This book may be unsuitable for people under 17 years of age due to its use of sexual content, drug and alcohol use, and/or violence.
Hopeless by
Colleen Hooper Series: Hopeless #1 on December 17, 2012
Genres: Contemporary,
New Adult,
Romance Pages: 410
Buy on Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: 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.
I did not read the summary of this before I bought it. I had heard that Colleen Hoover wrote fabulous contemporary teen romance/new adult, so I got it because it had her name on it. I try to read a book from this genre every once in a while, sprinkled in among the league of sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal books I read. I can’t read too many of them in a row, because they are so often extremely depressing, regardless of how fabulous they are.
This book is no exception.
I was honestly convinced that there was something bizarre going on with Holder. I thought he had the big problem, that he was some sort of crazy, that this book was all about him. I don’t know if I just missed some things along the way, but without getting too spoilery, let’s just say that this book is DEFINITELY about Sky. Through and through. Her journey of self-discovery is painful, heartbreaking, and if it hadn’t been for her relationship with Holder, this book wouldn’t have been worth it for me.
Holder. Oh Holder.
I was worried there for a while that you were extremely messed up. So messed up that you would lose all your attractiveness. But you really pulled through man. Especially when EVERYTHING went to hell. And that’s putting it nicely. Things really went down the drain. It felt like the hits just kept coming, and I wondered when they would stop. But even through all of it, I was so glad that Sky wasn’t like:
Yeah, she had a hard time dealing with the HORRIBLE things in her past. And when I say HORRIBLE, I mean it. This book was hard to read. I can’t even begin to imagine having to go through some of what Sky went through. But she tried so hard to move on. There were awful moments where what she tried didn’t work, and those choices brought about really crappy consequences. But Holder wins the best boyfriend ever award. He sticks by her through some really rough stuff. Not going to lie, I was dubious when Holder was the only guy Sky had ever felt anything with. But the explanation is pretty great. Extremely painful, but also beautiful; it makes their relationship even more meaningful.
Sassy gay friend Breckin disappeared half-way through the book. Why? He was fun. And he was sweet. I mean, I certainly enjoyed that Holder dominated her time after a while, but I missed some interaction with other characters. Slut-best-friend Six was entertaining. I kind of started missing their conversations as well. The people at school, however, were totally uncool. I mean, come on people! LEARN HOW TO BE A HUMAN BEING. Stop tormenting people you don’t know, who have done LITERALLY nothing to you, especially on their first day. I didn’t go to public high school, so I didn’t deal with some of the stuff that happened in this book; I always have a hard time believing things like that really happen.
I do agree with some of the reviews that said that Sky should have been more freaked out by Holder at the beginning. I mean, he was pretty crazy when he first saw her at the grocery store and then he sort of had intermittent craziness that certainly would have concerned me. So, yeah, she probably should have stayed away. But once you get to the end, you’re so glad she didn’t.
So while a lot of this book wasn’t necessarily enjoyable, it was quite beautiful. All in all, I’ve been very impressed with all the New Adult books I’ve read. I’m glad this genre is expanding, and I’m thrilled publishers are taking the risk to make these excellent books widely available.
Similar Books: Wait for You by Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen
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