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The Obsession
A fast-paced teen revenge-thriller from the author of Dial A for Aunties , The Obsession will keep listeners on the edge of their seats until the very end. Boy Meets Girl. Boy Stalks Girl. Girl Gets Revenge. Logan thinks he and Delilah are meant to be. Delilah doesn't know who Logan is. Logan believes no one knows Delilah like him. He makes sure of it by learning everything he can by watching her through a hidden camera. Some might call him a stalker. Logan prefers to be called "romantic". Delilah is keeping secrets though, deadly ones. There's so much more to her than meets the eye. Logan is determined to make Delilah the heroine in his twisted fantasy and he'll do anything to get what he wants. Delilah is done with the men in her life controlling her. If Logan won't let her go . . . she'll make him.
1 pages, Audio CD
First published February 2, 2021
2410 people are currently reading
54883 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Q. Sutanto
27 books9,217 followersJesse Q Sutanto grew up shuttling back and forth between Jakarta and Singapore and sees both cities as her homes. She has a Masters degree from Oxford University, though she has yet to figure out a way of saying that without sounding obnoxious. She is currently living back in Jakarta on the same street as her parents and about seven hundred meddlesome aunties. When she's not tearing out her hair over her latest WIP, she spends her time baking and playing FPS games. Oh, and also being a mom to her two kids.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,742 reviews
June 4, 2022
“You” meets “Pretty Little Liars” with a little Weeds and Killing Eve vibes!
It’s heart pounding, exciting, fast pacing, riveting one sit read with two very disturbed and batshit crazy narrators!
Poor Logan, obsessive, stalker, fully committed, dreamy boyfriend is so unlucky in love. He is hot, popular, lacrosse team player who can date any girl he wants but his girlfriend choices couldn’t be so wrong!
First she fell hard for Sophie who treated like him like turd on her shoes, rejecting his pure love!!! Of course Logan can be so persistent but as he pushed her harder, she ran faster and boom: The girl is expelled from school, taking her own life!
Logan is a mess now! He is warned by school counselor to pull himself together for the brighter future above him.
He has a reason to get back on the horse and tataaaa he bumped into that reason at the school. A new transferred student Delilah stands in front of him with her delicate features and shining natural beauty! And she has quiet resemblances with Sophie! It seems like he hit the jackpot!
And guess what, she seems like she has a crush on him. But there’s a big problem for their relationship; her mother’s abusive asshole/ police officer boyfriend doesn’t want Delilah to fool around. So he has to catch the officer in the act when he physically abuses Delilah and her mother so he can use his as advantage to file a complaint against the cop who has real anger management issues.
So he puts cameras to the trees in front of Delilah house and starts his binge watching entertainment with lots of popcorns and stalker fantasies.
And he catches something at the cameras. Something mind blowing and heart throbbing! He sees murder! No!!!! Don’t worry but Delilah and her mother is fine but we cannot say the same for the asshole boyfriend who rests in hell!
Yes, poor, innocent, doormat Delilah is nothing as she seems. She’s Black Delilah who just killed the asshole and gave the big leverage to Logan. Now Delilah has to obey! She can never leave Logan unless she wants to find herself behind the bars.
Logan is happy because this time his love of his lifetime cannot leave him!
Oh, Logan, think again! Delilah keeps one more big secret which is equally as dangerous as her murder attempt! Sorry Logan, you just found the wrongest badass girl who is a wolf wearing a lamb fur!
Twisty, smart, fast pacing thriller that will keep you in your toes! And it seems like we’re gonna see Delilah again in near future for the second installment. Fingers crossed, I hope it will be sooner.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
It’s heart pounding, exciting, fast pacing, riveting one sit read with two very disturbed and batshit crazy narrators!
Poor Logan, obsessive, stalker, fully committed, dreamy boyfriend is so unlucky in love. He is hot, popular, lacrosse team player who can date any girl he wants but his girlfriend choices couldn’t be so wrong!
First she fell hard for Sophie who treated like him like turd on her shoes, rejecting his pure love!!! Of course Logan can be so persistent but as he pushed her harder, she ran faster and boom: The girl is expelled from school, taking her own life!
Logan is a mess now! He is warned by school counselor to pull himself together for the brighter future above him.
He has a reason to get back on the horse and tataaaa he bumped into that reason at the school. A new transferred student Delilah stands in front of him with her delicate features and shining natural beauty! And she has quiet resemblances with Sophie! It seems like he hit the jackpot!
And guess what, she seems like she has a crush on him. But there’s a big problem for their relationship; her mother’s abusive asshole/ police officer boyfriend doesn’t want Delilah to fool around. So he has to catch the officer in the act when he physically abuses Delilah and her mother so he can use his as advantage to file a complaint against the cop who has real anger management issues.
So he puts cameras to the trees in front of Delilah house and starts his binge watching entertainment with lots of popcorns and stalker fantasies.
And he catches something at the cameras. Something mind blowing and heart throbbing! He sees murder! No!!!! Don’t worry but Delilah and her mother is fine but we cannot say the same for the asshole boyfriend who rests in hell!
Yes, poor, innocent, doormat Delilah is nothing as she seems. She’s Black Delilah who just killed the asshole and gave the big leverage to Logan. Now Delilah has to obey! She can never leave Logan unless she wants to find herself behind the bars.
Logan is happy because this time his love of his lifetime cannot leave him!
Oh, Logan, think again! Delilah keeps one more big secret which is equally as dangerous as her murder attempt! Sorry Logan, you just found the wrongest badass girl who is a wolf wearing a lamb fur!
Twisty, smart, fast pacing thriller that will keep you in your toes! And it seems like we’re gonna see Delilah again in near future for the second installment. Fingers crossed, I hope it will be sooner.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
January 4, 2022
this is a really interesting story. a little simple, but great for fans looking to fill that
'you'
void.
i think at face value, this is good for what it is. boy meets girl. boy stalks girl. boy blackmails girl. girl changes that. again, pretty simple and straightforward. the pacing is pretty quick, but i think some more twists and turns could have elevated the story as so much of the plot content is given in the synopsis.
i also think the ending feels somewhat rushed. an epilogue or some sort of follow up a couple weeks after the big conclusion would have been nice in terms of closure. i know this is meant to be the first book in the series, so maybe the sequel will take care of this.
overall, this is a decent debut and an engaging enough start to a series.
thank you to sourcebooks fire for the ARC!
↠ 3 stars
i think at face value, this is good for what it is. boy meets girl. boy stalks girl. boy blackmails girl. girl changes that. again, pretty simple and straightforward. the pacing is pretty quick, but i think some more twists and turns could have elevated the story as so much of the plot content is given in the synopsis.
i also think the ending feels somewhat rushed. an epilogue or some sort of follow up a couple weeks after the big conclusion would have been nice in terms of closure. i know this is meant to be the first book in the series, so maybe the sequel will take care of this.
overall, this is a decent debut and an engaging enough start to a series.
thank you to sourcebooks fire for the ARC!
↠ 3 stars
February 6, 2026
(This review contain a major spoiler in the ending)
How are you not lure in as soon as you read the blurb? A classic sort of love story… except somebody might wind up dead — yeah, I am sold! Told in a dual POV, The Obsession manages to bring me into such a rollercoaster ride for how suspenseful and suffocating it was before it breaks me.
