Hello Beautiful! Even if you are a bookworm, have you ever looked at the pages of a book with blank eyes? Or have you ever experienced moments where the phone wins the dilemma of a book or telephone before sleep? It was such a period for me; unfinished books formed a small mountain at my bedside. While Hello Beautiful was on my to-read list on Goodreads, one evening I decided to go ahead and start reading it on Kindle.
Hello Beautiful immediately made me feel like it was a good choice. It’s a gripping family story that had an emotional impact on me. I’m not saying it will surprise you throughout its entire plot. Although it was easy to guess the author for some events, there were also moments when I emotionally wished she hadn’t. Still, it never stopped me from enjoying reading this story. As the characters’ stories progress, you may want to go deeper about them and have more time to spend with them. At least it was like that for me.
I just did a little research on author Ann Napolitano’s previous bestselling novel, Dear Edward. When I look at it a bit, I understand that Hello Beautiful is a pattern product that the author loves. Come on, let me tell you a little about this beautiful novel, as spoiler-free as possible.
A Story of Family and Loyalty
Our story begins by focusing on the life of a lonely young man named William Waters. His personality is shaped by the traumas he has experienced, and he has an introverted character due to the contribution of growing up in a loveless family. Julia Padavano, whom he met while playing basketball in college, grew up in a completely different family, and of course, this difference changed William’s life. Julia is part of a warm, close-knit family. Four sisters: Julia, Sylvie, Cecelia, and Emeline. There are very strong bonds between these sisters, each with different personalities.
William, who entered the life of the Padavano family with the marriage of Julia and William, begins to heal his wounds in this warm family environment. However, over time, the dynamics within the family become complicated. William’s traumas, Julia’s ambitions, losses, and the complexities of relationships deeply affect the family. The book tells how the characters change and how they hold on to life during this period when love, loyalty, and family ties are tested.
Missing Moments: Does the Story’s Pacing Affect Its Impact?
Yes, now that we have left behind the summary that anyone can read anywhere, I want to move on to the parts of the story that I wish were different. First of all, the novel offers an emotional story that explores the depths of freedom, personal traumas, and family relationships. In this story, we witness the stages of development of the characters. Many things about their childhood, youth, what they liked and didn’t like. But I think there were moments when I felt some gaps in some places while reading. For example, let’s take the ignore situation of William’s family. Wouldn’t it be possible if there was a scene that told us about this ignoring of childhood? Communication between parents, or a birthday scene that will break our hearts or a simple dinner scene.
It is possible to say the same thing for the Padavano family, we witness a lot of events within the family. There are even some big events, but we don’t come across many people outside the family. But of course, this is also a choice. We have little data about the world around us other than the characters, and we remain unaware of some details we are curious about.
Although the characters’ characteristics were explained, I also looked for answers to some important details. So why did it happen? Who is the baby’s father? How do these people have fun? Where do they go? Julia’s job issue also changes the direction of the story. What is this job exactly? Okay, this is a story of rising from scratch, but I wish there was a full definition of this gradually.
A Story That Stays with You
Let’s come to the beauties and details of this story that captured my heart and made me read a book with pleasure after a long time. Although it upsets you that the story starts with tragedy, it makes you say everything will be fine. Believe me, it can be as beautiful as life allows. When William meets Julia, he is fascinated by the loud and loving nature of the Padavano family. Julia is a planner and doer, Sylvie is the reader and writer of the family, Cecilia is a talented painter, and her twin Emeline is a consummate nurturer. That is a clear distribution.
What I loved most about the book was the moment I realized where I got the title from. “Hello Beautiful” is Charlie Padavano’s way of greeting his daughters. I think the most loving person in fiction is Charlie. He loves his daughters just the way they are. It’s such a beautiful greeting, the kind that will make you want to come back to the room again and again.
Healing and Growth: Why Hello Beautiful Feels So Profound (Spoiler!)
Ann Napolitano creates a cast of characters that you can find a bit of yourself in. At first, I liked Julia’s planned life idea, to be honest. Then, in her approach to William, I felt like protecting him at some points, and of course, I found myself supporting William and Sylvie in the inevitable end. Sometimes, in the pages of books, you find yourself supporting things that we call impossible in life. We must not forget that life is a little like that, everything is for people.
The siblings also struggle to find their way, because we are watching a family falling apart. It can sometimes be difficult to find a way in life if your ideas conflict with your family’s expectations. When that happens, you have to do it on your own. The story emphasizes independence and taking responsibility for your own decisions.
Depression, losses, love, and unexpected turns in life. The story tells the events from different characters’ perspectives, covering many years. It explains how life and family shape us. Also, it describes how depression can take over an adult’s life and affect decisions. It also reminds us how important mental health problems are and should always be kept at the forefront. How it might affect family ties and children. There are predictable plots in the story, but this did not spoil my enjoyment, I moved forward expecting to find hope in the end.
A family drama tells about some things that can happen in life. But the most important thing for me was that it says there is always hope in life. No matter what your situation is, there is always light behind even the scariest darkness. Love may not fix everything. But when a person starts to love herself first, the burdens decrease and hopes increase, as long as you remember. It tells us that there is a gain in every loss and that life is all about balance.
Unpacking the Emotional Depth of Hello Beautiful
If you want to shed some tears, smile a little, and like family dramas, I think you should give it a chance to read it. I don’t know if you will take sides in the story or find it lacking, but Hello Beautiful made me spend very enjoyable hours. I hope we’ll see you in another story.
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