Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date: December 19th, 2012
Pages: 406
Song I Played While Reading: Coming Down by Halsey
Rating: 5 stars

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

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 secretes of his own, and once they are revealed, Sky is changed forever and her ability to trust may be the 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. 

I had been itching to read another CoHo book since Maybe Someday. I've heard so, so, so many incredible things about the rest of her books, and knew it was only a matter of time before I snagged 'em. My goal is to read them all by the end of this year.
Hopeless is the story of my twin, Sky, navigating her first year at public school, which also happens to be her senior year. She's been homeschooled her whole life, and only with the help of her best friend, Six, was she able to persuade her mother to let her go. And when I say she's my twin, I mean we're the exact same person. She loves to read, she loves chocolate (especially Snickers), she has a great relationship with her mom, she doesn't give a crap about what other people think about her, and she has a super dry sense of humor. I mean, it was freaky! But I also loved it because I was able to connect with her on a whole different level.
Dean Holder, even with all his flaws and secrets, was absolutely stunning. I knew from the moment we met him that he was a keeper. Sure, he was iffy and dodged around some things and acted a little crazy at some points, but... he was broken. And god damn it, if I don't have a weakness for broken bad boys. As the book progressed and the revelations started pouring in, Holder stepped up to the plate. I've never, in my life, seen a more supportive boyfriend. He was amazing. He was kind, and sweet, and caring, and patient, and so understanding it was insane. Half of the reason why I cried so hard during this book was because of him. My expectations for my future boyfriend are so damn high, it'll be a straight up miracle if I actually find someone.
And then the other half of the reason why I cried was because this book was so sad. I wasn't prepared for it. At all. Not only because, holy plot twist, but because this got shockingly personal for me. I wish I had gotten a warning beforehand just so I could have braced myself for it. One half of me understands why people don't add a trigger warning in their review, because then the whole secret/shock appeal would be ruined, but then the other half of me is angry because this is serious topic and you really never know what can set a person off. I was torn up on if I should say what it was in this review, but I decided against it, even though I'm itching to just type it out. If any of you are curious and don't mind being spoiled, then you can contact me on any of my social media accounts and I'll tell you what it is.
Hoover's writing, AS USUAL, was flawless. I still have trouble putting into words how it is, in fact, flawless, but I'm going to try here.
You know how Jandy Nelson and Lauren Oliver have very lyrical, magical writing? (I used those two because those are who come to mind first, but if you have a different author with that type of writing then just think of him/her!") Hoover is the complete opposite. Her writing is super straight-forward and blunt. There's no frilly, foo foo crap with a bunch of similes and metaphors. It's so insanely real, and raw, and gritty that it just touches you. She's able to completely nail every single emotion in her books, and it amazes me but also confuses me a little because hOW??
If I had to rate all of my CoHo books from least favorite to favorite, it would be Ugly Love, Maybe Someday, and then Hopeless. This book has touched a part of my soul that no other story has done before, and Hoover managed to do it realistically but beautifully. Life can be ugly and cruel and it can feel like everyone and everything is against you. But sometimes, if you find the right person or even the right cause, you can gain the strength to stand up again and come out a better person. I'm not saying anyone deserves to go through what Sky and millions of other girls have gone through (hell to the no), but I personally think, with the right amount of guidance and unconditional love, you can come out of that dark cloud with more understanding and peace than you ever thought possible.

Quotes
"One of the things I love about books is being able to define and condense certain portions of a character's life into chapters. It's intriguing, because you can't do this with real life. You can't just end a chapter, then skip the things you don't want to live through, only to open it up to a chapter that better suits your mood. Life can't be divided into chapters... only minutes. The events of your life are all crammed together one minute right after the other without any time lapses or blank pages or chapter breaks because no matter what happens life just keeps going and moving forward and words keep flowing and truths keep spewing whether you like it or not and life never lets you pause and just catch your fucking breath.
I need one of those chapter breaks. I just want to catch my breath, but I have no idea how."

"He frowns. "First of all, track is one of the most individual sports you can join. Second, I though you said extra curricular activities was the reason why you were here."
"I don't know why I'm here," I say. "Maybe I feel like I need to witness a good dose of human nature at its worst before I enter the real world. It'll be less of a shock.
He points a celery stick at me and cocks an eyebrow. "This is true. A gradual introduction to the perils of society will help cushion the blow. We can't release you alone into the wild when you've been pampered in a zoo your whole life."

""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?
I roll my eyes. "I read," I say. "A lot. Sometimes I bake. Sometimes I run."
"Read, bake, and run. And fantasize about me. What a riveting life you lead."
"I like my life."
"I sort of like it, too," he says.

"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."