Ana Cat's reads

4,5 heartbreaking, hopefull stars!

Hopeless has been quietly waiting for me on my TBR list. That was until I downloaded the free novella Finding Cinderella… and was completely overwhelmed by Colleen Hoover’s talented writing.

I knew I had to download Hopeless asap, and bring it to the top of my TBR list. So should you!

This beautiful, sweet-loving, heartbreaking and healing book tells us the story of Sky and Holder.

She is a girl that at age 17 will be experiencing school for the first time. Being adopted at such a young age, she doesn’t remember much from her early years, when she was in foster care. Karen, the woman that adopted her has a unique view of the world. So she sheltered Sky and raised her in a reality free of technology. Sky was homeschooled and never allowed to watch tv, have a computer, internet access or a phone. Against her mother’s desire, for her senior year she decides to enroll public school.
Sky is used to go out with Six and make out with guys, but she never feels anything but boredom around them, and she can't understand why she never felt the so called "butterflies in the stomach". Until one day at the grocery store she sees Holder, and the attraction strikes and leaves her completely smitten for the first time in her life.

I'm pretty sure I'm having a hot flash. Or I have butterflies. Or maybe I'm coming down with a stomach virus. The feeling is so foreign; I'm not sure what it is. I can't say what it is so different about him that would prompt my first-ever normal biological response to another person.

Holder is a broken, hopeless guy that has been struggling with pain and loss. When he first spots Sky at a grocery store he’s immediately drawn to her and his demeanor towards her is so intense at first that he simultaneously amazes and frightens her.
He has a reputation of his own. Rumor has it he’s trouble, and because of it he was kicked out of school. He’s beautiful, mysterious, and Sky eventually can’t stay away, especially when he starts to pursuit her.

I loved Holder... I felt so girlish, like I was in high school!

Both Holder and Sky are great. Their chemistry is through the roof. Sky is funny and smart-ass, and Holder is super charming, sweet and sexy! Holder is like perfect boyfriend material, and I got myself grinning like an idiot so much that my face was hurting. He was just PERFECT!

"I'm bored", he says.
"So go home".
"I don't want to. What do you do when you're bored? You don't have internet or TV. Do you just sit around all day and think about how hot I am?"

Colleen Hoover also provides us some “Laugh out Loud” moments, starring both Sky and Holder, but also Six, and Sky’s new mormon gray friend from school, Breckin:

"I thought Mormon's weren't allowed to have caffeine".
Breckin shrugs. "I decided to break that rule the morning I woke up gay".

After some harsh discussions in the beginning, and a whole a lot of misunderstandings, Holder and Sky connect and start to fall for each other.

But still, Holder has a lot of issues Sky doesn't understand, and neither does the reader. They find themselves in a point of no return when it comes to their feelings for each other, and that’s when the major twist happens. It’s hinted throughout the book, but I never imagined the depth of it, and I surely didn’t see coming all that happened until the end. Enjoy the falling in love, the sweet talk, the funny banter, because suddenly it’s all shot to hell, and the author rips our heart out with the revelations that take place. It was excruciating to read. These two young adults face so much, and still they come out of it alive, and stronger.

I can’t say much more because otherwise I would spoil it, but believe me, this book, these characters and their lives will stay with you for a long time. Sometimes I just had to take a breather, and put my tablet away for a few minutes because of the intensity. I got dragged to the story and to all of that was happening to them like I was having a really vivid dream.

Please, please read it! It was so... Above all: beautiful :)