Read every series in the right order
You Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide
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Table of Contents
Quick Answer (TL;DR)
Best reading order:
- You First (prequel, Joe as a 17-year-old) → 2) You → 3) Hidden Bodies → 4) You Love Me → 5) For You and Only You.
That’s the in-universe chronology that tracks Joe’s evolution from first obsession to his later reinventions. (Publication order is different; see below.) The prequel You First is labeled as a Joe-Goldberg origin and, at time of writing, is announced as forthcoming; the Google Books record lists June 9, 2026 as the publication date.
Netflix’s You wrapped with a fifth and final season premiering April 24, 2025, returning Joe to New York and closing the TV arc.
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Introduction
When readers ask me for You Books in Chronological Order, they’re really asking two things: “Where do I start so the character arc makes the most sense?” and “What’s the difference between the books and the Netflix series?” This guide answers both—without spoilers that ruin the ride. I’ll show you the story-first way to read (prequel → debut → sequels), then list the publication order, explain how each book shifts Joe’s voice and setting, and flag the best editions (plus audiobooks that absolutely nail the tone).
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This series lives at the crossroads of psychological thriller, dark satire, and romance-gone-rotten. It’s not simply about stalking; it’s a razor-edged critique of the way we curate ourselves online, how gatekept literary scenes work, and how charming narratives can hide monstrous impulses. If your book club loves to argue ethics, unreliable narrators, and pop-culture skewering, this is catnip.
Quick Facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Series | You (Joe Goldberg) by Caroline Kepnes |
| Core genres | Psychological thriller, dark comedy, contemporary crime |
| Reading difficulty | Moderate (adult themes, frank language) |
| Content warnings | Stalking, manipulation, violence, murder, sex, abusive relationships, substance use |
| Ideal age range | Adult (18+) |
| Main settings | New York City; Los Angeles; Pacific Northwest; Cambridge/Harvard |
| Approx. page counts (by book) | You (~424 pp.); Hidden Bodies (~448 pp.); You Love Me (~400–450 pp. depending on edition); For You and Only You (~430+ pp.) |
| Media adaptations | Netflix’s You (S1–S4; Lifetime carried S1 initially before move to Netflix; final S5 premiered April 24, 2025). |
| Publisher(s) (selected eds.) | Early books originally with Atria/Emily Bestler (S&S); later entries with Random House imprints. |
About the You Book Series
At its heart, You is a character study with a thriller engine. Joe Goldberg thinks in second person, addressing you—the object of his desire—as if the world is conspiring to put you together. The illusion is seductive: bookish references, caretaker vibes, quippy disdain for fakes. Underneath is surveillance, coercion, and a willingness to erase obstacles—permanently.
Each sequel lifts Joe into a new ecosystem (indie lit scenes, LA clout, small-town libraries, elite writing programs) and asks: How far does narrative privilege carry a charming man who believes he deserves you? That’s why the chronological path matters—the prequel You First promises to show how Joe learned to read people (and systems) to his advantage.
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You Books at a Glance
| # | Title | Amazon Buy Link |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | You First: A Joe Goldberg Prequel (forthcoming) | Amazon |
| 1 | You: A Novel | Amazon |
| 2 | Hidden Bodies | Amazon |
| 3 | You Love Me | Amazon |
| 4 | For You and Only You | Amazon |
You Books Chronological Reading Order
0) You First: A Joe Goldberg Prequel (origin story; forthcoming)
- Where it fits: First, before You.
- Premise feel: Seventeen-year-old Joe, Mr. Mooney’s bookshop, first “missed connection,” and the earliest habits that calcify into the methods we recognize. Expect a study in how he learns to rationalize the unacceptable.
- Why start here: If you’re new and you want the longest, smoothest arc, this book plants the seeds: literacy as power, romance as narrative, and the thrill of solving people like puzzles. You First is officially listed as a prequel; Google Books shows a June 9, 2026 release date (so if you’re reading now, pre-order and begin with You, then circle back).
1) You (2014)
- Where it fits: Book one, NYC.
- Vibe: Razor-sharp, propulsive, and queasily intimate. Joe’s voice is wildly convincing; you’ll laugh and wince.
- Why it matters: Establishes the second-person narration, bookstore setting, and the series’ central question: Is Joe a romantic lead who went too far—or a predator who tells a pretty story?
- Good to know: Originally published by Atria/Emily Bestler Books (Simon & Schuster); multiple editions exist (tie-ins, mass market).
2) Hidden Bodies (2016)
- Where it fits: Direct sequel; shifts from NYC to LA.
- Vibe: Satirical LA noir—wellness culture, “literary” scene, and tech-money pretensions under Joe’s grindhouse charm.
- Why it matters: It’s Joe’s first attempt at reinvention. He tries to escape his past, discovers LA’s spiritual exercises, and doubles down on the idea that the universe owes him a great love story.
- Publisher note: Initially released by Atria Books; subsequent editions and audio vary by region.
3) You Love Me (2021)
- Where it fits: Time skip; Joe swears off chaos and relocates to the Pacific Northwest.
- Vibe: Cozier surface—library job, seemingly wholesome aspirations—masking old patterns.
- Why it matters: The book reframes Joe as a man who thinks he’s fixing himself—but still scripts people into roles. The small-town dynamic adds fresh moral dilemmas and community fallout.
- Publisher page: Random House listing confirms 2021 publication.
4) For You and Only You (2023)
- Where it fits: Joe enters an elite Harvard writing fellowship.
