Oh, sweet lord! I have batted an eye on CoHo’s work my entire life. But this time, I have no harsh words! Colleen Hoover has created a slow-burn romance plot that carries actual deep emotions, not just meaningless teenage dramas.
Yup, I am talking about Heart Bones. Published in 2020, this novel is indeed moving and unforgettable. The raw emotions will make you breathless and maybe sob at some points.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Just because I said Heart Bones is fab, it doesn’t mean the book is flawless. Of course, there are certain things I don’t like at all.
Allow me to share my opinions on this 2020 blockbuster, Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover. Please bear with me to the end. I hope you see this novel in an entirely different light.
Heart Bones Summary with Spoilers: There Are More to This Novel Than Just Passionate Love
Honestly, I rarely give the CoHo books a go. But I picked up Heart Bones only because of the title. Unique and contradicting. Right?
I wondered why Colleen Hoover went for this title, and the next moment, I was packing the book for home.
The novel cover exudes an indie vibe, nothing extraordinary. I believe spending a little more money on a relatable and minimalist design would not hurt our author.
Anyway, the last book I read of CoHo was a bit disappointing. No, not just the story. The delivery style was also off. But thankfully, the CoHo magic is back with Heart Bones. I kept flipping the pages, and I was done within 3 – 4 hours. And, in this synopsis of Heart Bones book, I explained everything that will make you more interested in getting this book.
Here is what I have picked up from the Heart Bones summary:
If Death Is Your Wildcard, Maybe You Are Just Born Unlucky
Heart Bones takes off by introducing the star of this book, Beyah Grim. I started the book with a relaxed mood, imagining some cozy, soft romance was on my way. But Colleen Hoover didn’t even flinch once to give her readers a dose of reality in the first chapter.
After a long, tiring shift at McD, when Beyah enters the shabby trailer house, she finds her mom, Janean, dead on the couch. The reason for death? Drug overdose.
Beyah has imagined herself in this situation many times. But never for once did she think she would be so relieved seeing her mom pass away.
Sounds selfish. No? But don’t judge Beyah too soon.
Janean got pregnant with Beyah at a very young age. Beyah’s dad, Brian, was also young and unprepared for a child (You can’t blame him)!
As a single parent, Janean could not do much for Beyah. This mother-daughter pair grew used to this life in the shack where poverty was the only truth.
And Brian? He is never there. The only dadly thing Brian ever does is to pay the rent or send tuition money.
But the money his dad sent was never enough. Janean would spend them all on drugs and gambling. There are days after days when Beyah has slept with a hungry stomach. I hope these lines will help you see through the condition of Beyah’s life.
I ate old banana peels and eggshells from the garbage. I tried eating a few bites of stuffing inside the couch cushion, but it was too hard to swallow.
Now that her mom is dead, Beyah can finally move forward with her life. But you know, if you are poor, the world is unfair.
The landlord kicks Beyah out of the house. With zero savings and almost no friends, Beyah doesn’t know where to go. Maybe staying with Brian for a while can help her think straight.
And there she is! She is on her way to Texas to visit her dad after years. And for whatever reason, she thinks it is wise not to tell Brian about Janean’s death.
When You Live with Loneliness, You Get Scared Even Of A Friendly Smile
Beyah finally meets her dad. The awkward silence between them speaks up for the distance they share.
Brian takes Beyah to the Summer House in Peninsula. It hit Beyah hard. She crawls through daily because of money, and her dad has a summer house to spend the vacation. Isn’t that a harsh irony?
Though technically the house belongs to Alana, Brian’s current wife, Beyah, can’t process the thing so quickly. Oh! Apparently, she has a step-sister named Sara, who is about her age.
Well, the entire family (plus two neighbors, Samson and Marcos) welcomes Beyah with open arms. Alana has arranged a feast for them. The menu is quite exclusive and delicious.
Beyah has never had so many dishes together in her life, and she lost her appetite there and then. In her own voice, “Even hungry people lose their appetites sometimes.”
Sara is a complete darling to Beyah. She takes her shopping and is already into sister mode. Marcos, Sara’s boyfriend, is also nice to her. Honestly, Behay has never experienced such friendship or relations. So, the entire thing seems like a show-off to her.
What About Samson? Is He Nice To Beyah?
Well, the meeting between Beyah and Samson is almost dramatic. I do not want to reveal more about that.
In the beginning, Samson is less friendly than you expect someone to be. But he is not rude either. He is always in his silent hunk mode, and that is all. However, it is evident that he cares for Beyah.
Also, Samson introduces Beyah to Marjorie. This elderly woman shares an unconditional relationship with Samson and treats him as his son.
Now that Samson is putting in some effort, Beya feels she should open up to him. Even though Beyah hasn’t overcome her anxiety or trust issues, she is ready to give Samson a chance. Or is she ready to give her new life a chance?
Is This How Happiness Feels Like? But…
Beyah adapts to her new life soon. She and Sara have become close friends, and she is doing okay with her dad. There is nothing significant to tell there.
The most changes we will notice are in the dynamics between Samson and Beyah. No party has yet said ‘I love you’ or ‘I like you’ cliches. But they are indeed crushing on each other.
How else would you explain those ‘Sunrise watch parties’ every morning or ‘Selecting tattoos’ for each other? I am not even mentioning the steamy, hot scenes between these two.
I know all these sound so vulgar and meaningless. It might seem like a fling, but nope. These two share a deep bond. Even their silence is more meaningful than a conversation.
Beyah confesses about her mom’s death to Samson. She goes on and on about her life in that trailer, her struggle, her scholarship, and everything.
In fact, she does not hesitate to mention that she used to give blow jobs to his first crush just for money. Beyah feels extremely ashamed of this. But she had no other choice. Without that money, she had to starve for days.
