Precious You

A Novel

By: Helen Monks Takhar

Narrated by: Kristin Atherton, Yolanda Kettle, Helen Monks Takhar

Length: 11 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

An obsessive power struggle between an editor and her millennial intern turns dangerous in this debut psychological thriller—for readers of Luckiest Girl Alive and You.“Hypnotic...an addictive thriller." (People)

Trusting you was my first mistake.

To Katherine, 24-year-old Lily Lunt is a typical “snowflake.” It seems like the privileged, politically correct millennial will do whatever she can to make it big as a writer, including leveraging her family’s connections. To Lily, Katherine Ross, a career woman in her early 40s, is a holdover from another era: clueless, old-fashioned, and perfectly happy to build her success on the backs of her unpaid interns.

When Lily is hired as the new intern at the magazine where Katherine is editor in chief, her arrival threatens the very foundation of the self-serving little world that Katherine has built. She finds herself obsessively drawn to Lily, who seems to be a cruel reminder of the beauty and potential she once had - things Lily uses against Katherine as she slowly begins to undermine her, sabotaging her work and turning the magazine’s new publisher against her. Is Katherine being paranoid? Or is Lily seeking to systematically destroy her life? As Katherine tries to fight back, a toxic generational divide turns explosive and long-buried secrets are exposed - with deadly consequences for both....

Gripping and provocative, Precious You delivers an unsettling, provocative take on the contemporary workplace, turning the professional roles women play on their heads in a razor-sharp, revenge-driven thriller for our age.

Praise for Precious You

“Breathtaking. A brilliant, butt-kicking romp through the Gen X/Millennial clash and the horrors of cutthroat corporate life. I couldn't put it down.” (Alex Marwood, Edgar Award-winning author of The Wicked Girls)

“What a wild ride. I’m obsessed with it! I felt so seen, so many times. This book, while so twisted and dark, will resonate with many, many women.” (Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Last Girl Lied To)

“An intergenerational clash between two women, played out to a shocking finale. Nail-biting.” (Harriet Tyce, author of Blood Orange)

©2020 Helen Monks Takhar (P)2020 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A deliciously dark, addictive, and twisted page-turner.” (Alice Feeney, New York Times best-selling author of Sometimes I Lie)

“Precious You is an incredibly addictive thriller that examines women in the workplace, ageism, and the clash of generations. It’s creepy and unnerving, with observations that are often dead-on. A breathtaking debut by Helen Monks Takhar.” (Samantha Downing, internationally best-selling author of My Lovely Wife)

“Monks Takhar tackles workplace dynamics, aging, feminism, mental illness, and the hotly debated generation gap, all within the framework of a tightly plotted revenge thriller. . . . Readers won’t be able to tear their eyes away as this runaway train inevitably derails. A wickedly sharp first novel from an author to watch.” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

A "page turner."

I loved this book and couldn't wait to get to the end. Lots of twists and turns.

A painful listen

On the plus side, this is a well-written novel with nuanced characters. Unfortunately, I found the psychological sadism involved in the story very unpleasant. I was glad to finish the book and go on to something new.

Good Book

I randomly picked it and it was awesome! One of the best ones in the genre (finally)

loved it

Great story... loved and hated these characters! This was one of the few audiobooks that I didn't have to force myself to finish. Really a great story.

👏👏👏👏👏👏

Sooo good! Beyond my expectations! Please read, so many layers and but a easy listen. A new favorite!

If you have found You first gray hair... listen ..

I am the exact age of one of the main characters and can identify more than I wanted to admit, not only does this provide just the right amount of rollet coaster effect, it reaches deep inside the beginning of middle age, targeting ones doubts perfectly.

Just ok

Very slow to start. We get the picture pretty soon. Best I can say is this isn’t the typical “oh my god woman how stupid can you be” so that’s good. However you can probably skip the first half of the book.

Leaves you questioning

I thought the character development and arcs were brilliant. It’s hard to define who’s the “good guy” and who’s the villain because they both are so unlikeable at times - but that’s the reality of most people. We’re not all good or bad. Some plots twists at the end that I felt it was building up to but still managed to surprise me.

Accurate...

The author nailed the divisive attitudes that separates us by sex, age, and ideologies.
Good writing, very up to the minute abs summer great twists.
Perfect narration. Enjoyed every minute.

Desperate ‘heroine’ but still very good

I get super bored with the main female character being abused, cheated on, stolen from etc and this book did have a huge portion of unfair and stupid choices but I still really enjoyed the book. Had no clue it would end the way it did and the twists were a surprise. Actor was amazingly good! Will read more from this author.