Providence (Kepnes Novel)

''Providence'' is Caroline Kepnes's third novel. It has been described as romance-suspense-thriller, with supernatural aspects. Reviewers have explicitly characterized it as "strange".

Story

This book is a fictional story loosely of the Sci-fi genre. Loosely, because it is cryptic and doesn’t explain the scientific mechanisms that transform one of the main characters. In the book, a young lady finds herself caught in an emotionally & geographically distant relationship with her childhood sweetheart. A relationship in which she has zero control and is being strung along with just enough reinforcement to maintain concern, compassion, and hope for reuniting with this individual even though he is unable or unwilling to communicate the reason why they cannot be together. In my opinion, the morale to the story is, that this dynamic- all consuming, mortifyingly-pitifull hopefulness for the affection of a particular “lovely” individual is only acceptable in a sci-fi book about unrequited love. Ladies and gents, the object of your unreciprocated affection is not afraid to hurt you with their superpowers.AMP

Kepnes published the novel in 2018, four years after the publication of her dark first novel ''You''. ''You'' was turned into a television and Netflix series, and her second novel was a sequel to it. ''Providence'' is unrelated to the first two novels.

Lenny Books

The novel was published by Lenny Books, an imprint of Random House that is directed by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner.

Reception

Alison Flood, in a review published by ''The Guardian'', wrote ''"Providence is compelling, and Kepnes provides a sometimes piercing insight into the small, strange, sad details that make up a life, though without quite achieving the deep, dark pleasures of You."'' According to Cheryl Wassenaar, in a review in ''Cultures magazine'', the novel is ''"a bit like Dexter meets, well, H.P. Lovecraft."''

In an interview on a Providence, Rhode Island television station Kepnes noted that she set the novel in Providence because she was familiar with the area, having been a student there.

References

{{Reflist, refs=

{{cite news
, url = https://www.golocalprov.com/live/author-kepnes-discusses-her-new-book-providence-on-live
, title = Author Kepnes Discusses Her New Book, "Providence" on LIVE
, work = Go local Providence
, date = 2018-07-07
, author = Rachel Noon
, archiveurl =
, archivedate =
, accessdate = 2020-01-26
, url-status = live
, quote = Her newest work "Providence" is the supernatural tale that follows the story of two best friends, Jon and Chloe who are separated when one is kidnapped and kept hidden away for years. When he finally manages to escape, he discovers an unwanted power of hurting anyone he cares about.

{{cite news
, url = https://ew.com/books/2017/11/27/caroline-kepnes-providence-cover/
, title = You author Caroline Kepnes reveals cover of her latest novel, Providence
, work = Entertainment Weekly
, author = Breanne L. Heldman
, date = 2017-11-27
, page =
, location =
, isbn =
, language =
, trans-title =
, archiveurl =
, archivedate =
, accessdate = 2020-01-24
, url-status = live
, quote = EW can exclusively reveal the cover for Providence, which will be released June 18, 2018, on Lenny Books, Lena Dunham’s imprint at Random House.

{{cite news
, url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/08/30/shiny-happy-people-give-author-caroline-kepnes-creeps/EYabuQjJfgT2k6bdyJqXXP/story.html
, title = Shiny happy people give author Caroline Kepnes the creeps
, work = Boston Globe
, author = Meredith Goldstein
, date = 2018-08-30
, archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20180831021008/https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/08/30/shiny-happy-people-give-author-caroline-kepnes-creeps/EYabuQjJfgT2k6bdyJqXXP/story.html
, archivedate = 2018-08-31
, accessdate = 2020-01-24
, url-status = dead
, quote = In June, she released “Providence,” a genre-blending story that follows two friends in the aftermath of a kidnapping. It takes place around New England and was the first novel published under Lenny, Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner’s imprint at Random House.

{{cite news
, url = https://dailyegyptian.com/87598/opinion/providence-book-review-feelings-can-kill-you/
, title = Providence book review: Feelings can kill you
, work = The Daily Egyptian
, author = Rana Schenke
, date = 2018-10-21
, archiveurl =
, archivedate =
, accessdate = 2020-01-24
, url-status = live
, quote = This book was a strange one. While reading it, I didn’t feel like it fit into any particular genre.

{{cite news
, url = https://culturess.com/2018/06/23/4-ways-providence-perfectly-strange-novel/
, title = 4 reasons Providence is a perfectly strange novel
, work = Cultures magazine
, author = Cheryl Wassenaar
, date = 2018-06-23
, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190123071714/https://culturess.com/2018/06/23/4-ways-providence-perfectly-strange-novel/
, archive-date= 2019-01-23
, accessdate = 2019-01-22
, url-status = live
, quote = The action is all set in New England; Kepnes is from there, and it shows in her work. The inside flap calls it “part love story, part detective story, and part supernatural thriller,” and the best way I can describe it is that it’s a bit like Dexter meets, well, H.P Lovecraft.

{{cite news
, url = https://www.bustle.com/p/providence-by-caroline-kepnes-combines-romance-horror-mystery-for-the-ultimate-summer-read-9486586
, title = 'Providence' By Caroline Kepnes Combines Romance, Horror, And Mystery For The Ultimate Summer Read
, work = Bustle magazine
, author = Sadie Trombetta
, date = 2018-06-19
, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180619204545/https://www.bustle.com/p/providence-by-caroline-kepnes-combines-romance-horror-mystery-for-the-ultimate-summer-read-9486586
, archive-date= 2018-06-19
, accessdate = 2019-01-22
, url-status = live
, quote = A beautifully crafted narrative that deftly combines a sweet coming-of-age love story with elements of Lovecraftian horror and supernatural suspense, Providence is Kepnes at her best. A rich novel brimming with as much heartfelt emotion as genuine thrills, it will keep readers flipping the pages at a rapid pace, searching for answers to their own questions about love, truth, connection, and what it means to be human.

{{cite news
, url = https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/06/best-recent-thrillers-roundup-elly-griffith-the-stranger-diaries-caroline-kepnes-providence
, title = The best recent thrillers – review roundup
, work = The Guardian
, author = Alison Flood
, date = 2018-11-06
, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190123121318/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/06/best-recent-thrillers-roundup-elly-griffith-the-stranger-diaries-caroline-kepnes-providence
, archive-date = 2019-01-23
, accessdate = 2019-01-22
, url-status = live
, quote = In Providence (Simon & Schuster, £8.99), she takes on the story of a kidnapping and its aftermath.

{{cite book
, url = https://books.google.com/books?id=iYckDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Caroline+Kepnes%22#q=%22Caroline%20Kepnes%22
, title = Providence: A Novel
, author = Caroline Kepnes
, publisher = Random House Publishing Group
, year = 2018
, isbn = 9780399591440
, archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190123071607/https://books.google.ca/books?id=iYckDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=%22Caroline+Kepnes%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi0ofGOoILgAhVbat4KHdr-BNYQ6AEIOTAD#v=onepage&q=%22Caroline%20Kepnes%22&f=false
, archive-date = 2019-01-23
, accessdate = 2019-01-22
, url-status = live
, quote =

2018 American novels
Novels set in Providence, Rhode Island
Novels by Caroline Kepnes