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You

by Charles Benoit (Goodreads Author)

3.52 of 5 stars 3.52 · rating details · 1,348 ratings · 406 reviews

This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go.

You’re just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can’t be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?

There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if yo...more

Hardcover, 240 pages

Published August 24th 2010 by HarperTeen

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2010 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade Literature)

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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Best YA to Appeal to Boys

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Nov 05, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, trt-gold-star-award-winner

Reviewed by Karin Librarian for TeensReadToo.com

Kyle is a hoodie. One of those kids that sits in the back of the class, tries not to be noticed, doesn't do his homework (only because he doesn't see the point), and dresses in the same "uniform" every day - black jeans, black shirt, black hoodie.

You can find hoodies in every school, even though they might be called something else - slackers, freaks, stoners. Whenever you see them walking down the hall or through the mall, you don't know exactly wh...more

8 likes · like · see review

Sep 24, 2010 Tatiana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Tatiana by: Goodreads Giveaway

Shelves: first-reads, 2010, ya

What a lucky Goodreads Giveaway win! I would have never picked up this book on my own and it ended up exceeding all my expectations.

The novel is addictive from the very first lines:

You are surprised at all the blood.

He looks over at you, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his face almost as white as his shirt.

He's surprised, too.

There is not a lot of broken glass, though, just some tiny slivers around his feet and one big piece busted into sharp peaks like a spiking line graphs, the blood washing...more What a lucky Goodreads Giveaway win! I would have never picked up this book on my own and it ended up exceeding all my expectations.

The novel is addictive from the very first lines:

You are surprised at all the blood.

He looks over at you, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his face almost as white as his shirt.

He's surprised, too.

There is not a lot of broken glass, though, just some tiny slivers around his feet and one big piece busted into sharp peaks like a spiking line graphs, the blood washing down it like rain on a windshield.

He doesn't say anything clever or funny, doesn't quote Shakespeare, just screams. But no one can hear him, and it would be too late if they could.

You are thinking, this wasn't the way it was supposed to go, this shouldn't be happening. And now things are only going to get worse...

What did just happen? Who are these people? What are they doing?

As the story unfolds, we gradually learn who this mysterious "you" is, how he got to this point, what life choices (or circumstances?) made him what he is now. It's not a feel good story. To see the main character make poor choices and become passive and apathetic is truly disheartening, but there is a meaningful lesson.

You is an extremely intense novel written in a very unique way. Although it is very short (220 pages in large font and with huge margins) and the prose is sparse, the book managed to keep me in a state of anxiety throughout. What is also remarkable about the style is that the story is written in 2nd person. I don't come across this POV very often and Charles Benoit uses this perspective to the fullest advantage. In fact, You is written and paced so well that I believe the book might be a Printz award contender.

The novel might not appeal to everyone - it is a dark, frustrating story. Many will think the ending unsatisfying. But I personally found the message of the book very powerful. You are the choices you make rather than a victim of circumstances, even though it is often more comforting to think so. (less)

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 20, 2010 Patty rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You
By
Charles Benoit

Kyle Chase is a loser…in his own mind. He has dropped out…he has made poor choices, he doesn’t care, he doesn’t like the way his parents treat him, he doesn’t respect his teachers, he doesn’t really even like his friends. He knows if he had made other choices he would be in a different school doing very different things. And yet he is not. And there is nothing he can do about it. He has everyone figured out. He has life figured out and he is not able to change anything. He doe...more You
By
Charles Benoit

Kyle Chase is a loser…in his own mind. He has dropped out…he has made poor choices, he doesn’t care, he doesn’t like the way his parents treat him, he doesn’t respect his teachers, he doesn’t really even like his friends. He knows if he had made other choices he would be in a different school doing very different things. And yet he is not. And there is nothing he can do about it. He has everyone figured out. He has life figured out and he is not able to change anything. He doesn’t know how or even better he knows how and yet he doesn’t want to do anything to change. He appears to be stuck. He gets detention after detention, he doesn’t study, he yearns after a girl named Ashley and does not do anything about it. He wonders when his mom became awkward around him and when his dad began to dislike him. He seems to love his little 5 year old sister. Her innocence and her love for him mean a lot to him. One day he hears his sister tell his mom that when she grows up she wants to be just like Kyle. When his mom responds that she hopes not…Kyle is sad even though he doesn’t want to be.

