Draft:Heart Bones

Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

Intro: Heart Bones is a romance novel by Colleen Hoover, published by Atria Books on January 31, 2023. The plot focuses on the relationship between Beyah and her father, her family issues, and a love story. It explores themes such as responsibility, love and relationships, family, self discovery and identity. As of november 2024, the novel had sold nearly one million copies worldwide and been translated into many languages.

Plot Beyah Grim, a 19 year old Kentucky girl, has been through a hard and difficult life, coloured by poverty and disappointment. She has been raised by an addict mother, which has created insecurity and left her not feeling loved and wanted. After her mother´s unexpected death from an overdose, Beyah finds herself homeless in an empty house that she can't afford because of the high rent, and with no one to help her. With nowhere to go she reaches out to her father in Texas who lives a lifestyle opposite to what she and her mother had. Beyah hopes to reconnect with her father and tries to fix the family she never had. This unplanned move puts Beyah in a position where she needs to find and discover herself again. With only two months until she heads to Penn State college to do what she loves the most, volleyball, she sees this summer as a necessary trip. Unfortunately upon arriving to her father´s beach house, the story takes an emotional turn. Beyah tells herself that this summer she won't get into any trouble, but then she meets Samson who is her new neighbor, and who throws her plans into chaos.

When Samson and Beyah meet for the first time at the beach, he makes a strong impression of her. Samson comes from a wealth and previlege while Beyah is overwhelmed by her past and her pain. Their differences are major and their backgrounds could not be more dissimilar. As they start to get to know each other, they find a comfort they never had before. Their bond blossoms and gets to be powerful as they decide to start a summer fling. Beyah is drawn to Samson´s kindness and understanding, and she starts to open up about her past. As the summer goes on, Beyah learns to confront her feelings and fears. She has always been shy and afraid to let anyone in because of her past experiences. But with Samson she feels safe. They start to share deep conversations about love, their losses, and family, and it turns out that their backgrounds are not as different as they thought. During their conversations Beyah begins to realize that it's okay to be vulnerable and that she deserves love and happiness. However, their relationship is still not perfect. Beyah struggles with the memories of her past and her family issues. She worries about being hurt again and questions whether she can fully trust anyone again.

The story takes a turn when Beyah learns more about Samson's family and what expectations they had put on him. She realizes that his life is not as perfect as it seems. This makes her question their relationship and whether they can truly be together when they now need to face outside pressure. Beyah tries to understand her feelings and is torn between wanting to be with Samson and the fear of losing him. The climax of the story is filled with tension as Beyah and Samson confront the possibility of separation. Beyah is challenged to decide if she is willing to fight for their relationship, or whether she will go back to her old fears. This strong moment tests the strength of their bond and forces Beyah to confront her deepest fears. In the aftermath of the climax she learns that love is not just about the good times but also about facing challenges together. The story shows that healing takes time and it is okay to ask others for help and support. She discovers that opening her heart can lead to both joy and vulnerability, that love requires courage.

In the end, Beyah and Samson find a way to handle their emotions, regardless of the circumstances. The ending is bittersweet and hopeful, and focuses on the importance of the possibility of new beginnings. As they say in the book, “Maybe we did grow Heart Bones. But what if the only way of knowing you grew a heart bone is by feeling the agony caused by the break? Sometimes I believe that 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”.

Major themes Love and relationships. The novel explores romance, love and friendship, but focuses on trust and vulnerability. Beyah wrestles with her feelings during the whole book. As readers we can see how love can heal but also take away the fear of feeling. Hoover writes about how relationships can create our identity, and shows how love can both be a key to strength, or an emotional roller coaster.

Family and identity. Family dynamics play a big role in Beyah´s journey. Her bad relationship with her parents affects her a lot during the book, and leaves a mark on her that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. The theme of identity is an important part of the book as Beyah struggles to understand where she stands in life and how she should do it, since she is used to being abandoned and rejected. Hoover wants the reader to understand that family can influence your own personal choices in life, and even your own self-worth. Family relationships can both be supportive and fantastic but also the other way around.

Self-Discovery and Growth. Beyah´s journey is mostly about her self-discovery and personal growth. She confronts her fears and insecurities in order to become the person she always wanted to be. In the book we read how important it is to embrace both the positive and negative aspects in life, because you will eventually grow from them and be a better person. Beyah´s experiences are a reminder that sometimes you need to face challenges that can give you insights into what you want, and which can lead to a stronger identity.

Genre and Style Young and adult. The characters are young adults dealing with issues relevant to this age group, such as identity, family dynamics, and the difficulties of first love. The story focuses on character development. Beyah´s and Samson´s growth throughout the novel Heart Bones is written from Beyah´s perspective, an access to her thoughts and emotions, which makes her experiences more personal and relatable. The book is also realistic, it shows real life issues, family problems, relationships, and self-acceptance, which many readers can relate to.

Development history Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover was published on August 2, 2020, by Atria Books. The book was inspired by her own experiences of going through difficult relationships and personal struggles. The author often draws parallels from real life situations so her book feels more real. Heart Bones received positive reviews from readers and the book quickly became a bestseller.

External links:

https://www.goodreads.com/notes/51007311-heart-bones/7362767-colleen-hoover