Review: Hopeless

Title:  Hopeless
Series:  Hopeless #1
Author:  Colleen Hoover
Published:  December 19, 2012 by Colleen Hoover
Source:  Bought

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:  Going into this, I really expect a nice, light read that I would enjoy but wouldn't leave much of an impression.  What I got was the exact opposite.  Hopeless is a book that explores difficult subjects like growing up, finding who you are, and trusting people enough to let them in.  While it was light at parts and focused a lot on the romance between the two main characters, the story it tells runs much deeper.  

Sky was an interesting character.  She was very easy to relate to and I felt an instant connection to her.  She was so strong and I really liked seeing the way she handled Dean and her past.  It was heart breaking to delve into those memories but it gave us such a better understand of Sky.  She did have her moments where I really just wanted to jump into the book and shake her but overall, she was a great character.  Dean was really amazing, too.  He was a sweet guy but at times could came off as mysterious and even scary when he was being so secretive.  However, I thought he was the perfect fit for Sky once he opened up.  They made a wonderful couple and I loved seeing them together.  Learning more about his background and Sky's was so interesting and a twist I really hadn't expected.  

The plot was phenomenal.  Never once did it get boring.  Even at parts where it wasn't necessarily action packed, it held my attention easily because of all of the things we were discovering and because of the relationship between Sky and Dean.  It was such a layered plot.  There was tons of different elements that all came together to create a masterfully written story.  

I'm anxious to dive into the next book, Losing Hope, which I believe is the same story told by Dean's point of view.  This was a wonderful book that left an impression on me after reading.  I definitely won't be forgetting it anytime soon and I'll be exploring the other books Colleen Hoover has written! 

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