Providence is the third novel by Caroline Kepnes, who is the same author of You. I loved You so much and was stoked when they made it into a TV series!
This novel focuses on 13-year-olds Jon and Chloe, who are close friends and share a special bond. Chloe is more popular in school and has lots of friends, while Jon is relatively small for his age and gets bullied regularly. On most afternoons, Jon and Chloe escape to a secret shed in the forest near their homes to hang out and spend time with one another. Jon is completely in love with Chloe, though Chloe appears to be oblivious.
One morning on his way to school, Jon is kidnapped by his former substitute teacher. Chloe doesn’t realize how much she cares for Jon until he’s gone. She spends the next several months and years throwing herself into art as a way of coping with her friend’s disappearance.
Four years later, Jon wakes up in a vacant lot at the local mall. He’s far bigger and stronger than before, and extremely handsome. Jon has no clue as to how he got there and has no recollection of the past 4 years. The only clue he has is a book by H.P. Lovecraft that contains references to a monster, which is exactly what Jon feels he has become. Anyone Jon spends time with seems to get a nosebleed, experience heart problems, and/or drop dead. To avoid killing any other people—including Chloe—Jon becomes a recluse while continuing to pine for his one true love.
Over the years, Jon works toward figuring out what happened to him so he can reverse the “curse” of being a monster. Meanwhile, Chloe chases after love with other men only to discover that her real love will only ever be Jon. Chloe devotes much time to finding out where Jon is so she can confess her true feelings and figure out why he won’t reach out to her.
Providence is definitely original, but I wasn’t a big fan of this book. I was expecting it to be written in a style similar to You, which is silly and unfair. But unfortunately, I could not get into this story, at all. Also, I felt there was more “telling” than “showing.” I couldn’t feel or see any chemistry between Jon and Chloe at the beginning before Jon was abducted, and wasn’t invested in their relationship throughout the book. It seemed too unrealistic and unconvincing.
The first sentence in the synopsis on the cover flap for Providence reads, “Best friends in small-town New Hampshire, Jon and Chloe share a bond so intense that it borders on the mystical.” After that lead-in, I was expecting an epic romance on a Claire-and-Jamie level, but I felt no magic or mystique surrounding Jon and Chloe’s relationship. I kept wondering why Chloe just couldn’t move on after Jon’s disappearance. Kids go through a lot of transitioning during middle school and beyond, so it didn’t make sense why Chloe couldn’t just move on, go with the flow, and keep living her life without remaining stuck on Jon.
Did you read this book and if so, what did you think?
Last Updated on November 11, 2025 by Sarah Ann
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