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?
My Review of November 9 by Colleen Hoover.
I'm a placard-carrying Colleen Hoover fan, because of the magic she creates with words. You cannot read a CoHo book and remain the same. No, it leaves something in you.
When I read It Ends With Us, I didn't fully recover, and then I read Ugly Love and then this. There's something she does with her characters, how she makes them flawed but adorable. She writes romance, but not all the sweet-everything-rosy romance.
No. If you're an emotional person, you must cry whenever you read her books. Because her romance has this tinge of sadness, two characters choosing themselves even after their multitudes of flaws.
And so when I learn Fallon O'Neil, the heroine of the book is scarred, I know she'll draw me in her life.
She is a survivor, a victim of a fire accident, whose dreams and aspiration also go down in flames on the night when her skin burns.
On the night of November 9. At 16, she helplessly watches her dream of being a great actress shrivel before her, because in Hollywood, looks sell.
Even if she's talented at hell, no one would want to star a scarred young girl as the heroine of any movie.
And so she lives her life detesting her skin, blaming her father for the accident and wallowing in regrets.
She doesn't like people seeing what her skin looks like, so she always wears a long piece of clothing that covers her skin completely.
She thinks people always look at her pitifully if they see her scars and for her to avoid all those sympathetic looks, she covers herself properly and avoids any occasion that might call for that.
But she still wants to pursue her dreams. She still believes there's a place for her in New York, a place where she can be an actress, no matter how minor the role might be.
On her 18th year November 9, while having a meal with her dad in a restaurant, she coincidentally meets Benton Kessler, a guy that will change her life forever.
Ben introduces himself as Fallon's boyfriend and helps her save face because he puts her father in place.
Donovan O'Neil, Fallon's father is against his daughter moving to New York and pursuing her dreams, but Ben does a lot to convince him otherwise.
Ben saves Fallon and much as she does, him. Because after that day, they both gain the clarity they've been craving all their lives.
Ben talks Fallon out of hiding her scars. He tells her her scars are beautiful, they tell a victorious tale of how much of a survivor she is.
She shouldn't hide her skin, because there's beauty in her scars. No one has ever done so much to make Fallon proud of her scars, so much that she wants to show them off, but Ben does that.
On the other hand, Fallon makes Ben develop a passion. He's a writer, but doesn't see himself as one.
But after encountering Fallon and hearing her tell him he should go on and write a book, he makes that his number one priority.
They agree to always meet in the same venue every November 9, as they cannot date, because they're living in different cities.
But they don't know November 9 means a lot more than Fallon's accident anniversary. There's a lot of things they don't know, mostly Fallon and will be revealed at the end of the book.
I totally love this book, because I learned a lot. First, so not make a decision when you're overwhelmed by emotions, you'll definitely regret it.
And then, we are all flawed humans, each bearing scars that tell stories of their imperfections.
But while most of us are scarred outwardly, others have indelible marks in their inner selves and that hurt more than whatever scar we might have outwardly.
There are two sides to every story, so before you believe what you think might be the truth, think twice.
The only thing I don't love about this book is the fact that the idea of meeting once a year without any form of communication isn't realistic.
I mean is it possible to still be in love with someone you don't see, don't communicate with, but only visit once a year and spend only a couple hours with? I really don't know if it's feasible, but I'm a sucker for romance, so it's okay by me.
I'll highly recommend if you're a romance lover. Even if you're not, this book is interesting. So please read it. I'll rate it as 4.9/5.
Have you read the book? What do you think about it? Please share your thoughts with me in the comment section.
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