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The heart is a muscle that has no bones.
So, there’s no chance it can break, right?
Wrong, as Colleen Hoover proves the opposite in her novel “Heart Bones”.
It’s one of the latest Colleen Hoover books in order, and it kicks you right in the gut.
It squeezes your heart, makes it rear its bones, and then breaks them so exquisitely that the pulsation of painful gloominess is felt even in the tiniest piece.
You’ll be surprised to discover how pleasant it may feel to get injured by Colleen Hoover, #1 NYT bestselling author of psychological thrillers and modern romances.
Three of them, “It Ends With Us”, “Without Merit”, and “Confess”, won the Choice Award for Best Romance.
In “Heart Bones”, Colleen strikes with complicated feelings again, because you can’t but notice the profoundness of the characters and the vibes of chronic melancholy.
There’s also a slowly rolling avalanche of a love story between two damaged people. Still, imagining a plain and dull romance narrative would be short-sighted, if not foolish.
What Happens in Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover?
Beyah Grim is exposed to hard times and trials without a cushion. She lives in a trailer with her drug-addict-and-who-knows-what-else-but-not mother and has to work hard to have at least something to eat.
Her mother’s death changes everything.
Beyah has to move to her absentee dad for the summer before college starts.
She can’t bury her head in the sand, despite there’s much of it on the peninsula. Meeting her neighbor, Samson, she’s drawn to him by something magnetic and mysterious.
It makes her ask more questions, but even without answers, Beyah feels attracted to him.
They agree to have a summer fling only, but what if it’s not?
What a twist at the end! You wouldn’t want to miss it – here’s the book.
Heart Bones Colleen Hoover Trigger Warning
The story contains depictions of:
- Poverty
- Drug addiction and overdose
- Child neglection
- Hints at molestation, prostitution, and criminal activity
- Homelessness
Beyah vs Samson or Beyah + Samson?
Beyah
The distrust Beyah feels towards people is justified. She has tasted all the bitterness of life by 19. She’s more mature than anyone at her age. No wonder – the world seems the place where Struggle is your second name.
In Beyah’s case, it’s even worse – it’s Grim.
All the hardships Beyah had to face hardened her and stimulated to fight tooth and nail to survive.
No stigma of a perfect survivor, however. Through the storyline, she’s coping with guilt and shame for being a damaged person with scars and bruises so vivid.
Beyah is full of blunt honesty and fierceness. When you learn her better, though, her soul is a well of empathy, compassion, and kindness.
She keeps her secrets to herself. Just like Samson. What is he like?
Samson
Coming from a wealthy and privileged family, what can this boy know about life struggles?
Samson is the one to help Beyah’s unrelenting pain to subside. They follow the path to self-awareness together.
How is that possible, if they are completely opposite? While he’s being so secretive all the time!
He doesn’t tell much about himself. We won’t tell a word more about him either to let you form an impression on your own.
Is it a summer fling with the shallow end?
“Damaged people recognize other damaged people. It’s like a club you don’t want a membership to.”
Both of them are harmed but in different ways. With sadness and devastation mirrored in their eyes, they find understanding and love in each other.
The initial opposition transforms into a deep harmony, through communication, friendship, gentle gestures, and touches.
No fluffiness of romance. It’s warm and penetrating instead. Encouraging and hopeful, when believing in someone (despite anything!) matters.
Side Characters in “Heart Bones”
If you think that Sara and Alana are evil stepsister and stepmother who make things worse, you’re mistaken. They radiate sweetness and show the support Beyah has never experienced before.
The Brian-Beyah tandem is an illustration of the complexity of father-daughter relationships. As the bitterness of his lies goes away, Brian sprinkles the novel with decency and humor.
Not only Sara, Alana, and Brian, but also Marcos, Marjorie, and other side characters contribute immensely to the development of Beyah’s personality.
Sunrises & Sunsets – the Setting of Heart Bones
The atmosphere of a gloomy trailer park changes into a soothing and comforting coastline.
Can a beach read be so heartbreaking and pleasantly devastating?
Turns out it can, even with all the romanticism of sunrises and sunsets on the peninsula.
“The Ugliest Version of a Family” and Other Vices of Society
Family is the first setting in life, in which the vices of society become the most visible. They aren’t always on the surface, but you can trace them in the story.
For Beyah, it was a nightmarish start and a trauma. Under this pressure, you can either wash your face with tears or sharpen your knife. Beyah chooses the second.
Then there’s the abyss between the rich and the poor, indifference, alcohol & drug abuse, hunger, homelessness, injustice, etc. While none of the systems created by society seems to be able to prevent its own dilapidation.
When Heart Bones Crack
Are you ready to grow yourself a heart bone and then hear it crack? Read the novel to find out what we mean.
Get your copy of “Heart Bones”, wrap yourself in a warm and cosy blanket and let some mixture of brutality & goodness, violence & vulnerability, secrecy & openness crawl into your heart.
But when it comes to the ocean of love, the tide will blow you off your feet…
FAQ:
Is Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover YA?
Yes, it’s a Young Adult romance novel.
What are age restrictions for Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover?
Strictly speaking, as it’s a YA book, Heart Bones Colleen Hoover’s age rating doesn’t contain any restrictions. But due to its plot and the nature of the story, we’d recommend it to an audience of 18+.
Is Heart Bones sad?
It’s more than sad. It’s heartbreaking, depressing at times, with an intense heaviness.
Are there any spicy scenes?
Not many, as this genre is targeted at adolescents. You’ll find intimacy in touches, hugs, kisses, and only some bits of descriptive sex.