Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Losing Hope is listed as Hopeless #2 and to an extent it is but I honestly felt like this wasn’t just a retelling of Hopeless. The reason is that not only is this book told from Holder’s point of view, but we also get to dive into some of the things that were outside the scope of Sky’s knowledge. Yes, there is some overlap but it was done in all the right places (remember the first date??) and done in a way that didn’t just seem like a retelling. If you haven’t read Hopeless yet, definitely check it out and then while you’re at it, order a copy of Losing Hope so that you can read it immediately after. I almost wish I had re-read Hopeless before diving into this one.
Holder is intense….not only do I think this, it is called out right in the book. He has dealt with a lot of things kids his age shouldn’t have to but he continues to push forward and in the end comes out a stronger man. Don’t get me wrong, he makes mistakes along the way but that is what you’re supposed to do as a kid. Unfortunately, he takes everything onto himself and blames himself for things that are completely outside of his control. In the end, I loved the letter from Les to Holder – in my mind that is what helps him to move forward and let go of some of those things.
It was great to see from Holder’s point of view how his relationship developed with Sky. Going from like, to live, to love…it was lovely. All the things that he appreciated in her and called out in his head (the attitude, her baking, the rudeness, etc.) helped me see just what it was, outside of her possibly being Hope, that made him fall for her. It was important to see how much he doubted himself and whether he could trust his instincts about her and when he realized just how right he was, he almost couldn’t help being angry with himself all over again.
In Losing Hope we also get to see Holder’s relationship with Daniel. Daniel honestly is perfect for the friend role – I honestly don’t remember him from Hopeless (possibly because it has been a while since I read it….also maybe he wasn’t as prominent there due to that one being from Sky’s point of view) but he made the first few chapters of this book enjoyable. He is the person that helps Holder when he comes back to school and in his own way, protects him. He’s weird and doesn’t like anyone (his own words) but he’s there for Holder when he needs to be and continues to stand by him. All of these things make him a stand out character and one of my favorites.
If you have enjoyed any of Colleen Hoover’s books in the past, you will most likely enjoy this one. The main storyline obviously doesn’t change and follows alongside Hopeless so if you have read that, you know what happens but the great thing here is that you get a different viewpoint and a slightly different story because of who is telling it. I myself happen to be a huge fan of Colleen Hoover’s work so no surprise here that I loved this book. Fans of Holder will definitely enjoy and appreciate it…I’m sure of that.
If you’d like to read Jaime’s review of Hopeless (I was super fail and didn’t write an official one…other than to say I loved it and everyone should read it) – check it out here.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
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