Title: You
Author: Charles Benoit
Release Date: August 2010
Published By: HarperTeen
Pages: 223
Goodreads Rating: 3.61 stars
Review: Kyle Chase is a hoodie, one of the disaffected boys given up on by everyone. Except he's not really like the rest of them - he just made a few bad choices and then had to suffer their results. But now there are more and more consequences, and he's drowning beneath them, because while he started out as an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy, he ended up standing over a bloody body. Nothing will ever be the same.
As indicated by the title, YOU makes use of a generally neglected writing style: second person point-of-view. Initially, this style was jarring and a bit difficult to read, but after a chapter or so, it's barely noticeable and reads easily. By the end, the point-of-view demonstrated how well it worked with the story because it seamlessly integrates the reader into the story.
The emotion in this relatively slow-paced book was nearly palpable, yet certain parts were not as powerful as they could have been. The ending in particular came abruptly and felt incomplete, which was disappointing considering the mounting build-up preceding it. Not everyone will find the ending quite so unsatisfying, and much of it comes down to personal taste.
Told in spare prose, YOU is a dark, intense novel that makes for an addicting read, grabbing readers from the first page to the last. The writing style immerses the reader in the story in a way few authors have dared to try. In Kyle Chase, there is a character many can relate to regardless of gender, age, or situation, because nearly all of us have blamed a situation when it only comes down to our own choices. Though some may dislike the ending, this is a book everyone should read.
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2 comments:
I remember reading this one, and I felt similar to you about the ending: it just seemed so abrupt, and vague. I wasn't all that clear about what exactly happened.
Also, I thought that the character Zack was really unbelievable-- I just thought he was TOO over-the-top sadistic.
I did appreciate Benoit's use of the second person POV, I thought that was very unique/gutsy to take a risk with that.
Thanks for the review! I don't see this book too often on other book blogs, so thought I would stop by and see what you had to say about it :) You can read my review for this one here , if you have time!
Lea @ LC's Adventures in Libraryland
How clever to use the second person with the title of the book being You. I'm going to add it to my TBR on that alone. I hadn't heard of it before, so thank you!
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