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    The Book of You: A Novel
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    The Book of You: A Novel
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    The Book of You: A Novel
    Ebook376 pages5 hours

    The Book of You: A Novel

    By Claire Kendal

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 6, 2014
    ISBN9780062297624
    Author

    Claire Kendal

    Claire Kendal was born in America and educated in England, where she has spent all of her adult life. The Book of You is her first novel, and it will be translated into over twenty languages. Claire teaches English Literature and Creative Writing, and lives in the South West with her family. She is working on her next psychological thriller.

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    Reviews for The Book of You

    3.5/5

    114 ratings20 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Clarissa has been called in for jury service, a case of a young prostitute who has been kidnapped and raped. As the case unfolds Clarissa will see similarities between the young girl and herself as Clarissa is been stalked.I really enjoyed this book. The majority of the story follows Clarissa as she carrys on with everyday life and has to attend court. Things are not easy as Clarissa is constantly being watched by her stalker and events escalate.The story is certainly creepy and delves into the fear of being stalked and how Clarissa is finding different ways of trying to avoid her stalker. I really did feel for Clarissa and liked her as a character. A little light relief comes into the story and so did a little romance. At this stage I was hoping for a happy ending but didn't want the story to lose it's way with a romance. However the story continued with a satisfactory ending and for some a predictable little twist.An easy read overall with plenty of creepy tension that held my interest till the end. What I really enjoyed was the references to fairy tales, as Clarissa had a love for them and how they were incoperated into the story. This is one of the better books about stalkers that I've read.
    • 3/5
      this was well written. The style was well constructed. The descriptions were clear. But... mainly it was depressing. I think that was my biggest learning curve was I felt worse after the book. It is not for the easily scared or those not feeling the best. I found nothing uplifting in the story. I think that might just be my experience as the technical tale being told was well told. I just didn't like the tale.
    • 4/5
      I have read many stalker books but none that I can remember that gave a really good insight into the victim and their feelings. I got an great insightful idea of all of the feelings that Clarissa was experiencing through her nightmare with Rafe. I applaud her however for standing up to Rafe and not letting herself become a victim. I like how this book was set up. It was spilt into parts. Each one starting after a whole week went by. The progression of Rafe's anger was scary. This book goes to show you why it is hard for something to get out of a relationship. Clarissa's voice was a strong one. I liked her narrating the story but like a diary. The ending was a high point of the book. I can't wait to read the next book by this author. Claire Kendal writes like a pro. The Book of You does not feel like a debut novel.
    • 4/5
      The Book of You is British author Claire Kendal's debut novel. You know that delicious tingle you get when you've read the first few pages of a book and absolutely know you're in for an addictive read? One that will consume you until you finish it? Well, The Book of You is one of those reads. "It is you. Of course it is you. Always it is you." A polite drink one evening. A morning with no recollection of what happened. Three months later, he's everywhere that Clarissa turns, outside her home, her work, watching, leaving notes and presents, approaching her, always polite, but never leaving her be. He hasn't truly done anything that the police can deal with. "The advice in the leaflets doesn't work in real life. I doubt anything will work with you." But what Clarissa does do is start documenting it all - everything Rafe says, does, dates, times, places, saving everything he has left for her. "Perhaps the leaflets are not completely useless after all. They have taught me that a time will come when the story matters a lot. And I already know that every story has a true name. I wish this story's name could be different, but nothing will change it. This story is The Book of You." Clarissa is called to serve on a jury. Although the case is a difficult one - a woman who has been held captive and abused, the courtroom is a place where Clarissa believes she can feel safe for seven weeks. But, she doesn't count on the emotional trauma that the case brings into her own life. Much of the testimony mirrors her own situation. Rafe's stalking of Clarissa is insidious and truly, truly frightening. He manipulates and twists things about, so that Clarissa looks like she is the crazy one. His conciliatory tone, his politeness, his belief that Clarissa is his, is more chilling than overt acts of violence. But for me, it was the watching, the constant surveillance that had me creeped out. I don't know if I could have been as polite in some of the interactions as Clarissa was. I found myself urging her to not dismiss her own concerns, to not try to build a case against Rafe before seeking help from the authorities. To run. Kendal does a fantastic job of slowly and deliciously building the tension. She adds in plot twists that I didn't see coming and an ending I didn't expect. There are situations and descriptions that may not be for gentle readers. For though this is an imagined tale, stalking is an all too real danger for many.The Book of You is a fantastic debut and has put Kendal on my 'must read' authors list. Thriller and suspense fans - this one's for you
    • 4/5
      Stalking is so frightening and reading this novel emphasizes how the stalker can find and terrify you at any time he desires, as the power is fully on his terms. Keeping a diary of the evidence Rafe, the stalker is doing to make her life a nightmare, Clarissa has to relive her fears. As the plot pulls you in, you follow Clarissa as she becomes a juror on a trial involving a victim with her similar experiences; Clarissa feels safe in the courtroom. She meets a fellow juror, Robert who appears to care for her. This makes the stalker more angry and more demanding in his actions. Filled with tension and psychological suspense, you will be mesmerized as Clarissa escapes compulsive behaviors, control and terror as she exposes Rafe. I highly recommend this book for anyone whom likes psychological novels. You won't be disappointed as Ms. Kendal supplies you with tension on each page.Filled with tension and psychological suspense, you will be mesmerized as Clarissa escapes compulsions, control and terror as she exposes Rafe.
    • 3/5
      This book was intriguing, mysterious, and creepy. It's about a crazy one night stand that begins with rape and ends with a crazy stalker. The guy is straight lunatic I tell you! He follows her everywhere and leaves her creepy photos at her doorstep. While she tries to uncover secrets and remain alive, he digs deeper into her privacy. He invades her friendships, her workplace, and her casual day to day life. She can't get away from him. He is always there and it takes extreme measures to finally be rid of him.