What I like best about this book is how Sutanto created two distinct main characters who are allegorically similar. With all of his delusions and obsessions towards Sophie and Dee, you can see how sick Logan is as he was written in such a way to convince us that he is the deranged one. Meanwhile, we were made to sympathize with Dee for her misfortunes, only to realize later that she may not be as morally astute as we originally thought. Even though her trauma almost justified her acts, the ending made it difficult for me to be in the same wavelength as her (*I'll get back to the ending later).
However, it was a bit difficult for me to get into the book at first, which I think may have to do with the prosaic writing. In a way, you may interpret this as an attempt to exhibit that the narrative was told by a teenager, as well as the jist on what transpires in the brain of someone who is sick in his figment of imagination — that also then includes lots of monologues, consequently made it appear tedious and repetitive. Like, I do enjoy Logan's unhinged thoughts or Dee's tainted brain, it's just that I wish the story was told more engagingly.
The other thing that left me at sixes and sevens was the history between Logan and Sophie as they weren't given a solid establishment. It feels like there was a piece in their story that was missing as I do not know what's their real deal or how it supposed to serve the present timeframe. What more when you consider that Logan is such an unreliable narrator. This may be intentional though but it also made the story a bit disjointed.
Now getting back to the ending: as much as most personality disorders are constant and unrelenting, and very hard to cure, Logan deserves help than being used as revenge. The attempt to pin Logan’s behavior on a mental illness doesn’t sit right with me either since some people are perfectly awful without being mentally ill. This part truly breaks me, especially when you denote the hurts Logan feels when he realized what was done to him. Although I don't suppose that is the goal because as much as the novel succeeds as a thriller, it falls short as a cautionary tale on delineating telling the truth as most mystery/thriller books do.
Still and all, this doesn't take away the pleasure of reading this book. I believe it'll be a memorable one and I'm not sure if I can even recover for how this book ends. This also makes me exhilarated to start Dial A for Aunties and The New Girl to see the range in Sutanto's writing as I've been hearing good different appraises.
How are you not lure in as soon as you read the blurb? A classic sort of love story… except somebody might wind up dead — yeah, I am sold! Told in a dual POV, The Obsession manages to bring me into such a rollercoaster ride for how suspenseful and suffocating it was before it breaks me.
What I like best about this book is how Sutanto created two distinct main characters who are allegorically similar. With all of his delusions and obsessions towards Sophie and Dee, you can see how sick Logan is as he was written in such a way to convince us that he is the deranged one. Meanwhile, we were made to sympathize with Dee for her misfortunes, only to realize later that she may not be as morally astute as we originally thought. Even though her trauma almost justified her acts, the ending made it difficult for me to be in the same wavelength as her (*I'll get back to the ending later).
However, it was a bit difficult for me to get into the book at first, which I think may have to do with the prosaic writing. In a way, you may interpret this as an attempt to exhibit that the narrative was told by a teenager, as well as the jist on what transpires in the brain of someone who is sick in his figment of imagination — that also then includes lots of monologues, consequently made it appear tedious and repetitive. Like, I do enjoy Logan's unhinged thoughts or Dee's tainted brain, it's just that I wish the story was told more engagingly.
The other thing that left me at sixes and sevens was the history between Logan and Sophie as they weren't given a solid establishment. It feels like there was a piece in their story that was missing as I do not know what's their real deal or how it supposed to serve the present timeframe. What more when you consider that Logan is such an unreliable narrator. This may be intentional though but it also made the story a bit disjointed.
Now getting back to the ending: as much as most personality disorders are constant and unrelenting, and very hard to cure, Logan deserves help than being used as revenge. The attempt to pin Logan’s behavior on a mental illness doesn’t sit right with me either since some people are perfectly awful without being mentally ill. This part truly breaks me, especially when you denote the hurts Logan feels when he realized what was done to him. Although I don't suppose that is the goal because as much as the novel succeeds as a thriller, it falls short as a cautionary tale on delineating telling the truth as most mystery/thriller books do.
Still and all, this doesn't take away the pleasure of reading this book. I believe it'll be a memorable one and I'm not sure if I can even recover for how this book ends. This also makes me exhilarated to start Dial A for Aunties and The New Girl to see the range in Sutanto's writing as I've been hearing good different appraises.
April 23, 2021
3.5 Stars!
... An obsession with love.
That was one of a serious fucked-up. I have begun to doubt my freaking sanity. An author once said, "We don't always get a happily ever after no matter hard we work for it." Someone did work harder aiming a happy ending in this one. But, there would be a happily ever after if one of them would end up dead?
Note: This is a young adult fiction.
Logan thought of Delilah as his destiny when he first saw her. He would do everything to protect and make her as his. He watched her through a camera, stalked her on the internet, stuffs that according to him, must be done by a romantic. Delilah had her own secrets. One that could ruin the plans she had built for herself. Delilah was tired of men ruling her life. When Logan blackmailed her using one of her secrets to be with him, Delilah had to find ways to get rid of him ... even the impossible.
The pacing of the story was a little bit fast for my liking and I didn't much like that it was ended too quickly. The plot was a bit far-fetched. And the main characters were utterly unlikable. But it was sexual assault and abuse between the main characters free, so I was able to enjoy it. And lastly, on the bright side, it brightened my day when I found out that there will be a sequel.
I do NOT recommend it to everyone. Don't try to go in blind.
Trigger Warning: Vivid depiction of murder.
... An obsession with love.
That was one of a serious fucked-up. I have begun to doubt my freaking sanity. An author once said, "We don't always get a happily ever after no matter hard we work for it." Someone did work harder aiming a happy ending in this one. But, there would be a happily ever after if one of them would end up dead?
Note: This is a young adult fiction.
Logan thought of Delilah as his destiny when he first saw her. He would do everything to protect and make her as his. He watched her through a camera, stalked her on the internet, stuffs that according to him, must be done by a romantic. Delilah had her own secrets. One that could ruin the plans she had built for herself. Delilah was tired of men ruling her life. When Logan blackmailed her using one of her secrets to be with him, Delilah had to find ways to get rid of him ... even the impossible.
The pacing of the story was a little bit fast for my liking and I didn't much like that it was ended too quickly. The plot was a bit far-fetched. And the main characters were utterly unlikable. But it was sexual assault and abuse between the main characters free, so I was able to enjoy it. And lastly, on the bright side, it brightened my day when I found out that there will be a sequel.
I do NOT recommend it to everyone. Don't try to go in blind.
"... One thing I had learned about predators is that there can only be one around ... I was a bit of a natural when it came to killing predators. That I was the snake after all. And maybe, just maybe, I liked it a little."
Trigger Warning: Vivid depiction of murder.
May 19, 2021
3.5 stars
I feel like I just experienced the Nickelodeon version of You
This truly was the cutest and somehow saddest thriller I've ever read. I added the .5* because I was in the mood to be crushed into a million pieces and this book did a quarter of the job - meaning I felt enough sadness to almost cry, but then my black heart remembered who she was.
In order to fit the book, I'll summarise in very simple terms:
Logan met Delilah (Dee) entirely by accident, it was obsession at first sight. She looked almost exactly like a dead girl he used to know, or love....or obsess over. Basically Dee looks exactly like Sophie and Sophie was apparently the love of his life. From there on out, Logan's compulsive fixation begins. His subtle stalkery moves along smoothly enough to get him a date, possibly the best date of their life until it ends in disaster. Dee decides that she doesn't need his brand of bullshit in her life after living with an abusive step father for over a year. Logan freaks out and does the next logical thing....blackmail. He threatens her with a video of her murdering her step-father.
