A review by bookishflaneur
I fell in love with hope by Lancali

5.0

wow this is the second self-published book i’ve ever read and it was definitely infinitely better than the first (no hate to that author though every writer improves). i fell in love with hope feels like the sun coming out the morning after a storm - it is truly beautiful to read, and definitely hopeful, but omg you find yourself crying every two chapters. i loved the frankly very original narrator - having an unconventional narrator/cursed observant narrator really reminded me of the invisible life of addie larue (which is a very high compliment i promise). the structure of the book is also something that drew me in as well as the brilliantly lyrical writing style - i think i would have felt fulfilled with a book half the length, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that i adored every single page of the novel. though i felt it could have been resolved at around half way, i am so glad it didn’t and the pace never felt stretched out. in the second half of the book there was also the added element of the flashbacks which obviously had me in a chokehold. each character in the novel is so so exquisitely and masterfully crafted. the young boy sam is vibrantly joyful, innocent and curious and fiercely loyal and friendly. neo is reflective and poetic but feels emotions to his very core and is never without empathy. sony is bright and loud, a warm and welcoming hug full of the feeling of safety. coeur is introspective and quiet and sometimes oblivious, but so full of kindness and warmth and a sense of right. our narrator holds pain but also so much love, and that ever-present kindling of hope. of course all of these characters have their arcs and change over time but this happens in the most entrancing way, through a web of scenes across various times. i think it’s so effective due to the nature of the novel’s narrator that there are so many flashbacks and time shifts throughout the book, because the narrator is themselves almost timeless, a soul free from such a limit that binds human lives. i know i will be gifting this book to friends in the future to make them sob, laugh and feel. there is so much love in this book, so much hope - in the same way that i loved the novel itself and have hope for future novels from this author.