In this week's episode of Netflix made me read....we have YOU.
Synopsis: When Beck walks into Joe's bookstore one day in New York City, Joe finds himself transfixed and instantly attached. After Googling and finding everything about her from her name to her address, Joe invisibly inserts himself into her life and begins to take control. After orchestrating situations, Joe moves from bystander to boyfriend and will do anything to keep Beck by his side, even if that means murder.
Plot: I would have probably found this plot much more original and provoking if I hadn't watched the Netflix adaptation first. But because I had, I already knew most everything that was going on and wasn't as surprised by the twists and turns which on their own might have been more shocking. That being said, this is a very gripping story that I flew through. Nothing is held back in Joe's thoughts; very scandalous, edgy and horrific at times. I wouldn't say the book was scary though, even for a wimp like me, simply because we're in Joe's head and he is rationalizing everything he's doing. However, because the situation seems so realistic it does make it that much scarier in this world of having an online presence. If you're coming into this well-versed in the thriller genre and expecting to be scared, you might not enjoy this as much and won't be as surprised by the simplistic storyline.
Characters: There is something so interesting about the way Joe is written. He is so clearly a terrible person and a murderer and a stalker but you still come to sympathize with him over Beck which is such a unique take on this relationship. It's also written in the rare 2nd person, which is new for me so it took some adjusting. But because of this tense, you become so much more involved and fond of Joe being inside his mind and understanding his way of thinking. Beck on the other hand, you don't sympathize with as much. By only seeing and hearing about the bad, through Joe, you're almost rooting for her to continue getting fooled by his traps.
I did enjoy this, but I have to say that Netflix did in fact do it better. This narrative was really helped by a visual component and made the aspects of Joe's flow of consciousness more impactful and punchy. However, this was still super fun and intriguing and I do want to continue the series.
4/5 stars.
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