Hopeless (Hopeless, #1)

by Colleen Hoover

Would you rather know a truth that makes you feel hopeless, or keep believing the lies?

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 defences and the intensity of their relationship 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.

Praise for Colleen Hoover:

'As brilliant and entertaining as Slammed, Point of Retreatis absolute poetry.' - JAMIE MCGUIRE, New York Times bestselling author of Beautiful Disaster

'I finished reading Slammed at 1am on Sunday... I couldn't wait to start reading Point of Retreatso I bought it right then and there!' - Amazon Review

• ISBN10: 1481251880
• ISBN13: 9781481251884
• Publish Date: 1 January 2013
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Createspace
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 486
• Language: English

Reviews

[Laurie]

Review posted on https://lauriesbookshelf.com
Sterrenhemel is het Nederlandse debuut van de populaire new adult auteur Colleen Hoover. Ik heb al een aantal boeken van haar gelezen, maar deze nog niet. Afgelopen zaterdag was het dan zover, ik las dit boek dan eindelijk.

Verwachtingen

Van Colleen Hoover weet je dat je een aantal dingen kunt verwachten. Een new adult met heftige, maatschappelijke thema's waarbij het taboe rondom dat thema wordt doorbroken door het bespreekbaar te maken. Daarnaast zijn het boeken die je vaak binnen een mum van tijd uit leest. Sterrenhemel is echter geen new adult, maar een young adult. Voor de rest klopten mijn verwachtingen, want ik las dit boek ook nog eens van begin tot eind in één ruk uit.

Verhaal

De hoofdpersoon in Sterrenhemel is de zeventienjarige Sky die helemaal van de buitenwereld is afgesloten. Haar adoptiemoeder heeft naar verluid een hekel aan technologie en daarom mag Sky geen tv kijken of een mobiele telefoon hebben. Daarnaast heeft ze altijd thuisonderwijs gekregen en nu mag ze, naar lang zeuren, eindelijk naar een gewone school. Waarom dat allemaal is wordt gedurende het verhaal duidelijk. Al vrij snel komt ze Holder tegen, maar ze wil niet verliefd worden.



Nouja, je voelt hem al aankomen, dat gaat niet helemaal goed. Holder is erg mysterieus en je voelt meteen al dat er iets aan de hand is. Want wat van wat hij vertelt is de waarheid? Sky begint dus steeds meer voor Holder te voelen en andersom is dat ook zo. Het gaat allemaal niet makkelijk, maar het wordt langzaamaan duidelijk waarom.



Holder worstelt met iets uit zijn verleden, net als Sky. Je ziet Sky steeds meer groeien, want haar herinneringen komen langzaam terug. Ze heeft naar eigen zeggen geen herinneringen meer aan haar verleden, maar door gebeurtenissen in Sterrenhemel komen deze langzaam weer terug. Plezierig zijn deze herinneringen niet, maar het verklaart wel de aantrekkingskracht van Sky en Holder.



Ik begon zaterdagochtend in dit boek en zaterdagmiddag was het uit. Ik wilde weten wat er met Sky en Holder aan de hand was, dus ik bleef doorlezen en ik kon dus niet meer stoppen. Dit boek is voor mij het beste boek van Colleen Hoover tot nu toe. Sterrenregen, vertelt vanuit Holder, ga ik zeker ook snel lezen, maar Sterrenhemel verdient de volle 5 sterren. Het thema dat hier besproken wordt zal ik hier niet openlijk benoemen, vouw daarvoor de spoiler even uit.



Het hoofdthema van Sterrenhemel is kindermisbruik. Op dit thema rust nog veel taboe, maar tegenwoordig zie je helaas steeds meer (oude) zaken rondom kindermisbruik het nieuws halen. Ik vind dit echt naar, zoiets mag gewoon niet gebeuren. Colleen Hoover maakt dit thema bespreekbaar en probeert door het verhaal van Sky te vertellen in sterrenhemel het taboe rondom kindermisbruik stukje bij beetje te doorbreken.
This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf

[lauriesbookshelf]

Review posted on https://lauriesbookshelf.com
Sterrenhemel is het Nederlandse debuut van de populaire new adult auteur Colleen Hoover. Ik heb al een aantal boeken van haar gelezen, maar deze nog niet. Afgelopen zaterdag was het dan zover, ik las dit boek dan eindelijk.

