Book Review: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

 “Sometimes I believe personalities are shaped more by damage than kindness. Kindness doesn’t sink as deep into your skin as the damage does. The damage stains your soul so bad, you can’t scrub it off. It stays there forever, and I feel like people can see all my damage just by looking at me.”

― Colleen Hoover, Heart Bones

Life and a dismal last name are the only two things Beyah Grim’s parents ever gave her. After carving her path all on her own, Beyah is well on her way to bigger and better things, thanks to no one but herself.

With only two short months separating her from the future she’s built and the past she desperately wants to leave behind, an unexpected death leaves Beyah with no place to go during the interim. Forced to reach out to her last resort, Beyah has to spend the remainder of her summer on a peninsula in Texas with a father she barely knows. Beyah’s plan is to keep her head down and let the summer slip by seamlessly, but her new neighbor Samson throws a wrench in that plan.

Samson and Beyah have nothing in common on the surface.

She comes from a life of poverty and neglect; he comes from a family of wealth and privilege. But one thing they do have in common is that they’re both drawn to sad things. Which means they’re drawn to each other. With an almost immediate connection too intense for them to continue denying, Beyah and Samson agree to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling. What Beyah doesn’t realize is that a rip current is coming, and it’s about to drag her heart out to sea.

My reaction to the novel...

My first Colleen Hoover book, and it definitely won't be my last. I had great expectations as this was my first Hoover book. Her books are supported by a large number of book influencers, and they are extensively shared on social media. I had a number of her novels on my iBook, but I had never tried to read any of them. But last night, inspired by one of the youtubers, I decided to pick this book as my introduction to this author. This book is more complex than what I first assumed from the cover. Undoubtedly, it is profound, and I love it.

I became engrossed in the first few pages right away. You'll see the main character's suffering pretty quickly. It was challenging to imagine yourself in her shoes, and you will certainly detect her fierce will to endure despite her trying circumstances. This novel not only has wonderful characters but also a beautiful and moving love story. The story's progression was so logical and engrossing. Because of how dramatic it is, the book stands out from the competition and provides this love story a lot of depth. You couldn't stop thinking about it since it was so profound.

It was impossible for me not to smile when I read it. Because of the emotions that spilled off the pages, I could feel in my heart that this book was going to be extraordinary. The awesomeness of this book is beyond words. This story was incredible. You can't put this book down because you have to find out what happens next. I admire how these characters weren't conscious of the need for one another. They each present a plausible perspective from a different vantage point. I also failed to notice my own tears when Beyah approached her father. Although I've never gone through it, I felt her pain as I read this.

I have never read a Colleen Hoover novel before, so I never know what to expect. I'm motivated to change for the better by this book. She also encourages hope in people since, in my opinion, her fictional characters will all have a similar depth of spirit. I admire Colleen Hoover's understanding of human nature because it gives her characters a glimmer of compassion and helps me warm up to them.

This book is the ideal place for me to start learning about Colleen Hoover. It was fairly enjoyable, so I could understand why her supporters were so enthused. She has earned a space on my list of favorites since she genuinely knows how to write a fantastic story. I heartily recommend this book to anybody who likes reading romance novels with a distinctive twist and depth. Your time and emotions will be wisely spent on this.

My Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨(4.5/5)

“You can fill your life with nice things, but nice things don’t fill the holes in your soul.”

It is a fact. Everybody has that, especially those who can afford it. I'm not referring to all of them, only some of them, even though they are wealthy or have access to everything. Even if they can purchase everything they like, we can still tell that they still have gaps in their eyes. We still recognize their yearning. That has happened to me as well. Which is to say, despite the beautiful things I have already purchased for myself, I am still unhappy. Maybe everyone actually experiences it. 

“It’s weird how your whole life can completely change in the hours between waking up and going to bed.”

According to the adage "we can never know," this is accurate. I firmly think that nothing about the future, especially today's events, can be predicted. To everyone, it was like a puzzle. Most of the time, you will be taken on a roller coaster ride. You wake up unhappy in the morning, receive wonderful news later, and then go to bed joyfully. Never can we be certain. Therefore, we will just go with the flow and try our best to live a life that we won't regret.