Hopeless - Review

Hopeless

By: Colleen Hoover

Published: December 19, 2012

391 pages

Source: Personal Kindle Library

(Goodreads / Amazon)

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.

My Review:
Another incredibly emotional read.  I didn't actually cry with this book but it doesn't take tears to be engulfed in the emotions of the characters.  These type of stories that deal with the subject content it does are always emotional reads for me, because of a similar situation in my family (however not me personally).  And so I relate some to the feelings of those, like Holder, who have to go through the pain of such a tragedy through the eyes of their loved one, the victim.

Again Colleen Hoover pushes the envelope of real life and how people react and deal with the betrayal and hurt.  She explores the extremes that people go to because of what happens to them in life.

Two characters I really enjoyed who have a minimal part to the story Six and Breckin - although they have a small part in the story, they are great examples of what true friends look like.

I love Sky and her innocence from being secluded from the technology that surrounds us and bombards us daily.  A life without TV, computers, cell phones...some of us think no way, I can't live without it...but being forced to live this way encourages her to explore activities beyond that and she develops a love of running, reading, and baking.  Technology is a blessing....but it's also a curse.  Sky is one seriously courageous young woman and I was inspired by her.

I LOVE Holder!  What an incredible person he is!!  The strength it takes to lift up someone else, to be a rock and a lifeline that they need through what seems to be a hopeless situation.  Everyone needs a Holder in their life!

Colleen Hoover is an incredible writer!  This is the third book I've read of hers (Slammed and Point of Retreat being the other two) and all of them are exceptional stories that will grip your heart and will draw you in as if you really are the characters in the book. There are serious tear inducing moments and there are girly squeal-worthy, goose-bump raising moments and there are incredibly embarrassing and awkward moments where you want to crawl and hide FOR Sky.  This book really has it all when it comes to the wide range of emotions it'll bring out of you.  Any book that can make me feel the emotions of the characters in such varying ways is a TOP rated book for me!

And not to spoil anything as I try to leave my reviews spoiler free....let me just say the scene of "the best first kiss without kissing", well you just can't get any hotter than that without being graphic in detail, and YA books are not intended to be that graphic so WELL DONE!  I needed a fan and some cold water without all the graphic details.  Our own imagination fills in just fine.

Favorite quotes:

"My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can't be healthy to live in a land of happily ever afters."

Sky's first look at Holder - "...perfect white teeth hidden behind that seductively crooked grin, ...dimples...when he smiles", "beautiful", "tousled dark hair...stark blue eyes...thick arms"

Sky's first reaction to seeing Holder - "I'm pretty sure I'm having a hot flash.  Or I have butterflies.  Or maybe I'm coming down with a stomach virus."

"I am obviously the target of Karma's retaliation today.  I'm finally introduced to the one guy that I find attractive and he's a high school dropout with the word hopeless tattooed on himself."

"Because I want your first kiss to be the best first kiss in the history of first kisses."

"It's an odd internal battle when you can't decide if you want to punch the mouth sitting three inches in front of your face, or taste it."

"The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers."

"The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down."

Go on this incredible journey with Sky and Holder as they struggle to figure out if they can rise above what life has thrown at them.

Final Rating - 5 stars!