Reviews with content warning for Suicide - Hold Still

What can I say really, except that I love the way Nina LaCour tells stories, and she did not disappoint with this one, especially given the heavy topics that mental health and suicide are. It was a painful read, but also a hopeful and uplifting read, watching Caitlin grieve and push everyone away, but then reach a point where she can begin to heal, let new people into her life, and create a lot of positive change and growth for herself. And the author's note at the end was incredibly special and definitely pushed me over the edge with crying. Overall 10/10 would recommend.

Content Warnings

savbarker's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad

4.75

Content Warnings

massivepizzacrust's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Whyyy was this the cover chosen for the storygraph book page, the limited palette cover I got from the library is so much prettier. Anyway.
Nina LaCour knows how to stab me in the heart. I loved We Are Okay and I loved Hold Still. I am always pulled into her worlds and her characters' minds. I love reading books set where I live but there's more to it than that. Her characters are human and flawed and always trying their best to be good people and find a way forward. On a lighter note, I now really wish I had a backyard big enough to build a huge treehouse.

Content Warnings

jessisimpson's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

Content Warnings

lilly_anne's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

pickingweeds's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

A really poignant book about moving on, guilt and grief. I cried multiple times while reading this, and finished it in a couple of days. I like the writing style and how it's bare-bones, minimal in way that showed clearly Caitlin's emotions. I also really liked how the book showed how a death affects so many people in the community, and how it's able to bring people together even closer than before. While reading this, it is important to remember Caitlin is still a teen, and isn't a perfect friend because she's out of her depth. Despite this, to me she remains a relatable character.

Content Warnings

lesbegays's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I really appreciate the way Nina LaCour writes about grief and about healing. As someone who attempted suicide in high school and who had many friends who did as well, it was only good luck and poor planning that kept me from being Ingrid or from being Caitlin. Many parts of this book were very beautiful and it was absolutely worth reading, but I can’t help but see all the places where LaCour has grown as an author in the years since it was written. I loved We Are Okay and Watch Over Me so wholeheartedly, and I definitely didn’t expect this one, published in 2009, to be of the same quality. But I still felt a disconnect from the characters and environment that I haven’t with her more recent novels, and it did let me down in that regard a little. However, this honestly just makes me more excited to keep working through her backlog and see what she writes in the future. This book is still absolutely wonderful.

Content Warnings

More...