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mersaddles's review against another edition
5.0
This is the first Colleen Hoover novel I've read. I didn't have a clue what to expect from her writing style but I was hooked all the way through. The first couple chapters didn't quite grab my attention until about chapter 5-6. After that I refused to put the book down, read it in two to three days. Colleen's story telling was captivating and emotional.
suvata's review against another edition
4.0
Colleen Hoover has a way of pulling all the emotions out of me — tugging at my heart-strings.
ash_thierfeldt's review against another edition
5.0
Wowwww
This book was INCREDIBLE. It pulls you in and punches you right in the feels.
I think it was a bit more impactful for me, personally, because I just had my first child 7 months ago and I can only imagine how hard it would be to give birth to this beautiful little life and then never get to meet her. But even more so the way she breaks down all the characters and how she makes us see and feel how messy and confusing and complicated life can be, it’s extraordinary.
This book is a beautiful story of redemption and forgiveness and I’m better off for having read it. Thank you CoHo for again ripping my heart out in the very best of ways!
This book was INCREDIBLE. It pulls you in and punches you right in the feels.
I think it was a bit more impactful for me, personally, because I just had my first child 7 months ago and I can only imagine how hard it would be to give birth to this beautiful little life and then never get to meet her. But even more so the way she breaks down all the characters and how she makes us see and feel how messy and confusing and complicated life can be, it’s extraordinary.
This book is a beautiful story of redemption and forgiveness and I’m better off for having read it. Thank you CoHo for again ripping my heart out in the very best of ways!
neliasbookshelf's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Car accident
ritaslilnook's review against another edition
5.0
In my mind, I feel like I need more time to process what I just read, but I also need to talk about it so here goes.
This book was beautiful. This story takes us into the life of Kenna, a mother who is trying to meet her daughter for the first time after almost 5 years in jail - she has no money, no family, no home, but she has a daughter she very much wants to meet and loves, her name is Diem.
Also, this book dedicates a chapter each for a different character. We get the point of view of Kenna, but also a man named Ledger. Onwards, I might let out a spoiler or two, so beware of that before reading further.
Kenna is so raw, so down-to-earth, and self-aware, I absolutely loved her character. You empathize with her very quickly. She got out of jail and could be doing whatever with her life, but no. Instead, she goes back to a town where everyone thinks the most despicable things of her, only to try and meet her daughter.
With the money she got she finds a crappy apartment (more like a box) to live in and care for her basic needs, she tries to find a job, but everyone refuses her due to her criminal record. Until she finds herself having a meltdown at the restroom of a supermarket and coincidently meets a worker from the place who tells her to apply for the job as a part-timer, she will take her, even with a record. The pay is not much, they usually give these opportunities to students or impaired people looking for some financial freedom, but Kenna had the luck of being at the right place at the right time.
She doesn’t have a family to call, she has herself only - and Diem.
On her first day back in town, Kenna was going through the town looking at the old places Scotty and her used to hang out. She finds the bookstore was replaced by a bar and walks in to see how they have turned what was once a calm, learning place, into the opposite of it. Here is where she meets the key to unlock her deepest fears and desires… she meets our second main character, Ledger.
They find a pull towards each other, a connection, even before knowing what (or who) it was. Ledger was Scotty’s best friend, almost like his brother. That first night they make out, but end up being interrupted by a cop who is Ledger’s friend and calls him by his name, obviously. After hearing it, Kenna is the first to figure out who he is.
While Scotty was alive, she never got a chance to meet his best friend as she was always busy working and he was busy studying - all their moments were spent alone, making the most out of their love, which was the purest thing I have ever read, to be honest. It was beautiful.
Ledger finds only the next day who the intriguing woman was. He finds her sitting on Scotty’s parent's lawn and immediately makes the connection to her being Diem’s mom. His instinct is to protect the little girl from this woman who he believed to be heartless and cruel.
Ledger and Diem have a beautiful relationship. Since she was born, Ledger helped Grace and Patrick, Scotty’s parents, care for Diem. He wasn’t trying to fill Scotty’s place as a dad, he was just her grown-up best friend. Uncle Ledger, if you will.
