Would you rather know a truth that makes you feel hopeless, or keep believing the lies?
Beloved and bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with the spellbinding story of two young people with devastating pasts who embark on a passionate, intriguing journey to discover the lessons of life, love, trust—and above all, the healing power that only truth can bring.
Sky, a senior in high school, meets Dean Holder, a guy with a promiscuous reputation that rivals her own. From their very first encounter, he terrifies and captivates her. Something about him sparks memories of her deeply troubled past, a time she’s tried so hard to bury. Though Sky is determined to stay far away from him, his unwavering pursuit and enigmatic smile break down her defenses and the intensity of the bond between them grows. But the mysterious Holder has been keeping secrets of his own, and once they are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be a casualty of the truth.
Only by courageously facing the stark revelations can Sky and Holder hope to heal their emotional scars and find a way to live and love without boundaries. Hopeless is a novel that will leave you breathless, entranced, and remembering your own first love.
Product Details:
Author:
Colleen Hoover
Paperback:
416 pages
Publisher:
Atria Books
Publication Date:
May 07, 2013
Language:
English
ISBN:
147674355X
Product Length:
8.5 inches
Product Width:
5.3 inches
Product Height:
1.2 inches
Product Weight:
0.65 pounds
Package Length:
8.1 inches
Package Width:
5.4 inches
Package Height:
1.2 inches
Package Weight:
0.45 pounds
Average Customer Rating:
based on 5510 reviews
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Review:
( 5510 customer reviews )
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
294 of 352 found the following review helpful:
Took my breath awayDec 19, 2012
By Panglette This is an all consuming book. From the first page to the last. In a way I wish ALL books were.
Such a realness to these characters that each paragraph controlled my breath. From the moments that had me laughing hard, to the ones that gripped the pit of my soul, and my favorites??? the ones that actually stopped my breathing while I experienced Holder and Sky's intoxicating relationship.
Never has an author had me literally panting when the couple hasn't even kissed yet. "I'm pretty sure we just broke the record for the best first kiss in the history of first kisses- without even kissing." (38%) Agreed. And since when has pinky holding brought tears to my eyes? Since Hopeless, that's when.
Without a doubt this book just fell into my top 10 list of favorite books ever. What an amazing gift Colleen Hoover has.
Her characters are real. At least you sure as heck wish they were. And lived in your house. And were your only friends. ;) I loved Sky from the 3rd sentence. Sarcasm and quick wit~ two things I can't get enough of. And Holder? Holder had me at "Hey." I dare you not to fall in love with him. Perfectly imperfect characters. And I could.not.get.enough.
May I recommend blocking off your day when you buy Hopeless... as you will not want to put it down. Not even to pee. And make sure your kindle/iPad/electronic-device is fully charged or you will sit on the floor next to the plug to read because back pain will be completely worth it. Lack of sleep will be worth it. Ignoring your children will be worth it. ;) Ok, I need to stop. But only because I need to go re-read it. Now.
**Warning ~ If you are a Slammed fan that wants to read this, please know Hopeless is of a more mature nature than Slammed and it deals with a dark subject mater.
127 of 155 found the following review helpful:
Is it possible to top perfection?Dec 19, 2012
By melmos75 Is it possible to top perfection?
Anyone that knows me knows I LOVE the Slammed series by Colleen Hoover with all my heart. To me that book was perfection and I really didn't think that Colleen would be able to top it. And she didn't top it. No, she double-decker ice cream scoop, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, and sprinkles topped it.
I am once again amazed at Colleen's ability to bring her characters to life and how they can so easily get under my skin. Sky is strong, brave, but yet a broken young woman. There are many points in the story that have you wondering why something that would bother or embarrass anyone else simply doesn't faze her at all. The reality is that I love that about her. I envy her ability to take life so nonchalantly. I don't, however, envy all that she had to go through and wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy. My heart broke for her in many places and I'm still not sure if it is completely put back together.
Holder is....well, Holder is scary. He's scary because he is so damn perfect. Not perfect in a flawless sort of way, because he definitely has his flaws, but perfect in a way that makes you feel protected, in a way that makes you feel secure, and perfect in a way that oozes swoon-worthy masculinity and makes your heart pitter-patter with everything that comes from his mouth. There is no poetry in Hopeless, but Holder's words felt like poetry to me.
Before delving into this book, I didn't read the synopsis and I didn't read any teasers. I simply put my faith in Colleen that she would write something that would blow me away. And she didn't disappoint. So in this review I am not going to give anything about the story away. I simply challenge you to pick it up and start reading. Your decision to do so will be validated with the emotions your heart feels throughout the book.
