ARC REVIEW: FINDING HOPE by Colleen Nelson

FINDING HOPE

Author: Colleen Nelson
Source: eARC via the Publisher
Publisher: Dundurn
Publication Date: March 19, 2016
Rating: 1.5/5 stars

Summary:
Hope leaves her small town for a fresh start, but her plans are derailed by an online romance and the appearance of her brother.

Hope lives in a small town with nothing to do and nowhere to go. With a drug addict for a brother, she focuses on the only thing that keeps her sane, writing poetry. To escape, she jumps at the chance to attend Ravenhurst Academy as a boarding student. She’ll even put up with the clique-ish Ravens if it means making a fresh start.

At first, Ravenhurst is better than Hope could have dreamed. She has a boyfriend and a cool roommate, and she might finally have found a place she can fit in. But can she trust her online boyfriend? And what can she do after her brother shows up at the school gates, desperate for help, and the Ravens turn on her? Trapped and unsure, Hope realizes that if she wants to save her brother, she has to save herself first.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

This is a hard pass for me if you are looking for a good contemporary read. The beginning wasn't too bad but once Hope goes to the school the whole book took a huge nosedive. I was at 60% and I wish I had just DNFed it when I had the chance instead of finishing it. I skimmed the last 10% because I couldn't handle it. Not only was the story not good but the ending was very unresolved.

Hope's whole plot at the school was ridiculous. She acted extremely naive and I had the whole thing figured out right away and my suspicions were confirmed with the girls walking outside the cafe tbh.

I had some sympathy for Eric, I guess, because what happened to him was horrible, but I also just didn't care. He didn't make me think "oh poor guy" I mostly just thought "man I hope the dog doesn't die because he forgets it while he is high." 

I think there are other books that portray drug use and addiction as well as how the family is affected a million times better than this one. I really wanted to like this one because of the subject matter but it just did not turn my crank.