Verwachtingen

Van Colleen Hoover weet je dat je een aantal dingen kunt verwachten. Een new adult met heftige, maatschappelijke thema's waarbij het taboe rondom dat thema wordt doorbroken door het bespreekbaar te maken. Daarnaast zijn het boeken die je vaak binnen een mum van tijd uit leest. Sterrenhemel is echter geen new adult, maar een young adult. Voor de rest klopten mijn verwachtingen, want ik las dit boek ook nog eens van begin tot eind in één ruk uit.

Verhaal

De hoofdpersoon in Sterrenhemel is de zeventienjarige Sky die helemaal van de buitenwereld is afgesloten. Haar adoptiemoeder heeft naar verluid een hekel aan technologie en daarom mag Sky geen tv kijken of een mobiele telefoon hebben. Daarnaast heeft ze altijd thuisonderwijs gekregen en nu mag ze, naar lang zeuren, eindelijk naar een gewone school. Waarom dat allemaal is wordt gedurende het verhaal duidelijk. Al vrij snel komt ze Holder tegen, maar ze wil niet verliefd worden.



Nouja, je voelt hem al aankomen, dat gaat niet helemaal goed. Holder is erg mysterieus en je voelt meteen al dat er iets aan de hand is. Want wat van wat hij vertelt is de waarheid? Sky begint dus steeds meer voor Holder te voelen en andersom is dat ook zo. Het gaat allemaal niet makkelijk, maar het wordt langzaamaan duidelijk waarom.



Holder worstelt met iets uit zijn verleden, net als Sky. Je ziet Sky steeds meer groeien, want haar herinneringen komen langzaam terug. Ze heeft naar eigen zeggen geen herinneringen meer aan haar verleden, maar door gebeurtenissen in Sterrenhemel komen deze langzaam weer terug. Plezierig zijn deze herinneringen niet, maar het verklaart wel de aantrekkingskracht van Sky en Holder.



Ik begon zaterdagochtend in dit boek en zaterdagmiddag was het uit. Ik wilde weten wat er met Sky en Holder aan de hand was, dus ik bleef doorlezen en ik kon dus niet meer stoppen. Dit boek is voor mij het beste boek van Colleen Hoover tot nu toe. Sterrenregen, vertelt vanuit Holder, ga ik zeker ook snel lezen, maar Sterrenhemel verdient de volle 5 sterren. Het thema dat hier besproken wordt zal ik hier niet openlijk benoemen, vouw daarvoor de spoiler even uit.



Het hoofdthema van Sterrenhemel is kindermisbruik. Op dit thema rust nog veel taboe, maar tegenwoordig zie je helaas steeds meer (oude) zaken rondom kindermisbruik het nieuws halen. Ik vind dit echt naar, zoiets mag gewoon niet gebeuren. Colleen Hoover maakt dit thema bespreekbaar en probeert door het verhaal van Sky te vertellen in sterrenhemel het taboe rondom kindermisbruik stukje bij beetje te doorbreken.
This review was originally posted on Laurie's Bookshelf

[boghunden]

I've been putting this book off for such a long time, because I was afraid it would touch on things I wasn't ready to read about yet. It didn't. At all. I actually happened to really love this book.

Sky and Holder are amazing characters, they're flawed, but they see the best in each other. I also loved Karen, Sky's mom. She was such a joy to read about. I didn't quite get enough of Six though, Sky's neighbor and best friend. I loooooved her!!! She was my favorite character 3

I didn't even finish the book, before I went and ordered book two and three in the series. I need more of this universe, and I need it now.

The writing style was light and easy to read, and it wasn't quite as slow as Slammed, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
This is among Hoover's best works, and if you haven't read it yet, you're really missing out!

