Hidden Bodies

Publisher's Summary

In the compulsively listenable follow-up to her widely acclaimed debut novel, You, Caroline Kepnes weaves a tale that Booklist calls "the love child of Holden Caulfield and Patrick Bateman".

Hidden Bodies marks the return of a voice that Stephen King described as original and hypnotic, and through the divisive and charmingly sociopathic character of Joe Goldberg, Kepnes satirizes and dissects our culture, blending suspense with scathing wit.

Joe Goldberg is no stranger to hiding bodies. In the past 10 years, this 30-something has buried four of them, collateral damage in his quest for love. Now he's heading west to Los Angeles, the city of second chances, determined to put his past behind him.

In Hollywood, Joe blends in effortlessly with the other young upstarts. He eats guac, works in a bookstore, and flirts with a journalist neighbor. But while others seem fixated on their own reflections, Joe can't stop looking over his shoulder. The problem with hidden bodies is that they don't always stay that way. They reemerge like dark thoughts, multiplying and threatening to destroy what Joe wants most: true love. And when he finds it in a darkened room in Soho House, he's more desperate than ever to keep his secrets buried. He doesn't want to hurt his new girlfriend - he wants to be with her forever. But if she ever finds out what he's done, he may not have a choice....

©2015 Alloy Entertainment, LLC (P)2015 Simon & Schuster

Critic Reviews

"Joe is unlikable, yet, as portrayed by narrator Santino Fontana, he's also transfixing.... Fontana is not a one-note narrator; he just knows how to stay true to character, hour after vengeful hour." ( AudioFile)

Approach With Caution, All Ye Who Enter Here

At the start of this book, I had a lot of second thoughts, along the lines of "Why did I DO it? Why did I buy this sequel to a book that needed no sequel, and never should have HAD a sequel?" But only one hour in, just as in "You," I was completely hooked. Yes, it's sick, twisted, sexually explicit and violent, but that's because the reader is inside the head of a crazily smart, wickedly self-rationalizing serial killer. How could it be anything else? Let's just say that if you loved "You," you'll love (or at least become temporarily infatuated with) this book, but if you DISLIKED "You," you're making a HUGE MISTAKE. Turn back now, before it's too late. This book is everything "You" is, only MORE so. More of EVERYTHING. Along with even more laugh out loud moments and more wicked surprises.

Once again, many thanks to Audible and to Santino Fontana for the out-of-this-world, note-perfect narration. How does he DO it? He must absolutely spend WEEKS rehearsing to become this character. Highly recommended--but for mature, unshockable audiences only.

128 of 138 people found this review helpful

I want Caroline Kepnes for my new best friend!

Okay, I'm really beginning to worry about myself. I WANT a serial killer to evade the justice system. Joe's character works because he has many of the same thoughts about everyday life situations that we all do. The irritations of the idiots you meet everyday, but his thoughts are hilarious. Joe only works with the performance of Santino Fontana. His performance is perfection! If you can stand four letter words (an abundance of them, c-word included), and what to get into the charming mind of a serial killer, this is your book. Be sure to buy the 1st book before this one. It will set the stage.
To my new BFF-Tell me more about Joe's childhood.

46 of 56 people found this review helpful

Like The Little Mermaid 2,this is a sequel alright

Any additional comments?

'You' was enthralling. 'You' was suspenseful, 'You' was a guilty pleasure. Hidden Bodies -- not so much. I wanted so, so badly to love it, just as I loved its predessecor. Hidden Bodies is not terrible (unless you're offended easily, and if so, steer clear!!!). It is not terrible, but it is all over the place--literally--and should probably have been half its length.

Thank goodness for Fontana!!! He saves the day on this one, and kept me interested enough to keep listening. I think this book would have been unbearable to read on paper with SO. MUCH. RAMBLING. There are so many comments meant to sound satarical, but really just sound like a girl whining about other girls. Like I said, Fontana really saved so many passages with his tone and sarcasm. The character of Joe begins to feel more and more like a judgy girl throughout this book, and no longer the interesting and intelligent killer we weirdly love. Speaking of love, can I say how much I hate that there is a character named Love?

All in all, if you loved You, give Hidden Bodies a chance. It's NOT terrible. If you didn't really care for You, definitely don't bother with this one.

22 of 27 people found this review helpful

WOW!!!!!!

This book was even better than the first book, You. The author makes the reader actually root for a psychopath. As for the other negative comments about bad language and garbage..... This book is about a serial killer, right? You know that going in. Joe is your average likable guy, who just happens to be a killer. Santino Fontana is perfection as a narrator. His voice flows like satin. Bravo! Can't wait to follow Joe's next adventure!

18 of 22 people found this review helpful

Hidden Bodies

It felt like I waited forever for this book to be released. I absolutely loved "You", and Hidden Bodies didn't disappoint. Definitely worth a credit.

26 of 34 people found this review helpful

please please write a third!

Where does Hidden Bodies rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's an excellent book -- I hope a series, is that kinda messed up?

What did you like best about this story?

Well, the narrator has a voice like butter. He kinda makes you root for Joe.

Which scene was your favorite?

No particular scene is a favorite.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were several moments I laughed out loud.

19 of 26 people found this review helpful

Just as good as her first book You

Way to go Caroline, You did it again. This book was just as good as her first book YOU, hard to put down, always wondering whats next. Waiting for a Third in this series

6 of 8 people found this review helpful

Too much anticipation

Any additional comments?

I pre-ordered Hidden Bodies because I could not wait to get back inside Joe Goldberg's head. I even counted down the days and woke up early to check my library for the download. I was giddy on the excitement. I think I flew too close to the sun.

This Joe is not my Joe. This Joe sounds like my Joe (Santino Fontana is incredible!) but the Joe in "Hidden Bodies" is mean and shallow. The Joe in "You" was misunderstood and insightful.

I know I'll be in the minority with this review but Caroline Kepnes made us empathize and root for a serial killer in "You." In "Hidden Bodies", you just want to cringe and report him to the nearest authority.

15 of 21 people found this review helpful

LOVE this book.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes I have recommended it to many friends as well as "You" the first book.

What did you like best about this story?

The narrator is perfect and there are so many twists and turns it's a great ride and not predictable.

Have you listened to any of Santino Fontana’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Yes I listened to him in "You" the first book and it was outstanding, he is perfect for the voice of Joe and really makes this book and "You" such a perfect listen.

Any additional comments?

I really enjoy Caroline Kepnes's books so far and can't wait to read more. They are fun and twisted and not predictable, keeping you guessing. She references such great books, movies, music which makes her books even more fun. I love her writing style and Santino Fontana is the perfect narrator for these books.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Amazing

This book was amazing. I read You quite some time ago and was skeptical (borderline disappointed) at the idea of a sequel. I loved Joe's story but to read about him stalking another girl in NYC? Talk about redundant. I was so pleasantly proven wrong when A. I listened to it and discovered I loved Joe's character even MORE when listening to Santino Fontana doing it and B. We took the story to LA for a completely different twist on things. It was like Joe was voicing every cynical thought I've had about these characters and I found him to be so funny and so witty. If you enjoyed You then definitely give this a shot. Buckle up for a lot of F-bombs, C-words, victim shaming and misogyny!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful