My Review of HOPELESS by Colleen Hoover:
As a fan of Colleen Hoover’s SLAMMED series, I was eagerly waiting for my
next Hoover experience. I call it the Hoover experience because reading one of
Colleen’s books is just that—an amazing journey taken through the written word. The
Hoover experience is one of total intimacy; it can bring things up that are deeply
buried inside of your own soul.
After
reading “Hopeless” I felt like my whole world had been taken from me; I was so intensely
devoted to the characters—I feel like some of them became a part of me. When I was finished with
the book−after my brain came back to reality−all I wanted was to go back into
that world; I needed my next Hoover experience-and fast.
Hopeless touches on some very true to life and
hard-hitting issues; so if you don’t want to read something so realistic and
heartbreakingly beautiful, that’s your choice (but it’s a choice you should
highly reconsider).
The main character’s name is Sky; Sky makes out with
random guys so she can make herself feel numb. The reason that sexual intimacy
with random guys pushes her so far away mentally is a big question and topic in
the book.
Sky was adopted by a single mother who has been home
schooling her for as long as she could remember. Sky begged her mother to spend
her senior year at a public school; to get the life experience she feels like
she is missing out on. Her mother reluctantly agrees, making Sky so happy,
until she finds out that her best friend Six won’t be there by her side as planned.
Six decided to go abroad for school, making Sky question if she wants to go
through with public school or not—she sticks to her plan and hopes for survival.
Sky’s best
friend is one of the best parts of this book; Six is so funny and unique,
everyone is going to wish they had someone like her in their life. Six will
tell you how it is- and in the most randomly entertaining way possible. I have
to mention one of my favorite quotes from Six in my review.
“Sky, I've been worried about you for four years, thinking
this would never happen. I would be fine if you were gay. I would be fine if
you only liked skinny, short, geeky guys. I would even be fine if you were only
attracted to really old, wrinkly men with even wrinklier penises. What I
haven't been fine with is the thought of you never being able to experience
lust."-Six
Sky finally feels something after making out with
Holder-the male main character of Hopeless. Sky and Holder carry the drama and
deep emotional aspect of the book. It does get intense, which is why I think
Hoover had Six in the book as well as Sky’s gay, Mormon best friend Breckin.
Sky can be herself around Breckin and instantly
connects with him. Breckin brings out the light and happiness in Sky that she
may have been missing since Six’s journey abroad. Sky has one of my favorite quotes
as well; she is introducing the two men in her life for the first time.
"Breckin this is Holder. Holder is not my boyfriend, but
if I catch him trying to break the record of best first kiss with another girl,
then he'll soon by my not breathing non-boyfriend."
Now onto the main theme that I got out of the book; I
feel like if I get into more detail, my review would be giving away spoilers,
and no one wants one of Hoover’s twists to be spoiled before they finish their
experience. This book really made me think: What if everything I knew about my
life was in reality mostly false? What if I pushed memories so far back in my
head I can’t remember them? Can love overcome my hardships and get me through
times of weakness?
Sky is tested with all of those questions, which makes for
some very touching and gut wrenching reading. You won’t be the same after
reading Hopeless; it makes you take your entire life, turn it upside-down,
shake it up, and try to figure out who the hell you really are.
This was by far my best Hoover experience to date. I
recommend this book to everyone; if you are too young, buy a copy and read it
when the time is right. Trust me, this book has so many hidden messages you
would be missing out on so much if you let this book pass you by.
HOPELESS TRAILER
(Fan Made-Trailer by Mollie Harper
of Tough Critic Book Reviews)
Book Description:
Would you rather know a truth that makes you feel hopeless,
or keep believing the lies?
Beloved and bestselling author Colleen Hoover
returns with the spellbinding story of two young people with devastating pasts
who embark on a passionate, intriguing journey to discover the lessons of life,
love, trust—and above all, the healing power that only truth
can bring.
Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a
guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. From their very first
encounter, he terrifies and captivates her. Something about him sparks memories
of her deeply troubled past, a time she’s tried so hard to bury. Though Sky is
determined to stay far away from him, his unwavering pursuit and enigmatic
smile break down her defenses and the intensity of the bond between them grows.
But the mysterious Holder has been keeping secrets of his own, and once they
are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be a casualty
of the truth.
Only by courageously facing the stark revelations
can Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional scars and find a way to live
and love without boundaries. Hopeless is a novel that will
leave you breathless, entranced, and remembering your own first love.
AUTHOR BIO:
Writer.
Mother. Ninja. Wife. Avett Fanatic. Hardcore Realist.
Colleen
lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She released her debut
novel, SLAMMED, in January 2012 and the follow-up novel, POINT OF RETREAT, in
February, 2012. Both books have been optioned for film as of October, 2012.
Author
or the NYT’S bestselling SLAMMES series and the #1 NYT’S bestseller, HOPELESS.
AUTHOR LINKS:
The event has been arranged and coordinated by the following wonderful people on the Summer Book Blast committee: Lisa Markson, Leanne Jacobson, Stephanie Shaw and Jennifer Pringle.