[Sam@WLABB]

This! This, is what Hoover does. She tricks you into thinking the story is about one thing and then BAM! The plot twist just comes out of nowhere. Sky is 17 and embarking on a HUGE life change. She will go from being home-schooled to attending public high school for her senior year. Her first day of school did not go exactly as planned, but then after school, she meets him -- Holder, and their paths cross again, and again. Their romance is tedious at times due to Holder's mood swings, but the real story is what is behind the mood swings. Holder, I just want to hold him. He is so complicated, and deep, and brooding, and passionate. I cannot wait to read his story. I must know more about this boy. And, Sky - so strong and honest and angsty. I loved getting to know her and actually admired her attitude and choices. Another great Colleen Hoover read.

[inlibrisveritas]

Hopeless was what my March TBR Pal picked for me to read this month, and I can honestly say I have no idea why I put it off so long. I love Hoover’s writing and I love that she can utterly destroy you and build you back up all in the same 500 pages. Hopeless is no different.

Sky’s life changes when she urges her mom to let her go to public school: she meets Holder & Breckin, and she begins to understand who she is. Suddenly even the thing she thought she understood about herself becomes clearer and she’s fighting to keep her head above water. I did not expect this storyline at all…everything caught me off guard. I thought this was going to be about Holder’s somewhat intense personality, and while it does go into that and explore his own process of healing, it’s soo much more. It’s a book about letting go, self discovery, and overcoming even the darkest of moments.

I love the writing, and the way this one progressed and how there was much more of a mystery than I expected there to be. I loved Sky despite her troubles, in fact I love her all the more because of how she pulls through. Holden took some getting use to though, but as the story unfolded his intensity became more understandable and I found myself loving him too. These two fit together, but only after they allow their walls to come down and the struggle between them to open up is one that I found to be really relatable. Somethings are just too hard to say out loud , and in some cases saying them out loud suddenly turns a thought into a reality and that can just be too much. The way their relationship truly started had me a bit disappointed because it seemed to be a case of insta-love and I hadn’t expected that over a Hoover book, but it’s not…there is definitely more to it. The pacing is slow, though I read it really quickly, and the story really takes a moment to give you a full set up so if you’re having trouble with the first few chapters just give it a little bit longer.

This one didn’t make me cry (thankfully) but it did manage to pull me away from a game I’ve been dying to play for about 5 months…which is pretty much the same thing in my world. Hoover’s ability to tell an engrossing story is definitely worth the hype, and even worth adding to my auto-buy list.

[whisperingchapters]

I had read Finding Cinderella before reading Hopeless and I thought Hopeless would be a funny story but man, it was everything. Now I understand why so many readers love Colleen and love Hopeless. Her writing style is perfect and her stories are amazing.

I began reading this book and I just knew this book was going to touch my heart and it did. I connected to Sky’s character in so many ways. Reading about what she went through, all those flashbacks, was hard for me and got me so emotional. Sky is very brave and such a strong character even when she had her breakdowns.

Hopeless is a dark, phenomenal, romantic, thoughtful…it really has everything. I thought I wasn’t going to like it because it turned out to be different than Finding Cinderella but it’s because it is so dark and in-depth that I love this story. If you still haven’t read any books by Colleen Hoover, I HIGHLY recommend you start with Hopeless because it will be the ride of your life, a major roller-coaster of emotions. You will cry, you will laugh, you will understand, you will connect, you will fall hard for each character in this story. I had a book hang over. It took me a while to write a review and I still don’t feel happy with what I have written because Hopeless is very hard to describe and hard to express emotions for.

It is perfect…it is beyond amazing. You will love this story and will not regret ever picking it up.

[thebookdisciple]

Meh. It wasn't bad. But, it was weird. There were lots of parts that were just uncomfortable-super awkward and unnatural. The plot twist was great though and thats what kept me reading. Overall, I wasn't impressed with the entire book.

[lizarodz]

I don’t even know how to start this review.  My first book by Hoover was Maybe Someday and I was impressed by her writing.  I next purchased Hopeless in audio at the insistence of Nereyda from Mostly YA Book Obsessed who claimed that this was an awesome book.  You did not exaggerate my friend, Hopeless was indeed an awesome book.

