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The Book of You

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The Book of You

By: Claire Kendal
Narrated by: Orlagh Cassidy
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About this listen

The Sunday Times top ten bestseller

A Richard & Judy pick

The Book of You is a terrifying psychological thriller about obsession, power and control

You left me no choice, Clarissa.

I just want to take you home, Clarissa.

I know your darkest secrets, Clarissa.

Clarissa is becoming more and more frightened of her colleague, Rafe. He won’t leave her alone, and he refuses to take no for an answer. He is always there.

Being selected for jury service is a relief. The courtroom is a safe haven, a place where Rafe can’t be. But as a violent tale of kidnap and abuse unfolds, Clarissa begins to see parallels between her own situation and that of the young woman on the witness stand.

Realizing that she bears the burden of proof, Clarissa unravels the twisted, macabre fairytale that Rafe has spun around them – and discovers that the ending he envisions is more terrifying than she could have imagined.

©2014 Claire Kendal (P)2014 HarperCollins Publishers Limited
Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Exciting Scary Fiction

Critic reviews

‘Any thriller that has you checking over your shoulder and peeking from behind your curtains must be gripping so hats off to Claire Kendal’s hard-hitting debut THE BOOK OF YOU for doing just this’ Stylist

‘Both brutal and unbearably tense, THE BOOK OF YOU announces the arrival of a fierce new talent, a writer not afraid to grasp a woman’s fears in stark detail and to invoke nightmares’ Daily Mail

‘Clever, claustrophobic and chillingly good’ Good Housekeeping

‘THE BOOK OF YOU starts with breathtaking brilliance and then just gets better with every page. Already my book of the year’ Elizabeth Haynes (author of INTO THE DARKEST CORNER)

‘Gripping with some very smart twists’ Woman Magazine

‘A gripping read!’ Closer

‘Addictive … I literally hardly breathed as I raced to the end. It's a terrifying thriller’ Samantha Hayes (author of UNTIL YOU’RE MINE)

‘Creepy and compelling . what happens when the wrong guy won't take no for an answer?’ Paula Daly (author of JUST WHAT KIND OF MOTHER ARE YOU?)

‘Chilling, raw, and utterly addictive, THE BOOK OF YOU is the kind of psychological thriller that you will want to read in one gulp, only to find yourself terrified once the lights are off’ Alafair Burke (New York Times bestselling author of IF YOU WERE HERE)

‘Truly riveting’ New York Times Book Review

A gripping tale, well-written and cleverly plotted … Literary Review

‘Kendal's debut novel is a palpitating tale of obsession and dangerously unrequited love. Fans of Gone Girl and The Silent Wife will enjoy the delectable tension right up until the heart-stopping conclusion.’ Library Journal

‘Minutes after you dip into Kendal's novel you'll know what it's like to be a woman who's being stalked – and by the end, your heart will thump and your shirt will get clammy with nervous sweat.’ Entertainment Weekly

‘Obsession masquerades as love in British author Kendal’s intimate, chilling first novel…Troubling, raw, and gripping.’ Publishers Weekly

All stars
Most relevant

Where does The Book of You rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Definitely one of the better stories, it really sucked me in, although I wasn't too keen on the narrator.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Book of You?

The ending! It was a bit of a shocker, but it won't say more than that ;)

What three words best describe Orlagh Cassidy’s performance?

I can't think of 3 words to describe her performance, but I will say I found her accent very confusing and slightly annoying. I think she was supposed to sound English, but half the time she sounded American and Irish, with hints of something else! It made it confusing to keep up with which character she was speaking as.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Not really, but it made me think a lot, which is always good.

Very addictive-couldn't put it down!

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Did the narrator seriously pronounce Edvard Munch like "munch" as in munching some food??! I'm about 15 mins in and I think I'm done.

Munch!

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If you could sum up The Book of You in three words, what would they be?

obsession stalking psychological

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Book of You?

the narrative

What about Orlagh Cassidy’s performance did you like?

Listed to over a 100 books on audible along with SEan barret orlaigh Cassidy amazing

hooked from the opening line

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From the moment I started listening to this book I was completely drawn in. Clarissa is an ordinary, slightly mousey woman who is seemingly over-obsessed by the unwanted attention from a colleague. Rafe is a man who on the face of it, is a very attractive proposition. He is attractive, successful and a highly intelligent college professor, but for some reason Clarissa is completely repulsed by his advances. The story of their relationship is brilliantly interwoven with Clarissa's experience as a member of a jury, hearing a particularly nasty case involving sexual violence. Throughout this, there is a heavy air of psychological and physical malevolence which is completely gripping.

This story cleverly explores the fine line between a woman actively seeking male attention and receiving attention from an unwanted source and it pulls no punches in describing the horror of physical violence and the helplessness of victims when seeking protection and justice. This maintains momentum throughout and neatly avoids an obvious ending. If you are looking for the antidote to Fifty Shades of Grey, you will find it here.

Orlagh Cassidy excels in her performance of the main characters and although there is arguably a slight over-cockneyfication of some of the minor characters, it was certainly not enough for this to merit anything other than a five star review.

Teeth grindingly intense and consistently gripping

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A bit Girl on a train
A bit Before I go to sleep
A bit Girl with the Dragon TV
All in the first person
Stylized but ok

OK Derivative Novel

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