Hold Still

By: Nina LaCour

Narrated by: Emma Galvin

The award-winning first novel from the best-selling author of We Are Okay. For fans of 13 Reasons Why.

In the wake of her best friend Ingrid's suicide, Caitlin is left alone, struggling to find hope and answers. When she finds the journal Ingrid left behind for her, she begins a journey of understanding and broadening her horizons that leads her to new friendships and first love. Nina LaCour brings the changing seasons of Caitlin's first year without Ingrid to life with emotion, honesty, and captivating writing.

©2009 Nina LaCour (P)2009 Penguin

Critic reviews

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults (2010)

2010 William C. Morris Honor Book

“LaCour makes an impressive debut with an emotionally charged young adult novel about friendship and loss.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

"LaCour strikes a new path through a familiar story, leading readers with her confident writing and savvy sense of prose." (Kirkus)

“The book is written with honesty, revealing one's pain after the loss of a loved one.” (School Library Journal)

Excellant read

Would you consider the audio edition of Hold Still to be better than the print version?

Yes , because you really get into with this young lady is feeling.

What did you like best about this story?

I like that fact that you were able to see she grows from one sad ending of freindship to a happy beginning freindship in her life.

Which scene was your favorite?

I love the whole book

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When the two girls almost didn't become friends

An incredible, must-listen!!

Would you listen to Hold Still again? Why?

I was so drawn into the story by Emma Galvin's ability to narrate with emotion and to draw you into the story, that I've already listened to it twice!! You are taken through heartbreak, fear, anger and the recovery from grief in such a real way. I absolutely admire Emma Galvin's abilitly to make you feel each of those emotions......I am a BIG fan of her work and I hope to hear more from her soon!

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

Emma's voice is so expressive and her emotions are so genuine, that I picture her eyes full of tears when mine are and a smile on her face, when she has taken me to that place too. She is an incredibly talented young lady and I want to hear ANYTHING she's narrating. She takes you on the journey of the story with her........

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The moment in the theater when Ingrid's pictures were on the big screen, where Caitlyn took pictures of them......there were so many gripping and heart-wrenching moments. Please don't miss this read (listen)

A Moving Story of Love and Loss

What did you love best about Hold Still?

Hold Still is a story about a young woman who loses her best friend to suicide. Ingrid's suicide is linked to her battle with depression, and I appreciate that this book and its characters were not hung up on trying to understand *WHY* the suicide took place. Rather, the book gives credit where credit is due - depression is a serious illness and people who have it sometimes do terrible things to free themselves from the pain. Instead of focusing on why, we get to follow Ingrid's best friend through her first year without Ingrid - the good, the bad and the ugly. We get to watch her best friend and others (her parents, her teacher, her crush) try to accept that life must go on without her. Ingrid leaves a journal behind that helps to heal her loved ones even as it reveals the brutal reality of her depression.

Have you listened to any of Emma Galvin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

There is nothing worse than listening to a young adult novel read by an adult trying to sound like a teenager. Some adult's voices are simply too mature to carry it off. A good example is the woman who narrated the Hunger Games series. I read the first book and developed my own idea of what Katniss sounded like, then I listened to the second and third book and the woman who read them was a real buzz kill. It was like listening to my mother attempt to portray Katniss.

Emma Galvin's voice, on the other hand, is perfect to portray a young adult. It has a youthful ring to it, balanced nicely by smart clarity as she reads. She has the ability to bring the characters to life without making them all seem the same. I rated Emma's performance higher than the story itself, and I believe I probably enjoyed this story more because Emma was the reader.

Any additional comments?

Overall, Hold Still was an enjoyable read. It is thoughtful without being too heavy. It is respectful the nature of depression. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in the impact of depression on teenagers, and the impact of suicide on those who are left behind.

Beautiful

This book was touching, honest, engaging, and hopeful. I thought it was going to be really sad, but it felt truthful to tragedy without letting tragedy consume it. I really enjoyed it.

Wow!

Nina LaCour is one gifted writer! I was instantly transfixed from the opening lines until the very end. You never know what you'll end up with in the YA genre but this is a definite must read. Emma Galvin was phenomenal in her reading as always and helped bring this book to life.

