Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

16 reviews

xgabrielle_hx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, and Violence

hollyamber's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.5

Massively enjoyed this book. I loved both of the main characters. I found some character traits confusing at the start, but their challenges made so much more sense after the twist was revealed and that made me love the characters at the start more in retrospect too. I didn't see the twist coming at all too, which doesn't happen often! A Colleen Hoover that I'd definitely recommend 🥰

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Kidnapping

cath_reads_books's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

1.75

I really think Colleen Hoover books might not be for me. I found this whole thing to be incredibly twisted and predictable, more so than just what was required by the plot. 

It was obvious from the first meeting of Sky and Holden that he knew her from her childhood, from before she was “adopted.” It was obvious that Sky was Hope and that her father was abusive. As the story developed, it became obvious well before it was said that Karen was Sky’s/Hope’s aunt, who had also been abused by her father. The third abuse victim? Obviously Lesslie, who was so tortured by abuse she never disclosed that she took her own life. 

What I greatly disliked throughout the whole thing is how romanticized and swept under the rug Holden’s manipulation of Sky/Hope was. Having violent outbursts and then not explaining them? Ghosting her for weeks only to show up and say “everything’s fine but I can’t tell you why I was gone”? Withholding information about Sky’s past and person from her even when she asks? The part where they both use each other for sex later in the book, so they can escape a traumatic experience for a moment? That’s not love; none of it is love. It’s a trauma bond, and what Holden was doing is manipulative and dishonest, even if he “had Sky’s/Hope’s best interest at heart”. 

I understand that this book is trying to make some pretty heavy points about abuse, right versus wrong not being so black-and-white, and breaking harmful/toxic cycles. But in my opinion, having the main characters in a trauma-bonded relationship was not the way to illustrate that.

I do know this book is part of a series that I’ve committed to reading and it’s entirety this year, so I may come back and change my review later if some of this is addressed in further series installments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, and Suicide

blynn343's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Incest, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Rape

katalamar's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

pippamillerxoxo_'s review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Car accident, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Police brutality, Addiction, Incest, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Death, Gore, Medical content, Blood, and Rape

issibelle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Grief, Incest, Death of parent, Death, Kidnapping, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence

angiedcardenas's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

a quick easy read by COHO that dives into trauma, the human body & hope!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Violence, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Bullying

charlie29's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

  

  absolutely adored it, couldn’t put it down!!! definitely, one of the most messed up CoHo books but liked the subplot. this book had me screaming, crying, loving, everything. at one point the plot twists just didn't stop coming, like literally every other page there would be a pot twist

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Suicide, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Grief, and Blood

xlaraxk's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

I wanted to read one of Colleen Hoover's book to see what the hype is all about. Unfortunately, I really cannot understand why people would want to read this. This book has just so many issues and was just not sexy or romantic at any point.

The writing: The writing in this book was so bland. Nothing about it was clever or original or showed linguistic talent. Any AO3 or Wattpad writer could do better than this. CoHo really tries to hammer the youthfulness of the characters home by constantly using the phrase "xy sucks ass", "this sucks ass", "he sucks ass" etc. To introduce direct speech she constantly uses "he/she says" so it gets repetitive easily. The comparisons she makes are also strange and could even be considered offensive (e.g." He looked at me like I just said I have a penis").  All in all, the writing was not the worst thing I ever read but just straight up boring - something you will have read a hundred times by now.

The characters: Again, just bland. I could not tell you anything about the main character Sky or Holder in regards to their personality. They all have one character trait only - Holder is "misunderstood", Sky likes to read and that's about it. I do not even understand  why they liked each other in the first place

apart from knowing each other from childhood

. Her mum's only distinctive traits is that she's a vegan and that she does not like technology, nothing more.

The problematic aspects: Oh, there are so many. 

• This book depicts queer, especially gay people, so stereotypically. Colleen Hoover wants to tell us how much of an ally both Holder and Sky are yet to fail to see Sky's friend as anything more than his personality. We've all seen some rendition of "the extroverted quirky gay best friend" in a book or a film - again, nothing original about it.  I'm really sick of seeing this stereotype being brought up over and over again.
• Sky has so much internalised misogyny. Her only issue seems to constantly tell the read that she, in fact, is not a slut. The "slut" topic plays a big part in the beginning of the book and then weirdly is never brought up again later. But in any case, she tries to "not be like other girls" by calling other girls either a slut, stupid or manipulative. 
• Holder does not know about consent. There are some scenes where Sky is clearly uncomfortable with their physical intimacy (at one point she even tells him no "forcefully") but he keeps on pressuring her. He's emotionally manipulative and that's not romantic or cute in any way. 
• Just the plot in general. There is some serious trauma going on but it is "fixed" by a romantic relationship. That's just not what you should convey to a young audience. If you really want to read this book, please make sure to take a look at the trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Sexual violence

Minor: Transphobia