LOSING HOPE by Colleen Hoover

LOSING HOPE: A Novel by Colleen Hoover
(U.S. link: Losing Hope)
Advanced Reading Copy
To Be Published: July 8th 2013, Atria Books

This is the story of Dean Holder.....or 'Holder', as he is better known..... Of his history, traumatic albeit short, and the losses and subsequent struggles that he faces and learns to cope with.

She looked so much like someone he had lost before.....one of the only two girls he had ever loved. But it wasn't her....couldn't be her. This girl's name is Skye, and she has lived in his neighbourhood for the last seven years. He can't believe he has never seen her before, he would've remembered. She goes to the same school, the school he wasn't going to go back to, not after last year. There had been too much talk last year, after Les. But people had forgotten now, and he wanted to go back to finish his last year.....if she would be there....Skye.

She is sarcastic, funny and he likes that.  He can see she is damaged, and he wants to be careful. She is special, he can feel it. Slowly she starts accepting him, opening up......as far as she can. When he sees Skye wearing the bracelet.......the bracelet that Les gave a little girl thirteen years ago...Holder walks away. He can't do this, it is too painful, too damaging for all involved. He can't be true to his promise to be honest without hurting her. 

A month is how long he manages to stay away, but the draw between them stirs memories for Skye that bring an entirely new version of the truth to light. And with that, perhaps some relief on the heavy burden that Holder has carried on his young shoulders.

*****

A beautiful, gut wrenching, yet tender story.

Technically this the second book and the male point of view to the book HOPELESS, by Colleen Hoover, written from Skye's point of view, and I'm sure that for some, reading HOPELESS first is imperative in order to appreciate the full impact of LOSING HOPE. I disagree.....I did not read the first book and I do not feel I missed anything, I feel fully impacted by the force of this novel.....even the persona of Skye is not vague to me. But that might well be personal, others might feel differently. 

I don't want to give too much away in what I say, but the descriptions of the emotional turmoil and pain of an 'almost' man, the bouncing between anger, indifference, withdrawal, expressions of emotion, often in a short time frame, are so recognizable. With Holder there is an extra layer, he has a wisdom and patience that belies his age, but fits him. I am so impressed with the sheer beauty of this book.

A fulfilling novel......I pumped my fist!!