“My best friend is dead, and I could have saved her.” Caitlin was devastated when her BFF Ingrid committed suicide. Now she struggles with overwhelming feelings of guilt, wondering if there was anything she could have done to halt Ingrid’s gradual and largely secret descent into depression and pain. When she finds Ingrid’s last journal hidden in her bedroom, she only allows herself to read one entry at a time, hesitant to sever this last link. Slowly, she becomes aware of the other people who have lost Ingrid too: their favorite photography teacher who now can’t look Caitlin in the eye, the boy Ingrid had a huge crush on who never even had a chance to ask her out, Ingrid’s incredibly sad family. Slowly, she becomes aware of the other people who have lost HER while she’s been grieving for Ingrid: her terrified parents, new girl Dylan who just wants to be her friend, popular boy Taylor who has liked her since third grade. For a while, all Caitlin could do was hold still so she didn’t fall a part. As Ingrid’s journal comes to end, Caitlin is faced with an enormous decision: hold tight to her grief or dare to let go and move on. This powerful debut, rich with themes of renewal, hope and redemption, will resonate with anyone who ever survived losing someone. (1 weepie)
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
2009
10.05
10.05
If you liked this book you will love Saved by the Music. It is pretty sad but has a great ending- you MUST read it!!
I had already added this to my list, but your review solidifies it’s spot. It does seem like there is a lot of books about grief lately, or maybe I’m just noticing them more.
I havent read this book yet. I’ve been meaning to, but i just havent found this book in any local bookstore and such!
This sounds wonderful. A boy at our local high school is on life support (he may be dead as I write) from a suicide attempt, and kids are just devastated. IT’s made worse because of rumors of him being gay, and being bullied, etc., so it’s just a heartbreaking mess. I’m going to get this for my daughter to read — it may help her. I’m going to read it too. (I’ll have to remember the “Saved by the Music” book as well.
I loved this novel! It’s full of so much love and pain, but not in a clichéd way because the characters feel very real.
I hate to be the lone naysayer here, but I didn’t find anything particularly original, having read 13 Reasons Why and Wintergirls this year, both of which I thought were better done. Anyone who has read either of these care to comment>
See, I enjoyed Hold Still better than both 13 Reasons Why and Wintergirls. While 13 Reasons Why left the trail of why she chose her path, I felt that Hold Still captured better the irrational nature of suicide, as well as an honest portrayal of the people left behind. In 13, she was often putting the blame of her unhappiness on others, whereas in Hold she had her moments of frustration/anger towards her best friend and a hope for something more with her crush, but it was really about the fact that she didn’t know why she felt so depressed but that she couldn’t escape it. All of the books mentioned above were well done, but I appreciated Hold Still the most because it captured more of all the aspects of suicide.
this is more than 1 weepie. i cried for like 2 hours. it was an amazing book though.
Does anybody know where the quote, “My best friend is dead, and I could have saved her.” is in the book? I need it for a research paper and I can’t find it.