Book: Hold Still by Nina LaCour
Rating: 5 Stars
Release date: October 15, 2009 from Dutton Juvenile
From: Publisher
Summary:
An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction.
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.
*****
Hold Still is one of those books where I don’t really know what to say. I loved it but that definitely doesn’t adequately describe how I feel about it. It’s just really hard to put into words how amazing Hold Still was.
Caitlin wasn’t exactly a likable character at the beginning of the book. After Ingrid’s death she kind of detached herself from everything. She wouldn’t talk to anyone and she wouldn’t do anything. Then when she finally might have made some friends she felt that it was disloyal to Ingrid so she detached herself again. It actually kind of pissed me off. I felt bad for her but I also felt that she didn’t want to move on and look to the future. She just seemed like she wanted to stay alone and miserable for the rest of her life.
Throughout the book Caitlin did change and it was because of the people who came into her life. There were so many people who loved her and helped her finally let go. I really loved them all and that’s not something I normally say. I really don’t think I could pick a favorite out of all the supporting characters, they were that good. =]
Then there was Ingrid’s journal. There weren’t a lot of entries in it but it played a huge role in the book. It held Caitlin back and it finally helped her to move on. It told so much about Ingrid and why she killed herself. It was really sad but it really helped Caitlin understand how little she truly knew about her best friend.
Overall, Hold Still was a perfect book. It was a moving story of love, loss, and friendship. More importantly it was a story of how to hope for the future instead of mourning the past. If you don’t already have a copy, go get one because this is one of those books you will want to read again and again!
Nice review…I’m still on the fence about this one! I see your reading Taken by Storm, I hope your enjoying it because I did! 🙂
Glad you liked it! It’s interesting to see other people’s take on it because I know in my review I said I wouldn’t be reading it again any time soon just because of how emotionally draining it is.
Anyway–good review! 🙂
Wow, this sounds like an amazing book. I know just what you mean about how it drives you crazy when a character acts in ways you don’t agree with. You just want to reach into the book and shake her! I yell at the tv screen when we watch movies, too!
Anyway, this book sounds great – thanks for the review –
Sue
I can’t wait to read this, seriously. I just have a couple of others to read first. Thanks for the review, and I’m glad it’s as good as it sounds!
Great review. I’m so glad you liked it; it’s one of my favorite books of the year!