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A review by hiraeth_
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Let me just say that just like every other CoHo Book, this one also made me cry a little bit. At first I didn't know if I would have to cry bc honestly, the plot was very predictable and for most of the time I didn't feel like I could really connect with the characters bc of that. Of course, the last chapters got to me, even if they were some of the sappiest, cheesiest ones i've ever read - and don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for dramatic lines, but I physically cringed at some of them in this one. (And what was that one scene with the balls about?!? Why, Colleen, why???)
I actually liked the main characters, even though they were annoying af inbetween bc they were so aware of the struggles/problems but just didn't do anything about it. Some things just didn't feel thought-through, for example that Tate is supposed to be "so focused on her career that she doesn't have time for love". I think I can count the times her "career" was mentioned besides constantly saying she had a lot of homework and wore scrubs on one hand. I liked Miles' story, but MAN was he technically a walking red flag. To the point where I just could not fully support Tate anymore, like girl, please. We ππ» are not ππ» rehabs ππ» for broken ππ» men ππ». (but also same girl). Like that man was fully gaslighting her and just bc he was also gaslighting himself doesn't make it okay lol.
Most of the side characters were nice, I wish we had seen more of Ian. But they all seemed quite one-dimensional and clichΓ© (aka overprotective brother, wise father figure, funny sidekick friend,...) All in all the story and characters did not seem that fleshed out like I expected them to be, which took a lot of the emotional side of it away. So: made me feel something but with a better plot and developed characters it could've DEVASTED me.
I actually liked the main characters, even though they were annoying af inbetween bc they were so aware of the struggles/problems but just didn't do anything about it. Some things just didn't feel thought-through, for example that Tate is supposed to be "so focused on her career that she doesn't have time for love". I think I can count the times her "career" was mentioned besides constantly saying she had a lot of homework and wore scrubs on one hand. I liked Miles' story, but MAN was he technically a walking red flag. To the point where I just could not fully support Tate anymore, like girl, please. We ππ» are not ππ» rehabs ππ» for broken ππ» men ππ». (but also same girl). Like that man was fully gaslighting her and just bc he was also gaslighting himself doesn't make it okay lol.
Most of the side characters were nice, I wish we had seen more of Ian. But they all seemed quite one-dimensional and clichΓ© (aka overprotective brother, wise father figure, funny sidekick friend,...) All in all the story and characters did not seem that fleshed out like I expected them to be, which took a lot of the emotional side of it away. So: made me feel something but with a better plot and developed characters it could've DEVASTED me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Car accident, and Sexual violence
Minor: Pregnancy and Emotional abuse