From there on out, Logan's obsession takes a deeper root, meanwhile Delilah's predatory side -the one that turned her into a killer- dominates. Because the only way to escape any psycho man in her life is by becoming a bigger monster than them.
Did I say something about Nickelodeon earlier? Yep. Don't ask wtf I had to be watching to make that comparison, it's personal
here are some reasons why you should introduce Logan to your parents:
① he protec
Look at the thoughtfulness. It's a good thing she attracted his attention first and he took that video to manipulate her with.
That is correct. Always lock up after breaking into someone's home, sniffing their moisturiser and stealing their shit. I mean imagine the creeps that could get in after?
② he accep
When he wants you at your best and accepts you at your worst🥺 I mean, she's a murderer .... but I think this is definitely one of her worst moments yet.
③ he attac
④ most importantly, he respec
For all that it's worth, Logan was the most respectful, sweet and thoughtful stalker I've ever stumbled upon. He was just a precious little bean that needed therapy.
Additionally, Logan was one cheesy ass psycho. He called her his "Vitamin Dee" at one point and really my man?
As well as being cheesy he is also horrible at comparisons, worse than me actually, and I literally make up comparisons out of my ass.
How is that important, you ask? It's not.
I can't help thinking that this book would've been amazing as a movie. Logan acted out would've been magnificent, especially if the actor playing him is good at portraying unstable characters.
When Logan was doped on drugs; his manic behaviour, violent outbursts, hallucinations and even further lack of sanity could have been masterful through cinematography. In the book, however, it was described well but just not disturbing enough for me, I guess I was expecting more out of the writing.
Delilah somehow managed to be -as Logan so beautifully put it- basic but also surprisingly intriguing. I found the progression of her character interesting. The way she killed so easily but only felt guilty over it due to societal expectations. She never really regretted what she had done, she only felt paranoid to get caught. I especially loved her thought process at the end mirroring Logan's.
She blamed fate the same way Logan often did, he justified his actions like that due to having a delusional mind and here we can see that Delilah is just as sick.
Remember when I said that this book almost squeezed a tear out of me? Well it was because of that ending.
One more thing I liked:
- I was loving the POC representation. The heroine is half white half Singaporean. Subjects of racism, discrimination and everyday struggles of mixed/asian people in America were discussed in this book. We also got to have a peek into the heroine's culture.
overall:
Pretty good, could've been better.
I feel like I just experienced the Nickelodeon version of You
This truly was the cutest and somehow saddest thriller I've ever read. I added the .5* because I was in the mood to be crushed into a million pieces and this book did a quarter of the job - meaning I felt enough sadness to almost cry, but then my black heart remembered who she was.
In order to fit the book, I'll summarise in very simple terms:
Logan met Delilah (Dee) entirely by accident, it was obsession at first sight. She looked almost exactly like a dead girl he used to know, or love....or obsess over. Basically Dee looks exactly like Sophie and Sophie was apparently the love of his life. From there on out, Logan's compulsive fixation begins. His subtle stalkery moves along smoothly enough to get him a date, possibly the best date of their life until it ends in disaster. Dee decides that she doesn't need his brand of bullshit in her life after living with an abusive step father for over a year. Logan freaks out and does the next logical thing....blackmail. He threatens her with a video of her murdering her step-father.
From there on out, Logan's obsession takes a deeper root, meanwhile Delilah's predatory side -the one that turned her into a killer- dominates. Because the only way to escape any psycho man in her life is by becoming a bigger monster than them.
Did I say something about Nickelodeon earlier? Yep. Don't ask wtf I had to be watching to make that comparison, it's personal
here are some reasons why you should introduce Logan to your parents:
① he protec
She was so luminescent, she could easily attract some creep's attention. My heart squeezed tighter at the thought of some asshole taking advantage of Delilah's naivety.
Look at the thoughtfulness. It's a good thing she attracted his attention first and he took that video to manipulate her with.
I made sure to wiggle the lock shut behind me; I didn't want some creep to get into Delilah's house
That is correct. Always lock up after breaking into someone's home, sniffing their moisturiser and stealing their shit. I mean imagine the creeps that could get in after?
② he accep
she had a sign in cursive that said Good Vibes Only- which, okay, kind of basic, but I supposed no one was perfect-
When he wants you at your best and accepts you at your worst🥺 I mean, she's a murderer .... but I think this is definitely one of her worst moments yet.
③ he attac
"You're saying if you can't have me, no one else can?" I whispered.
"Let's not find out, okay?"
④ most importantly, he respec
For all that it's worth, Logan was the most respectful, sweet and thoughtful stalker I've ever stumbled upon. He was just a precious little bean that needed therapy.
Additionally, Logan was one cheesy ass psycho. He called her his "Vitamin Dee" at one point and really my man?
As well as being cheesy he is also horrible at comparisons, worse than me actually, and I literally make up comparisons out of my ass.
She didn't understand that I was put in this world to protect her, like those guards protecting Mona Lisa
How is that important, you ask? It's not.
I can't help thinking that this book would've been amazing as a movie. Logan acted out would've been magnificent, especially if the actor playing him is good at portraying unstable characters.
When Logan was doped on drugs; his manic behaviour, violent outbursts, hallucinations and even further lack of sanity could have been masterful through cinematography. In the book, however, it was described well but just not disturbing enough for me, I guess I was expecting more out of the writing.
Delilah somehow managed to be -as Logan so beautifully put it- basic but also surprisingly intriguing. I found the progression of her character interesting. The way she killed so easily but only felt guilty over it due to societal expectations. She never really regretted what she had done, she only felt paranoid to get caught. I especially loved her thought process at the end mirroring Logan's.
She blamed fate the same way Logan often did, he justified his actions like that due to having a delusional mind and here we can see that Delilah is just as sick.
Remember when I said that this book almost squeezed a tear out of me? Well it was because of that ending.
One more thing I liked:
- I was loving the POC representation. The heroine is half white half Singaporean. Subjects of racism, discrimination and everyday struggles of mixed/asian people in America were discussed in this book. We also got to have a peek into the heroine's culture.
overall:
Pretty good, could've been better.
October 9, 2024
this book is basically about Joe Goldberg and Love Quinn in high school.
November 20, 2021
Boy meets girl. Girl meats boy.
What happens when you're both psychos and just don't know it yet? The Obsession does... Beware!
Q:
I knew every curve of her mind, the parts no one else did. (c)
Q:
Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought things would progress this well, everything clicking into place beautifully, like streams flowing downhill to join a river, everything was meant to be. I was so delirious with the touch of her, the scent everywhere around me, that I didn’t realize ... (c)
Q:
“Frat parties are basically a cesspool of horny guys drunk on privilege and booze trying to get girls dead-drunk so they can take advantage of them. I mean, sure, that’s a stereotype, and I’m sure some frat parties are nice and some frat guys respect women or whatever, but this guy is asking a high school girl to come on her own to a place where she’ll be completely surrounded by his friends. I don’t think you should go. Not without a shitload of pepper spray and a couple of Tasers.”
