Colleen Hoover’s latest novel “Reminders of Him” takes the reader through the journey of 26 year-old Kenna Rowan. Due to an incident involving her boyfriend Scotty, Rowan lands behind bars for five years while pregnant. The story follows Kenna’s journey to find her daughter and hopefully earn the forgiveness of her ex-boyfriend’s parents; however, they want nothing to do with her as expected.
Since Kenna went to jail, a lot has changed in her hometown and this results in her going to a bar that was once a bookstore. At the bar Kenna meets a man (Ledger) with ties to Scotty’s past and leads to a connection with her daughter. The two meeting kicks off the beginning of the emotional novel that follows the typical writing style Hoover uses: one chapter from one characters point of view and another from the opposite character’s point of view.
Hoover’s style of writing has her readers switching between rooting for a mother who has lost her baby and a man who is trying to do right by his dead best friend. The situation that unfolds dives into a loose situation between the two characters. Ironically enough, a strong attraction forms between Rowan and Ledger. In the beginning, their relationship is nothing more than a rocky slope that holds Kenna’s daughter, Diem, in its center.
The antagonist and protagonist of this novel do not go down to simple characters, but rather focuses on Kenna’s past and present. Her past constantly faces her. She fails to get a job at respectable places and the guilt that follows her throughout the book may be the antagonist; whereas, Kenna meeting Ledger could in itself be the protagonist of the story.
The novel presents a scenario that readers can relate to one way or another. From chasing after someone that will never be able to see to finding out someone never wanted to see again winding up at their doorstep. Hoover’s ability to draw from her own heartstrings and write about her own traumas for all to see offers up vulnerability that many readers can appreciate.
Over the past decade, Hoover has managed to write 20 books ranging in a multitude of categories that have all become New York Times best sellers. Some of her most famous works are as follows: “t Ends with Us” and “November 9”. Her books are perfect for young adults who wish to try their hands in reading about trauma, romance and death over the summer.