Reviews with content warning for Bullying - Hopeless

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I think this one of the better Colleen Hoover books I’ve read but it didn’t sweep me off my feet the way some of her other books have. It was sad at times, but I didn’t cry (even though I sure wanted to and at times I had a couple tears working their way up). I think the main reason it’s not a 5 star read for me is because it was just kinda.. predictable? I kind of knew a lot of the big “reveals” because of the foreshadowing. For example,

Sky doesn’t really ever want sex and disassociates when men kiss and touch her. Was definitely a red flag and confirmed my later suspicions. In the first flashback chapter, it says how as a child she was afraid of the doorknob turning at night. I put two and two together.

The first third of the book is spent building up Sky’s life and watching her make friends with Breckin and Holder. But once things speed up, Breckin and Six aren’t mentioned again until the last like 40 pages (this is a 406 page book, btw).

There were some problematic things in this book, like how Holder (and Sky) didn’t like crying because it was weak. I know this is realistic and toxic masculinity and all that but I just felt like it was such a useless theme to hold onto throughout the book (especially when both of the main characters went through a lot and really needed to feel their emotions.) It felt like it was used to connect the characters, too. Like Sky would try not to cry and then Holder would be like “it’s ok to be weak in front of me.”

Not to mention how Holder practically demanded she get on birth control and Sky had nothing more to say than “ok, I’ll get on it but you could ask nicely?”

Some people think this book felt far fetched but I didn’t. Things like this happen all the time in real life, as sad as it is to say.

However, I did really love the themes in this book. The idea that three people can experience the same thing and react in completely different ways (and I appreciated how none of the ways were judged.) I also loved how it indirectly talked about having an inner child, and how your experiences don’t define you, the way you react does. I liked how it talked about still finding the courage to smile even after everything you’ve been through and how important it is.

I think it’s hard to read about but I think it a real look on trauma and the many ways someone can handle trauma. It alludes to PTSD and disassociating, even though those two things are never specifically named.

Overall, I really did like this book and I actually do love the main characters, regardless of the fact that it doesn’t seem like I do.

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ilovegilmoregirls's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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loverbot's review against another edition

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dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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romanysky's review against another edition

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emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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niyaslilworld's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

This took me by surprise. It was intense, heartbreaking, exciting, full of twists, and arguably the best book I've read by this author so far. The first half and some cringe worthy moments throughout were some of the few things that didn't make this book exceptional for me. However, the second half was thrilling. So much so that I couldn't put it down. I'd say it's worth the read.

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cherice99's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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izreadsalot's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

When I first started the book, I didn't think I was going to like it. It didn't seem like Colleen Hoover and it felt like a cheesy YA without much substance. I had no idea what I was going into. As someone who has experienced trauma and PTSD, this book really spoke to me. Every person's situation is different and everyone deals with their trauma in different ways and I did not experience the exact same thing as Sky. However, there were many moments where I felt so seen. This was probably the most difficult of Hoover's books so far for me to read, but I'm so glad I read it.

Sky is finally going to "real" school her senior year of high school after a life of homeschooling. Dean Holder has returned after a year of being gone from school. When the two of them meet, Holder is instantly captivated by her. Sky doesn't know what to make of him, but something about him intrigues her. Something about him starts to bring back memories of her past that she's spent her whole life burying. She tries to push him away, but they can't seem to stay away from each other. And once they finally give in to one another, they feel closer than ever. However, when Sky finds out that Holder has been keeping something very important from her, she doesn't know if she can ever trust him again. Could Holder know more about her than he's letting on?

{TW: Bullying, Child Sexual Abuse, Death of a parent, Kidnapping, Rape, Sexual Abuse, Suicide}

Again, this is not a cheesy romance novel. The romance is a huge part of it, and it's beautifully written, but there's so much more to it.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves CoHo books, anyone who enjoys heavy plot lines or books that will make them cry, and anyone who enjoys plot-heavy romances.

I definitely plan on picking up the sequel.

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