By the time I finished my speech, they were all staring at me with mouths open. Crap. I’d gone too far. I shouldn’t have said all those things. (c)
Q:
“You just don’t want me to miss out on life experiences.”
“You can miss out on this one,” (c)
Q:
Logan was fizz and fireworks. Beneath the model good looks was a brain bursting with brilliance. Delicious sharp-edged wit, an intense stare that made you feel like he was truly listening to what you were saying. Irresistible. I knew what it was like to be under his spell, to be sucked into the Logan vortex. (c)
Q:
What happens when you're both psychos and just don't know it yet? The Obsession does... Beware!
Q:
I knew every curve of her mind, the parts no one else did. (c)
Q:
Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought things would progress this well, everything clicking into place beautifully, like streams flowing downhill to join a river, everything was meant to be. I was so delirious with the touch of her, the scent everywhere around me, that I didn’t realize ... (c)
Q:
“Frat parties are basically a cesspool of horny guys drunk on privilege and booze trying to get girls dead-drunk so they can take advantage of them. I mean, sure, that’s a stereotype, and I’m sure some frat parties are nice and some frat guys respect women or whatever, but this guy is asking a high school girl to come on her own to a place where she’ll be completely surrounded by his friends. I don’t think you should go. Not without a shitload of pepper spray and a couple of Tasers.”
By the time I finished my speech, they were all staring at me with mouths open. Crap. I’d gone too far. I shouldn’t have said all those things. (c)
Q:
“You just don’t want me to miss out on life experiences.”
“You can miss out on this one,” (c)
Q:
Logan was fizz and fireworks. Beneath the model good looks was a brain bursting with brilliance. Delicious sharp-edged wit, an intense stare that made you feel like he was truly listening to what you were saying. Irresistible. I knew what it was like to be under his spell, to be sucked into the Logan vortex. (c)
Q:
May 27, 2023
i support women's rights but most importantly i support women's wrongs!!
October 15, 2025
The Obsession is an intense YA-Thriller from one of my go-to authors, Jesse Q. Sutanto. This novel was released in 2021, and I'm so happy I dipped into my backlist for it.
Totally worth it!
In The Obsession we follow two teens, Delilah and Logan. Logan falls in love with Delilah on sight. She's perfect. Everything he has ever wanted and he will have her.
He learns everything he can about her by doing things such as watching her at school, studying her social media, and aiming a hidden camera at her house.
You know, all totally normal things.
For her part, Delilah is attracted to Logan, but then they go out on a date and he's way too intense. Like over-the-top intense. She's had enough of controlling men in her life. She has no room for one more.
Delilah distances herself, thinking he'll get the point.
Logan is desperate. He feels Delilah slipping away from him, but wait, she can't exactly get away from him. He knows what she did. The worse thing she has ever done in her life. He knows. In fact, he has it on video.
He'll just let her know, she rethink distancing herself from him real quick. But Delilah is not going to be as easily swayed as Logan anticipates. Who will end up the cat, and who will end up the mouse?
I listened to the audiobook for this and definitely recommend that format. The dual narration provided the perfect back-and-forth for Delilah and Logan's perspectives.
I loved how in your face both of these characters were. There's not a lot of apologizing for their thoughts or actions. It is what it is with these two.
I flew through this story. It takes turns alternating between the two MCs and at the end of each chapter, I wanted to know more. I had to keep going. How was this possibly going to be resolved? It felt impossible.
Initially, I was so disgusted with Logan. That kept me going, but then I see Delilah come in and I'm like, eyebrows raised, okay, you're not as sweet and innocent as you first appear. It's hard not to root for Delilah once you hear her story.
Logan on the other hand, my feelings never changed for him, but he was an interesting antagonist for Delilah's overall story arc.
I'll admit, I didn't read the full synopsis before starting and I recommend you don't either. Reading it over now, there are some things revealed that surprised me when I came to them in the story. I feel like I would have been bummed if I had gone in knowing those things ahead of time.
This had such a satisfying conclusion for me and it actually really made me think about what makes a villain.
Sutanto never fails to surprise me. Whether it's by jaw-dropping twists, witty banter, or thoughtful character work, I keep on coming back and will continue to do so.
I'm so glad that I finally took the time to pick this one up. It was a lot of fun. I need more YA-Thrillers from Sutanto!
Totally worth it!
In The Obsession we follow two teens, Delilah and Logan. Logan falls in love with Delilah on sight. She's perfect. Everything he has ever wanted and he will have her.
He learns everything he can about her by doing things such as watching her at school, studying her social media, and aiming a hidden camera at her house.
You know, all totally normal things.
For her part, Delilah is attracted to Logan, but then they go out on a date and he's way too intense. Like over-the-top intense. She's had enough of controlling men in her life. She has no room for one more.
Delilah distances herself, thinking he'll get the point.
Logan is desperate. He feels Delilah slipping away from him, but wait, she can't exactly get away from him. He knows what she did. The worse thing she has ever done in her life. He knows. In fact, he has it on video.
He'll just let her know, she rethink distancing herself from him real quick. But Delilah is not going to be as easily swayed as Logan anticipates. Who will end up the cat, and who will end up the mouse?
I listened to the audiobook for this and definitely recommend that format. The dual narration provided the perfect back-and-forth for Delilah and Logan's perspectives.
I loved how in your face both of these characters were. There's not a lot of apologizing for their thoughts or actions. It is what it is with these two.
I flew through this story. It takes turns alternating between the two MCs and at the end of each chapter, I wanted to know more. I had to keep going. How was this possibly going to be resolved? It felt impossible.
Initially, I was so disgusted with Logan. That kept me going, but then I see Delilah come in and I'm like, eyebrows raised, okay, you're not as sweet and innocent as you first appear. It's hard not to root for Delilah once you hear her story.
Logan on the other hand, my feelings never changed for him, but he was an interesting antagonist for Delilah's overall story arc.
I'll admit, I didn't read the full synopsis before starting and I recommend you don't either. Reading it over now, there are some things revealed that surprised me when I came to them in the story. I feel like I would have been bummed if I had gone in knowing those things ahead of time.
This had such a satisfying conclusion for me and it actually really made me think about what makes a villain.
Sutanto never fails to surprise me. Whether it's by jaw-dropping twists, witty banter, or thoughtful character work, I keep on coming back and will continue to do so.
I'm so glad that I finally took the time to pick this one up. It was a lot of fun. I need more YA-Thrillers from Sutanto!
March 17, 2021
Delusional disorder is a mental illness in which the patient presents delusions. Apart from delusions, people with DD may continue to socialise and function in a normal manner and their behaviour does not necessarily generally seem odd.
The Obsession
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My Review:
I enjoyed this little stalker book way more than I would have expected.
I think one reason for that is that it is not your typical stalker book. Logan is indeed obsessed with Dee but there are so many other dynamics at play in this book. I read it in one sitting.
I do not want to say to much, if anything, about the plot which is unusual for me but this one I do believe is one best gone into blind or at least knowing as little as possible.
It is not a slow burn. This book pulsates with energy. It locks you in and wont let you stop reading! The time flies on by.
Dee is a flawed narrator and Logan, the other narrator, well....he is troubled to say the least! It's a battle of wills between the two of them and I loved every sick moment!
I really think those who are fans of the book "You" would like this. It is that type of book. Stalker and stalkee do sort of have some type of relationship but I will say no more.