Then…new student Zack comes into Kyle’s life and nothing will ever be the same again. Zack knows how to find Kyle’s weak spot and use it to his own advantage. This results in a devastating end of this story.

I was really caught up in this story. It is narrated by Kyle. It was heartbreaking. I wondered what I would do if I had known someone like Kyle. He is intelligent, awkward, rebellious…all the things a 15 year old male can be. I don’t know if I would have gone out of my way to talk to him. It seemed as though all he needed was one understanding parent or one teacher he could talk to but all circumstances were against him. He walked alone. His story was so sad. He seemed to not know joy. He did not understand what to do with his tortured anger.

So…how did I feel about this book…I think it is an important book to read.
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Nov 01, 2010 Sarah (YA Love) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2010, young-adult-lit, 2010-debut-author-challenge, contemporary-ya, realistic-fiction, favorites

You worked for me as a young adult lit reader, but it worked for me even more as a teacher always on the look-out for great guy books. I’m going to be book-talking this book like crazy, but the cover alone will help draw in readers; it’s what grabbed my attention! The cover fits perfectly with the story and is incredibly intriguing. As soon as I started reading, Kyle reminded me of so many of my male students. It’s sad but true. It doesn’t take much for a student to end up like Kyle; a few missi...more You worked for me as a young adult lit reader, but it worked for me even more as a teacher always on the look-out for great guy books. I’m going to be book-talking this book like crazy, but the cover alone will help draw in readers; it’s what grabbed my attention! The cover fits perfectly with the story and is incredibly intriguing. As soon as I started reading, Kyle reminded me of so many of my male students. It’s sad but true. It doesn’t take much for a student to end up like Kyle; a few missing assignments can drop a grade enough that it feels impossible to bring up. Then the nagging parents enter the picture, that is if they’re even involved. When grades start dropping privileges begin flying out the window. When all of this adds up, students often fall through the cracks- especially boys. I have boys like this in my classes and I’m constantly trying to find books for them to read and ways for them to succeed. You is going to be a huge hit with my boys.

Guy readers will enjoy this (and girls too!) because they’ll be able to relate with Kyle. Even if you haven’t been in the same position as Kyle, most teenagers can relate with parents constantly lecturing and asking questions. They can relate to liking someone but not knowing how to act on it. They can relate to feeling frustrated in class. Kyle, unfortunately, is dealing with all of this at once, plus some. I just wanted to reach out and help him.

I love the pacing of this novel. Benoit wrote a fast-paced, suspenseful novel. The very first lines should hook everyone: “You’re surprised at all the blood. He looks over at you, eyes wide, mouth dropping open, his face almost as white as his shirt. He’s surprised, too.” I couldn’t put this down after that first page. I absolutely devoured this book; it was done in about four hours or less. Amazing!

If you’ve read Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, Right Behind You by Gail Giles or Breaking Point by Alex Flinn, you’ll enjoy You by Charles Benoit. This is a five star novel that begs to be read and discussed.

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3 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2011 Kaethe rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-ya, fiction, friendship, contemporary

You are a strawman, a character created in order to demonstrate how one bad choice in middle school can send your whole life spiraling out of control. But don't blame yourself. The author really stacked the deck against you. The thing that you supposedly love to do best is something we never get to see you do, or even express an opinion on. If video games are your great joy, why don't we ever get any insight into that? Likewise, the girl that matters so much to you, that you'd really like to get...more

5 likes · like · see review

May 11, 2010 Claire rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: guys-read, high-school-and-beyond

