The Book of You - Hardcover

Kendal, Claire

3.58

13,489 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062297600 ISBN 13: 9780062297600

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2014

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A mesmerizing tale of psychological suspense about a woman who must fight to escape an expert manipulator determined to possess her, Claire Kendal's debut novel is a sophisticated and disturbing portrait of compulsion, control, and terror that will appeal to fans of Before I Go to Sleep, The Silent Wife, and Into the Darkest Corner.

His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns. At the university where she works. Her favorite sewing shop. The train station. Outside her apartment. His messages choke her voice mail; his gifts litter her mailbox. Since that one regrettable night, his obsession with her has grown, becoming more terrifying with each passing day. And as Rafe has made clear, he will never let her go.

Clarissa's only escape from this harrowing nightmare is inside a courtroom--where she is a juror on a trial involving a victim whose experiences eerily parallel her own. There she finds some peace and even makes new friends, including an attractive widower named Robert, whose caring attentions make her feel desired and safe. But as a disturbingly violent crime unfolds in the courtroom, Clarissa realizes that to survive she must expose Rafe herself. Conceiving a plan, she begins collecting the evidence of Rafe's madness to use against him--a record of terror that will force her to relive every excruciating moment she desperately wants to forget. Proof that will reveal the twisted, macabre fairy tale that Rafe has spun around them . . . with an ending more horrifying than her darkest fears.

Masterfully constructed, filled with exquisite tension and a pervasive sense of menace, The Book of You explores the lines between love and compulsion, fantasy and reality, and offers a heart-stopping portrait of a woman determined to survive. Claire Kendal's extraordinary debut will haunt readers long after it reaches its terrifying, breathtaking conclusion.

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Review:

"Truly riveting....Clarissa's silence is both understandable and possibly her undoing."--New York Times Book Review

"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, Editor's Pick

"An engrossing literary thriller.... The author (who lectures in English literature and creative writing) uses the more violent and sadistic aspects of fairy tales...to explore modern relationships.... As grimly seductive as any of its inspirational sources."--Los Angeles Times

"Obsession masquerades as love in British author Kendal's intimate, chilling first novel....With flawless timing...Kendal spins a tale that's troubling, raw, and gripping."--Publishers Weekly (starred 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 (starred review)

"Kendal uses her writing skills to fine advantage, both in creating Clarissa's evidentiary journal, which she hopes will help nail Rafe, and in chronicling Rafe's growing menace....Nicely written."--Kirkus Reviews

"Kendal expertly heightens the suspense while offering a disturbing portrait of a clever stalker who believes himself to be in love."--Booklist

"The Book of You is a frighteningly intimate--and accurate--portrayal of stalking. Through Clarissa's eyes, we see the ragged nerves, sleepless nights and paranoia brought about by Rafe's 'romantic' obsession. First-time author Claire Kendal draws readers into a taut, compulsively readable tale of pursuit and escape."--BookPage

"Your stomach will be in knots before the end of the first chapter of Kendal's debut novel."--San Antonio Express-News

"Claire Kendal makes a smashing debut with the...The Book of You....most readers [will] finish the brilliantly constructed novel in one or two sittings."--Connecticut Post, #FridayReads

From the Back Cover:

"No other man can do to you what I can. No other man will love you like I do. . . . "

His name is Rafe, and he is everywhere Clarissa turns.

At the university where she works. At her favorite sewing shop. At the train station. Outside her apartment. His messages choke her voice mail; his unwanted gifts keep arriving at her door. Since that one regrettable night, his obsession with her has grown, becoming more consuming with each passing day. And as he has made clear, he will never let her go.

With Rafe in pursuit, Clarissa's only sanctuary is the courtroom in which she is serving jury duty. The rhythm of the trial allows her a sense of normalcy and the space to make new friends, including Robert, an attractive widower. But Clarissa's deepening relationship with Robert--a source of hope she so desperately needs in her life--will not remain unnoticed for long. As a chilling tale of predator and prey unfolds in front of Clarissa on the stand, Rafe's relentless fixation, fueled by jealousy, escalates. Her only chance of escape lies in exposing his intentions for what they really are, even if it means immortalizing every moment she so desperately wants to forget.

Conceiving a plan, Clarissa begins collecting the evidence of Rafe's madness to use against him. Strand by strand, she pulls apart the twisted, macabre fairy tale he has spun around them and discovers that the happy ending he envisions is more horrifying than her darkest fears. Masterly constructed, filled with exquisite tension and a pervasive sense of menace, The Book of You is a darkly sophisticated, utterly compelling debut that explores what happens when the lines between love and compulsion, fantasy and reality, become dangerously blurred.

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