What is interesting is how FAST this can be read. I usually like a slow burn and this is as far from that as can be. But last night I was craving something to just lose myself in. I wanted something with drama and plot twists and I wanted it to be a page turner. I certainly got that here.
My two complaints and the reasons this did not get a five are the following:
ANIMAL CRUELTY ALERT:
Just one scene and I hate to say this but this scene sort of was imperative to the plot. That doesn't mean I wasn't pissed though. Most of my GR friends know I abhor any animal cruelty but I understand here why the author had to do it. Still...did it have to be so graphic?
The other thing is the title. This title is not good enough for what the book was. It's sort of a tawdry title. I amused myself picking alternative titles for the book. How about, "The Snake"? Or.."The snake and the rat" or "Dreamgirl" or "Love is kind"?
The Obsession obviously snags one's interest but in my case I almost passed it on by BECAUSE of the title. But a few GR friends had read it and the plot looked so good. And it was!
So as far as stalker books and YA mysteries go, it is at the top of the heap. Is there a part two? I shall have to investigate. Four stars for a surprisingly compelling story.
The Obsession
by Jesse Q. Sutanto
My Review:
I enjoyed this little stalker book way more than I would have expected.
I think one reason for that is that it is not your typical stalker book. Logan is indeed obsessed with Dee but there are so many other dynamics at play in this book. I read it in one sitting.
I do not want to say to much, if anything, about the plot which is unusual for me but this one I do believe is one best gone into blind or at least knowing as little as possible.
It is not a slow burn. This book pulsates with energy. It locks you in and wont let you stop reading! The time flies on by.
Dee is a flawed narrator and Logan, the other narrator, well....he is troubled to say the least! It's a battle of wills between the two of them and I loved every sick moment!
I really think those who are fans of the book "You" would like this. It is that type of book. Stalker and stalkee do sort of have some type of relationship but I will say no more.
What is interesting is how FAST this can be read. I usually like a slow burn and this is as far from that as can be. But last night I was craving something to just lose myself in. I wanted something with drama and plot twists and I wanted it to be a page turner. I certainly got that here.
My two complaints and the reasons this did not get a five are the following:
ANIMAL CRUELTY ALERT:
Just one scene and I hate to say this but this scene sort of was imperative to the plot. That doesn't mean I wasn't pissed though. Most of my GR friends know I abhor any animal cruelty but I understand here why the author had to do it. Still...did it have to be so graphic?
The other thing is the title. This title is not good enough for what the book was. It's sort of a tawdry title. I amused myself picking alternative titles for the book. How about, "The Snake"? Or.."The snake and the rat" or "Dreamgirl" or "Love is kind"?
The Obsession obviously snags one's interest but in my case I almost passed it on by BECAUSE of the title. But a few GR friends had read it and the plot looked so good. And it was!
So as far as stalker books and YA mysteries go, it is at the top of the heap. Is there a part two? I shall have to investigate. Four stars for a surprisingly compelling story.
April 24, 2021
4.25 Stars🌟
Boy meets girl.
Boy stalks girl.
Girl gets revenge.
A classic sort of love story... except somebody might end up dead.
Yeah I was defenseless against that blurb. *Slaps cover affectionately* so much plot in this baby. I loved being in Logan's delusional mind, it felt like rolling around in a mental asylum or a vat of tar. It was amazing. This book was YA tho so manage your expectations you sickos, it never gets forreal grotesque. *cries quietly in a corner*
If you've ever seen the Netflix show You, this book is basically its twin sister. Except Delilah was a wayyyy better heroine than Beck from season 1. I kind of wish that Delilah killing her stepfather wasn't spoiled in the blurb though because man what a pleasant surprise that would've been. However, the way Delilah killed him? Absolutely beautiful, I could've shed a tear✨
This story felt short and fast but suspenseful. I think it could have used a few more twists, but overall I had a great time watching the escalation of Logan's obsession and Delilah's ruthlessness, both pushing them further and further toward murdering each other. They both were both monsters and it was fantastic, I loved the ending.
Boy meets girl.
Boy stalks girl.
Girl gets revenge.
A classic sort of love story... except somebody might end up dead.
Yeah I was defenseless against that blurb. *Slaps cover affectionately* so much plot in this baby. I loved being in Logan's delusional mind, it felt like rolling around in a mental asylum or a vat of tar. It was amazing. This book was YA tho so manage your expectations you sickos, it never gets forreal grotesque. *cries quietly in a corner*
If you've ever seen the Netflix show You, this book is basically its twin sister. Except Delilah was a wayyyy better heroine than Beck from season 1. I kind of wish that Delilah killing her stepfather wasn't spoiled in the blurb though because man what a pleasant surprise that would've been. However, the way Delilah killed him? Absolutely beautiful, I could've shed a tear✨
This story felt short and fast but suspenseful. I think it could have used a few more twists, but overall I had a great time watching the escalation of Logan's obsession and Delilah's ruthlessness, both pushing them further and further toward murdering each other. They both were both monsters and it was fantastic, I loved the ending.
February 2, 2021
Something was off. Something that felt big, lurking underneath us the way a giant sea creature did, writhing right below the calm surface before bursting out of the water with its jaws open.
The Obsession is one of those books where I thought I knew how things were going to go, and then Jesse Q. Sutanto laughed at me, because things didn’t go anything like I was expecting. If someone asked me to explain The Obsession in one sentence, it would be, on the surface level it will make you question your morals, but the heart of the story is a blossoming strong young woman. This story will definitely have you questioning what is right and what is wrong, and by the end you won’t know whether you should be cheering or if you should call the fictional authorities. I mean Delilah is a character that has goals and dreams and is fighting to accomplish them, but life and men keeping hindering those plans. I could really sympathize for her not from experience, but simply from the authors words and how she made me feel for her character.
I don’t want to say too much, because I think this should be read mostly blind. Read the blurb, and then dive in. The ride is much more enjoyable that way. I’ll say if you like morally gray characters, and plots that slowly unveil surprising things, then you will love this read. It’s entertaining, unexpected, and I think there are many more great reads to come from this author.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
The Obsession is one of those books where I thought I knew how things were going to go, and then Jesse Q. Sutanto laughed at me, because things didn’t go anything like I was expecting. If someone asked me to explain The Obsession in one sentence, it would be, on the surface level it will make you question your morals, but the heart of the story is a blossoming strong young woman. This story will definitely have you questioning what is right and what is wrong, and by the end you won’t know whether you should be cheering or if you should call the fictional authorities. I mean Delilah is a character that has goals and dreams and is fighting to accomplish them, but life and men keeping hindering those plans. I could really sympathize for her not from experience, but simply from the authors words and how she made me feel for her character.
I don’t want to say too much, because I think this should be read mostly blind. Read the blurb, and then dive in. The ride is much more enjoyable that way. I’ll say if you like morally gray characters, and plots that slowly unveil surprising things, then you will love this read. It’s entertaining, unexpected, and I think there are many more great reads to come from this author.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
December 6, 2024
4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Spoiler free)
Omg the suspense,
The twists,
The chaos,
The mystery,
E V E R Y T H I N G.
Everything about this book is absolutely insane and written so so so well!!!
