Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Title: Hold Still
Author: Nina LaCour
Publisher: Dutton
Reading Level: YA, 14+
Publication Date: October 20, 2009
Pages: 304
My Edition: ARC
Amazon Page

Cover Rating: B-
Book Rating: B

Plot - 17/20
Characters - 18/20
Writing - 19/20
Originality - 15/20
Entertainment - 8/10
Recommendation - 9/10
Total: 86/100

Summary:
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.

Review:

Hold Still is a powerful novel about loss and love and hope for a new start after a friends suicide. Hold Still was an incredible novel with intense writing and realistic characters the make that book come alive. This novel wasn't about the plot, it was about a girl, Caitlin, trying to regain herself after her best friend, the person who knew her the best, kills herself. It's a very character driven novel with a nice side plot to it where Caitlin befriends someone and has a first love.

This novel wasn't greatly original, we've seen numerous books about friends suicide, but this novel had the amazingly developed characters and the strong emotions and Caitlin was just an impeccable character dealing with her friends suicide.

One thing that is very original about this novel is that there is actually illustrations in it coming from Ingrid's journal. I know from the author that the illustration, and I think a bit of the cover too, were done by a friend of the author and it was a debut for each of them in their own fields.

This novel is a highly recommended novel if you want a character driven novel with strong, realistic emotions, but with also an uplifting message.

*I thought I'd do a little early buzz for this one.*