I hadn't read a Colleen Hoover book
before Hopeless. I own a different one (Slammed, I think, although I
can't be sure.) My beautiful friend, Melissa, who knows way more
about new adult books than I do has been suggesting Hoover's books to
me for probably a year. In fact, she's the one who sent me Hopeless
for Christmas.
It was good, don't get me wrong. But it
wasn't great. I expected to want to blitz through it. To get those
little tummy flutters that come from reading about great
relationships. But I didn't, really. Part of it was maybe the writing
style. It was a little...I want to say simplistic, but I think that
gives it the wrong connotation. Hoover just had the tendency to have
characters say what was happening instead of feeling what was
happening. I always hate when I make statements like that without
proof, but there wasn't ever a place where I was like, better mark
that down for my review. I just kept feeling, okay but show me this.
It's a pretty dialogue heavy book which I usually enjoy, but for the
most part, I kept thinking but where are the actions to support this?
Which is a little ironic considering at one point the male lead tells
the female lead, “You don't deserve words, Sky. You deserve
actions.” And maybe that's a good point to be like, well you said
it, but you didn't really follow through.
My second problem with this book is
entirely pacing. I wanted to something to actually happen. And
finally about 2/3rds of the way through the book, the plot decided to
show up. Then it got really exciting. I really enjoyed the last third
of the book. But the first part was largely confusing build-up. I
couldn't put my finger on whether I liked Holder or not. He walked a
thin line between being a jackass and having the potential to be
abusive, which I didn't like. Sky (the narrator and female main
character) excuses it by calling him passionate. But that's after
she's been afraid of him several times, and I didn't feel the same
need to excuse his actions that she did.
Overall, I would give it a cautious
recommendation to people who like new adult books and want to
continue reading them. I don't know that I would recommend it for a
first time new adult reader. And if people are triggered by abuse, I
would steer them very clear of this book. I will definitely give
Hoover another try, and see if any of her other works click with me.
Favorite Quote: Life can't be divided
into chapters...only minutes. The events of your life are all crammed
together one minute right after the other without any time lapses or
blank pages or chapter breaks because no matter what happens life
just keeps going and moving forward and words keep flowing and truths
keep spewing whether you like it or not and life never lets you pause
and just catch your fucking breath.
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