Hopeless is a book that will make you laugh, make you cry, rip out your heart, shatter it in little tiny pieces, stomp on it a little, and then duct tape it all back together. It's not simply a love story, it's a journey that will change you forever. I am forever changed because of this book.
If you have a heartbeat and a soul, you should read this book. Heck, even if you're a zombie, you should read this book. You will LIKE it. You will LIVE it. You will LOVE it.
Please note: Hopeless is in no way related to Colleen Hoover's Slammed series. And although the characters are in high school, the subject matter is darker and more geared toward an audience 17 and above.
143 of 176 found the following review helpful:
She had me at, "completely and comfortably numb."Dec 19, 2012
By Tough Critic Book Reviews
"Tough Critic Book Reviews"
I almost don't trust myself to write this review because I'm pretty sure...no, I know it will be impossible for me to put into words the experience of Hopeless.
The title in itself is packed with irony because every single thing about this book is...more. I felt this book before I even finished the first chapter. Yes, the story is dark, but this type of beauty doesn't need light to be seen. This type of beauty is meant to be felt, experienced. Hopeless is beautiful and I felt every single part of it.
Colleen Hoover's attention to detail develops the story and gives it life. I'm not talking about detailed descriptions; I'm talking about those small personalized touches that make a story real. Those little pieces that seem completely random until you finally realize that they all fit together perfectly, flawlessly.
I apologize for being too lazy to look up another word in my thesaurus, but the characters were perfect. I loved Sky's unabashed honesty. I felt everything right along with her...everything. Some of the situations she found herself in were hilarious! I was uncomfortable. I was embarrassed. I was heartbroken. I was hearthealed. I was emotionally connected to everything that was happening in the story.
Holder. He was...I--I don't have the words. Holder...I just can't. He was...he was simply amazing. Everything about him, perfect. Every single thing that came out of his mouth was dripping with so many different emotions that I'm...I melted every single time he spoke. Every. Time.
The physical connection between Holder and Sky made it difficult to breathe; the moments of intense passion, emotion, feeling. I needed the descriptive nature of those scenes (not because I'm a pervert), but because I needed to feel the emotion. I needed to feel...everything. I felt everything. It brought a level of intimacy that left me speechless.
I love how you think you have it all figured out...until you don't. We're easily let to figure out some things, but then slammed with something we didn't see coming. It's emotionally charged from beginning to end. Don't be scared of the dark issues. There are emotions that without pain are impossible to experience. They are beautiful emotions because they come from healing. They come from a heart that has been broken, damaged. A heart that has been put back together. Sky and Holder broke me, but then they put me back together. These emotions are the most beautiful and intense emotions that you can feel. This book allows us to experience that; to feel everything. It is something to be thankful for and I am truly thankful for every part of it.
I don't care if you're a fan of erotica, contemporary, romance, fantasy, YA, or fairy porn. This book will deliver something for EVERYONE! Hopeless took a part of me with it, but it gave me a piece of it in return. A piece I will keep forever and ever. READ ON!
81 of 100 found the following review helpful:
Loved the first half, but the second half did not work for meDec 21, 2012
By Book Worm Let me say something that excited me about this book; it has an actual ending. Yes!!! Not a cliff-hanger, not a wait for the next book, to get the whole story. It has an ending. However, reading this book was like reading two books. The first halve was full of story building, character development and humour. The second half was like ploughing through psychology 101 and having someone tell me how I should be feeling and deliberately trying to pull to hard at my emotions. Let me explain further, without giving the storyline away.
Sky was an interesting character, instantly likable and fun to read about. She had an attention-grabbing history, and you know instantly that everything about her is not as it seems. The book starts off at the present with her having a breakdown of sorts, and then goes back in time, hence you know all is not as it seems. It drew me into the story, clearly something was happening with Sky. I'm not sure if you were meant to guess early on what this was, I thought it was obvious (but this could be due to my profession) what had happened to her, but this did not take away from the story for me. For me the story always was, how would she react when she realised and what would she then do.
First let me talk about the characters. Sky was a well-developed character. I liked how a lot of this character development was done through her inactions with her best friend Six and new friend Breckin. Both Six and Breckin, are the light characters that bring the humour and respite from the heavy topics. They were interesting, and initially they were developed well. The dialogue and banter between them and Sky was sharp, witty and memorable. Unfortunately, I think both Six and Breckin could have been taken further because by the second half they were forgotten and just appeared as extra's due to the heavy `issues' . They could have provided lighter moments that were desperately needed in between all the melodrama.
