Review: You’ve Been Warned by James Patterson

First line: It’s way too early in the morning for dead people.

Why I read this: It’s a James Patterson book that I somehow missed when it came out.

From the inside cover:

YOU’VE BEEN NICE, VERY NICE

Kristin Burns has lived her life by the philosophy “Don’t think, just shoot” – pictures, that is. Struggling to make ends meet, she works full-time as the nanny for the fabulously wealthy Turnbull family, looking after their two wonderful children and waiting for her glamorous life as a New York photographer to begin. When her photographs are considered by an elite Manhattan art gallery, it seems she might finally get the chance that will start her career.

YOU’VE BEEN NAUGHTY, VERY NAUGHTY

But Kristin has a major distraction: forbidden love. The man of her dreams is almost hers for keeps. Breathless with an inexhaustible passion and the excitement of being within reach of her goals, Kristin ignores all signs of catastrophes brewing.

NOW YOU’VE BEEN WARNED

Fear exists for a reason. And Kristin can dismiss the warnings for just so long. Searching desperately for the truth through the lens of her camera, she can only hope that it’s not too late. This novel of psychological suspense is a stunning new achievement for thriller master James Patterson, “one of the bestselling writers in history.”

My thoughts: As with most authors, there are bound to be some books they write that just don’t grab you the way their others do. I found that to be the case with this book. I didn’t hate the book, but I didn’t love it either – it was just o-kay.  You’ve Been Warned is an interesting mix of the bizarre, the supernatural, and suspense and it’s this combination that is keeping me from loving it as I am not a fan of the supernatural. 

This story, with it’s fast-moving thrills & chill, holds a great moral sub-plot. It’s a good lesson to many of us, as we seem to ignore many “warnings” that are right before our eyes. It also makes you think about choices in your own life and think twice about the outcomes.  As is typical with James Patteron, we have the fast-paced chapters with a cliff hanger at the end of almost every one of them. Kristin Burns is an up-and-coming photographer living in New York City.  In order to support herself until she makes it big with the photography, she works as a nanny for the two children of Michael and Penley Turnbull. She’s also carrying on a steamy affair with Michael Turnbull and is waiting for the day he will leave his wife for her. On her way to work one morning she walks past a hotel and sees four gurneys, each holding a dead body, however, in one of the body bags it appears that the inhabitant is alive, at least to Kristin. She took some pictures at the scene and when she developed them in her dark room she discovered an interesting little detail, one she could not ignore. Strange things start occurring to her and she finds herself scared and not sure who to turn to or what’s real and what’s just in her head.

As I was reading this, I found I couldn’t put it down because I had to know how it all ended and I’m glad I did as there were quite a few twists and turns thrown in.

(I borrowed this book from the library.)