Monday, October 3, 2011
Review: Hold Still
Age Group: Young Adult
Published: October 15, 2009 by Dutton Juvenile
Format: ARC
Source: Gift
Description:
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can't.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend's suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn't die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid's descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid - and Caitlin herself.
Mini-Review: A heart wrenching story of friendship, loss, and love.
My Thoughts:
Everyone told me this book was amazing and that I should read it; they were right. It's horribly sad and heartbreaking yet wonderful and full of hope and recovery. Caitlin's best friend has killed herself, and Caitlin never even saw it coming. Now she's left alone and in pain, trying to pick up the pieces. And then she find's Ingrid's journal, and page by page, Caitlin begins putting herself back together.
I don't read a whole lot of realistic fiction, not because I don't like it, but because it really has to stand out to me or have some intense or creative twist to it that makes it especially interesting. Nina LaCour has certainly done that with Hold Still. It's realistic fiction, yes, but it's so much more than that. It's pain and heartbreak and growth and forgiveness, and it resonates with the reader. Not to mention it's beautifully written.
I wouldn't recommend this if you've recently read something sad, because this one definitely takes it out of you (I teared-up at least three times), and I would follow it up with something a little more cheerful to help balance you back out afterward. If you haven't checked out this fabulous book yet, you should, regardless of your genre preferences.
Visit the author online.
Buy the book: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository
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