book review : reminders of him

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Genre: Romance/Drama

Reading age: 13+

Rating: 4/10

I loved Ugly Love and didn't really like It Ends With Us, so I decided I needed a tie breaker to see whether or not I could pledge allegiance to the CoHo fan club... and now I feel like I need another tie breaker.

Like all of Colleen Hoover's books, this was super easy to read and kept me engaged throughout but when I finished the story, I didn't really feel anything. And I'm an empath, so I connect with everyone but I guess I wasn't able to connect with the characters enough.

The story follows Kenna Rowan's release from prison and her subsequent pursuit to reconnect with her four year old daughter, a daughter she gave birth to whilst incarcerated. As the story progresses, her past unravels through letters and memories which makes us understand her current circumstance. The story tries to shape a moral battle for the reader but I think it's safe to assume that no one reading this would crucify Kenna for her past.

There are a few too many unlikely coincidences, that you often choose to overlook when committing to reading a Hoover book, but on the whole the story was too predictable, which was a shame because the element of surprise is usually what I like in a Hoover story.

I did however enjoy the platonic relationships in the story, perhaps even more than the romantic ones. I liked that Hoover showed the different dynamics of families and the love that can exist between people, outside of traditional family. It was also interesting to see the different ways grief can consume people and how death is never really the end of a love story.

However, for the most part, there wasn't really much to unpack. The story followed a very strict narrative, and didn't really develop much beyond that. I guess this might be intentional, since grief was such a huge theme in the book, Hoover might have been showing how life stands still for some people. 

Like any story you read, personal circumstance and relatability can make the experience better. And because I just couldn't relate to anything or anyone in the story, it was hard for me to connect with the characters. But Hoover has mastered the art of keeping you engaged regardless of the subject matter, so I think there is definitely a chance someone with different experiences to me, would really love this book.

Buy it here: https://amzn.eu/d/2gdmaIa


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