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4.05 AVERAGE
4.05 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I haven't read a book by Colleen Hoover in a while and I definitely wasn't emotionally prepared for this. To say my heart broke is an understatement.
Hoover has a way of creating characters that are so relatable, super likeable and she always gives them so much personality and I absolutely love her for this. Sky and Holder were simply just two beautiful characters they were made for each other and im glad they found a happiness of sorts.
The plot twists just kept on coming and I really couldn't predict what would come next but hey I'm here for the surprises.
Be right back whilst I go ahead and devour the rest of this series.
P.S like with many books please check the trigger warnings prior to reading, id really hate for anyone to be triggered unnecessarily.
Hoover has a way of creating characters that are so relatable, super likeable and she always gives them so much personality and I absolutely love her for this. Sky and Holder were simply just two beautiful characters they were made for each other and im glad they found a happiness of sorts.
The plot twists just kept on coming and I really couldn't predict what would come next but hey I'm here for the surprises.
Be right back whilst I go ahead and devour the rest of this series.
P.S like with many books please check the trigger warnings prior to reading, id really hate for anyone to be triggered unnecessarily.
The first half of this book was okay. There was some things happening that I thought were a bit weird, but most of it was good. The second half was so amazing, I loved it. It got so addictive and I loved how it wrapped up. One thing is for sure, I'm going to read more of Colleen's books.
3.5 ⭐️ Two teens are falling in love despite seeming as though they’re so different from each other, yet they seem to have a connection that surprises them both. He is struggling with a recent death and a string of bad choices, and she lives a sheltered life with a dark past she barely, or doesn’t, remember. As they grow to get to know each other they know themselves even better.. but that might not be a good thing.
I really enjoyed this book. I will say it’s not my fav from Colleen Hoover but still enjoyable.
I really enjoyed this book. I will say it’s not my fav from Colleen Hoover but still enjoyable.
It was good but too dark for my tastes. I liked certain parts of it but towards the end I just wanted it to be over
Come check out the reviews on my blog Under The Cover
This book was a lot more than I thought it would be when I started reading it. Well, sort of. I never read the blurb of this book, at least not until I wrote this review, so I didn't really know what to expect from Hopeless. I like to go into a book blind sometimes, especially when I'm dealing with an author like Colleen Hoover, who's become pretty much an auto-buy author of mine since I started reading her work. I always know I'm in for a treat, but I never know what to expect when I start one of her books, except to be blown away that is.
So as weird as it is, and even with all the buzz there is around CoHo and her books, I have never read a review of Hopeless and I didn't read the blurb before today. And as usual, I glad it happened that way. Hopeless was an amazing book, both sweet and hard and really emotional. I don't want to say too much about the story in itself, the story that enfolds as you read the book, because this is precisely what makes CoHo's books so great. You never really know or expect what the story is going to be. You always have an idea of the kind of story you're about to read as you start but you pretty much end up having a lot more at the end of it. So I won't say much about the story in itself. So I'll talk about everything else.
Sky was a great character to follow. I liked her voice and the kind of girl she was. I loved seeing her discover things about herself as she met Holder and as the story progressed. She's not a girly girl and I liked that about her. I loved how straight forward she was and that once she made up her mind, she stuck to her decisions. There were a point here and there where I wished she would just ask her questions and not wallow in the confusion not having those questions answered created though. But considering what those questions brought to the surface, I get why she was so reluctant to ask them in the first place.
Holder was a great character. He is so intense and passionate about everything he holds dear. Sometimes it was so that I didn't get why he acted one way one minute and then acted like a totally different person the next but it's just who and what he is: passionate. And I loved him that way.
The way he loves people and how deeply he cares was just the best about him. I loved how supporting he was of Sky when things got tough and how connected they were to each other. His life hasn't been easy and you know he hasn't dealt with some stuff too, but the heartache he went through just made me love him more. And he was just...sweet and sexy and caring and loving and funny and I could keep going but I won't. I think you get the picture. I loved Holder to bits. I wouldn't mind having him climb through my bedroom window either.
Like I said, Sky and Holder have an amazing and deep connection to each other and that's a great thing about them. I loved how in tune to each other they were and supportive and how they didn't always needed words to know what the other needed. They just knew and it was beautiful, especially through all the chaos going on in Sky's life once she starts figuring things out about her past.