Written in second person, this reads with an intensity that works well with the subject. Kyle is on a collision course. He is shut down, self absorbed and self incriminating. Some high school age readers will find pieces of Kyle's life to identify with- the isolation, manipulation, emotional reticence, slacker non-friends mixing a cocktail of despair. He is angry and depressed when he finds himself in the sights of pathologically cruel Zach. Zach amuses himself by manipulating people. His motive...more

1 like · like · see review

Oct 25, 2011 El Templo de las Mil Puertas added it · review of another edition

Shelves: reseñas, 21-eltemplo

"La juventud nunca ha estado más preparada que ahora, ni las comunicaciones tan desarrolladas. ¿Por qué, entonces, el sentimiento de soledad y desamparo es más grande que nunca? ¿Cómo se ha llegado a semejante depresión global, cuando las cosas se suponía que no podían ir a mejor? Igual que Stéphane Hessel hace con ¡Indignaos!, un texto breve que ha sacudido a la sociedad francesa y se propone hacer lo mismo con la española, Tú, una novela del norteamericano Charles Benoit, señala con inquisició...more

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May 20, 2013 Christie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya

Kyle Chase, the 15-year-old protagonist of Charles Benoit’s novel You, isn’t much different from a lot of boys his age. He doesn’t get along with his parents, he’s crazy about a girl who just thinks of him as a buddy and he has a habit of getting into trouble.

Every day you get up, go to school, fake your way through your classes, come home, get hounded about your homework, go online, fake your way through your homework, go to bed – and the next day you get to do it all over again.

This is Kyle’s...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Johnstone Tcheou rated it 3 of 5 stars

Harper Teen, 2010, 240pp., $13.89
Charles Benoit ISBN 0061947040

Kyle Smith, a teenager at Midlands High School, is alone in an unfamiliar school, who seeks to join the gang called hoodies. He is failing school, goes to detention and is picked on by bullies. When an intellectual transfer student named Zack arrives in Midlands High, the two quickly become acquaintances, but the two personalities sharply contrast each other and create conflict between the two.

I, personally, am not fond of teen/yo...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Angela rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Kyle Chase is a fifteen-year-old sophomore who begins this book (which is told in second person) with a startling scene: broken glass, blood, the wide-eyed stare of someone with him.

Then he flashes back to how he got there. He slacked off and missed out on his opportunity to go to Odyssey High School with his advanced level friends, so here he is at the regular high school. He’s a “hoodie,” wearing the same black hoodie every day, regardless of the weather. He’s infatuated with a girl named Ash...more Kyle Chase is a fifteen-year-old sophomore who begins this book (which is told in second person) with a startling scene: broken glass, blood, the wide-eyed stare of someone with him.

Then he flashes back to how he got there. He slacked off and missed out on his opportunity to go to Odyssey High School with his advanced level friends, so here he is at the regular high school. He’s a “hoodie,” wearing the same black hoodie every day, regardless of the weather. He’s infatuated with a girl named Ashley and wants to be with her, going so far as to drop by the jewelry kiosk in the mall where she works. Yet he’s not interested enough in her to listen to her when she speaks.

And then Zach comes along.

I liked Kyle. I liked his voice, his insecurities, his humor. Even though he’s not really that stellar of a human being, I liked him. But that was about all I could like in this book. I overlooked the constant use of “you,” which was hard to do (but since second person storytelling was the whole point of the book, “you” just have to go with it, right?).

Zach’s character is that of a trickster, like Loki. He’s just there to cause problems. Why? I have no idea. Zach has no apparent motivation; he just wants to mess with Kyle. And he does.

This book starts with a flashback—a pretty intriguing conflict. Although I think the technique of starting with a flashback is a cheap authoring ploy, I do expected that conflict to be resolved, but was disappointed in this case. This bugged me. A lot. I said, out loud, to the book, “Why did I read this?” But then I remembered Brandon Sanderson (fantasy author) saying that a good ending fulfills the promises made in the first chapter. The first chapter promised to show me how Kyle got there. So in that respect, I guess it’s a “good” ending, but a highly unsatisfying one.

Nevertheless, my students are eating this book up, so I’ll keep putting it in their hands.