Sky is our fearless protagonist.  I really liked Sky. She had a unique sense of humor and a really good life.  She has been raised by her overprotective adoptive mother and she has been homeschooled and cut off from all technology.  At the insistence of Six, her best friend, she enrolls in high school as a senior.  This doesn’t go very well for her, but fear not, this is not a high school drama per se.  Sky has obvious emotional issues, but slowly falls for the hopeless boy.

“The sky is always beautiful.Even when it's dark or rainy or cloudy,it's still beautiful to look at....it'll be there no matter what...and I know it'll always be beautiful.”

Dean Holder – be still my heart – has gone through a lot. His family and his life are falling apart and he’s trying to put the pieces back together.  His first encounter with Sky is kind of creepy and she notices a tattoo that says “hopeless”.  We get to know what that means for him, later in the story.  Holder is a little volatile and a lot sweet.  He’s smart, protective, patient, handsome, and moody.

The relationship between Sky and Holder is so complex, full of ups and downs, realistic, and powerful.  It is full of secrets and discoveries and raw emotions.  These are two imperfect characters that together make a perfect couple. One for the hall of fame for sure (what?  I can’t have my own hall of fame?)

“I laugh and rush to him, throwing my arms around his neck. “You’re the best, most understanding boyfriend in the whole wide world.”

He sighs and returns my hug. “No, I’m not,” he says, pressing his lips to the side of my head. “I’m the most whipped boyfriend in the whole wide world.”

Six is Sky’s best friend and at her insistence, Sky enrolls in high school.  Unfortunately, Six is accepted into a foreign study program in Italy.  Even if she isn’t in most of the book, she still texts and emails Sky and is very much present in her life.  Breckin becomes Sky’s friend in school and I really liked him.

“It’s what happens when two people become one: they no longer only share love. They also share all of the pain, heartache, sorrow, and grief.”

The writing is phenomenal. Hopeless is a true work of art, not only in its plot, but in the dialogue and in the insight the characters gain.  The banter between the characters is so good and sometimes downright funny.  But don’t be fooled, this story is heartbreaking.  I’m not ashamed to tell you that I cried (I know I cried all the time, but still.)  I promise that it’s is worth it.

From the beginning of the story I sort of knew something was wrong with Sky and that Holder was hiding something.  I even had an inkling of what might be, but nothing prepared me for what really happened. The mind is such a powerful thing.  It is amazing how hurtful, tragic, painful events can be forgotten and covered under other happier events.  How the mind can make explanations for the lack of memories and don’t question why.

“And while I could sit here and feel sorry for myself, wondering why all of this happened to me .I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to wish for a perfect life. The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I'm choosing to stand taller. I'll probably get kicked down a few more times before this life is through with me, but I can guarantee you I'll never stay on the ground.”

Overall, Hopeless is a story of heartbreak, of right and wrong, of loss and most of all of a love so powerful that can mend it all. An amazing read. You should read it too.

About the audiobook: Hopeless is narrated by  Angela Goethals.  She also performed the narration for Maybe Someday so she is like a good friend by now.  I like that the voices were distinctive from each other and easy to recognize.  The intensity of the emotions comes across beautifully in the performance. So good.This review was originally posted on Reading With ABC

[Linda]

*Audiobook*

I think I really need to start reviewing audio-books on my blog! This one was awesome! I had to get a tissue while I was taking the bus - it is even more emotional to listen to the story than to read it myself!

Lexxie @ (un)Conventional Bookviews

[Angie]

Meet Sky, the adopted daughter of a vegan who refuses to accept TV, telephone, or internet access in the 21st century, and the narrator of Hopeless. Sky has also never gone to public school (or any school) before, but she's enrolling for her Senior year in order to list some extracurricular activities on her college applications. Upon attending school, she signs up for none, unless you count being stalked by Dean Holder as an extracurricular activity. At nearly 18 years old, Holder is the first guy Sky has EVER been attracted to, despite making out with many. Too bad that he makes her feel uncomfortable because he's a stalker and all. At least for two days. Then things get crazy.