      While I really liked this story... there was a lot of redundancy that became boring at times. Each journal entry was another encounter of him lurking and her noting. Most occurrences were similar. I think I really craved difference. More action... More intensity...

      All in all it was a well written book with a twisty plot. I recommend it to fans of You by Caroline Kepnes.
    • 4/5
      Clarissa is only trying to find her own way after her break-up. She does not know why Rafe is so fixated on her. His attentions are unwanted, but he will not listen when she tries to tell him to stay away. When called to serve as a juror on a seven week trial, she looks forward to a chance to get out from under his prying eyes for awhile. What she doesn't expect is to find a friend and possible romantic interest in a fellow juror. Is he too good to be true?

      The Book of You is taut with suspense, and a book that had me holding my breath more than once as I read. Rafe is truly a disturbing man, and the author, Claire Kindal, does a good job of putting me right into Clarissa's shoes. The terror Clarissa feels, the doubts and the helplessness, all felt so real, so raw. I could completely understand Clarissa's attraction to her fellow juror, the need for normalcy and the need to feel protected.

      The narrative of the story is broken into both first person journal entries and third person. Clarissa has started keeping a journal in order to document Rafe's behavior, hoping to collect enough evidence in order to make the authorities believe she really is being stalked and is in danger. It took me a moment to adjust to the shifts in narrative, but once I did, I was quite taken with the story and found it difficult to put down.

      While the jury trial itself runs independent of Clarissa's own story, Clarissa cannot help but identify with the rape victim. Clarissa sees her own situation through the lens of the trial and doubts anyone will believe her, knowing Rafe will have a rational explanation for everything, however untrue it may be. Her desire to build up the evidence intensifies as the trial goes on. There were moments when I worried that her distraction from the trial at hand was unfair to the entire trial process. It reminded me a bit of my own jury experience and the self-admitted alcoholic who often came to court reeking of alcohol and whose personal life influenced his feelings of sympathy for the defendant who had committed murder after having too much to drink. While Clarissa felt anything but sympathy for the perpetrators on trial for rape and kidnapping (I felt the same), it was clear she over-identified with the victim, however rightly or wrongly.

      I was both relieved and saddened by the ending. Much was resolved for both Clarissa and in terms of the trial. There was also a part that was left open, in which the reader can drawn his or her own conclusions. It's one of those endings that will satisfy some and drive others crazy.

      Overall, I enjoyed reading The Book of You. It was an intense and emotional read. I haven't found myself looking over my shoulder or double checking my locks like I did after reading Elizabeth Haynes' Into the Darkest Corner, but I am not sure I would read The Book of You before falling asleep at night if you are prone to dreaming about what you've just read.
    • 4/5
      It's a claustrophobic novel, about a woman who was raped by a person she knows, then stalked by the same person because she couldn't be sure if she was raped and couldn't prove anything.

      In my opinion Clarissa was weak and not firm; if it was me, he would have wetted his pants out of fear. Being polite and gentle in such situations isn't smart or classy, it's weak and stupid.