- Vibe: Academia satire meets locked-circle thriller. Publishing clout, impostor syndrome, and the violence language can do.
- Why it matters: Puts Joe alongside people who weaponize story as ruthlessly as he does. If you loved the “literary world” skewering in the first two books, this scratches the itch.
- Publisher record: Penguin Random House lists the title with full metadata.
Series Timeline & Character Development
- Origin (You First) → Formation of Method (You)
Joe learns to read people: how taste can be leveraged, how privacy is porous, how kindness can be a mask. Early Joe treats curiosity like courtship—watching becomes wooing. - Reinvention (Hidden Bodies)
Los Angeles tempts him with “be your best self” culture, but self-actualization without accountability just improves the mask. Relationships function as mirrors; when they crack, Joe blames the mirror. - Domestic Fantasies (You Love Me)
He rewrites himself as a caretaker and “good neighbor,” but the control mechanisms are still there—only quieter, more persuasive. - Gatekeeping & Genius (For You and Only You)
Elite spaces test whether Joe wants love—or an audience. When everyone’s performing, how do you spot the real monster?
Novels Sorted in Order of In-Universe Events
- You First (prequel; forthcoming) — Joe at 17.
- You
- Hidden Bodies
- You Love Me
- For You and Only You
Novels Sorted in Order of Publication
- You — 2014 (Atria/Emily Bestler Books, S&S).
- Hidden Bodies — 2016 (Atria).
- You Love Me — 2021 (Random House).
- For You and Only You — 2023 (Random House).
- You First — announced; Google Books lists June 9, 2026.
Companion Works
- Providence (2018): A standalone Kepnes novel that blends love story, cosmic dread, and outsider longing. Not part of Joe’s continuity, but if you like beguiling voice + genre-bending, it’s an easy next stop. (Publisher pages vary by region.)
Editions & Formats (hardcover, collector, audio)
Hardcover & Paperback
- Early US printings of You and Hidden Bodies come via Atria/Emily Bestler; later tie-ins, mass markets, and UK editions vary (look for TV-tie-in covers if you want shelf match with the show).
Audiobooks
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This box set includes all four titles in the You series, offering fans an immersive experience in the thrilling world of Joe Goldberg.
- Performer Santino Fontana (TV’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) became synonymous with Joe’s silky menace in the earliest audio editions; newer entries keep the intimate confessional energy that makes commute listening unnervingly immersive. (Check Audible sample clips to pick your preferred narrator editions.)
Collector notes
- TV-tie-in paperbacks surge with each season; first-print hardcovers hold best resale value, especially signed tour copies.
- If you annotate: trade paperbacks of You Love Me and For You and Only You from Random House have creamy stock that takes highlighter without bleed-through.
Why Read You Books in Chronological Order?
Reading origin → fall → reinvention deepens the moral and emotional stakes. You’ll notice how:
- Joe’s internal second-person voice evolves from romantic script to performance to weapon.
- Settings challenge him in new ways (NYC’s anonymity vs. LA’s performance culture vs. a small town’s gossip web vs. academe’s status games).
- Repeated motifs—keys, windows, passwords, “fate”—shift meaning as Joe refines his delusions.
If you’ve already read publication order, a chronology re-read is illuminating; the prequel promises to reframe moments you thought you understood.
Author Spotlight: Caroline Kepnes
Caroline Kepnes writes with a diarist’s intimacy and a satirist’s blade. She’s the New York Times bestselling author of You, Hidden Bodies, You Love Me, and For You and Only You—the quartet adapted into Netflix’s cultural juggernaut, with a prequel You First announced. Her work toggles effortlessly between tenderness and toxicity, using pop-culture and bookish ephemera as breadcrumbs into the psyche. (Publishers of record: Simon & Schuster’s Atria/Emily Bestler for the early books; later titles with Random House imprints.)
Media Adaptations (TV)
- You TV series launched on Lifetime in 2018, then moved to Netflix; the streamer carried S2–S4 and the fifth and final season premiered April 24, 2025, bringing Joe back to New York to confront his past.
- The TV narrative diverges from the books in major ways (character fates, timelines, emphasis), so treat it as a sibling story rather than a 1:1 map.
- If you’re planning a read-along + watch-along, finish You and Hidden Bodies first, then watch S1–S2; circle back to You Love Me and For You and Only You before tackling later TV seasons to feel how wildly the mediums split.
Watch You trailer here :
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FAQs
Should I start with the prequel or the original novel?
If you’re brand-new and patient, start with You First when it lands; otherwise start with You today, then read the prequel later as an origin-story “episode 0.
Are the books “the same” as the show?
No. Big beats align (bookstore, LA reset, new obsessions), but outcomes and character arcs diverge—especially beyond book two. Think “alternate timeline.”
Are these too dark for my club?
They’re dark, yes, but also funny and eminently discussable: parasocial relationships, curation vs. authenticity, the performance of goodness, and the ethics of voyeurism.
Will there be more books after the prequel?
Official listings at time of writing show the prequel next; anything beyond that is speculative. Follow publisher/author announcements for updates.
Ideal age?
Adult. The series includes explicit language, sex, and violence.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever fallen for a charismatic narrator and then felt your stomach drop when the mask slips—that’s You at its best. Reading the You Books in Chronological Order surfaces a tragic inevitability: the more Joe masters story, the less he accepts reality. Whether you’re here for twisty plotting or chewy media-age themes, this order delivers the most emotionally coherent arc—and the richest conversations.
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