Confess

Confess by Colleen Hoover

Age: New Adult
Category: Contemporary
Rating: 4 stars

Brittany Thinks: As a life long reader of Young Adult who is arguably still in the stage between YA characters and Adult fiction characters in my own life, New Adult is an exciting new genre for me. New Adult stories are still humorous coming of age tales, but for characters a bit older than the typical YA heroes and heroines. NA characters know a bit more about who they are, but they still have a lot to figure out before they’re fully settled. I’ve been devouring the most popular New Adult titles lately, and my newest addiction is Colleen Hoover.

Confess is the story of Auburn Reed. When we first meet Auburn, she is desperate for money to hire a lawyer - I’d tell you why, but then you’d have to kill me - and she finds herself taking a job with a quirky and intense artist named Owen. Confess follows their story as their lives intertwine and fall apart. It’s a roller coaster of emotion and I’d love to tell you more about the plot, but discovering on your own is seriously the best part. Colleen Hoover will always keep you guessing, unsure of who to trust or what awaits you on the next page.

One of the coolest parts of the book is Owen’s art. He runs a gallery called Confess, where patrons submit anonymous confessions and Owen uses some as inspiration for his art. Hoover actually found an artist to make art based on a few confessions and the paintings are beautiful, vibrant, and one of the neatest additions to a novel that I’ve seen in awhile. They add depth to the story and allow the reader to feel the emotions of the characters in an entirely different dimension. I loved it.
In a lot of ways, Colleen Hoover reminds me a bit of Sarah Dessen for an older audience. For years I’ve said that no one can do character development like Dessen can and that has always held true for me - until now, that is. Hoover is a master of the character and drops bombshells on every page that will leave you gasping for breath - and wishing you could shake some sense back into your favorite characters. If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced read with well-developed characters and a page turning plot, definitely pick up Confess. Colleen Hoover is an author to watch.