"You," by Caroline Kepnes

This 2014 psychological suspense book was adapted by Netflix in 2018 into a popular 5-season tv series. The debut novel stood out among the sub-genre for its realism and plot, accumulating accolades by everyone from the esteemed National Book Critics Circle to Stephen King. It was so successful that the author has published three best-selling sequels, with the reading public clamoring for more. Shall we see what all the praise is about?! Strap in for a taut reading ride!

Just a quick note: To prepare you if this bothers you, there's quite a bit of crass language.

From Goodreads:

When a beautiful, aspiring writer strides into the East Village bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, he does what anyone would do: he Googles the name on her credit card.

There is only one Guinevere Beck in New York City. She has a public Facebook account and Tweets incessantly, telling Joe everything he needs to know: she is simply Beck to her friends, she went to Brown University, she lives on Bank Street, and she’ll be at a bar in Brooklyn tonight—the perfect place for a “chance” meeting.

As Joe invisibly and obsessively takes control of Beck’s life, he orchestrates a series of events to ensure Beck finds herself in his waiting arms. Moving from stalker to boyfriend, Joe transforms himself into Beck’s perfect man, all while quietly removing the obstacles that stand in their way—even if it means murder.

A terrifying exploration of how vulnerable we all are to stalking and manipulation.