addictive horror-tinged romance that'll keep you guessing."--Entertainment Weekly

"This is a love story, but not your traditional type of love story. . . . Providence is a mysterious supernatural love story that blends genres with ease. What more could you want from a summer read?"--HelloGiggles

"A modern-day retelling of H.P. Lovecraft's horror tale 'The Dunwich Horror' . . . An emo-monster story."--Time
"[Providence] is equal parts love story, thriller, and horror tale. . . . Kepnes, whose previous novels deftly dealt with obsessive love, changes gears here and injects into this 'Beauty and the Beast'-like story a deeper allegory about how far we'll go to protect the things we love the most."--Kirkus Reviews

"[An] engrossing supernatural thriller . . . Kepnes provides readers with a spellbinding examination of what keeps people human."--Publishers Weekly

"The infinite talent of Caroline Kepnes shines through every page of this extraordinary tale. Providence is sure to be one of the best thrillers of the year."--Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl

"An artist, a mutated vigilante, a charming hunter, a sickly detective, and a literary lunatic: Caroline Kepnes brings them together in this propulsive and original story. It kept me up at night, scared and thinking."--E. Lockhart, New York Times bestselling author of Genuine Fraud and We Were Liars

"There is something for every reader in these pages--thrills, chills, and a complex love story. Kepnes is a writer to add to your must-read pile."--Tess Gerritsen, New York Times bestselling author of I Know a Secret

About the Author

Caroline Kepnes is the author of You and Hidden Bodies. She has worked as a pop-culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and as a TV writer on 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. Originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, she now lives in Los Angeles.