The first 60ish% of Hopeless is 1★ material. I hated absolutely everything about it. The first thing Sky tells us is that she's not a slut unless being slutty means making out with lots of guys. Um, well, that's not what being a slut means, so no you're not a slut. I actually think it's great that she's comfortable enough to do what she wants with guys and stop them when it starts crossing into territory she doesn't want to go. What I'm not okay with is all of the "slut this" and "whore that" and "I don't have sex so I'm not a slut" and blah, blah, blah! This all spans several chapters. Sky really wants us to know she is not a slut, since she's never even been attracted to a boy before, and only makes out because it lets her shut her brain off and not feel anything. Of course, on her first day of school she's already the school slut, but she holds her head high. Wonderful.

Then she meets the one boy who gives her butterflies and makes her want to do naughty, naughty, dirty things. Meet Holder! He follows Sky to her car after glaring at her, demands to know her name, snatches her ID, and clearly has anger problems. Sky thinks he's sexy as hell, but she's also nervous because of his "intense" behavior. Holder proceeds to stalk her for the next two days, and actually gets pissed off when she points out that she doesn't know him, because ya know...she doesn't. Then later on, he gets pissed off again about a bracelet she's wearing, grabs her, yells at her, then disappears for a whole month. Sky's reaction? She wants an apology so she can give him a second chance. By the way, she thought he was just on drugs. How about NO!

Does Holder apologize? Nope. He climbs through her window in the middle of the night, climbs into bed with her, and they start making out. I don't know about you, but I'd scream my head off if someone just appeared in my bed with their lips all over me! Then he cooks her breakfast, because nothing says I'm sorry like fresh bacon. He gives this epic speech about how he won't apologize because he doesn't want forgiveness. I don't really think it's up to him whether or not Sky forgives him (which she does), but let's just play along. Now they're in "live." That's somewhere between like and love, if you were wondering.

Let's talk about Holder a bit more. Clearly he's unstable. He literally stalks Sky and shows abusive tendencies. Sky even points out all of the red flags, but she clearly doesn't care, because...he has a tragic past that totally explains his behavior! Okay, so, his story does make it clear why he is the way he is, but it in no way excuses his actions. He admits to nearly beating a kid to death like it's no big deal. Aside from grabbing Sky's arm over the bracelet, later when all of the craziness of Hopeless comes out, he shoves her aside hard enough that she falls! I understand why he did it, but again, not an excuse! I can't say why because it's a huge spoiler. Anyone who is capable of this is not boyfriend material! Does Sky think any of this is wrong? Nope, they just have lots of sex to forget about it!

Now, I did really like the plot once it showed up. However, it had already been tainted by everything I already mentioned. Hopeless really felt like two distinct books, and it's certainly long enough that it could have been. That first 60% is all about this unhealthy relationship and there are some hints about what's to come. The last 40% was actually quite good. I flew through it because I had to know what the heck was going on. I did figure out the situation with Sky's father as soon as he was mentioned, so it was just a matter of waiting another 300 pages for everyone else to realize it to. This made it not as shocking when it came out, which is unfortunate, because this could have been really emotional.

While I liked the last part of Hopeless a lot, it did feel like the author had a checklist of issues and included all of them. There's adoption, sexuality, suicide, grief, repressed memories, child abuse, incest, kidnapping, mistaken identities, and probably some others that I'm forgetting. There's even a token gay friend. I actually did like Breckin, but I was annoyed that he was only the token gay friend. Once the plot appeared, it was twist after twist after twist. When you thought the worst has appeared, more comes!

Hopeless is...I don't even know. The relationship between Sky and Holder was the biggest downfall. I think all of the intense plot twists were suppose to distract us from his previous actions, and probably excuse it, but it doesn't. This is not a healthy relationship. He has issues that he needs to get under control before he seriously hurts someone else. Sky has her own issues so that she apparently looks past his abuse, since she needs him to heal her, because sex heals all! And is this being pushed as New Adult? It's not. It is literally sexed up YA. The characters are 17 and in high school. There's just a lot of sex and violence, making it mature YA not NA.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.