And even though I'm putting the accent on the fact that this book was an emotional roller-coaster, it was also a very sweet book to read romance-wise with lots of funny and sweet moments, party because Sky is the kind of girl to turn very unoriginal hate notes into something just a little more interesting: "I’d write something interesting like, “I saw you in bed with my boyfriend last night. I really don’t appreciate you getting massage oil on my cucumbers. Whore.”", but also because of her friends, Six and Breckin and not to mention the parts where Sky and Holder were testing the waters and first realizing they were starting to be really into each other.
Now, I'll just say this, this book deals with pretty heavy issues that can definitely make the reader uncomfortable. At some point, I was actually making a face like I had something sour and disgusting in my mouth because of it. But Colleen Hoover being the writing genius that she is made it bearable to read the awful things that happened to Sky and I'm grateful for that because it is not easy feat to do so and to do so so brilliantly. It doesn't take away how hard it was to read about some of the things mentioned in the book (especially because you guess something awful happened and you wish it's not true until you have to face the fact that it is) but it's written in a way that makes it bearable and it didn't keep me from reading. I just wished that Sky didn't have to go through what she did.
Hopeless is beautifully written. It was definitely emotionally challenging and I don't know how I would have delt with things if I were in Sky's shoes. I'm happy she had Holder to go through this with her and have him always supporting her. And just the "hidden" plot of the book was something in itself. It's frustrating to avoid talking about the story in itself because it prevents me from talking about some stuff, but it'd be a real shame to spoil the story for people who haven't read the book yet (even though I'm probably one of the last person who have waited this long before reading Hopeless). Quite simply, this book is a beautiful story about love and survival, healing and finding the strength to forgive and finding peace.
But if you are like me, only now getting acquainted to CoHo's genius and work, you should definitely read this book too. Now I won't be reading Losing Hope because even though I'm sure it's well written and interesting, I always feel cheated when I read a book that is the same story told from a different character's perspective. It was the case with Walking Disaster (and Trust in Me and so few other like them) even though I loved Beautiful Disaster so much. Now I've learned my lesson. But anyway, what I'm saying, it that where Hopeless is concerned, you should definitely read it.
"I’ve never been swept off my feet. I don’t get butterflies. In fact the whole idea of being swooned by anyone is foreign to me… Somehow, in the course of sixty seconds, this guy has managed to swoon me, then terrify the hell out of me."
This book was a lot more than I thought it would be when I started reading it. Well, sort of. I never read the blurb of this book, at least not until I wrote this review, so I didn't really know what to expect from Hopeless. I like to go into a book blind sometimes, especially when I'm dealing with an author like Colleen Hoover, who's become pretty much an auto-buy author of mine since I started reading her work. I always know I'm in for a treat, but I never know what to expect when I start one of her books, except to be blown away that is.
"Sometimes you have to choose between a bunch of wrong choices and no right ones. You just have to choose which wrong choice feels the least wrong."
So as weird as it is, and even with all the buzz there is around CoHo and her books, I have never read a review of Hopeless and I didn't read the blurb before today. And as usual, I glad it happened that way. Hopeless was an amazing book, both sweet and hard and really emotional. I don't want to say too much about the story in itself, the story that enfolds as you read the book, because this is precisely what makes CoHo's books so great. You never really know or expect what the story is going to be. You always have an idea of the kind of story you're about to read as you start but you pretty much end up having a lot more at the end of it. So I won't say much about the story in itself. So I'll talk about everything else.
"I feel like I had that with you the moment we met. Everything about us is so natural. It feels like we’re already there, and we’re trying to go backward now. Like we’re trying to re-get to know each other by slowing it down."
Sky was a great character to follow. I liked her voice and the kind of girl she was. I loved seeing her discover things about herself as she met Holder and as the story progressed. She's not a girly girl and I liked that about her. I loved how straight forward she was and that once she made up her mind, she stuck to her decisions. There were a point here and there where I wished she would just ask her questions and not wallow in the confusion not having those questions answered created though. But considering what those questions brought to the surface, I get why she was so reluctant to ask them in the first place.
"Dean Holder? Messy brown hair? Smoldering blue eyes? A temper straight out of Fight Club?"
"I can already tell he isn't the kind of guy a girl gets a simple crush on. He's the kind of guy you fall hard for, and the thought of that terrifies me."