I 100% ate this book uppp and though I predicted the ending it still left me a little shook tbh 😭
The way this book starts and the way this book ends is crazyy tbh 💀
I highly recommend this book if you’re craving a fast pace twisty young-adult thriller novel! 🔎💻📌
Overall, loved this entire book and I’m definitely reading more books from this author 🤭
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 0/5
~Age rating: 13+ (language)
☆𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨:
~Washing machine heart -Mitski
~Kill Bill -SZA
~dumb dumb -mazie
★𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱:
I’m currently reading 2 books at a time and I really hope I can finish this book soon since I really want to read 100 books before 2025!! Heard this book is twisty and disturbing so I’m so ready for this book 🎀🩷😇🫶🏼
(Spoiler free)
Omg the suspense,
The twists,
The chaos,
The mystery,
E V E R Y T H I N G.
Everything about this book is absolutely insane and written so so so well!!!
I 100% ate this book uppp and though I predicted the ending it still left me a little shook tbh 😭
The way this book starts and the way this book ends is crazyy tbh 💀
I highly recommend this book if you’re craving a fast pace twisty young-adult thriller novel! 🔎💻📌
Overall, loved this entire book and I’m definitely reading more books from this author 🤭
Rating: 4.5/5
Spice: 0/5
~Age rating: 13+ (language)
☆𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨:
~Washing machine heart -Mitski
~Kill Bill -SZA
~dumb dumb -mazie
★𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱:
I’m currently reading 2 books at a time and I really hope I can finish this book soon since I really want to read 100 books before 2025!! Heard this book is twisty and disturbing so I’m so ready for this book 🎀🩷😇🫶🏼
January 29, 2021
ARC received via NetGalley and I'm thankful to the moon and back for it.
WHAAAAAAT?????
WHAT JUST HAPPENED, MY HEART IS POUNDING, I'M LOST FOR WORDS!
This was sickly, disturbingly delicious and I'm kind of afraid of myself, considering how passionately I loved that horrible, disturbing ending.
I might write a proper review one day. Right now, my entire being is going through some weird emotions.
Probably the best YA thriller ever.
WHAAAAAAT?????
WHAT JUST HAPPENED, MY HEART IS POUNDING, I'M LOST FOR WORDS!
This was sickly, disturbingly delicious and I'm kind of afraid of myself, considering how passionately I loved that horrible, disturbing ending.
I might write a proper review one day. Right now, my entire being is going through some weird emotions.
Probably the best YA thriller ever.
April 28, 2021
WHAT?!
WHAT?!
WHAAAAATT?!?
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING, NO. WHAT?! NO. NO.
Uh... excuse me, *raising hand* I did not sign up for this.
but I loved it
Review is an incoming threat. Beware.
I just realized this is part of a series.
I just-
WHAT?!
WHAAAAATT?!?
WHAT WAS THAT ENDING, NO. WHAT?! NO. NO.
Uh... excuse me, *raising hand* I did not sign up for this.
Review is an incoming threat. Beware.
I just realized this is part of a series.
I just-
March 31, 2022
“You’re saying if you can’t have me, no one else can?”
“Let’s not find out, okay?”
I had a ball with Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties so when I saw Obsession marketed as a “You for Young Adults” I was all over it. I mean, if you don’t love Joe you just don’t know what you’re missing.
This story is all about . . . .
The girl of Logan’s dreams. Logan has been unlucky in love before, so he decides to get to know Delilah a little before making his move. And the way he’s going to go about it? Put a hidden camera in the tree outside of her house . . . .
She was going to freak the fuck out—nobody understands romance
Little does he know he’s going to catch Delilah doing a bad bad thing. But lucky for Logan, that little piece of videotaped evidence is just what he needs in order to make Delilah his forever. Or so he thinks . . . .
Yep, this was mommy’s idea of a good time. Four Stars.
“Let’s not find out, okay?”
I had a ball with Jesse Q. Sutanto’s Dial A for Aunties so when I saw Obsession marketed as a “You for Young Adults” I was all over it. I mean, if you don’t love Joe you just don’t know what you’re missing.
This story is all about . . . .
The girl of Logan’s dreams. Logan has been unlucky in love before, so he decides to get to know Delilah a little before making his move. And the way he’s going to go about it? Put a hidden camera in the tree outside of her house . . . .
She was going to freak the fuck out—nobody understands romance
Little does he know he’s going to catch Delilah doing a bad bad thing. But lucky for Logan, that little piece of videotaped evidence is just what he needs in order to make Delilah his forever. Or so he thinks . . . .
Yep, this was mommy’s idea of a good time. Four Stars.
February 24, 2025
› Boy stalks girl? Nah this book was boy who needs mental help in love with girl who’s a murderer. ✰⋆◞
› Also that ending was crappy, I need more closure ✌︎☹︎
› Also that ending was crappy, I need more closure ✌︎☹︎
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2023
Okay wow I absolutely loved this book. The plot twists had my jaw on the floor. I read this in a couple hours , I literally couldn’t put it down. If you haven’t read this yet go read it. So good & pretty fast paced
February 10, 2021
CW/TW: Child and Domestic Abuse, Suicide, Discussion of Rape, Drug use/overdose, Murder, Stalking
The Obsession was my first ever "stalker" novel. Before I begin this review, I want to preface this with the fact that this book was born out of the authors own experience with a stalker, and I want to be sure I take that into consideration as that was a real experience and is a real experience for many people.
As far as the book is concerned, I had extremely high hopes. From the beginning, I was slightly underwhelmed with the actual writing itself and hoped the plot would be the redeemable factor. For majority of the book I was definitely interested in the story. It is the classic, boy meets girl, boy obsesses over girl, and girl finds any way to end the stalker cycle. However, this book included way more than just stalking that I was not prepared for. There were moments in this story where I was genuinely creeped out which led me to believe the story itself was gripping and was serving its purpose: to creep out the reader. At that point, I felt like the story may be good even though the actual content was very eerie. However, by the end of the book, I was pretty turned off from the story. There were twists included that I believe were only put there for the shock value, and they felt underdeveloped and rushed.
One of the biggest downfalls for me with this book was the content itself. I always believe that YA can include mature content because some YA readers can handle mature content. However, I feel that this book had themes that were executed poorly. If it is being done, I would like to see these type of stories show growth in the characters and it did not. There were characters in this book that needed psychological aid but did not receive any, and instead were given an...interesting ending. And then there were moments where I thought the characters were going to shine in their respective roles, but fell completely flat.
The main character, Logan, had monologues that I know a lot of people did not like. I actually enjoyed the internal monologue because it felt like I was able to understand where Logan was in his own mind and what his driving forces were. Were they disturbing as heck? Absolutely. But that was the point. Delilah wasn't a character I liked nor disliked, and honestly I didn't like or dislike any of the characters but I do think Logan was written well for what his purpose was. I would've loved to see more inclusion of social media given that in the beginning, that was an important aspect of the origin of the stalking, but that also did not continue in the story. I believe that this book does open up the discussion for how much is too much and how far is too far when searching and looking up romantic interests online.
Overall this story was not enjoyable for me, but I am one person so it may be for others. Give it a try if you enjoy stories with these types of themes.
The Obsession was my first ever "stalker" novel. Before I begin this review, I want to preface this with the fact that this book was born out of the authors own experience with a stalker, and I want to be sure I take that into consideration as that was a real experience and is a real experience for many people.
