November 9 by Colleen Hoover
Genre: NA Realistic Fiction
Blurb (on back of book): Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?
Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen
Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.
MY OPINION: ***
As a newly-made Colleen Hoover stan, I was disappointed to lose the 5-star streak with this one. I know it's a fan favorite of many but for me personally, I ended up giving it a mediocre rating in the end.
It's not that I didn't like the book. I loved the plot, the characters, the setting. It was just that something about it overall did not seem to agree with me. I also read it just after finishing It Ends With Us, my absolute favorite CoHo so far, and so I feel as if this one was a bit underwhelming due to the high expectations I had for it after IEWU.
Fallon was a very interesting character to read about. She had a burgeoning career as an actress, following in the footsteps of her father, before one chance accident ruined her face and thus her career (quite an unfortunate aspect of Hollywood, but realistic nonetheless). The book opens with her and her father having an argument about her new dreams to become a Broadway actress. Her father is not supportive of her dreams and even goes so far as to send her thinly-veiled insults about her looks and how it will go against her aspirations. I felt bad for her throughout the entire conversation and was quite thankful for Ben's little interruption. I did like Fallon. I admired her will to follow her dreams despite her own father being against it, and I appreciated her growth throughout the book as she began to let go of her insecurities.
Ben was not my favorite character. He was a nice guy in theory but at points, it felt like he had a savior complex. I say this in terms of his adamant repetition of "stop being so insecure, you're so beautiful, stop thinking about your looks" to Fallon. If someone has been burned to the point that the scars are very highly visible all over your face and body, I think it merits at least a little bit of insecurity. Of course, there is nothing to be ashamed about! I definitely agree with this point. However, I feel as if it's human nature, especially for women, to feel a little bit insecure if they don't fit the "beauty standard" in some way. It's a sad truth, and something that I hope society begins to combat more in the future, but it's a truth nonetheless. The way that Ben kept trying to force her to "stop being insecure" did not sit well with me. I understand his intentions, especially after the twist (which I will not be spoiling), but I felt as if he could have handled it in a different way.
I think my main issue with this book was the insta-love trope. I am the biggest hater of love-at-first-sight, I'm-kissing-you-on-page-three, we-were-just-meant-to-be relationships. I get that it was supposed to be ironic as Fallon is in full agreement with me on the idea of insta-love, but I just don't find books with the trope as enjoyable. I love a slow-burn, and this had none of that.
Because of various issues in both of their lives, Fallon and Ben basically form an agreement to meet every year for one day on November 9, with no contact on any other day of the year. Fallon is moving to New York and doesn't want a relationship and Ben, an aspiring author, would love to write their unrealistic, relationship-goals, romance story. I've read a lot of books with the one-day-a-year trope, surprisingly, and I'm also just not the biggest fan of it. Personally, I have learned that a lot can happen in a year and I feel as if books with this trope never seem to focus on that. Hoover did a good job of describing the growth, changes, and developments in each of their lives but because of the length of the book, there is an ability to truly encompass how one year apart can change or hurt a relationship.
A lot of the plot twists that occur each year they meet, which I will not get into, were so unrealistic and quite honestly annoying. I understand that it was trying to add to the conflict or drama but it felt so unnecessary. The final ultimate plot twist, however, was very well-written and I loved everything about it. It was one of the most redeeming qualities about this book. I was waiting for the CoHo extreme plot twist the entire time!
Overall, I wasn't in love with this one, though I wish I could have been. It did have its twists and turns and the iconic, butterfly-inducing romance that I have come to love in Colleen Hoover's books. I would recommend this book to readers looking for a drama-filled, romantic, unique novel. Beware of insta-love <3 (and check trigger warnings!)
Also, Ugly Love cameos!
Main Character: Fallon
Sidekick(s): Ben, friends, family, etc
Villain(s): Insecurities, misunderstandings, etc
Realistic Fiction Elements: This book was all very real to life.
Comments
Post a Comment