      We have a saying in Palestine "الرصاصة إلي ما بتصيب بتدوش" which means that if you shot and miss, the voice of the bullet is still there. It means if she made a scene everywhere she went and attracted a LOT of attention of the police and people, maybe she wouldn't have been in that situation.
    • 2/5
      The Book of YouUnderwhelming and Irritating 2 starsWhew! I have never wanted to finish a book as badly as I wanted to finish this one. It started out decently but fizzled out. No real plot surprises, suspense, or anything. In short, Clarissa Bourne is assaulted and stalked by her colleague Rafe Solmes. I felt bad about the assault but couldn't like Clarissa. The frustrating part is she isolated herself and pretty much accepted being stalked even though she had evidence (a journal with sightings, unwanted gifts, public outbursts, numerous text messages, notes) to prove it and stop it. Also, it took way too long to get to the climax and by then I was exhausted. The ending was unsatisfying and absurd.
    • 4/5
      The Book of You – Breathtaking & BrilliantThe Book of You is the debut thriller from Claire Kendal that grabs you by the throat and does not release you until the book is finished. This is a pacey thriller that really gets inside your head you feel the tension and at times is terrifying and very apt subject in stalking and the actions of a stalker. Claire Kendal has not been afraid to tackle a subject that terrifies many women and gets inside the mind of the victim while leaving no room for sympathy for her stalker.Rafe the stalker and the villain of this book is one of the creepiest seediest men around and at times you think how can he really get away with what he is doing. He comes across as the sort of person you would not want to work with get to know or spend a minute longer of your time with him than you have too.Clarissa is just out of a relationship and is quite vulnerable when one night after a few drinks she sleeps with Rafe, although her recollection of that night is rather is none existent. After that night Rafe seems to be everywhere that Clarissa goes and it does not help that they both work inside the same University department.Over a seven week period Clarissa is on Jury Service and she starts to identify with the victim of the alleged crime before the court. Clarissa also is able to relax because not even Rafe would follow her to court in Bristol when he was in Bath, but he even manages to follow her there and back. As she develops a relationship with a fellow Juror Rafe is there getting nastier towards her. Through the case she has been listening to Clarissa is slowly gathering the evidence so that she may go to the police and make a complaint. She has read the leaflets from the organisation for victims of stalking that advises her to record all the incidents of Rafe’s stalking and so begins the Book of You, every incident recorded every unwanted present recorded.Claire Kendal has written Clarissa to look at times as unbalanced and twisted as Rafe gets under her skin and interferes with her friendships, and you are able to feel the terror Clarissa is feeling and see her fragility growing. The Book of You is written in the present as she slowly records what is happening to her as you observe her descent in to terror.Claire Kendal has written Rafe so well that you just want to scream and shout at him as he increases the fear and terror upon Clarissa. The tension and pace that the writer creates adds to the pace and terror of the book and really gets at your psyche.For a debut psychological thriller this is a winner all the way, with plenty of twists and turns that you do not see coming. At times you really are on edge as Clarissa’s life starts to unravel and your anger grows against Rafe. The suspense and fear oozes from the pages and will appeal to all lovers of the thriller genre and this book is a brilliant debut that leaves you gasping for breath.
    • 2/5
      Clarissa is being pursued by a man who won't take no for an answer. They work at the same place and outside of work hours, he manages to show up everywhere she is and leave her unwanted presents. With relief she is chosen to participate in a long trial where she realizes that the victim could be her.

      I enjoyed the beginning but the middle seems like the same thing over and over... Clarissa heads to court and sees her stalker on the way, she flirts with another jury member during the day and comes home to an unwanted present from her stalker. It dragged. I also don't like the change from first person to third person, sometimes in the middle of a chapter. I have no idea what the author was trying to accomplish.
    • 2/5
      The Book of You by Claire Kendal, a debut psychological thriller of obsession, and a disturbing portrait of a sadistic stalker who believes himself to be in love, and a victim trying desperately to escape.

      Clarissa Bourne, is a polite, 38-year-old living in Bath, England and working at the university. She is still recovering from her recent break-up with her co-worker, Henry who has moved on to Cambridge, and she has drifted apart from most of her friends over the years.

      One night, after a launch party at a Bath bookshop for a scholarly study of fairy tales, Clarissa Bourne agrees to let the book’s author, academic Rafe Solmes, walk her home. The next morning, she awakens with Rafe in her bed, with no memory of how she got there and the suspicion that he’s drugged and raped her.

      After a date rape, (which she cannot remember), Rafe, turns into stalker. He will not let her go, turning into a sick obsession. Everywhere she goes, Rafe is there. He is always there. (really got annoyed with this over and over on the audiobook).

