Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Release Date: October 20, 2009
Publisher: Dutton Books
Pages: 240
Overall:

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, froma 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 a heart-wrenching novel about the struggles a girl must go through after her best friend's suicide.

Caitlin was a mesmerizing character. Her pain and depression bled through the pages and meshed with my own thoughts. The writing was so wonderfully done that I felt her pain like it was my own. She was so connected to Ingrid, her friend that committed suicide, that when she died, part of Caitlin left with her. Ingrid's death left Caitlin feeling broken, exposed, and the farthest thing from being whole. Ingrid was a great character as well. Though she was only seen through Caitlin's memories and her journal entries, you could tell that she was great at hiding her true emotions. While Caitlin had known about some of the depressing and unspeakable things Ingrid was going through, she didn't know how bad they were and to what extent. However, I honestly thought that even if Ingrid had let Caitlin, or anyone else, into this side of her life, they wouldn't be able to help her. She was deeply dug into a pile of negative thoughts and emotions. It was hard to read about some times, but that's what had my interest; it was true and not many authors choose to write so adventurously.

The other characters were crafted intricately as well. They were all not as they would seem to the outside world. Dylan, Caitlin's new friend, was a lesbian. Taylor, a guy that Caitlin begins to develop a connection with, is popular, but interested in Caitlin's thoughts, even though she's drifting on the edges of the social crowd. Jayson, Taylor's friend and the object of Ingrid's affection, was also very different. So, not only in this novel does the story mention suicide and depression, but it also brings different people from different groups together.

Nina LaCour really did a magnificant job with symbolism. At one point on the novel, an old theater is mentioned. It actually becomes a big part in the book and I liked that it was. But what becomes of it is what I liked most, it was like the starting point of a new beginning.

Hold Still is a devastating journey of love, loss, and new beginnings. An impressing debut from Nina LaCour. She will surely make an impact with her fresh, new voice.

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Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman’s boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saves the life of a classmate, but is implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things they hated. The list her boyfriend used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

HATE LIST is a novel that I knew I'd like just after reading the synopsis. I was expecting the plot to be carried out nicely, the writing to be catchy, and the characters to be distinct. But what I wasn't expecting was the novel to be so much more!

The plot, for one, is original and unique. The book discusses topics that are serious and difficult to come by. However, the novel demands to be read further. The plot was fulfilled entirely, showcasing Jennifer Brown's talent. Though the plot did play a big role in the accomplishment of the skillfully crafted book, the writing also kept the novel moving at a comfortable pace.

Valerie is an amazing character, unlike any other I've read about. Her constant questioning about her life, Nick, and her future only makes me appreciate her more. She repeatedly wonders why she didn't see this other side of her boyfriend, the side that possessed him to kill the people whose names were on the Hate List, and why no one else sees the side that she saw, the side that loved Shakespeare and the side that she loved. Her confusion finally comes to a closure in the end, reassuring her acceptance.

Brown has grasped the true voice of an accused and lost teenager that has come to question everything they thought they knew. I felt as though I was reading a nonfiction novel, because everything seemed so vivid and real, like reading about someone's life. The newspaper articles, used in the novel to explain the victims' deaths and their family's reaction, also added to the realistic feel of the fictional novel.

HATE LIST is an incredible and incisive debut novel; it will shock readers. Jennifer Brown has definitely caught my attention with this one. I'll be anxiously waiting to hear about what she'll write next.

Ratings:

Writing: 5/5
Plot: 5/5
Character: 5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

Madison's prom was killer—literally. For some reason she's been targeted by a dark reaper—yeah, that kind of reaper—intent on getting rid of her, body and soul. But before the reaper could finish the job, Madison was able to snag his strange, glowing amulet and get away.

Now she's stuck on Earth—dead but not gone. Somehow the amulet gives her the illusion of a body, allowing her to toe the line between life and death. She still doesn't know why the dark reaper is after her, but she's not about to just sit around and let fate take its course.

With a little ingenuity, some light-bending, and the help of a light reaper (one of the good guys! Maybe . . . ), her cute crush, and oh yeah, her guardian angel, Madison's ready to take control of her own destiny once and for all, before it takes control of her.

Well, if she believed in that stuff.

ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY had me consumed in its story immediately. Kim Harrison did a marvelous job telling Madison's story.

I like Madison. She has a certain thing about her that makes me like her. It might be her sarcastic remarks, or her hunger to learn more about reapers and the amulet that must stay around her neck at all times. She's a great main character. Her interaction with the other characters is nice to read about, because she just seems to be herself and doesn't really hold anything back.

I found the whole reaper and time-keeper thing a little hard to follow and difficult to understand. I'm still a little confused as to what each of them is and what they do, and who is good and who is bad, but other than that nothing bothered me.

The story flows really easily and I like that. I never got bored and was always anxious to read more. The world for ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY is different from your regular blood-sucking environment, or faerie realm, and I like that it's unique.

Ratings:

Writing: 4/5
Plot: 3/5
Character: 3/5
Cover: 4/5

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

- Out September 2009 -

Madison Stanton doesn't know where she is or how she got there. But she does know this--she is dead. And alone, in a vast, dark space. The only company she has in this place are luminescent objects that turn out to be all the things Maddy lost while she was alive. And soon she discovers that with these artifacts, she can re-experience--and sometimes even change--moments from her life: Her first kiss. A trip to Disney World. Her sister's wedding. A disastrous sleepover.
In reliving these moments, Maddy learns illuminating and sometimes frightening truths about her life--and death.

The first thing I'd like to say about The Everafter is that it's unique and I loved reading it! It's different than anything I've ever read before, and I'll never forget it. Amy Huntley's creativity and originality shines in this novel.

The novel is based on a girl, Madison, and she is dead. She is dead and bored. Bored, because she is trapped in a space that she calls Is. Is is the empty space that she is in. And when Is presents her with objects she lost when she was alive, she is able to go back to the moment she lost the item and relive it. Madison thrives on these objects and memories. They allow her to see Gabe, her family and her best friend.

I loved the idea of The Everafter, especially being able to relive moments after dying. When the novel travels back to a certain time, there's no knowing what could happen. Some of the objects took her back to times that were funny, sad, confusing, and/or happy. All of the memories were easily enjoyable, in my opinion.

And now to my favorite part. The ending. I know what you're thinking when you see that. The ending? What was she happy for? The novel to end? No! I love the ending so much because there is a very big event that happens then, and it is a shocker. So props to Amy for writing such an amazing debut novel. I'm sure everyone will love Amy and her writing immediately! I know I did, and I'll be looking forward to her future works.

Ratings:

Writing: 5/5
Story: 5/5
Character: 5/5
Cover: 5/5