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.
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.
"It's killing me baby because I don't want you to go another day without knowing how I feel about you. And I'm not ready to tell you I'm in love with you, because I'm not. Not yet. But whatever this is I'm feeling--it's so much more than just like. It's so much more. And for the past few weeks I've been trying to figure it out. I've been trying to figure out why there isn't some other word to describe it. I want to tell you exactly how I feel but there isn't a single goddamned word in the entire dictionary that can describe this point between liking you and loving you, but I need that word. I need it because I need you to hear me say it." (quote from e-version)
Hopeless was not an exception. I found myself so engrossed and emotionally invested in Holder and Sky; their story is so beautifully tragic and brilliant. My emotions ran the course with theirs. I felt their pain, their happiness, their love, and at times their defeat. My heart broke right along with theirs, it shattered as secrets began to unravel and all I could think was no please tell me it isn't going where I think it is. Then there were the moments when my heart absolutely melted at the sweet intimacy that flowed so effortlessly between them, (I felt there were more of these moments then the heart breaking ones) and I couldn't seem to stop smiling.
“Sky, if you’re wondering if I have commitment issues, the answer is no. Someday in the far, far, far away future…like post-college future…when I propose to you…which I will be doing one day because you aren’t getting rid of me…I won’t be marrying you with the hope that our marriage will work out. When you become mine, it’ll be a forever thing. I’ve told you before that the only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers, and I mean that.” (quote from e-version)
Dean Holder is amazing, and I mean amazing. At times I almost forgot he's only 18-years-old. His personality and actions gave me the impression of an old soul. Maybe this was due to the hand in life he was dealt. Holder was strong, he was passionate, and he was so damn gentle with Sky at times, almost as though he was waiting for the moment she broke. Our hero was damaged, there was no doubt about that. He suffered through not one but two tragedies, so by the time he met Sky he had already lived one hell of a hard knock life.
Sky is empty inside. She makes out with boys, but in all honesty she doesn't feel with them. Boys are a way to pass away the time, a way to try and make herself feel something (that is until she comes face to face with Holder). She fascinated me. Collen built Sky to portray strength, heartache, passion, loyalty, and emptiness. Sky was sassy, she had backbone and she had some pretty amazing friends. All of this together made Sky feel so real to me, it made her so beautifully lost and broken, even if she didn't realize it at first. She hadn't know anything else in life except for love, so why was she so empty when it came to intimacy? Her growth in this book as she learned of her past blew me away. Her decisions throughout the story and the way she handled herself showed her inner strength and moral character. It was refreshing to see a female character written with such maturity and strength. Even though Sky was 17, her character was wise beyond her years. Seriously, she is one of my favorite heroines.
“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.” (quote from e-version)
Dean scared her, and excited her all at the same time. Sky gave him hope, and a sense of peace that made the darkness he felt for 13 years inside him ease with each passing day. Their relationship and chemistry was off the charts intense; their interactions emotionally raw. As the past began to unravel it's inconceivable secrets, they stood strong and pushed forward. Their love for each other was strong and it was real. I loved the time Holder took to be gentle and careful with Sky. He wasn't afraid to show her how much she meant to him, his actions sometimes spoke louder than his words. Towards the end, when it all blew to hell Sky totally blew me away with her strength, she pushed her own pain and heartache aside and focused on Holder. She offered everything she had within her to protect him and show him how much her love was for him. She placed his feelings above her own, and in return he did the same. I adored them individually and as a couple, I adored the fact that even at such a young age they knew their relationship was something special, and I adored the way they protected their love of each other the most.
"He's proven to me that I'll never feel completely hopeless again, so long as he's in my life."
(quote from e-version)
Sky and Holder didn't just love each other, they lived each other.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review Hopeless in exchange for an honest opinion.
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