Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsHopeless was Hopeful :)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 January 2013
17 year old Sky lives with her Mum Karen and has lived a pretty sheltered life due to her being home schooled and her mums dislike for technology. As her best friend Six puts it, she makes the Amish look trendy!! After much persuading from Sky and Six Karen allows Sky to experience her final year of education in a mainstream high school.
A chance encounter with another student Dean Holder at has Sky feeling things she never thought possible, and memories she thought were lost begin to resurface. Holder has his own issues and secrets and at times scares Sky but then at the same time she can't stop herself wanting to be with him. When Holders secrets start unraveling some startling truths are revealed which for Sky mean her life will never be the same again!!
One of my book friends wrote that reading a Colleen Hoover book is an emotional experience because she builds you up, tears you down and then builds you back up again!! This is my first Colleen Hoover book and I couldn't agree with my friend more.
The story builds you up and started out making me think it was a coming of age book, I expected a girl who has lead a sheltered life being shown a sample of the real world with it's cruelness and beauty. The characters were perfection, I instantly liked Sky she was cute, funny and quirky. Her best friends Six and Breckin were amazing side kicks bringing that light relief and comic timing to certain situations. Holder, WOW!! *swoon* !! I feel like he needs his own review. He was a perfect mix of perfection and bad boy. Whilst he was flawed himself he always said the most perfect things. He made me wish he was real and I was eighteen again, I live you Holder :)
"Let me inform you of something," he says in a low voice. "The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you."
The chemistry between Sky and Holder jumped of the page, I loved them together. The love scenes between them were so real, tender and emotionally charged which made them even more special and OMG the non kiss was pure sizzle!!
The story tears you down as secrets are revealed and pasts are realized it brought out all kinds of emotions in me as a reader. One minute I was OMG ing, the next I was crying and then I was hopeful.
The story builds you back up again but not by putting a pretty bow on the top and saying they live happily ever after but by giving hope they are survivors and you leave them with the feeling they will get through it all, and to be honest I was left feeling a little inspired by these beautiful characters.
"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 even taller than you did before you were knocked down. I'm choosing to stand up taller"
My only complaint would be that there was no epilogue and I'm a total sucker for a epilogue. I felt so invested in all the characters I just wanted more!! Maybe a tiny glimpse into the future so I knew they were all going to be ok :)
Before you start reading this stunning book I would like to give you some advice. Clear your day, once you start this book you will not want to put it down!! I would also recommend you have tissues and chocolate handy :)