As far as the book is concerned, I had extremely high hopes. From the beginning, I was slightly underwhelmed with the actual writing itself and hoped the plot would be the redeemable factor. For majority of the book I was definitely interested in the story. It is the classic, boy meets girl, boy obsesses over girl, and girl finds any way to end the stalker cycle. However, this book included way more than just stalking that I was not prepared for. There were moments in this story where I was genuinely creeped out which led me to believe the story itself was gripping and was serving its purpose: to creep out the reader. At that point, I felt like the story may be good even though the actual content was very eerie. However, by the end of the book, I was pretty turned off from the story. There were twists included that I believe were only put there for the shock value, and they felt underdeveloped and rushed.
One of the biggest downfalls for me with this book was the content itself. I always believe that YA can include mature content because some YA readers can handle mature content. However, I feel that this book had themes that were executed poorly. If it is being done, I would like to see these type of stories show growth in the characters and it did not. There were characters in this book that needed psychological aid but did not receive any, and instead were given an...interesting ending. And then there were moments where I thought the characters were going to shine in their respective roles, but fell completely flat.
The main character, Logan, had monologues that I know a lot of people did not like. I actually enjoyed the internal monologue because it felt like I was able to understand where Logan was in his own mind and what his driving forces were. Were they disturbing as heck? Absolutely. But that was the point. Delilah wasn't a character I liked nor disliked, and honestly I didn't like or dislike any of the characters but I do think Logan was written well for what his purpose was. I would've loved to see more inclusion of social media given that in the beginning, that was an important aspect of the origin of the stalking, but that also did not continue in the story. I believe that this book does open up the discussion for how much is too much and how far is too far when searching and looking up romantic interests online.
Overall this story was not enjoyable for me, but I am one person so it may be for others. Give it a try if you enjoy stories with these types of themes.
March 25, 2021
This was a very interesting book, to say the least.
There were many things I enjoyed about it, but I felt like by the end I was still wanting more. I wish I could’ve learned more about Sophie and the events that occurred after the ending. But that’s also a good thing because the author made the characters feel extremely real and the story was plotted well.
I really wish it had a more climatic ending, but overall I enjoyed it. 3.75/5
There were many things I enjoyed about it, but I felt like by the end I was still wanting more. I wish I could’ve learned more about Sophie and the events that occurred after the ending. But that’s also a good thing because the author made the characters feel extremely real and the story was plotted well.
I really wish it had a more climatic ending, but overall I enjoyed it. 3.75/5
September 23, 2020
Do you have an unhealthy obsession with female killers or are you normal
July 24, 2021
dee is annoying hypocrite. had to force myself to finish the book.
December 19, 2021
DNF AT 87%
I tried.....I really did try to hold out until part two of this book. Out of the duo first person POV for Logan and Delilah, I became bored and annoyed by Delilah's character almost the entire time and just had so many issues with her which is strange when I should've been having it with Logan who's your typical stalker; but it was Delilah from the start. Not only that, but I had some issues with dialogue/first person POV thoughts.
For example, when the police are questioning her about something concerning her abusive step-father and regarding to a car jack, and in her first person POV, she says,
"But this is where everyday sexism came to my rescue. There were no traces of surprise on her face, because who'd expect some idiot teen girl to know how to work a car jack, right?"
And then later there was this weird decription of what she was wearing when her then ex-stepfather's former partner (who kept hanging around Delilah's house once in a while) to throw off the old partner.
"I'd put on a pink cable-knit sweater over faded jeans and tied my hair up with an actual, damn scrunchie. No one, especially a cop, has ever been murdered by a girl who wears scrunchies with daisies printed on them. Mendez couldn't possible find anything suspicious about me, not like this."
Okay, first of all, that first quote and comment has nothing to do with sexism. I for instance do not know how car jacks work and yet, there's MANY girls out there in the world who knows how to use one because their parents or someone taught them how to use one. And yet, how is that sexism just because a teenage girl wouldn't be suspected or not knowing how to use specific tools? It's a matter of being taught how to use tools and nothing to do with sexism. *smh* Second of all, WHO CARES WHAT YOU'RE WEARING EVEN WHEN YOU'RE A MURDERER? CLOTHING DOESN'T MATTER TO COPS! That one had me laughing a little cause of all the Dateline podcasts I've listened to, clothing and what you're wearing doesn't mean anything to investigators.....
I decided to ignore those of course until I came across some weird attempted metaphors I got a kick out of how unnecessary they were and in the wrong places and some (depending on the situation of the story) just shouldn't have been there at all. Here's a few that are my "favorites" that had me reeling with laughter on the inside and wondering what the frick was that? I won't say who actually said what even though a few you might figure out who said what, more just sharing what some of these metaphors were.
1: "A hot kernel sat deep in my gut, getting hotter by the second, until my entire being was filled with its heat. I had to fight back. I'd call him out on his bluff."
2: "I could have leapt up, punched my way through the car roof and clouds and through the atmosphere. I called him out on his bluff and it worked!"
3: "Delilah's boyfriend. The title slipped out as easily as an eel wriggling out of a fisherman's grip. So natural, the way it rolled off my tongue."
4: "Detective Mendez wasn't the type to pluck her brows into delicate arches; they sat atop her eyes like two fat, angry caterpillars....'Brandon called for you?' she said, the two caterpillars now trained on Delilah."
5: "I could leap to the skies, I was filled with so many bubbles."
Oh boy....and then I get to part two and even though I told myself I was going to push through to the end and try another of her books next year, I saw how much it then dragged after skimming and then REALLY SKIMMING to the point I was glancing at pages and skipped to see the last three chapter and to also see how it ended. It was a weird ending in my opinion and all I could think about was, "That's it? Seriously?" and the big plot twists weren't as exciting to me either like they were just bland and didn't lead up to those twists enough and it just felt random and I don't know. I guess this one wasn't cutting it for me and not because it was a stalker type story, bit was more of the execution of the story, how it dragged, Delilah being a whiny obnoxious, and playing the victim card and blaming everyone else for her problems and actions; and then we had the annoying metaphor attempts at the wrong places. I don't mind those every once in a while, but overall, I just had some issues that I don't want to spoil in case someone else might want to read this and see if they end up liking it or not. But unfortunately for me, it just didn't work for some reason.
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT CHOOSE TO TAKE THIS OFF YOUR TBR OR IN GENERAL BASED ON MY REVIEW. READ IT FOR YOURSELF AND DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE EVERY BOOK SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND IT'S ONLY YOUR OPINION THAT MATTERS AND NO ONE ELSE'S.
I tried.....I really did try to hold out until part two of this book. Out of the duo first person POV for Logan and Delilah, I became bored and annoyed by Delilah's character almost the entire time and just had so many issues with her which is strange when I should've been having it with Logan who's your typical stalker; but it was Delilah from the start. Not only that, but I had some issues with dialogue/first person POV thoughts.
For example, when the police are questioning her about something concerning her abusive step-father and regarding to a car jack, and in her first person POV, she says,
"But this is where everyday sexism came to my rescue. There were no traces of surprise on her face, because who'd expect some idiot teen girl to know how to work a car jack, right?"
And then later there was this weird decription of what she was wearing when her then ex-stepfather's former partner (who kept hanging around Delilah's house once in a while) to throw off the old partner.
"I'd put on a pink cable-knit sweater over faded jeans and tied my hair up with an actual, damn scrunchie. No one, especially a cop, has ever been murdered by a girl who wears scrunchies with daisies printed on them. Mendez couldn't possible find anything suspicious about me, not like this."