• Moderate language
• Sexual encounters are implied
• Underage drinking
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Dec 04, 2012 Ed added it

Benoit, Charles. (2010). You. New York: HarperCollins/Harper Teen. 336 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-19704-9 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

Kyle Chase chronicles his last year of life in this second person tour de force that will have readers thinking of Cormier, Shattering Glass (Gail Giles), You Don't Know Me (David Klass), and other books dealing with an average student with very serious problems. Kyle meets up with Zack McDade who is funny and charming. He is also a sadistic monster determined to hurt everyone w...more Benoit, Charles. (2010). You. New York: HarperCollins/Harper Teen. 336 pp. ISBN 978-0-06-19704-9 (Hard Cover); $16.99.

Kyle Chase chronicles his last year of life in this second person tour de force that will have readers thinking of Cormier, Shattering Glass (Gail Giles), You Don't Know Me (David Klass), and other books dealing with an average student with very serious problems. Kyle meets up with Zack McDade who is funny and charming. He is also a sadistic monster determined to hurt everyone with whom he comes in contact—just because he can. Zach does this by rescuing students from bullies or by having fun parties or by flirting until the person comes to trust him. When Zach learns your vulnerabilities, he shatters you. Kyle is a hoodie kid who once showed lots of academic promise. However, teachers and a school system not interested in real learning or thinking suck all the joy of learning out of him. The second person voice (which is done to make the reader think the book is about the reader) works surprisingly well. There are many splashes of sarcastic humor that brings to mind You Don’t Know Me and other books employing acerbic dialog and commentary. Often, however, it is the contrast between what the readers knows and Chase’s naiveté that packs the largest punch. Benoit sneaks in glimpses of a kid that really wants to fit in but can't seem to break through. The flashes of Chase's sister and how she adores Chase are heart breaking. Chase also is in love with Ashley but he can only let her talk. He can never bring himself to ask her out (in part because he does not want to be perceived as just another guy hitting on her). We see moments in which it would have been possible for a teacher to make a difference. We see many more moments of platitudes and BS by administrators and teachers too overwhelmed to really see a student like Chase. Chase could be YOU and Chase could me; this is the point of the gritty, largely successful story that deserves an audience. This is a disturbing and important book. Purchase it for high school libraries.
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Nov 30, 2012 Desireè Courtney added it

Book Summary

The book You by Charles Benoit is about a boy that went to a different high school then all his friends after middle school, his name is Kyle Chase. There he fell in love with a girl but she has a boyfriend. Kyle always wears baggy jeans and a hoodie. He's a bit of a trouble maker sometimes but he's smart.

One day a new kid comes to his school. Kyle tries to avoid him because the boy is wierd and Kyle doesn't like a lot of attention. But he gets caught up with him anyways. The kid ta...more

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May 18, 2012 Book Twirps rated it 4 of 5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book. It’s written from the second-person POV, and that kind of threw me. Had it not been for the first few lines (quoted above), I may not have stuck with it. I’m glad I did, because in the end, I really liked it.

“You” are Kyle Chase, a self-professed loser who stopped studying, didn’t try to get into the “good” high school, and has started slacking in all senses of the word. You have a closet full of black hoodies, “you” know everything, “you” are constantly...more

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May 16, 2012 Hyaitt Duffey rated it 1 of 5 stars

The book I read for my IRP is You by Charles Benoit This book is an easy and fun read book. It is also a really unique book because it is the first book I read in second person. It kept me very interested in the book because it felt like it really happened. The book only has 240 pages so it’s a really fast read. I would recommend for ages 13 and up. Your name is Kyle and you are 15 years old who moves to a different high school. You are like an outsider who gets bullied on at your new high scho...more

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May 04, 2012 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, spotlight-books

I saw this book on the top of the pile of books waiting to be reshelved, opened the cover, and before I knew it, I had read over 50 pages!

