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A review by mbenzz
Hold Still by Nina LaCour
4.0
Damn, that was sad. It was sad and beautiful and such a good read. When I read the synopsis of this, I assumed it would be mostly in diary form and that Ingrid's journal would be the story's focal point, but that wasn't the case at all.
This story is all Caitlin's. Not only is 16-year-old Caitlin navigating the painfully awkward world that is high school, and learning to drive, and figuring out who she is, but she has to do it without her best friend, who suddenly killed herself with no note or explanation of any kind.
A couple of months after her death, Caitlin comes across Indrigs diary hidden under her bed, but instead of devouring it in one sitting, as most of us would probably do, she chooses to take her time with it, knowing that once she finishes it, there will never again be anything new between her and Ingrid...and that was just so sad.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story about how one girl (child, really) overcomes the heaviest grief she's ever experienced, and how she stumbles her way back to a new normal, with new friends and new experiences, all without the one person she wants most to share them with.
I read the author's note and where the idea for this story came from. It's incredible just how much the briefest moments with people we don't even know can shape our lives.
I plan to have my 13-year-old son read this because I think it's important. Teenagers tend to get so wrapped up in their own heads that they forget how many lives they touch on a daily basis. While my son is not suicidal or struggling with depression, I still want him to understand that one person's decision to end their life can impact so many others for such a long time, and how even though something seems so significant and impossible now, tomorrow is another day, month, or year. Time marches on, and circumstances change. You can overcome anything with a little time and clarity.
Anyway, I absolutely recommend this book to young and old alike. I came across it randomly in my BookBub email of the day, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.
This story is all Caitlin's. Not only is 16-year-old Caitlin navigating the painfully awkward world that is high school, and learning to drive, and figuring out who she is, but she has to do it without her best friend, who suddenly killed herself with no note or explanation of any kind.
A couple of months after her death, Caitlin comes across Indrigs diary hidden under her bed, but instead of devouring it in one sitting, as most of us would probably do, she chooses to take her time with it, knowing that once she finishes it, there will never again be anything new between her and Ingrid...and that was just so sad.
Overall, I thought this was a beautiful story about how one girl (child, really) overcomes the heaviest grief she's ever experienced, and how she stumbles her way back to a new normal, with new friends and new experiences, all without the one person she wants most to share them with.
I read the author's note and where the idea for this story came from. It's incredible just how much the briefest moments with people we don't even know can shape our lives.
I plan to have my 13-year-old son read this because I think it's important. Teenagers tend to get so wrapped up in their own heads that they forget how many lives they touch on a daily basis. While my son is not suicidal or struggling with depression, I still want him to understand that one person's decision to end their life can impact so many others for such a long time, and how even though something seems so significant and impossible now, tomorrow is another day, month, or year. Time marches on, and circumstances change. You can overcome anything with a little time and clarity.
Anyway, I absolutely recommend this book to young and old alike. I came across it randomly in my BookBub email of the day, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance.