Tessy asked Caroline Kepnes:

First of all, thank you for "You"! It's become one of my favorite books of all time. Is there any author or piece of writing in particular that you feel influences your work? If so, in what way does this happen?

Caroline Kepnes Hey Tessy! That is so wonderful to hear, that all-time-favorite-book feeling is the best, right?

The Road by Cormac McCarthy. That once in a lifetime quivering sensation, the danger, the love.

Bret Easton Ellis, his prowess with pop culture, The Whitney Houston Pages are forever capitalized and framed in my mind.

Judy Blume's Are You There, God? It's Me Margaret. You talk about going inside someone's head, which is what I set out to do with the Joe books, I mean, hello Margaret. We're there, we're with you. We always will be. Such a total success, that book.

I think you read and then sometime it stays with you. Months after reading Trust No One by Paul Cleave, I still hear Jerry and he wants to play with the sirens. And that is a pacey thriller, it's top notch page turning excitement. But it's with me because of those sirens. For whatever reason, I heard them too. I just wanted to cry and save him and yet I was scared of him. I love that book.

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