Book Review: Hopeless

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover 

Publishing Date: December 19, 2012
Publisher: Atria Books
Synopsis from Goodreads: 

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

SPOILER FREE REVIEW

I rated it 2/5 stars "It's okay"

This book is not only about teen romance, it's more than that. It's about life, it addresses a serious topic which every person should at least know about.

"I tilt my head back and look up at the stars, wishing more than anything that I was up there and not down here."

Gave it 2 stars, this is my second Colleen Hoover book but it didn't compare to Ugly Love. Don't get me wrong, the way Holder lives (loves) Sky is how every girl wants to be lived (loved), but it just didn't give me the wow factor. The reveals at the last parts of the story was something I never saw coming and the deeper and further it got all the lines connecting every character just got tangled up.

I hate Holder (in a sarcastic way) for always knowing the right things to say at certain situations, it makes him even more unreal! But am I the only one who sees Holder as Charlie Heaton/Jonathan Byers from Stranger Things? Maybe that's why I'm not that attracted to him.

"There's nothing like the guilt you feel when there's room in your heart to love evil."

Over all this book was a good read, I can't put it down because I want to know how it ends and what's really hidden in the past lives of both main characters. I don't hate the book, I even love the plot twists. I love how it addresses a serious matter, those kinds of books always get the better half of me. I'm looking forward to Losing Hope which will be my next read after a couple of books I need to read ahead of it because of a deadline.

Best Reads of 2016

I've read 17 books last year (you can check them out here) and these are the books that really left and will keep a mark on me. I'll add their synopsis from Goodreads.

In no particular order:

Throne of Glass Series: Crown of Mdnight by Sarah J. Maas (book 2)

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

A Court of Thorns and Roses Series: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

The Royals Trilogy: Paper Princess (book 1)
From strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone. 

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

The Royals Trilogy: Broken Prince (book 2)
From wharf fights and school brawls to crumbling lives inside glittery mansions, one guy tries to save himself. 

THESE ROYALS WILL RUIN YOU...

Reed Royal has it all—looks, status, money. The girls at his elite prep school line up to date him, the guys want to be him, but Reed never gave a damn about anyone but his family until Ella Harper walked into his life.

What started off as burning resentment and the need to make his father’s new ward suffer turned into something else entirely—keep Ella close. Keep Ella safe. But when one foolish mistake drives her out of Reed’s arms and brings chaos to the Royal household, Reed’s entire world begins to fall apart around him.

Ella doesn’t want him anymore. She says they’ll only destroy each other.

SHE MIGHT BE RIGHT. 

Secrets. Betrayal. Enemies. It’s like nothing Reed has ever dealt with before, and if he’s going to win back his princess, he’ll need to prove himself Royally worthy.

The Royals Trilogy: Twisted Palace (book 3)
These Royals will ruin you…

From mortal enemies to unexpected allies, two teenagers try to protect everything that matters most.

Ella Harper has met every challenge that life has thrown her way. She’s tough, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to defend the people she loves, but the challenge of a long-lost father and a boyfriend whose life is on the line might be too much for even Ella to overcome.

Reed Royal has a quick temper and even faster fists. But his tendency to meet every obstacle with violence has finally caught up with him. If he wants to save himself and the girl he loves, he’ll need to rise above his tortured past and tarnished reputation.

No one believes Ella can survive the Royals. Everyone is sure Reed will destroy them all.
They may be right.

With everything and everyone conspiring to keep them apart, Ella and Reed must find a way to beat the law, save their families, and unravel all the secrets in their Twisted Palace.

Book Review: What's A Soulmate?

What's a Soulmate? by Lindsey Ouimet
Publishing Date: October 28, 2016
Publisher: Evernight Teen
Synopsis from Goodreads:

Libby Carmichael has just met her Soulmate. It’s just too bad he’s behind bars.

When you only see the world in black and white until you meet yours, it's pretty simple to figure out when you’ve found your Soulmate. What Libby can't figure out is why fate/destiny/the powers-that-be have decided that Andrew McCormack is her one, true match. Libby is smart, organized, and always has a plan for what's coming next. So when she sees Andrew for the first time and her world is instantly filled with color, she's thrown for a loop.Namely because he's in a dingy grey jumpsuit.And handcuffs.And being booked into a juvenile detention facility.

Surely a boy who's been convicted of a headline-making, violent crime isn't the person she’s meant to be with. There's no way she belongs with someone like that... Right?

*Copy was received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

SPOILER ALERT

Just as I finished reading the first chapter I immediately got hooked. I love it already. This world that Lindsey created where a person is born colorblind, literally black and white until you find your Soulmate. Your Soulmate that brings color to your life. The book is about knowing when your Soulmate is in the same room as you makes the world easier to live by but just as complicated if your Soulmate is someone you can’t be with.

“A girl could find the one person who literally fills her world with
color, and he or she could already have a match. One who obviously, and unfortunately, isn’t her.”

“Well, let’s just say it’s made very clear that something beautiful in
black and white? It can be even more breathtaking in color.”

“Maybe I’m trying to convince myself nothing’s perfect. Not even Soulmates.”

The way the author described how Libby saw colors for the first time, I know it was hard to explain but she was able to write it very well that it wasn’t difficult to understand at all. You understand what she’s trying to say or to describe without actually using any color reference which is a huge challenge and I praise her for it.

The entire book was kind of dry, it needed more elements, though I can’t say what but I feel it does. Like something is missing, or I just want more. Like more explanation on how the people especially the students behave when they can’t see color. How is the world with colorblind people different from us? The part where Libby mentioned there was a separate section for colored fabric and she’s never been to, that kind of information is what I’m looking for in the book. Do companies for teen clothes make their ads in black and white rather than in color? Are the teen dramas, films, shows shown in black and white? 

Taking a step back and seeing the big picture the author gave all the side stories needed but I wish some information were dropped like bombs and just catch the reader off guard. The part where the woman in the SUV was actually the wife, and she gave the tapes to Andrew’s mom didn’t make me feel surprised because there wasn’t much suspense to the SUV thing. I didn’t feel any suspicions with it nor was there any thrill.

Overall I really love the idea of a world about Soulmates, people born not seeing in full color. I think this would make a great franchise/series, like other people’s stories who find their soul mate and don’t get a happy ending, or a teenager’s grandmother finding her soul mate after her husband died. I’m not sure if there are endless possibilities, but there are a lot of possibilities to this concept and I would really like to read other people’s perspective in this wonderful world Lindsey has created for us all.