Okay, first of all, that first quote and comment has nothing to do with sexism. I for instance do not know how car jacks work and yet, there's MANY girls out there in the world who knows how to use one because their parents or someone taught them how to use one. And yet, how is that sexism just because a teenage girl wouldn't be suspected or not knowing how to use specific tools? It's a matter of being taught how to use tools and nothing to do with sexism. *smh* Second of all, WHO CARES WHAT YOU'RE WEARING EVEN WHEN YOU'RE A MURDERER? CLOTHING DOESN'T MATTER TO COPS! That one had me laughing a little cause of all the Dateline podcasts I've listened to, clothing and what you're wearing doesn't mean anything to investigators.....
I decided to ignore those of course until I came across some weird attempted metaphors I got a kick out of how unnecessary they were and in the wrong places and some (depending on the situation of the story) just shouldn't have been there at all. Here's a few that are my "favorites" that had me reeling with laughter on the inside and wondering what the frick was that? I won't say who actually said what even though a few you might figure out who said what, more just sharing what some of these metaphors were.
1: "A hot kernel sat deep in my gut, getting hotter by the second, until my entire being was filled with its heat. I had to fight back. I'd call him out on his bluff."
2: "I could have leapt up, punched my way through the car roof and clouds and through the atmosphere. I called him out on his bluff and it worked!"
3: "Delilah's boyfriend. The title slipped out as easily as an eel wriggling out of a fisherman's grip. So natural, the way it rolled off my tongue."
4: "Detective Mendez wasn't the type to pluck her brows into delicate arches; they sat atop her eyes like two fat, angry caterpillars....'Brandon called for you?' she said, the two caterpillars now trained on Delilah."
5: "I could leap to the skies, I was filled with so many bubbles."
Oh boy....and then I get to part two and even though I told myself I was going to push through to the end and try another of her books next year, I saw how much it then dragged after skimming and then REALLY SKIMMING to the point I was glancing at pages and skipped to see the last three chapter and to also see how it ended. It was a weird ending in my opinion and all I could think about was, "That's it? Seriously?" and the big plot twists weren't as exciting to me either like they were just bland and didn't lead up to those twists enough and it just felt random and I don't know. I guess this one wasn't cutting it for me and not because it was a stalker type story, bit was more of the execution of the story, how it dragged, Delilah being a whiny obnoxious, and playing the victim card and blaming everyone else for her problems and actions; and then we had the annoying metaphor attempts at the wrong places. I don't mind those every once in a while, but overall, I just had some issues that I don't want to spoil in case someone else might want to read this and see if they end up liking it or not. But unfortunately for me, it just didn't work for some reason.
NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT CHOOSE TO TAKE THIS OFF YOUR TBR OR IN GENERAL BASED ON MY REVIEW. READ IT FOR YOURSELF AND DECIDE WHAT YOU THINK BECAUSE EVERY BOOK SPEAKS DIFFERENTLY TO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND IT'S ONLY YOUR OPINION THAT MATTERS AND NO ONE ELSE'S.
August 28, 2025
ending felt a bit rushed in my opinion (i could’ve just been reading super fast) BUT IT WAS SOOOO GOOOOD
September 12, 2025
Hayatta kalmak için herşeyi yapan bir karakteri okuduk adeta. Delilah güçlü olduğu kadar korkutucu derecede zeki bir kadın karakterdi. Hayatını bir hapis gibi yaşamamak için hep bir çıkış yolu aradı. İmajından da çok farklı karalar aldı. Aslında yazar herkesin görünenden farklı olabileceğini hem Logan hem de Delilah karakterleri üzerinden anlattı.
November 23, 2025
This book was incredible, but I felt the ending was left open for a sequel that we never got.
December 19, 2021
WOWSERS this was a good read!! Delilah just reminded me of Joe Goldberg from "YOU". But the ending?? I need to know more!!
January 27, 2021
So The Obsession is a dual POV story about a creep named Logan who becomes obsessed with Delilah who suffers from trauma caused by an abusive family situation. The two both attend the same elite North California private school and as Logan's obsession with Delilah grows he uncovers evidence that she killed her almost stepfather, an abuse copy and uses that to draw her closer. Delilah is tired of being the victim to controlling men and must find a way out.
I was struggling to get into this one at first. I've never watched the popular series You so I'm not used to this type of storytelling and my sister had to fill me in. I felt we were too much in Logan's head from the beginning with his chapters. And Logan's head was a very disturbing place. And there was never any nuance to him as a villain. I would've liked it better had he also not showed his hand so early to Delilah. He reveals himself and starts blackmailing her well before the 50% mark. We didn't get to see her getting to know him in a way she could trust him. She knew about his former obsession to a girl Sophie, whom she resembles very early on.
This story is very fast paced to the point where I initially read past hints about a certain plot point. And I call it a plot point because not much was done with it and it wasn't enough to drive the story. But at the same time it was hard to get through Logan's chapters. Delilah was better developed and her chapters were stronger but I wasn't enthralled. I wish it would've gone darker and deeper.
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
I was struggling to get into this one at first. I've never watched the popular series You so I'm not used to this type of storytelling and my sister had to fill me in. I felt we were too much in Logan's head from the beginning with his chapters. And Logan's head was a very disturbing place. And there was never any nuance to him as a villain. I would've liked it better had he also not showed his hand so early to Delilah. He reveals himself and starts blackmailing her well before the 50% mark. We didn't get to see her getting to know him in a way she could trust him. She knew about his former obsession to a girl Sophie, whom she resembles very early on.
This story is very fast paced to the point where I initially read past hints about a certain plot point. And I call it a plot point because not much was done with it and it wasn't enough to drive the story. But at the same time it was hard to get through Logan's chapters. Delilah was better developed and her chapters were stronger but I wasn't enthralled. I wish it would've gone darker and deeper.
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot....
March 20, 2021
What a let down. So simple, so predictable. You can see where the story is going just by reading the first chapter. I can see somebody enjoying this, only if this is their first mystery\thriller experience in life.
November 27, 2023
delulu (Delilah) & delolo (Logan)
some cute little nicknames I gave them!!(:
If you’re looking for a combination of Joe Goldberg & Vigilante shit by Taylor swift, you’re in luck cause I 100% recommend this book.
not everyone is the way they seem to be & looks are very deceiving.
the unfortunate reason for only four stars is because I saw so much potential in an epilogue that could’ve made this book a duology maybe. I did like the ending and even though I saw it coming I was worried it could’ve been a huge turn around. It had that five star potential but the missed opportunity is what had to take it down a star ):
I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fast pace, girl gets revenge, young adult thriller kind of book.
some cute little nicknames I gave them!!(:
If you’re looking for a combination of Joe Goldberg & Vigilante shit by Taylor swift, you’re in luck cause I 100% recommend this book.
not everyone is the way they seem to be & looks are very deceiving.
the unfortunate reason for only four stars is because I saw so much potential in an epilogue that could’ve made this book a duology maybe. I did like the ending and even though I saw it coming I was worried it could’ve been a huge turn around. It had that five star potential but the missed opportunity is what had to take it down a star ):
I definitely recommend if you’re looking for a fast pace, girl gets revenge, young adult thriller kind of book.
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