Sunday 10 March 2013

Colleen Hoover - 'Hopeless'


Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.
 
 
Hopeless was anything but. I’ve read quite a lot of the damaged-but-surviving type YA novels lately, so was a bit dubious about starting another. But I’d heard such wonderful things about Colleen Hoover and this book, that I couldn’t resist. So, so glad I didn’t resist. The story really stuck with me and the characters are still lingering around in my head. My only criticism of the characters is that, whilst I loved Six and thought she was a really interesting character, I didn’t really get the point of her – I kept expecting her to re-enter the story somehow, but she never did... (could this perhaps indicate a sequel? Oh I hope so.)
Nonetheless, Holder was totally delicious and Sky had real depth to her thoroughly likable character. This was not your black-and-white romance novel. The twist in the plot line – which, of course, I won’t reveal! – really gripped me. I was up reading into the early hours of the morning and kind of got the creeps as the real story started to become apparent. But it took a long time before it became entirely revealed – a great credit to Colleen Hoover. I’m not even ashamed to admit I gasped out loud at a couple of points....
The suspense kept us guessing and discovering the truth about Sky, and indeed about Holder, as Sky discovered it herself. Not having any benefit of foresight or any ulterior voices in the book made it so much easier to identify with Sky and really feel what she was going through. This, in itself, made me really fall for this book.
On top of that, Holder is just gorgeous – he’s up and he’s down, he’s argumentative, rude and overly familiar at times, but as he mellows, he becomes lovable and pretty much the ideal book boyfriend. Sky can also be difficult, she’s stubborn and strong-willed, but she’s also really strong and feisty and in many ways very easy to identify with. She’s pretty much a bulls-eye for a literary heroine.

This book is pretty emotionally-loaded, but I defy someone to pick this book up and find it within themselves to put it back down before finishing it.
I live this book. ;)

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