From the outside, simply put, You is about a man that falls instantly in love with a woman. Love at first sight, they call it. He decides that he will do anything to make her fall in love with him too. He is there for her whenever something bad happens. He even saves her life. This is what Guinevere Beck perceived from her perspective of Joe, as he told her that he had loved her ever sins he laid is eyes on her.
That quickly changes. When Joe said he would do anything to make Beck fall in love with him, he was serious. Sadly, she wasn’t the girl to fall in love over simple gifts and compliments, and that wasn’t the love Joe wanted anyway. He wanted her to know that she was lucky to have him, a love bordering on adoration and awe for him. Stripping everything she loved and held dear was an easy way to reach his goal. Because under all the bravado, Joe is a con artist, a master manipulator and a psychopath.
He ended up killing two of Beck’s closest friends, literally believing that he was doing the best for her. In the book, he uses real, sound logic to show how he was doing good. At least doing good for the “better good”. And it makes sense. He is not stupid; he might even be more logical than the average human. The difference, the sickening truth he lays out is logical, but without any form of empathy whatsoever.
The true natures of a psychopath are reveled in the book. He is obsessed with Beck, will do anything to get to her. When all the obstacles are removed- or dead- she still doesn’t want him. He then kills her, before moving on to his next victim, or lover, none the sadder.