Heavy and Hopeful

Hold Still is a book about the aftermath of a suicide, it’s a heavy read that you have to be in the right mood to handle. Like many people, suicide has touched my life and I’ve felt the shock, grief and pain that come with it. LaCour paints a realistic, unflinching portrait of a girl who has lost her best friend to suicide and her journey to healing. It’s hard to digest at times, but it’s hopeful as well.

The story begins in Summer after Ingrid’s death, and takes us through Caitlin’s next school year. Caitlin is lost after losing her best friend, and just going through the motions to get through the day. Her passion for photography is lost and she withdraws from social activities. The only thing she has to grab onto is Ingrid’s journal that was left for Caitlin to find. She finds solace in the pages and a deeper understanding of her friend’s state of mind.

Caitlin’s world changes when she meets Dylan, a girl who’s new at school and doesn’t know all the history of Ingrid. It takes a while for Caitlin to let Dylan in, but as time goes on they become friends and help each other. Dylan is gay and has a girlfriend but is not a stereotypical gay best-friend sidekick. She is a standout character on her own and shown in a loving relationship with her girlfriend. It is interesting to hear Caitlin’s thoughts about whether Dylan and her girlfriend are allowed to have sleep-overs and the way she is able to express her curiosity to Dylan. I like how the author showed Caitlin slowly letting people into her life and that it’s OK to go on living. It all felt very realistic to me.

I listened to the audiobook, as read by Emma Galvin. I’ve mentioned before that she is one of my favorite YA narrators. She sounds like a young adult, which is half the battle, and conveys the right emotional intensity in all the books she reads. In Hold Still, Galvin becomes Caitlin and her pain comes through clearly. The only things missing from the audiobook are the pages of Ingrid’s journal and the artwork that is featured in the book. The best of both worlds would be to have a copy of the book for reference while you listen to the audiobook.

it was wonderful and the narrator made it real

the story was amazing, it made me think, made me feel and Emma made it even more interesting. she put emotion into the story and enthused me on the outlook of life. I was reading the book before listening to the audio, and she made a way for me to enjoy listening to her, over reading it myself. thank you Emma Galvin, and thank you Nina Lacour, I will definitely be looking for more of your work!

For Those Who Remain Behind

Any additional comments?

I was concerned about starting this book when I did. A student at the school where I teach chose to take his life and I thought my timing might have too big of an impact. However, I feel like I read an accurate portrayal of all the multiple emotions felt by those left behind and the one who chose to leave. I have several students who knew it was in my queue and are now reading it for themselves. One has suggested that it is helping. I can only hope.

Good Book Good Narrator

Where does Hold Still rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Its in the top tier. Not just because of the writing but because of the combination of writing and narration. The narrator can make or break a book and in this case it definitely helped it. There are so many great books out there that are brought down by a bad performance. In general I prefer to read books but unfortunately do not have the time and took many years off reading unless I was on vacation. I was anti audiobooks because I thought the narrators didn't do the books justice. In a lot of cases that is true so it is really nice when you come across a book that has a good narrator. I have listened to hundreds of audiobooks and so many of the audiobooks I have listened to I listened to in spite of the narrator just because I wanted to hear the story.

What other book might you compare Hold Still to and why?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

They are both deal with the loss of loved ones and do a great job portraying what someone goes through in a believable and interesting way.

What about Emma Galvin’s performance did you like?

I like the emotion she put into each of the characters. I really liked her performance and am only nit picking by not giving her 5 stars. Some of her male voices sounded too similar to each other. Not enough to complain or have a problem with it but it would have been better had there been a little more variation between them. She did a great job and is definitely above average as far as narrators go. I would definitely consider listening to books she narrates.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

There were both funny moments and sad moments in the book. The narrators rendition did bring the emotion to life enough to make me both laugh and cry.

Any additional comments?

I would have liked to see her relationship with her love interest and her new bff develop more. It would have been an improvement to the story but it wasn't bad.

The last chapter is AMAZING

Would you consider the audio edition of Hold Still to be better than the print version?

I have never read the physical - copy. Emma Galvin gives an honest voice to both the living and the dead.

What other book might you compare Hold Still to and why?

Bruiser.

Which character – as performed by Emma Galvin – was your favorite?

Dylan? Maddy?

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

This book does not shield you with theraputic guidelines.

Any additional comments?

A well - worth listen.