Kyle Chase is 15 and headed for trouble. He's really not sure when it all started to go downhill. He used to get good grades and got along with his parents and younger sister, but now everything is different. Kyle gets in trouble at school on a regular basis (whether he really did do anything wrong or not) and his parents are constantly on his case about his...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Alex Laferriere rated it 3 of 5 stars

You, written by Charles Benoit, takes place during present day around 2005 in a small rural town. It revolves around the life of Kyle Chase, who has just started his sophomore year of high school. Kyle is classified in his school as a ‘Hoodie’. The Hoodies are a group of kids, including Kyle, who wear the same uniform everyday; a baggy black shirt, big, hooded black sweater, and dirty, ripped jeans. Kyle is sort of a school reject at his school, only trying for low C’s in order to pass. He hangs...more You, written by Charles Benoit, takes place during present day around 2005 in a small rural town. It revolves around the life of Kyle Chase, who has just started his sophomore year of high school. Kyle is classified in his school as a ‘Hoodie’. The Hoodies are a group of kids, including Kyle, who wear the same uniform everyday; a baggy black shirt, big, hooded black sweater, and dirty, ripped jeans. Kyle is sort of a school reject at his school, only trying for low C’s in order to pass. He hangs out with his friends late at night, and sometimes they even break into the school. What Kyle cannot figure out though is where his life went all wrong. He used to be a normal kid with good grades and a nice group of friends. Now, even his own family cannot even stand to think about his effort in school and the only person who can have a conversation with him is his little sister, who is too young to understand what he is. Every day at school is the same, sleep, eat, sleep, and go home. Until one day, a new kid named Zack arrives. Zack is nice to get along with, and smooth with his words. Everyone likes him, and his smooth talking and manipulative language gets him whatever he wants. After Zack tries to go after the girl that Kyle likes, Kyle cannot stand it anymore. It will all end in one night, Kyle confronts Zack. Disaster strikes. Kyle is covered in blood. Read You, by Charles Benoit to find out.

You, written by Charles Benoit, although an extremely well written story, is a bit infuriating. The vocabulary used throughout the book is perfect, but the characters aren’t too fully developed. Each character is a big important part in the book, but each one, Zack for example, is described with enough detail to be brought to life. This is a little bit maddening, and sometimes I would find myself asking myself why is this person doing what he is? Although this problem occurs somewhat throughout the book, the plot almost makes up for the lack of character development. It is an extremely exciting plot, and I was never sure what would happen next. Although it is a realistic fiction book, out-of the ordinary things do happen constantly. So, for this reason, it is a well-written book for a high school audience. The problems that Kyle faces are also very realistic, and everyone reading can relate to them in some way or another. For example, Kyles problem of not fitting in can be connected to by a numerous amount of people. For this reason, people can really connect with the book and have more of an emotional thinking process throughout the book. So, aside from the character development issue, You, written by Charles Benoit, is a well-suited book for any high-school student.
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Mar 01, 2012 Anna Jade rated it 3 of 5 stars

Every time someone asked me what this book was about, I had no correct answer for them. It was about 'you' in the sense that it was written in 2nd person, saying "You walk through the door, and you grab the newspaper on the stand," type of things. The book was actually about a kid named Kyle, who was essentially in the the group of kids that you really don't want to mess with. Even though a 'jock' almost beats him up. Then this kid meets another kid named Zach, and in the very beginning of the b...more

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Dec 15, 2011 Javi rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read the book called YOU and i thought it was really good i made some connections with the
characters.This book is one of the best book I've read so far. The genre of this book is mystery in this book many strange things happened with the character Kyle he is the main character. In this book the setting takes place in school and on Kyle's house. This mysterious book has unexpected twists for example Kyle has a bad life and tries to do what he can to get it better but that does not work, all of...more

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Dec 14, 2011 Ty added it

I read the book YOU by Charles Beniot. My book was a perfect fit for me because it started off with a lot of things happening in the first couple pages that kept me interested in seeing what would happen next. The story line fits me well because of the things that the characters in the book did is very similar to a lot of things they do, but not severe. It kept me very interested seeing how the school worked and how many things were similar to the way our school works but their school had many d...more

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Oct 28, 2011 Matthew Meyer rated it 4 of 5 stars

