Review: Hold Still

Title: Hold Still
Author: Nina LaCour
Publication date: October 20th, 2009

Summary:
dear caitlin.
there are so many things
that i want so badly to tell you
but i just can't

That night Ingrid told Caitlin, I'll go wherever you go. But by dawn Ingrid, and her promise, were gone, and Caitlin was alone. Ingrid's suicide immobilizes Caitlin, leaving her unsure of her place in a new life she hardly recognizes. A life without the art, the laughter, the music, the joy she shared with her best friend.

But Ingrid left more than a memory behind. Devastating and hopeful, playful and hopeless. In words and drawings, Ingrid documented a painful farewell in her journal - just for Caitlin. Journeying through Ingrid's final days, Caitlin fights back through unspeakable loss to find renewed hope.

Review:
Hold Still is a beautiful novel about a girl struggling with the suicide of her best friend. It was very emotional and powerful and it's one of those books that I know is going to stick in my head for long after I've read it. I especially loved two things about the novel, one being the fact that it's divided into seasons. The seasons seemed to mark different periods in Caitlin's life as she dealt with the depression, and I liked seeing the growth in each one. The other thing I really liked was how Ingrid's drawings and handwritten journal entries were incorporated, making the novel seem more personal. Hold Still was a beautifully written, captivating book that really let me see how it would feel to be in Caitlin's shoes. It's very raw and very real, and a book that I would definitely recommend. I really can't say enough about it.

Characters: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Originality: 8/10
Writing: 10/10
Overall grade: A