Book Review: Hopeless

Hopeless (Hopeless #1)

By:  Colleen Hoover

Published By:  Colleen Hoover

Publication Date:  December 17th, 2012

Page Count:  391 pages

Buy it at:  Amazon, Kobo

Source:  EBook Purchased by Reviewer

  Audience:  New Adult Contemporary

Recommended for ages 17+

Call me blown away!  When I chose to add Hopeless by Colleen Hoover to my reading pile, I really did not have any idea what I was in store for.  Another hot contemporary, new-adult romance was what I was prepared to read, which was fine by me, but I had no idea that this story would be so utterly intense, heart-breaking, heart-soaring, gut-wrenching, poignant and beautiful all at once.  Unlike the two main characters, Sky and Holder, I don't think I will be able to adequately put into words exactly how I feel about this story.  And I think my review this time will be a little shorter than usual because I really feel that everyone needs to experience this book without having any, or too many, peconceptions going into it.

So...what CAN I talk about?  I can tell you some of the things I loved about it (spoiler-free as best as I can)...

The Characters!  The characters were expertly crafted.  Multi-dimensional and rich - they literally came to life right off the page.  Sky and Holder (Holder especially) were both very intense new adults. They made virtually every word that escaped their lips count.  Sky and Holder started out so completely different from the people they were at the end of the story, but they stayed true to themselves...you will understand this after you read this book.  Their evolutions were executed so perfectly that the more I got to know them as their story went on, the more I cared about them -- exponentially.  Which was why I had all those feelings I described above.  To say I empathized with them would be an understatement.  But they were so much more than being intense...they had their lighter, playful sides too.  They were complex but not too complicated that you couldn't figure them out.  As for the other characters, whether they had a smaller or larger role in the story, they came to life and had their purpose - whether you loved them or hated them or just plain understood them.  And I think everyone needs a friend like Breckin!

The Storyline!  Again, I didn't really know what I was getting myself in to when I started this story.  There was some difficult subject matter to get through...very difficult.  At times, it left me in tears and my stomach in knots.  But what was beautiful was how it was all handled...both by the author and by her own characters...and by the fact that when things seemed at their worst, you knew things were going to get better.  The way the author mapped out the story, it was nothing short of brilliant, in my opinion.  There was an actual timeline of events that helped navigate your way through their lives. Everything fit together and came around full circle as revelations came to pass.  And as much as I saw some of it coming, I was left stunned by the rest. 

The Chemistry!  OOOOHHH the chemistry!  If any two people were destined to find their way to each other...it would be Sky and Holder.  Instinctively knowing what the other needed might come across as unbelievable and cliche in other stories but the very plausible reasons for their innate sense of each other was very much a part of this story, and with no supernatural twist to explain it away.  Totally believable.  There were times when I felt that maybe they were just a little too intense...but no sooner did that thought pop into my head when it too had a perfectly good explanation and was balanced out by some playfulness or the story was smoothly steered into another direction.  Through loving caresses, and kisses on the forehead that were often more intimate than a kiss on the mouth, these two succeeded in having a chemistry that sizzled.  There really were no words to describe these two together.  And this would be the perfect time to interject that this isn't a story for young teens as there is some seriously mature subject matter and sexual situations.  But I will also mention that messages worked into the story would not be lost on the reader.

This is very nearly one impeccable story, but I did find one teensy thing to complain about and that would be the repetition of certain words and gestures.  But conversely, I was so enthralled with the lives of Sky and Holder that it didn't really bother me nor distract much.  For me, that made this 'real' story...real.

Upon finishing Hopeless, I was rendered utterly speechless.  I must have sat there for 10 minutes afterwards -- not moving -- rehashing the story over in my mind and letting it sink in.  This book WILL break your heart but it will also leave you with such HOPE, in spite of the title.  To simply state the obvious, this was just an amazing story...and am so glad I experienced it.

Summary:

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.

Recommended for readers 17+ due to sexual content, harsh language and heavy subject matter.