In my book "You" by Charles Benoit, the main character, Kyle, talks about his life throughout high school. He talks about his best friends Max and Derrick who are considered hoodies, and are the reason why he goes to Midlands High rather than Odyssey because he decided to slack off with them instead of excel in school which forced him to go to Midlands High, the school for the normal kids who are not as intelligent as everyone else. Kyle has a friend named Ashley who he has wanted to date for a...more In my book "You" by Charles Benoit, the main character, Kyle, talks about his life throughout high school. He talks about his best friends Max and Derrick who are considered hoodies, and are the reason why he goes to Midlands High rather than Odyssey because he decided to slack off with them instead of excel in school which forced him to go to Midlands High, the school for the normal kids who are not as intelligent as everyone else. Kyle has a friend named Ashley who he has wanted to date for a year, but never gained the courage to ask out. Halfway through the book Kyle meets the new student named Zach, who went to Midlands High but was kicked out for being a nuisance. Zach begins his year at Midlands with a bang, using his smarts against bullies and to pick up girls. Nobody at Midlands really talks to Zach, except Kyle. Kyle decides to be nice to Zach even though deep down inside he does not care for his cockieness and attitude. At a party, one of Zach's friends tells Kyle that Zach always finds weak spots in people and uses it against them. This was one of the main parts of this book because it was hard for Zach to find Kyle's weak spot, but in the end he realized how to make Kyle crack. Near the end of the book Kyle is forced into applying for a job at Sears even though he did not want to. The only good part about working at Sears was the fact that he would be able to see Ashley every day. Zach finds out about this and purposely applies at Sears, knowing he would make the job over Kyle. Unfortunatly Zach was right and he did make the job. Later that day, Zach skipped school and spent the day with Ashley. Doing this made Kyle crazy. Both of the boys decided to meet at the school. Zach puts a desplay of Ashley's underwear in the trophy case at the school. Even though he knew it would not end well, Kyle jumped through the glass because he cared about Ashley too much. A shard of glass that cracked was launched through the air and went through the chest of Zach killing him. Putting a dramatic end to the story. This was not what he wanted, but it did end the conflict between Kyle and Zach. In my opinion, this book did not have much of a meaning until the end. It seemed that Kyle just explained one week in detail and that was the entire book. If I could change it, I would put the week in less detail and explain more of what happened after Zach died. This book reminds me of The Pact, because it is explaining the ups and the downs of life, and how one choice can change someone's life forever. (less)

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Aug 31, 2011 kari rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, ya

This is a very quick read and I sped through it wanting to know what happens to Kyle.
I loved the way it's written, second personn present which is different, very much throwing the reader directly into the story. You get Kyle's thoughts and actions and his realizations of the mistakes he's made and how he'd like to change them.
This all felt very real to me, that his thoughts and actions made sense for a fifteen year old boy who made the choice to become something of a slacker and a reactor to h...more

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Jun 12, 2011 Beatrizz1983 rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Mensaje para las amigas que te recomiendan esta novela sin avisar.

Sí, sabía de qué iba la novela. Nunca he dudado que la adolescencia es un periodo difícil, y las historias narradas en primera persona y cuyos protagonistas son niños o adolescentes, suelen se más emotivas y tiernas, especialmente las que tienen un final tan dramático como este. No es un spoiler, es un hecho.

¿Cuándo dejaste de hablar con tus padres? ¿Cuándo dejaste de jugar sentado en sus rodillas? ¿Cuándo os convertisteis en dos...more

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Jun 09, 2011 Phillip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: advisory-11th

Kyle Chase is not just like any other boy in the world out there. He is weird and always wears the same clothes on him everyday. That's not the typical student in school that I personally would have seen. What happens in this book is that Kyle seems to believe his life is just dull, boring and probably sad in his opinion. His crush does not take him seriously, his friends are losers in his eyes and he just seems like a misfit. Kyle doesn't enjoy all the other things that teenagers would enjoy s...more

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Jun 08, 2011 Kendra rated it 4 of 5 stars