Holder was a mixed bag for me. His character was up and down, hot and cold, angry and happy. I know he was `meant' to be like this but it was too much at times for me, and did not feel real. I don't really think that Sky's explanation of him being `passionate' about everything did not ring true to me. However, when Holder was given the middle ground rather than highs and low, he was an interesting character. I liked the development that took place between Sky and Holder. What I didn't like was how Holder kept on going on about how Sky was so beautiful and perfect. I really liked how Holder was the lynch pin in the whole story, and he didn't always take the easy road. What I did not like was I felt like so much of his story was missing, you were told stuff about him and then it was not finished. Because of this I don't think I really knew him truly by the end.
So, the first half was great, getting to know Sky and Holder, and watching them develop their relationship, whilst Sky discovers what has happened to her. This was all well written, interesting, engaging. It was full of both light hearted moments, laugh out loud moments, but also painful and emotional moments. I loved it.
The second half was missing the light hearted laugh out loud moments. It was crammed full of emotional heavy long winded inner monologue. There was also melodrama scene after melodrama scene. I have not said drama here because it was melodrama. The scenes were all meant to be highly emotional. I constantly felt like the emotions were being pushed on me and I was being told how to feel rather than just feeling it. In addition to this so much happened in such a short time frame, there was no time for a breath, and yet at the same time it was explained in so much detail that although it happened so quick it felt like it was dragging at times. In addition, the way Sky and Holder spoke changed. They no longer read as teenagers, but rather 40 year olds who had been in therapy for 20 years. The fact was throughout this book I wanted to know how Sky would react to finding out stuff, that was the whole point of the book for me, but when that actually happened it didn't feel real to me. It felt forced, everything from the emotions of everyone, and how quickly things happened. I wish I was writing l loved the end of this book as much as I loved the beginning, but I didn't. Will I read it again? No Would I recommend it? Sure, clearly by the high number of 5 star reviews most reviewers love it.
76 of 94 found the following review helpful:
Hopeless is hopelessJan 30, 2013
By D. McGilvray
"lector"
There are so many problems with this book- how to begin this review? To say "Hopeless sucks *ss" might be most appropriate, considering the number of times that phrase is repeated in the first few chapters. Examples: "cafeteria food sucks *ss", "your spaghetti sucks *ss", and "school sucked *ss." Really?
As the story progresses, the reader is pummeled with superlatives. (In case you didn't pay attention in English 101 a superlative is "the highest degree of comparison, excessive or exaggerated"). On pages 60-61 alone we find: completely out of breath, complete silence, entire way, no one ever, totally fall for it, he has no idea, I've never run, it's taking everything...need I continue? A few pages later we come across "absolutely, positively hate." There are so many adverbs they totally, completely, and absolutely distract from the story.
Minimal text is dedicated to the development of the characters. The names are ridiculous- Sky, Six, Breckin, and Holder? Groan. Sky's best friend's name was originally Seven, but she changed it to Six just to be uncooperative. The characters are cliched, but at least Hoover got to check all the politically correct and tolerant boxes. Breckin is gay, paints his nails black, and wears pink. That's the extent of his character development. Oh, and the fact that he uses the word "Mormon" as a euphemism for gay. What? I guess it's supposed to be clever. Sky's mother is another caricature- a vegan who eschews technology in any form (at least that figures into the plot later).
I understand that the language is supposed to be representative of a typical teenager, but it just doesn't work. It sounds more like a roomful of 12 year old boys trying to outdo one another with profanity and tough talk. Other examples of stupidity include "cop a feel", "I kicked his drunk *ss out", "I'll cut a b*tch", and probably the most ridiculous- "milk that tastes like *ss". Does anyone talk like this? A small part of the romance writing has potential. It would be nice, girls, if there were a boy out there like Holder. However, most of the romantic writing is just insipid. When a couple kisses one of them says, "It's game on." On page 170 Sky says, "It feels like the entire earth has shifted off its axis, and Holder is the core" and Holder "crashes his lips to mine" (crashes? perhaps the intended word was crushes?) and "We have just wholly fallen into each other." I can see why the FEELINGS in the book would appeal to many teenage girls- and I suppose that accounts for the many 5 star reviews. Stirring raging hormones should not be an acceptable substitute for quality writing.
Hoover needed help with forming the past participle of "run." Examples: "He's already ran 4 miles" (p. 78), "I've ran no less than 4 miles" (p. 137), and "faster than I've ever ran" (p. 195). A similar past participle problem appeared on page 234 with "We wouldn't have came here together today." How does an editor miss glaring grammar gaffes like these? Writing must be clear and correct so that it does not interfere with the story.
Finally, who is the intended audience for this book? The language is juvenile, but the subject matter is not. The problem resolution (which I won't go into to avoid spoilers) was rapid, unrealistic and again, just stupid. I'm tired of thinking about this book, much less writing about it. There are finer books waiting to be read. The idea of a Holder to cherish you is appealing, girls, but his presentation in this poorly written piece of pulp fiction is not worth your time.
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