The complexity of the story lies in the fact that Ledger and Kenna can’t seem to keep away from each other. Scotty’s parents don’t want her near Diem and even file a restraining order, so whilst not really giving up, she gives in to the idea that she has to leave because 1) it will only cut deepest the longer she stays so close yet so far away from her daughter and 2) if her heart had any shred left to tug on, Ledger would keep it, because she was falling for him (and him for her), and before any further feelings develop, she wants to leave. At first, he also wants her to leave, both for Diem’s sake and his own.
However, the more he gets to know her and her side of the story, the more he falls in love with her and understands that keeping Diem away from her is nothing but a vicious choice.
The way the author elaborated this book makes the understanding of the past, present, and even future of these characters very clear. This story is about love and sacrifice and, to me, the importance of not giving up on us or on each other. There is always something more, something we still haven’t discovered about others or ourselves. Resilience is also an important word in this story. Kenna has every reason to give up, to not fight for herself, let alone for Diem who has a comfortable, happy life. But she does. She doesn’t quit and even when she tries to, Ledger won’t let her.
In the words of Ledger,
And in the words of Kenna,
This is it, my friends. Can’t tell you less, can’t tell you more about it. One thing I was expecting but didn’t get was more heartwrenching situations BUT that was my personal expectation as an avid reader of Hoover’s books. I cried for a while, not for the whole night - as expected.
I also am not entirely happy with this review, because I feel like I didn’t take as much time as I should have to process all the story, but I needed to talk, people. I’m sorry.
Well done, Colleen. Well done, once again.
Happy reads,
Rita
This book was beautiful. This story takes us into the life of Kenna, a mother who is trying to meet her daughter for the first time after almost 5 years in jail - she has no money, no family, no home, but she has a daughter she very much wants to meet and loves, her name is Diem.
Also, this book dedicates a chapter each for a different character. We get the point of view of Kenna, but also a man named Ledger. Onwards, I might let out a spoiler or two, so beware of that before reading further.
Spoiler
Kenna was in jail due to a tragic accident that took her boyfriend’s life, Scotty. He never knew about the pregnancy, nor did Kenna until already being in jail, otherwise she would have fought harder to prove her innocence. Regardless, when Kenna had Diem, Scotty’s parents took guardianship and Kenna was to not contact them or her child.Kenna is so raw, so down-to-earth, and self-aware, I absolutely loved her character. You empathize with her very quickly. She got out of jail and could be doing whatever with her life, but no. Instead, she goes back to a town where everyone thinks the most despicable things of her, only to try and meet her daughter.
With the money she got she finds a crappy apartment (more like a box) to live in and care for her basic needs, she tries to find a job, but everyone refuses her due to her criminal record. Until she finds herself having a meltdown at the restroom of a supermarket and coincidently meets a worker from the place who tells her to apply for the job as a part-timer, she will take her, even with a record. The pay is not much, they usually give these opportunities to students or impaired people looking for some financial freedom, but Kenna had the luck of being at the right place at the right time.
She doesn’t have a family to call, she has herself only - and Diem.
On her first day back in town, Kenna was going through the town looking at the old places Scotty and her used to hang out. She finds the bookstore was replaced by a bar and walks in to see how they have turned what was once a calm, learning place, into the opposite of it. Here is where she meets the key to unlock her deepest fears and desires… she meets our second main character, Ledger.
They find a pull towards each other, a connection, even before knowing what (or who) it was. Ledger was Scotty’s best friend, almost like his brother. That first night they make out, but end up being interrupted by a cop who is Ledger’s friend and calls him by his name, obviously. After hearing it, Kenna is the first to figure out who he is.
While Scotty was alive, she never got a chance to meet his best friend as she was always busy working and he was busy studying - all their moments were spent alone, making the most out of their love, which was the purest thing I have ever read, to be honest. It was beautiful.
Ledger finds only the next day who the intriguing woman was. He finds her sitting on Scotty’s parent's lawn and immediately makes the connection to her being Diem’s mom. His instinct is to protect the little girl from this woman who he believed to be heartless and cruel.
