Hold Still by Nina LaCour

Hold Still

An arresting story about starting over after a friend’s suicide, from a breakthrough new voice in YA fiction.
dear caitlin, there are so many things that i want so badly to tell you but i just can’t.
Devastating, hopeful, hopeless, playful . . . in words and illustrations, Ingrid left behind a painful farewell in her journal for Caitlin. Now Caitlin is left alone, by loss and by choice, struggling to find renewed hope in the wake of her best friend’s suicide. With the help of family and newfound friends, Caitlin will encounter first love, broaden her horizons, and start to realize that true friendship didn’t die with Ingrid. And the journal which once seemed only to chronicle Ingrid’s descent into depression, becomes the tool by which Caitlin once again reaches out to all those who loved Ingrid—and Caitlin herself. from GoodReads

Caitlin wakes up one day and her whole world has changed, her best friend committed suicide and suddenly everything seems darker and lonely. I have to say, this story is very raw and the descriptions are very powerful, I didn't expect something like it, ever. I loved how inside the book, there are pages of Ingrid's journal written in her hand writing. It made it all seem more real, as if I was reading the journal alongside Caitlin.

Even though the book is very touching, I didn't cry like I thought I would. Some things seemed a little undeveloped like the relationship with Taylor. I feel that I needed to see a bit more of it, of how it went from shyness to being comfortable with him. One of the best parts is when Caitlin finally goes to visit Ingrid's parents. It's so beautiful how the parent's sadness is portrayed. I can relate to Ingrid's dad because my own dad is a very sensitive person.

The book is short, a bit over 200 pages, so it's a quick read but by no means is it 'light'. Everything from the character's emotions to the description of Ingrid's suicide and her dark journal entries is very deep. I liked that there were a lot of metaphors in the book, it portrayed stuff that the MC felt but didn't necessarily narrate.

The only 'negative' comment I have to give is that sometimes the sentences are very quick and short. I have seen this work on other books but I don't think it does here. But that's about it, everything else is great.

In one sentence:
Raw and powerful with vibrating descriptions.