Hopeless, Colleen Hoover [Review]

Author: Colleen Hoover
Publisher: CreateSpace (2013)
Pages: 486
Format: eBook

Description:

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.

Review:

*This review contains some spoilers*

Best. Book. Ever.

There is really no other way to start this review than by stating that Hopeless is the best book, in the romance category, that I ever read in all this time as an avid reader. So many loving and passionate stories have passed through my hands throughout the years but not one, not a single one, affected me with the same intensity that Hoover’s did. I can’t totally explain how wonderfully disturbing this novel is since I’m still lacking on words, but what I do know is that everyone should read this book… because it is everything but hopeless—this story is so hanging on hope, hope for a better day to come, hope for that someone to fill our life with meaning, hope for that guilt to go away, that I’m sure it will speak to all kinds of readers, of all ages. Plus, it couldn’t have a better, strong and important message to portray, kind of camouflaged in a simple and super cute beginning, but with an intense yet gradual growth in significance and density.

Gosh, this was such an emotional ride! I laughed, I smiled, I blushed, but I also cried, and felt angry, and lost… Yes, this is a work of fiction; nevertheless, I can only imagine what it feels like for the real Skys and Lesslies in the world who have to learn, by themselves, how to cope with the repellent and tormenting situation they are in, betrayed by the ones they loved and trusted the most. Stll, thankfully, the majority of this book is about a certain feeling, shared between two people, that is capable of surviving everything. Love, that is, is a powerful weapon, the deadliest of them all, and when is mutual and equal in “quantity” it’s the most beautiful thing we, humans, have in life.

Sky was an amazing book friend, and I’m absolutely still in love with her. Her sense of humour is brilliant and her straightforward personality immediately captivated me. I really, really enjoyed watching her grow in this book, from this little naïve girl who would feel nothing while kissing boys, to this young woman who has learned how to ask questions despite her wanting to hear the answers or not. Plus, she’s incredibly brave and bold while dealing with all the consequences from her past, making difficult decisions by herself and having the right will to survive. To me, Sky is a remarkable example for girls who have gone or are going through something like she went, for more fictional that she might be.

Holder, on the other hand, was everything I could ask for, that Sky could ask for, and more. I swear he is the best book boyfriend I ever encountered, with all the goodness he has in him even though the troubling things that have been happening in his life, and all the comfort and support he gives to Sky, constantly being there for her, even when she says she doesn’t want him to. I admit I’m extremely curious to know more about his inside, his mind and endless thinking, as this story is more focused on Sky and her personal development.

Six and Brecking were so unbelievably awesome! Their corkiness and easy attitude transform them in the stunning and special people they are, and I only feel sorry for not having the chance to read more of Six’s unique text messages—they were so much fun and I missed them already.

Besides the overwhelming read that Hopeless is, and all the current and imperative themes that the book centres on—such as sexual and mental abuse during childhood, grieve beyond bearing, great loss and self-guilt, child kidnapping and gay stigma—this story is made of details, little elements that make all the difference. Sky’s bracelet, Sky’s ceiling stars, Holder’s tattoo and a somewhat large amount of decisive moments like when Holder cooks Sky some dinner, or when he takes her to watch the stars, or when he rips all the post-its off her locker, or, better yet, every time they join pinkies and he tells her all those amazing thoughtful words… everything counts, everything is important, and everything is so damn beautiful. Can’t wait to read Losing Hope—I think I might cry and laugh some more. 

Quotes:

«"Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers."»

«I hurt everywhere. In my head, in my gut, in my chest, in my heart, in my soul. Before, I felt his kiss could cure me. Now his kiss feels like it's creating a terminal heartache deep within me.»

«"I live you, Sky," he says against my lips. "I live you so much"»

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