Holder was a great character. He is so intense and passionate about everything he holds dear. Sometimes it was so that I didn't get why he acted one way one minute and then acted like a totally different person the next but it's just who and what he is: passionate. And I loved him that way.
"The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you."
The way he loves people and how deeply he cares was just the best about him. I loved how supporting he was of Sky when things got tough and how connected they were to each other. His life hasn't been easy and you know he hasn't dealt with some stuff too, but the heartache he went through just made me love him more. And he was just...sweet and sexy and caring and loving and funny and I could keep going but I won't. I think you get the picture. I loved Holder to bits. I wouldn't mind having him climb through my bedroom window either.
"I live you so much."
"Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers."
Like I said, Sky and Holder have an amazing and deep connection to each other and that's a great thing about them. I loved how in tune to each other they were and supportive and how they didn't always needed words to know what the other needed. They just knew and it was beautiful, especially through all the chaos going on in Sky's life once she starts figuring things out about her past.
"This is Holder. Holder is not my boyfriend, but if I catch him trying to break the record for the best first kiss with another girl, then he'll soon be my not breathing non-boyfriend."
Holder arches an eyebrow at me and a hint of a smile plays in the corner of his mouth. "Likewise."
And even though I'm putting the accent on the fact that this book was an emotional roller-coaster, it was also a very sweet book to read romance-wise with lots of funny and sweet moments, party because Sky is the kind of girl to turn very unoriginal hate notes into something just a little more interesting: "I’d write something interesting like, “I saw you in bed with my boyfriend last night. I really don’t appreciate you getting massage oil on my cucumbers. Whore.”", but also because of her friends, Six and Breckin and not to mention the parts where Sky and Holder were testing the waters and first realizing they were starting to be really into each other.
"You wanted to lick my face the first time you saw me? Is that usually what you do when you’re attracted to guys?"
Now, I'll just say this, this book deals with pretty heavy issues that can definitely make the reader uncomfortable. At some point, I was actually making a face like I had something sour and disgusting in my mouth because of it. But Colleen Hoover being the writing genius that she is made it bearable to read the awful things that happened to Sky and I'm grateful for that because it is not easy feat to do so and to do so so brilliantly. It doesn't take away how hard it was to read about some of the things mentioned in the book (especially because you guess something awful happened and you wish it's not true until you have to face the fact that it is) but it's written in a way that makes it bearable and it didn't keep me from reading. I just wished that Sky didn't have to go through what she did.
"And once again in my new world full of heartache and lies, this hopeless boy somehow finds a way to make me smile."
Hopeless is beautifully written. It was definitely emotionally challenging and I don't know how I would have delt with things if I were in Sky's shoes. I'm happy she had Holder to go through this with her and have him always supporting her. And just the "hidden" plot of the book was something in itself. It's frustrating to avoid talking about the story in itself because it prevents me from talking about some stuff, but it'd be a real shame to spoil the story for people who haven't read the book yet (even though I'm probably one of the last person who have waited this long before reading Hopeless). Quite simply, this book is a beautiful story about love and survival, healing and finding the strength to forgive and finding peace.
"It’s what happens when two people become one: they no longer only share love. They also share all of the pain, heartache, sorrow, and grief."
But if you are like me, only now getting acquainted to CoHo's genius and work, you should definitely read this book too. Now I won't be reading Losing Hope because even though I'm sure it's well written and interesting, I always feel cheated when I read a book that is the same story told from a different character's perspective. It was the case with Walking Disaster (and Trust in Me and so few other like them) even though I loved Beautiful Disaster so much. Now I've learned my lesson. But anyway, what I'm saying, it that where Hopeless is concerned, you should definitely read it.
"The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I’m choosing to stand up taller. I’ll probably get knocked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I’ll never stay on the ground."
I hate everything about this book.
The way Hoover deals with rape and abuse makes me sick to my stomach.
After her father, who raped her multiple times as a child, commits suicide before her eyes, she begs her boyfriend to have sex with her to get her father out of her??? what???
The way Hoover deals with rape and abuse makes me sick to my stomach.
After her father, who raped her multiple times as a child, commits suicide before her eyes, she begs her boyfriend to have sex with her to get her father out of her??? what???
***TW: SEXUAL VIOLENCE***
I wanted to love this book. With everything in me. I have loved so many of Colleen Hoover's novels and I wanted this one to be just like that one.