      He calls, texts, in the shadows everywhere she turns. He showers her with gifts, and continues to stalk and threaten her, as he thinks they are soul mates. She goes to the police, but not enough to go on. So she begins journaling, documenting everything.

      Meanwhile, she's called for jury duty and is chosen for a seven-week trial; the case involves a woman of questionable character who was kidnapped, beaten and raped by multiple men. She meets fellow jurors Annie and Robert. Annie becomes her friend, but Robert, a firefighter, she feels drawn to. She dreads when the trial is over, because she will not see Robert, and will have to return to work where Rafe will continue the stalking.

      With every move that Rafe makes, Clarissa cannot see past the fact that she would not be believed as he skillfully portrays himself as more of an emotional victim at the hands of a neurotic woman, turning the tables with sick mind games and manipulation.

      Switching from present day, and between her situation and the jury trial, covering seven weeks of Clarissa’s life – a complex, and haunting world of an insecure woman, fearing for her life.

      For me if you like this type of chiller, would like more mystery and suspense surrounding the story, versus a long and drawn out stalker episode. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator’s voice (Orlagh Cassidy) was very annoying and the repeat of “he is always here over and over,” drove me nuts.

      The main character was weak, and insecure and I became very impatient with the story, exploring how fairytales echo real life themes of obsession, sex, and violence.
    • 5/5
      British debut novelist Claire Kendal created quite the page-turner. I read this book in three days and stayed up well into the night that last day to finish the book entirely. The story is of Clarissa, a young woman whose one-night stand with English professor Rafe, ends up in a horrifying stalking situation perpetrated by this colleague of hers from work. The most dreadful part of this story is the psychological horror of the stalking. I credit the author in being able to give me real nightmares just from reading the beginning of her book. However, I'd just as soon read a good book and not have nightmares. The plotting is clever in that the story of the stalker runs parallel with a court case in which several men have been accused of raping a woman who was repured to be a hooker. Be aware that you might very well come away from this book being angry. The story is in no way kind to women. It pictures graphically the many ways which women easily become "victims". This happens over and over again. SPOILER ALERT: There are two things that I find extremely hard to believe in this story. The first is how "fireman Robert" suddenly appears exactly when needed to defend Clarissa. The second is how a woman who could never get pregnant and failed several IVF trials suddenly and conveniently becomes pregnant. I'll let both of these coincidences pass because this book turned out to be a great thriller and excellent entertainment. I wonder what Claire Kendal will now do for an encore?
    • 4/5
      Prepare for an exceptional psychological thriller that places readers in the shoes of a woman who is being stalked be a cruel, creepy and unrelenting man. This well-written novel is storytelling at its best. I rarely use the phrase "page-turner," but this cliche definitely applies in this case. My only beef echoes a complaint that has been aired in other reviews: the ending just didn't strike me as being as authentic/genuine as the rest of the book. But this fact doesn't deter me from highly recommending Kendal's riveting work.
    • 5/5
      I can't recommend it enough. It is unputdownable (I know that's not a word but I couldn't put it down!). Creepy, disturbing and intense.
    • 4/5
      EEEEEyowieeee!!!! I could NOT stop listening to this audio, practically holding my breath! The detail is almost too, too much and in an interview with the author she mentioned just planning to write a couple of sentences and then getting caught up in the writing, continually. Orlagh Cassidy as the reader in the audio was just terrific...and then there is the ending.......
    • 4/5
      Drills down to the helplessness of what it means to be stalked. This is harrowing stuff.
    • 5/5
      finished this book in one sitting.. i love how it potrays the main character's feeling of being watched as the stalker keep on invading her personal space and private life.. there is a twist in the ending however i love it overall.. it got me hooked on to the next physological thriller novel
    • 3/5
      This is a very uncomfortable read. A woman is being stalked and she is keeping a diary of all he says and does as evidence. At times you wanted to shout that she had enough and she should get help. The book was well written but rather creepy because of the subject matter.
    • 4/5
      Most of us are familiar with the stories of celebrity stalkers. Less publicized are accounts of everyday people being stalked. This is one fictionalized account of Clarissa, an office administrator at a university, who endures the unwanted obsession of a university professor, Rafe. After spending one night of non-consensual sex with him, which she feels is due to his having drugged her wine, she becomes aware that he is following her and leaving her unwelcome reminders of their evening together.Meanwhile, she is serving jury duty for an intense criminal case, where she is intrigued by Robert, a fellow juror. Their interest in each other grows while Rafe's obsession accelerates. This is a cleverly-crafted, chilling debut novel.