Guest Blogger Book Review: You by Charles Benoit

Hi everyone! My name is Laura Robinson. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute a review for the Teen Book Fest 2017! I’m a teacher and a graduate student, but more importantly, I love reading. I love the places reading can take us! Reading provides much needed mini-vacations whenever and wherever! What more cold you ask for in a hobby? Reading isn’t merely about absorbing written words, it’s about sharing and processing together to expand our views and perspectives! Given that, I am so excited to share my thoughts with You!

Benoit produces an emotional story that is gripping yet elusive. Kyle, is the main character, and Kyle is You. This style of writing gives the reader a deeper connection to the story often blurring the lines and forcing the reader to ask him/herself, “Am I thinking this? or Is Kyle thinking this?” It is a story full of manipulation and the strength and darkness it can spin. It is the story of mismanaged emotion: anger not vented, curiosity not pursued, love not nurtured, and manipulation not trampled. The story begins with the end; yet, carefully keeping the characters involved in the end hidden. Throughout the book, one can’t help but try to figure out to whom the ending refers. You creates a mood of suspense throughout the book. Even as the book unfolds, the ending yields a thunderbolt no one could predict! Benoit artfully captivates readers in his ability to draw you in through emotion and shock. It is a story that will leave you wondering and in awe. It is the story of You.

~Laura R.