Ledger and Diem have a beautiful relationship. Since she was born, Ledger helped Grace and Patrick, Scotty’s parents, care for Diem. He wasn’t trying to fill Scotty’s place as a dad, he was just her grown-up best friend. Uncle Ledger, if you will.
The complexity of the story lies in the fact that Ledger and Kenna can’t seem to keep away from each other. Scotty’s parents don’t want her near Diem and even file a restraining order, so whilst not really giving up, she gives in to the idea that she has to leave because 1) it will only cut deepest the longer she stays so close yet so far away from her daughter and 2) if her heart had any shred left to tug on, Ledger would keep it, because she was falling for him (and him for her), and before any further feelings develop, she wants to leave. At first, he also wants her to leave, both for Diem’s sake and his own.
However, the more he gets to know her and her side of the story, the more he falls in love with her and understands that keeping Diem away from her is nothing but a vicious choice.
The way the author elaborated this book makes the understanding of the past, present, and even future of these characters very clear. This story is about love and sacrifice and, to me, the importance of not giving up on us or on each other. There is always something more, something we still haven’t discovered about others or ourselves. Resilience is also an important word in this story. Kenna has every reason to give up, to not fight for herself, let alone for Diem who has a comfortable, happy life. But she does. She doesn’t quit and even when she tries to, Ledger won’t let her.
In the words of Ledger,
“We’re all a bunch of sad people doing what we have to do to make it until tomorrow. Some of us sadder than others. Some of us more willing to forgive than others.”
And in the words of Kenna,
“How many losses can one person take before they just throw the fucking towel, Scotty?”
This is it, my friends. Can’t tell you less, can’t tell you more about it. One thing I was expecting but didn’t get was more heartwrenching situations BUT that was my personal expectation as an avid reader of Hoover’s books. I cried for a while, not for the whole night - as expected.
I also am not entirely happy with this review, because I feel like I didn’t take as much time as I should have to process all the story, but I needed to talk, people. I’m sorry.
Well done, Colleen. Well done, once again.
Happy reads,
Rita
sarahs_booklove's review against another edition
5.0
Es ist selten, das ich wirklich wirklich sprachlos bin, nachdem ich ein Buch beendet habe. Nachdem ich die ganze Nacht nicht schlafen konnte, und mich dieses Buch durch die letzten Stunden begleitet hat, habe ich allerdings gleichzeitig so viel zu sagen, und weiß trotzdem nicht wie. Dieses Buch war unglaublich. Von Colleen‘s Schreibstil brauchen wir glaube ich gar nicht erst anzufangen - der war schon immer grandios, und auch ihre Charaktere sind einfach klasse, aber dieses Buch war, mal wieder, ein ganz neues Level. Es war unfassbar emotional, tiefgründig, und hat mal wieder moralische Konflikte aufgezeigt, über die ich vorher vermutlich nie nachgedacht hätte. Ich bin so dankbar, ihre Bücher lesen zu dürfen, und selbst noch so viel dazu lernen zu können. Es war emotional, wunderschön, und einfach echt. Ich bin mir sicher, dass diese Geschichte vielen nahe gehen wird, so wie sie auch mir nahe gegangen ist. Ich habe jedes Wort geliebt und genossen, und bin mal wieder viel zu traurig, dass es jetzt schon wieder vorbei ist. Ich könnte es ungelogen sofort noch einmal lesen. Wundervollstes Buch, gehört jetzt sicher zu einem meiner Favoriten der Autorin - und meiner Favoriten von einfach immer. Größte Empfehlung - für alle Bücher von Colleen Hoover, aber ganz besonders dieses hier. LIEBE!!!
winealittlereadalot's review against another edition
5.0
CoHo does it again! I stayed up wayyyy too late last night and finished this book in pretty much one sitting. I'm only able to do that for a few authors - Colleen Hoover's books being one of them. This was just... perfection. It will probably be one of my fav books for 2022.
michello's review
challenging
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5