The Book of You: A Novel

The Book of You: A Novel - Claire Kendal The Book of You is an interesting look at stalkers. I did like the premise of the book and for the most part the overall story. Clarissa was date raped and is currently being stalked by the man who did it. She gathers evidence of his stalking and tries to avoid Rafe at all costs. When she gets called for jury duty, she is looking forward to 6 weeks of days free from her stalker. As Clarissa sits in on the case, parts of it begin to parallel her own story.

The story is compelling and worth reading. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. Interspersed throughout the details of the case are excerpts from Clarissa 's journal that details Rafe's intense obsession with her. I felt bad for Clarissa and could understand why she took so long to report the stalking to the police. Given her past experience with the police and what she sees in the trial, it made sense to me. I was hoping she would get the guts to do it.

There are parts of the book that are hard to read as they deal with rape. This isn't an easy book to digest.
My only complaint was the ending. I felt a bit let down and kind of felt like it was too open ended for me. I also was disappointed with one character whom I wanted to like. Despite that, I do recommend this debut novel. I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next!