Hopeless
Colleen Hoover
Series: Hopeless #1
Genre: NA Contemporary
Publication date: May 7th 2013
by Atria Books
Sky meets Dean Holder, a guy with a reputation that rivals her own. Holder has the ability to invoke feelings in Sky she's never had before. In just one encounter he leaves her terrified yet captivated and something about him brings up a rush of memories from the past that she’s worked so hard to bury away.
Sky knows Holder is nothing but trouble and tries to keep him at a distance, but he is adamant about learning everything he can about her. Sky finally caves to his unwavering pursuit, but she soon finds out that Holder isn't the person he's been claiming to be. When the secrets he's been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky's life changes forever.
-A copy was provided by Simon & Schuster for review-
Wow where do I start? At the amazing characters? At the sky rocketing chemistry? At the scenes that are so powerfully emotional that you want to curl into a ball and cry for days? I have nothing but praise for this gem that Colleen has created. This book rocked my world, and then it broke it in two.
Before we get down and heavy into the depths, let's talk about what started it all, and that is the characters. Sky is our protagonist and she could not have been a more enjoyable character for me. She does not have an ounce of superficiality on her body. This girl is honest, so honest that she blurts out the most random and embarrassing things because she doesn't want to play games or make assumptions. She's probably the most authentic character I have met in a book thus far. Her straightforward attitude is the cause of a few comical moments between her and Holder, but moreover, it's the reason she fits so well with him. Holder is definitely intense--especially at the beginning. He clearly has issues that he has a hard time voicing, which leaves him balancing on the edge of his abyss. I found their personalities to fit together perfectly, actually. I was not sure about Holder as the love interest at the start as he came off as a little forceful, but I was left intrigued by the reasons behind these actions. It's obvious he has motives beyond our understanding, and he never crossed any lines in my "book of unforgiving behavior", he's just a little... determined. It didn't take long until we got to see more sides to him, showing that his character is much more complex than the bad boy he's rumored to being. Together, these two sizzle! I have rarely come upon a romance that sparked as much as this one. Their chemistry is coupled with a shared connection that is positively explosive, yet convincing. I was lost to lala-land entirely while reading this novel.
Much darker than I had expected, Hopeless is a harsh read that will clobber your heart, leaving you bloody and broken. While I did guess at a lot of the events that would occur, this novel still left me disturbed and shocked, even when I did know what was coming. It's the kind of story that is not meant to leave you flabbergasted by the sudden twist of events--although the less perceptive than I might be--rather it's meant to rattle your bones with its raw, visceral intensity. The last half of the novel delivers some violently emotional scenes that displays exactly what kind of talent Colleen possesses to be able to embed so much power into the written word. I'm telling you, some of it took my breath away--I literally had the urge to look away until it passed, not because of anything gory (though one part is a little bit), but because of how much pain it entails. I was not expecting so much grit from such a pretty blue skied cover.
On the subject of covers, take a look at the full mockup and tell me you don't get chills (especially those who've read it):
What else can I say? This novel was an honest to goodness extraordinary read that mesmerized me every step of the way. It's undeniably haunting, crazily romantic, and the type of story that you just don't get over.
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| 5 Hot Espressos |