If you aren't sure what second-person narration looks like, check out this book. The main character here, Kyle, is telling the story but in second person, ie. using the term "you" to tell what's happening. It seems strange at first and has bothered me in the few other books I have read narrated in this perspective, but this story is so fast-paced that after awhile I barely noticed the point of view at all. I liked this book for a couple of reasons: first, it should appeal to an under-served audi...more

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May 12, 2011 Sara Oestreich rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit

This novel is short, sweet, and mysterious. Benoit has won an Edgar Award for a past novel and it shows. There is a tension within the novel that drags you onward. I was pleasantly surprised by the creativity in the construction and writing of the book. The plot opens with what appears to be a gruesome death scene, and is one of the major components of the tension factor. Beyond this first bloody scene there is very little horror or mystery until the end of the novel. But, because you’ve read th...more

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Apr 29, 2011 Geebowie rated it 3 of 5 stars

this book was Unique in the fact that it is written in the second person. This makes Us readers feel like we are the man character Kyle. Kyle is an angry young man who has taken a wrong turn in life . at one time he was quite and good student but now in his tenth grade year he is falling. He hangs out with a slacker crowd in school called the hoodies. He is scarred to ask out the girl he likes. other than the girl he likes he seems pretty uncaring about everything else. the real trouble of the s...more

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Apr 19, 2011 Reading Teen rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I first started reading this book I really liked it.
Since Charles Benoit wrote YOU in 2nd person, it was like nothing I've read before,
I absolutely loved it.
I would love to find more books that are written like this.
It started out great, and I started getting so excited because I thought I found an amazing book.
I read a lot of reviews with people saying that it was stunning.
But about half way through the book I starting thinking,
"Alright, so where exactly is this story going?"
I felt like th...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Jayman rated it 5 of 5 stars

You HarperCollins Publishers, 2010, 223 pp., $16.99
Charles Benoit ISBN 978-0-06-1947D4-9

“You’re just a kid. It can't be your fault. But then there’s all that blood.” You By Charles Benoit is a book about Kyle Chase or You, the book is told in second person perspective which is where you are the main character. Kyle is just an ordinary 15-year-old, with not many friends, but when he meets Zach, things start to change. Zach invites Kyle over to his house for late night parties and breaking into t...more

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Jan 18, 2011 Jan rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teenbooks, contemporary

You is a combination problem novel/murder novel about a young 15 year old teen named Kyle who feels disconnected from his school and family. He drifts through life and the only thing that he can get excited about is a girl named Ashley. He had friends, but his underachieving ways land him in another school, as they go on to the school for “smart kids.” His new friends are fellow underachievers, but he has only a thin connection to them. Then Zach arrives. Zach is a brilliant and sadistically man...more

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Jan 10, 2011 Barbara rated it 5 of 5 stars

YOU should have been an impossible book. Second person, present tense, "book noir" YA novel. Give me a break.

That's what I thought when I first heard the author describe his book last summer. I looked at the cover and saw nothing that interested me, so I passed it by. I saw it again on a shelf last week, and on some whim I picked it up and read the first line:

"You're surprised at all the blood."

I was immediatly bonded to fifteen-year-old Kyle Chase. Different from any other YA I have read, the...more

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About Charles Benoit

When he's not traveling around the globe in the search of exotic, tax-deductible settings for his mysteries, Charles Benoit spends his days pumping out subliminal-laced advertising.
Nominated for an Edgar and a Barry, Relative Danger won the Franklin award and was the darling of fans and critics alike. Out of Order (2006) is set in modern India while Noble Lies (September 2007) takes place in Thai...more

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Quotes from You

“There's always a but. It's a magical word. You can say anything you want, go on for as long as you want, and then all you have to do is add the magic word and instantly everything you said is erased, turned meaningless, just like that.” — 25 people liked it

“The teachers complain that the students today are all lazy, ignorant, and stupid. But the truth is that you're smarter than they are. You're not even old enough to drive and you already know that none of this matters.” — 15 people liked it

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