This review contains minor spoilers. Reader discretion is advised.

The Obsession by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a young adult fiction book based on a truly messed-up love story. With all of the plots the characters face, the book is quite exciting to read.

The Obsession is your typical high school love story — except someone will die. The novel is about a teen girl named Delilah who moves to a new school and meets a young boy who she falls in love with. Little does she know, that boy will become her stalker. Delihah becomes a raging obsession for the boy because she reminds him of his deceased lover.

Delilah may appear to be your typical nerdy, shy teen, but in reality, she’s fierce and hiding some life-or-death secrets. She lives in fear that her stalker will reveal the truth about what she’s hiding.

The setup is based on the perspectives of two morally corrupt characters. Logan (the stalker) made me cringe and scream — he was so interesting and disturbing at the same time. Each of his chapters felt genuine, as if he couldn’t help but “protect” Delilah and save her from the dangerous world he’d believed to be true.

Delilah, the book’s main character, appears quiet, but readers become surprised at what she’s capable of. Delilah and her mother have lived in an abusive household. My favorite character is her mother, who is vulnerable and just wants to be there for her daughter and protect her, but it appears that she has failed her by bringing a monster into her life. Her mom demonstrates how a mother really only wants to be there for her children and help them through the thick and the thin, but no one becomes a parent with prior knowledge of how to do the job perfectly. Her mother is hurt because she feels guilty for Delilah’s life. I feel for her — she’s just trying to be maternal and loving.

Character development was fantastic throughout the story, not just with the two main characters, but within secondary characters too. Each had a storyline, each made them second guess themselves. 

I liked the story that the characters led into. The story is an exhilarating thrill that keeps the reader guessing with new plot twists, which makes it very intriguing and makes you want to keep reading. I love when Delilah finally stands up to her stalker, when she no longer allows herself to be in the shadow of men. The majority of the scenes are tense and tragic, and the story keeps you turning the page.

The ending was not my favorite; I didn’t expect much, but it left me on a cliffhanger, which frustrated me. What would happen to Delilah, and how her life would progress? What happens to her dark secrets, and will her true self ever be revealed? Will her stalker’s identity be revealed?

The book is an excellent novel to read, and it will keep you on your toes. I would recommend it to any high school readers who enjoy a good thrill. If you’ve seen the movie or read the book YOU, you’ll most likely enjoy this novel. If you enjoy reading romance novels, this is the one for you.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and the plot was fantastic throughout; I highly recommend it. Jesse Q. Sutanto’s writing style is phenomenal, so I will most likely invest in more of her books. I would give this book an 8.3/10.

If you’re interested in reading this book, you can find it in local stores or purchase it online here. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.