Editors’ note: Sharon High seniors enrolled in Honors Advanced Print & Digital Journalism are writing reviews of books available in the Sharon High School Library catalog. Rachel Zaretsky takes a look at a popular contemporary romance.

“Maybe Someday” is the type of novel that I was truly sucked into – wanting to read the words off of the pages faster than my eyes and brain could catch up. Each page is more captivating than the last, especially as tension builds.

Colleen Hoover’s romantic, musical, and intense novel comes first in the “Maybe Someday” series. Followed by “Maybe Not” and “Maybe Now”. 

Hoover is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author, known for her astounding novel “It Ends With Us,” which has recently been turned into a major movie. “It Ends With Us” is one of my favorite books, and I opted to read “Maybe Someday,” as I was already familiar with Hoover’s excellent writing.

“Maybe Someday” is narrated from the perspective of Sydney and Ridge, both in their 20s. The two alternate narrating chapters as they fight the urge of falling in love. The novel begins as Sydney’s boyfriend of a few years, Hunter, cheats on her with her best friend, Tori. Ridge and his friends, who happen to be Sydney’s neighbors, take her in since she has nowhere else to go.

Ridge happens to be deaf, so text messages and facial expressions are his only form of communication with Sydney. Despite his inability to hear, he’s an extremely talented musician. Eventually, when the two make music together, their chemistry is tested, and their attraction is overwhelmingly powerful. Their bodies are mere inches apart from one another, and they struggle to suppress their desire to get closer. 

The novel definitely starts out on the slower side, but tension builds up more and more, until the last few chapters, where there is an explosion of action. Feelings of despair, anger, excitement, and hope flooded over me, and hooked me back in. 

Hoover’s short and easy-to-read prose dances along the pages. The chapters are written in a combination of text message conversations that Ridge and Sydney share, as well as ordinary narration from the characters’ perspectives. When each chapter comes to a close, the next one begins with the next character re-telling the tail end of the previous chapter, but through their own lens. This remarkable stylistic choice enables the readers to truly get to know the characters and their genuine personalities. 

 The vocabulary is relatively simple, yet Hoover’s descriptive style and word choice are impeccable. When Ridge and Sydney are rehearsing their songs, Hoover describes Ridge’s emotions meticulously. Ridge states, “My entire body is battling itself. My left brain is telling me this is somehow wrong, my right brain is wanting to hear her sing again, my stomach is nowhere to be found, and my heart is punching itself in the face with one arm and hugging itself with the other.” This overwhelming moment is brought to life, as readers can easily understand that there is a mixture of vivid feelings all fighting for the spot at the forefront of his mind. As the novel goes on,  Sydney and Ridge approach the fine line between friends and lovers. I had both the urge to throw the book against the wall and stay up all night wishing I could absorb the text immediately.

The songs that the two create together are written out within respective chapters, and the lyrics are quite powerful. Additionally, a musician, Griffin Peterson, worked alongside Hoover to produce a soundtrack of all the songs that Ridge and Sydney write. The guitar-accompanied works are full of emotion and the sincere feelings of the two lovers. Hoover herself recommends that readers follow along with the songs on the soundtrack, just before the prologue begins.

Personally, the song titled “Maybe Someday” was my favorite. It truly portrays a major theme of the novel and the deep connection that Sydney and Ridge so obviously desire. Hoover writes,

“And if I can’t be yours now

I’ll wait here on this ground…

Maybe someday

Maybe someday.”

Hoover and Peterson wrote the lyrics of this song with intention. There is repetition of the words “Maybe Someday” within the song itself. Seemingly emphasizing that life is uncertain, but anything is possible in the future, especially in terms of love. Thus, the characters have a chance to daydream about the hundreds of possibilities that lie ahead.

As much as I loved the excitement and anticipation that this novel brought, I felt as though the plot was quite redundant. With the constant encounters between Sydney and Ridge, at their apartment. They were almost tiptoeing around their issues, that were clearly the elephant in the room. The majority of the novel builds and builds intimate romantic tension, and I was impatient at times, waiting for a plot twist or something major to happen. It was obvious that Sydney and Ridge had feelings for each other, and I just wanted to know how things would play out, which of course would not occur until the end of the story.

Overall, “Maybe Someday” was a drama-filled and romantic read. I would definitely recommend it to others who enjoy romance novels. I may read the second book, but I’m not dying to indulge in the pages. According to Hoover, both “Maybe Someday” and “Maybe Not” can stand alone. However, Hoover recommends that if reading the third novel, “Maybe Now,” it’s best to read books one and two prior. To learn more about the novel, an interview with Colleen Hoover can be found here.

MAYBE SOMEDAY

By: Colleen Hoover

Simon & Schuster, 370 pp., $16.99