This is the first time Beyah has opened her heart to someone. She has trusted a boy after a long while and finally feels at home.
She lets herself go, and they make love with Samson. Considering Beyah is a teen, Colleen Hoover could have spared those explicit details of their sex.
Beyah is in her fairy tale. Isn’t she the luckiest girl in the world right now? Well, her joy does not last long.
Just the following day, police haul Samson to jail. This young man is not who you think he is, after all.
What Did Samson Do?
You can tell from the beginning that something is off with Samson. He is too sneaky. For a moment, I thought he was Batman. Come on! His rich and secretive life will fool anyone.
And bro! He has lied throughout the novel, maybe not about his emotions but his status. The only truth he has shared with Beyah is about his mom. He, in fact, lied about Rake, his father’s identity.
I didn’t like this shady side of Samson at all. Beyah has told him everything. Yet, he hesitates to pour his heart out.
Are you interested in Rake’s story? Well, he was a sailor and went missing after a Hurricane. Since then, Samson has been living off the street and looking for his dad. Coincidentally, PJ finds Rake’s corpse.
Colleen Hoover had lost me right there. I liked the vague description of Rake and the stories of his sails. Even the idea of making a necklace out of his wrecked boat to honor his memory is good.
But finding his body on the beach? After all these years? Sounds bogus.
Samson could not care for himself and attracted trouble like a magnet. Living in vacation homes and conning people seem more convenient to him.
No, I have no sympathy for Samson. Breaking into empty houses is not the only illegal act of our hero. He was in jail for an arson case and accused of putting a home on fire.
But as they say. You must pay for what you do, even if you are a hero. Samson was proven guilty of all those charges and sent to jail.
Does Heart Bones Have a Happy Ending?
Jumping to the future, Samson’s arrest has inspired Beyah to study law. She is in college now and might be dating boys. Don’t worry. She hasn’t forgotten Samson at all. In fact, she has been counting the days of his release.
After all the police drama, Beyah realized she had misunderstood her father. This man always had her best interest in his heart.
I got a little emotional when Brian showed Beyah the photo album. At that moment, I hoped Colleen Hoover could have squeezed out more from Brian and Beyah’s relationship.
I am sure Brian’s words had convinced Beyah, too. She thought of giving this relationship a try. And just look at them now. This father-daughter duo is inseparable.
Sara and Marcos are doing fantastic. They are married and four months pregnant. Sara and Beyah’s relationship has only grown stronger over the years.
Yes, Beyah is more than stable now, and with Samson’s early release, maybe she is happier than she ever could be.
You have to admit. Samson is a lucky bastard. He has served for years, yet when he comes out, he has his girl in his arms and a house in his name. Can you imagine?
I loved how Colleen Hoover took care of every relationship in this book. In the end, everyone got the life they deserved.
Heart Bones Characters Analysis
Frankly speaking, Colleen Hoover does not always come up with the most enticing characters. In all her books, only one or two faces steal the light, and others just go unrecognized, unappreciated. The Heart Bones is no exception.
Let’s talk about the Heart Bones characters a little more. Shall we?
Beyah Grim
The entire plot revolves around Beyah. She appears rude to most people. Considering her backstory, her insecurity and trust issues are justifiable.
In my opinion, Beyah is one of the strongest female characters of CoHo. Her survival stories will give anyone goosebumps.
I had tears when she shared her Dakota story with Samson. You will only feel lucky when you catch Beyah eating a tossed-out bread from the ferry floor or hating Samson for handing her a twenty.
Life has been unfair to her for all her teenage life. But I am happy that she has turned the table on her own. What can I say? Our girl is a phoenix.
Shawn Samson Bennett
At first sight, you will have only two words for Samson: quiet and full of attitude. In usual love stories, the couples are totally opposite of each other. But here, Samson and Beyah share the same damages and insecurities.
Colleen Hoover has created a mystery around Samson from the beginning. It almost felt like Samson would steal the show in the end. I don’t want to sound judgemental. But his character could have served the intention better.
CoHo has tried to compensate Samson for his crime with his good deeds. Yet, I am not convinced. Samson had options to turn his life around and chose the easy way. I do not think there is any justification for his actions.
Sara
Everyone deserves a sister like Sara. She has been Beyah’s biggest support system throughout the story. It would not be wrong if I said Sara is the first family Beyah has ever had.
Of course, Sara needed to pay more attention to the book. But thankfully, CoHo hasn’t spoiled her character with some bitchy-sister move.
Brian
Beyah’s father is a sweetheart. I don’t support his decision to abandon Beyah and Janean. But what else could he have done? He was way too young to settle down.
Can we call him a bad father? Never. He did try to create a bond with Beyah. It was she who refused to have a father figure in her life.
So, should parents give up so easily? Nope! That’s Brian’s only fault in this story. He could have been more active and available in Beyah’s life. It would save Beyah from such mental trauma.
My Final Thoughts
It would be a lie to say Heart Bones differs from other CoHo creations. Not actually.
The novel deals with a traumatizing couple, vulgarity, and a happy ending (which matches the Typical Colleen Hoover checklist). Yet, I have enjoyed this book.
I think the innocence of Beyah and the ruggedness of Samson have made this novel a huge hit. CoHo has magically woven the entire plot, ensuring everything is in the right place.
Not to mention that the metaphors and poems are on point. How Colleen Hoover used Mother Teresa’s picture to symbolize the fragmented bond of Beyah with her past life was mind-blowing.
Anyway, if you are a CoHo fan, Heart Bones is a must-read. And in case you do not enjoy CoHo, I guess this Heart Bones book summary is enough to change your mind.
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