You Paperback – May 8, 2012

Wow this book was really good... definitely plays on the decision making of a loser character who's trying to find himself that he's created around him. The book is also written in the second-person tense, which is different for me, since I don't read books besides the first and third person.Kyle Chase is a 15 years old who attends Midlands HS. He hates school and home equally, but the only thing that seems to make him happy, is his school crush for a Italian descent beauty Ashley. After an incident that almost gets him physically beat up by the school's bully/jock, he meets Zack. Zack is a transfer from a private school that has an eccentric personality. Kyle doesn't warm up to him right away, but ends accepting him, since they both play off each other's yin-yang personalities. Zach though isn't as kind or sweet as one would hope for -- he's a master motivator who doesn't care who hurts. It's not until Kyle is pushed the brink when his usual friend makes a play for his school crush and proves to be deathly circumstances that cause Kyle to do the unthinkable by the end of this story.I supremely enjoyed this book. It's a fast paced and easy read but the story is whether realistic and shows that one's anger and choices can come back to haunt one sure enough. The story is powerful and keeps you hanging at the edge of your sit. It also reminds me of Larry Clark's  Bully  in a lot of way's especially when it comes to Kyle and Zach in comparsion to Marty and Bobby. I know some will probably not be too fond of the ending because it gives a "incomplete" finish, but sometimes with stories of this magnitude, I like an open-ended finish and I was greatly satisfied. Good book, Mr. Benoit!

Definitely an enjoyable and unique read. The second-person is difficult to pull off for a short story, let alone a whole novel, but Benoit does it well here. I found the main character relatable, complex, and ultimately likable. The characterization is well-done, and the description does its job of helping you see and feel what's going on without ever bogging down the story.And the story itself is an engaging one; Benoit does a good job of revealing pieces of backstory gradually, and keeping you in suspense. This is the first book of his I've read, and it definitely makes me want to check out more of his work.

I read two of Benoit's novels and really enjoyed his style of writing. Witty, immersive and fun.This one is different.Not bad, just a bit short.I would have given this to my boys to read, but they are a bit too old for it now.It was a nice quick read.The story is believable and to a degree educational as an insight into the adolescent mind.

Great book, definitely recommend reading it. It's written in second person which is rare but it's an interesting plot and it's written really well

A realistic, shocking novel-YOU captures high school the way it really is for many "lost" students who feel school is not for them. Also, this is a must-read for teachers and school administrators who can't seem to connect with their students.

This is posted on my blog: [...]I had received a signed copy of You by Charles Benoit almost three years ago during a workshop I attended with him. However, I never got around to reading it and so it’s been sitting on my shelf collecting dust over the years. When I saw it yesterday, I decided to pick it up. The cover is what intrigued me most when I received the novel. You don’t often see broken glass and blood on the cover of a book…well, nowadays maybe but not at the time I got the book. This was a very quick read, I was able to finish it in less than a day, but it messed with my emotions.The most interesting part about this novel is that it is written in second person. I’ve never read a novel like this before and it was really interesting. Kyle Chase, the character who’s shoes your in, is a “hoodie,” someone who wears all black and hangs out late at night with his friends. He goes to Midlands High School but could have gone to Odyssey if he had kept his grades up in middle school. Kyle is like any troubled teen; he has a crush on a cute girl named Ashley, he is struggling to get along with his parents and he is struggling in school. However, Kyle’s life changes when Zack McDade arrives at Midlands.Kyle doesn’t know what attracts him to Zack but he suddenly finds himself hanging with Zack more than he hangs with the other hoodies. Zack is out of the ordinary at Midlands, with his sports coats and his dramatic greetings and farewells as well as his disruptions in class. He is the smartest person in the tenth grade, and also the most clever.Kyle attends one of Zack’s parties and makes a few acquaintances there. When he bumps into them later, he learns that Zack isn’t what he seems. They tell him that Zack will find his weakness and use it against him. Kyle tells them that he has no weakness, but Kyle is wrong.The beginning of the novel is what first drew me in. There’s glass and blood and Zack is screaming but we don’t know what exactly has happened yet. As the story progresses, we learn all about Kyle and his relationship to Zack and the book ends with how it started, only now we know what has happened. I think the premise for the story was decent and the ending was shocking and leaves it open-ended for the reader to interpret. I also believe that Zack was probably the most developed character with his phycological and manipulative actions that make people love and hate him. Overall, You was a quick contemporary read with the unexpected plot twist, but the plot and the main character could have been more developed so that the reader could relate better to Kyle.3.2 Stars

This is the debut YA novel from Charles Benoit and one I could not put down. Kyle is an instantly recognizable slacker type, the kind of guy we've all seen. His story is told in honest, realistic tones, and the way it starts, it grabs you, drags you in and doesn't let go. 'You' shows, almost brutally at times, how decisions and relationships which seem innocent lead to a downward spiral, and sometimes with huge consequences.I'm actually pretty lost for how to talk about this book past that, other than saying it's awesome. There is something darkly real to this book that meant I simply couldn't put it down. It's not pretty, or softened at all, it's simply what it is. The ending is stark and shocking, but absolutely the right ending for it. It's very well done and a must read in my opinion. I loved it.

I was really enjoying the book the start had me gripped ready to find out what had happened and read it all in a day but then it got predictable and was almost like the author didn't have a good enough idea to finish it so just went back to the beginning. gets you thinking but I wanted to know what happened after the first page not the events of a month before

My daugher absolutely loved this book. I would say the paper was rather cheap quality and very flimsy but she didn't mind it.

This was a good read and was delivered in great condition.I have recommended this book to my friends and familly