I'll keep this review relatively short and simple.
I liked the story and I liked that it kept me on my toes. "Sky" is certainly a different kind of protagonist than we're used to seeing. She isn't the sunshine girl meeting the grumpy boy. She has a lot of trauma that's unpacked over the course of these 400 pages.
Therein lies my problem.
I personally do not think the trauma is handled well in this book and I think that if an author wants to take on topics like this, they really need to think about the feelings they are bringing out in the reader. More specifically, they need to think about the necessity of trigger warnings and ensuring that their audience goes into the reading knowing that the book is going to be tackling all the tough subject, which this one does.
The "consensual" sexual encounters in Hopeless were what really rubbed me the wrong way. Sky has spent her life blocking out what happened with her father. She hasn't felt the slightest of feelings for most of the boys she's come into contact with. Once she has come to the climax of understanding what her past was made up of, Colleen Hoover writes her character into having sex. It seems unlikely, given what we know about sexual trauma, that Sky would have been able to have consensual sex so soon after putting all the pieces together. Everyone grieves and heals differently, of course, but - having just found out about her full history - it doesn't seem like she had time to process, much less to heal. Hoover writes as if they are using sex to heal their wounds and express their love for one another. They are kids. The way this was written makes it seem like this is normal or okay. They are kids. I think we should all remember that these two ARE KIDS. There are so many other ways she could have expressed them healing trauma that could have communicated healthier healing to the reader. Let me be clear: if you are the victim or survivor of sexual violence, you DO NOT NEED TO FIND HEALING THROUGH SEX.
My other big bone to pick is the way Holder asked Sky to get on birth control. I need us all as a collective to acknowledge that this was gross and definitely not indicative of a healthy relationship. Though (before anyone even says it), of course they couldn't have had a very healthy relationship under their conditions.
I'm knocking it down two stars because I truly believe that authors need to write about these subjects, but they need to do it with more care to their audience. I think that I am especially critical given how young the characters are.
Lastly, if you're struggling with sexual trauma, if you're a survivor, or if you're still fighting, you're not fighting alone. You're loved and you deserve to feel good love, not polluted love.
I wanted to love this book. With everything in me. I have loved so many of Colleen Hoover's novels and I wanted this one to be just like that one.
I'll keep this review relatively short and simple.
I liked the story and I liked that it kept me on my toes. "Sky" is certainly a different kind of protagonist than we're used to seeing. She isn't the sunshine girl meeting the grumpy boy. She has a lot of trauma that's unpacked over the course of these 400 pages.
Therein lies my problem.
I personally do not think the trauma is handled well in this book and I think that if an author wants to take on topics like this, they really need to think about the feelings they are bringing out in the reader. More specifically, they need to think about the necessity of trigger warnings and ensuring that their audience goes into the reading knowing that the book is going to be tackling all the tough subject, which this one does.
The "consensual" sexual encounters in Hopeless were what really rubbed me the wrong way. Sky has spent her life blocking out what happened with her father. She hasn't felt the slightest of feelings for most of the boys she's come into contact with. Once she has come to the climax of understanding what her past was made up of, Colleen Hoover writes her character into having sex. It seems unlikely, given what we know about sexual trauma, that Sky would have been able to have consensual sex so soon after putting all the pieces together. Everyone grieves and heals differently, of course, but - having just found out about her full history - it doesn't seem like she had time to process, much less to heal. Hoover writes as if they are using sex to heal their wounds and express their love for one another. They are kids. The way this was written makes it seem like this is normal or okay. They are kids. I think we should all remember that these two ARE KIDS. There are so many other ways she could have expressed them healing trauma that could have communicated healthier healing to the reader. Let me be clear: if you are the victim or survivor of sexual violence, you DO NOT NEED TO FIND HEALING THROUGH SEX.
My other big bone to pick is the way Holder asked Sky to get on birth control. I need us all as a collective to acknowledge that this was gross and definitely not indicative of a healthy relationship. Though (before anyone even says it), of course they couldn't have had a very healthy relationship under their conditions.
I'm knocking it down two stars because I truly believe that authors need to write about these subjects, but they need to do it with more care to their audience. I think that I am especially critical given how young the characters are.
Lastly, if you're struggling with sexual trauma, if you're a survivor, or if you're still fighting, you're not fighting alone. You're loved and you deserve to feel good love, not polluted love.
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes