Hold Still

by Nina LaCour
304 pages

With Hold Stil, Nina LaCour has written a beautiful book about loss and growth. A wonderful first book by a new author that shows promise for future work.

After Caitlin's best friend Ingrid commits suicide she attempts to deal with daily life. When Caitlin finds Ingrid's journal hidden in her room she begins to heal as she understands what life was like for her friend. There are so many things that Caitlin never knew and Ingrid never shared. Caitlin struggles with feelings of guilt, questioning why she didn't know and thinking that she should have been able to stop her.

Helping her through the first year without Ingrid is a new friend who can truly understand the loss Caitlin is feeling and a boy who Caitlin might just be falling in love with. Caitlin attempts to open up to these new people of her life while trying to cope with the loss of Ingrid.

The emotions of the book felt very real and raw and the writing was lovely. One complaint is that I didn't really feel like we got to know Caitlin all that well. So much of the story focused on Ingrid I feel like Caitlin's development was neglected. But overall a very engrossing book.

The verdict is: A good read that deals with real issues teens face.