Why Hopeless by Colleen Hoover Didn’t Work for Me

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon
Release Date: December 19th 2012
Publisher: Atria
Series: Hopeless #1

Goodreads description: 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.

I read this book because someone I respect recommended it to me. I’m going to try to constructively break down why this book didn’t work for me, but I’m guessing there will be some ranting involved. There will be spoilers, so if you haven’t read it and might want to, turn back. I’m not judging anyone for liking this book, everyone likes different things. The majority of people seem to really love it. It has a 4.55 average rating on Goodreads. I’m just trying to honestly express my opinions.

Also, this discussion requires trigger warnings. tw: abuse, tw: sexual abuse, tw: rape,tw: suicide, tw: gore. I think that’s all, but just be warned, a lot of unpleasant things are talked about. If I did miss a warning, please let me know and I’ll add it.

I kind of feel ill-equipped to discuss everything I find wrong with this book. Part of me wants to ask someone I know could handle it better, but I don’t want to subject them to this book.

Book Review: City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster

City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster
Goodreads|Book Depository
Release Date: February 5th 2013
Publisher: Harper Teen
Series: Bhinian Empire #1
Rating: 

Goodreads description: An exotic treat set in an entirely original, fantastical world brimming with deadly mystery, forbidden romance, and heart-stopping adventure.

Nisha was abandoned at the gates of the City of a Thousand Dolls when she was just a child. Now sixteen, she lives on the grounds of the isolated estate, where orphan girls apprentice as musicians, healers, courtesans, and, if the rumors are true, assassins. Nisha makes her way as Matron’s assistant, her closest companions the mysterious cats that trail her shadow. Only when she begins a forbidden flirtation with the city’s handsome young courier does she let herself imagine a life outside the walls. Until one by one, girls around her start to die.

Before she becomes the next victim, Nisha decides to uncover the secrets that surround the girls’ deaths. But by getting involved, Nisha jeopardizes not only her own future in the City of a Thousand Dolls—but her own life

The summary sounds exciting but the book was disappointing. The entirely original, fantastical world doesn’t seem very original. There is an extreme class system, magic that used to be, mistreated women, and talking animals.

Possible spoilers ahead

Review: A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan

A Girl Named Digit by Annabel Monaghan 
Goodreads|Purchasing
Release Date: June 5th 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Series: Digit #1
Rating: 

Goodreads description:Farrah “Digit” Higgins may be going to MIT in the fall, but this L.A. high school genius has left her geek self behind in another school district so she can blend in with the popular crowd at Santa Monica High and actually enjoy her senior year. But when Farrah, the daughter of a UCLA math professor, unknowingly cracks a terrorist group’s number sequence, her laid-back senior year gets a lot more interesting. Soon she is personally investigating the case, on the run from terrorists, and faking her own kidnapping– all while trying to convince a young, hot FBI agent to take her seriously. So much for blending in . .

I think this book might appeal to some people, but I’m surprised I finished it. I could tell it would be a bit silly from the description and I read it anyway so I have nobody to blame but myself.

In this book, the main character Farrah has a “gift” that enables her to “take seemingly random data and identify the pattern within it” (chapter 2). She’s a math freak and it has good and bad effects on her life. She’s good at math, she can put puzzles together, and she can utilize statistics. She also has a difficult time focusing when there are patterns around and other kids think she’s weird. Her ability gave earned her the nickname Digit, which she isn’t a fan of.  Instead of drawing any attention to her skills, she practices a blend in tactic where she’s agreeable and boring. She adapts to high school and fakes friendship with the Fab Four.

But one day while watching TV with friends, she notices a seemingly random piece of code. Her brain won’t let her ignore and instead immediately starts deciphering it. She knows it is important. She tells her dad and they go to the FBI but are ignored. Then she goes to the television studio and things get dicey: she is followed. The FBI becomes involved and  a crazy ride begins.

Warning: spoilers below.