The bad boy with the heart of gold trope is seen often in the Young Adult romance genre. Compare and contrast Holder with another “bad boy” literary character.

The epistolary form is often used in novels to give readers insight into a character’s thoughts and feelings. Losing Hope complicates this form in that Holder is writing to a dead person who can never respond. What is the effect of the letters from Holder to Les?

Analyze the relationship between literary realism and Losing Hope. To what extend does Hoover use or subvert the conventions of literary realism?