Hold Still by Nina Lacour

Genre: Young Adult

Rating: 4 stars

Review: I was immediately attracted to this novel because of its cover; it seems so 'artsy' and creative, and I thought it was very appealing. So I read the synopsis, and thought it was just the sort of book I would like. I have always been drawn to YA novels that deal with sensitive, and real to life issues for some reason, so I went ahead and read this.

The best thing about this book is how unpretentious it is. It is simply there - it wasn't trying too hard, if that makes sense. Often, when I read YA novels that deal with touchy subjects - such as suicide, abuse, etc - the narrator's voice and the story itself can sometimes be too "melodramatic" that it makes it unrealistic. I mean I get the topic is dramatic, but the story telling itself shouldn't feel just that. I liked that Hold Still covered the topic of suicide, death, and loss so well in a very subtle way. The author, Nina Lacour, did not just tell her readers that 'oh the main character feels this and the character feels that.' She actually shows us through the actual characters' actions and reactions. And in my opinion, some of the characters' actions and feelings were so on point and believable that I felt emotionally invested in them.

As far as pace goes, I thought it was good. I read this pretty quick, but I think it was mainly because it was interesting and realistic, and backed up with solid writing. It is not entirely a "favorite," but I really liked it, am very happy that I read it, and think YA fans would appreciate this as well.