Heartstrings by Heather Gunter - Blog Tour, Book Review

Title: Heartstrings (Love Notes #2)

Author: Heather Gunter

Genre: YA (Romance)

Publication Date:  August 3, 2013

Cover Design:  Robin Harper, Wicked by Design 

Event Organized by:  Into the Night Reviews 

Facebook Event  

Everyone thinks of me as this happy and upbeat person. What they don't know is that I carry a deep, dark secret. Something horrible happened to me a year ago, and I have kept it quiet all this time. I was fine for a while, but somehow it’s chosen this time to come back, and it's eating at me--like a cancer. I need to tell someone about it, I just don't know how. I'm pushing everyone I love away, including my mom and my best friend Charlie. Then there is Will. Handsome, sweet Will. We went out on a date a while back, but then the incident happened leaving me crushed and him confused. How do you tell someone you care about all of your secrets, and will they still want you when the truth comes out? 

Book Review: No Way Back by Chloe Adams

Title: No Way Back
Author: Chloe Adams
Series: Mia's Way #1
Date Published: October 27, 2012
Amazon|Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★✩

Sometimes bad things happen to beautiful people.

The wealthy daughter of a high-ranking politician, seventeen year old Mia Abbott-Renou has everything: designer clothes, wealth, spring breaks in Monte Carlo. She lives blissfully unaware of her family’s secrets, until the night she is raped by the son of her father’s greatest political ally.

Her father forbids her from going to the police and threatens to throw her out if she does. It’s a critical election year, one that his party might lose, if the public sours on his doting father image when they realize his daughter is an underage lush and party girl. He can’t risk splintering the party in a nasty court battle that’s certain to draw way too much press, even if that means sacrificing his daughter.

Mia’s world is shattered twice, once by the men who hurt her, and once by the betrayal of her family. She does what her father says. But the rapists strike again and beat their next victim near death.

With the help of her best friend and a couple of unlikely allies, Mia must decide: does she risk losing everything to do what’s right? Or does she turn her back on the truth and preserve the family name?

What’s privileged girl to do, when her perfect little world isn't so perfect anymore?

Swoon!

Book Title: Wait For You
Author: J.Lynn AKA Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publisher: Self Published, February 26, 2013
Source: Purchased
Amazon|Goodreads
Review: ★★★★★

Some things are worth waiting for…

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago—an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe—please God—make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn’t need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she’s building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing…

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that’s just so… so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet…

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for…

Book Review: A Song for Julia by Charles Sheehan Miles

Book Title: A Song for Julia
Author: Charles Sheehan-Miles
Publisher: Cincinnatus Press, December 5, 2012
Series: Thompson Sisters
Amazon|Goodreads
Review: ★★★★★

Everyone should have something to rebel against.

Crank Wilson left his South Boston home at sixteen to start a punk band and burn out his rage at the world. Six years later, he’s still at odds with his father, a Boston cop, and doesn’t ever speak to his mother. The only relationship that really matters is with his younger brother, but watching out for Sean can be a full-time job. The one thing Crank wants in life is to be left the hell alone to write his music and drive his band to success.

Julia Thompson left a secret behind in Beijing that exploded into scandal in Washington, DC, threatening her father's career and dominating her family's life. Now, in her senior year at Harvard, she's haunted by a voice from her past and refuses to ever lose control of her emotions again, especially when it comes to a guy. 

When Julia and Crank meet at an anti-war protest in Washington in the fall of 2002, the connection between them is so powerful it threatens to tear everything apart.

Book Review: The Marriage Trap

Review: 5/5

This is my favorite book among the 3 currently published Marriage to a Billionaire series.

I love Michael, not just because he's hot, but also because of his sense of responsibility which he took seriously since his father died. He gave up his dream of becoming a racer, and focused on both his family and the family business. He wanted his family to be happy and have everything that they want, so when his sister called crying, telling him she could not get married according to their mother because he should be the one walking to the altar first - he device a plan to deceive his mother: he brought a woman home and introduced her as his fiance. Only that, the plan backfired on him, and he didn't realize his mother has her own plans too.

Maggie wants to be in control of everything. She once lost control and it ended up badly. She swore it won't happen again. So why did she agree with Michael's proposal after he rejected her once? Growing up with a dysfunctional family (except for her brother, Nick), she'd do anything to save what Nick has with Alexa. It includes sacrificing herself to be Michael's faux fiance. But then she didn't expect to be welcome in his family and to belong to them.

How will this charade end, when emotions (not just theirs) are already involve?

Once again Ms Probst gave us another amazing contemporary romance - just enough sweetness, coupled with steamy scenes and moderate family drama that will keep you glued to this book until the last page.

Jennifer Probst: You're name is on my list of favorite contemporary authors. Can't wait for more of your books!        

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Book Review: Hopeless by Colleen Hoover

Book Description:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.

Review: 5/5!!!!!!!

5 stars???

Are you freakin' kidding me?

I NEED MORE STARS!!!! A WHOLE GALAXY OF IT!

Because you! Yes you, Colleen Hoover deserves a whole sky of it for writing this sweet, gut-wrenching, tear-jearker, touching, super amazing, 'unputdownable' book.

Now, how do I start telling everyone that among my holiday reads - this one just beat every single wonderful novel I have downloaded on my Kindle?

I stayed up all night finishing it because I don't want to miss anything! Some things just can't wait - and some books would want you to stay up at night in frantic anticipation. Will they or will they not have a happy ending???

Meet Sky - she's one of those rare human species who doesn't exist online. No Facebook, Twitter or Myspace account. She hates surprises and receiving presents. She's adopted by a woman who lives a very healthy life and seems to have a phobia with technology. Homeschooled since she was young, Sky was finally allowed to enroll in a public school for her senior year. Problem is that, her super best friend in the whole world, Six is half way across the globe and she's now alone facing all the people who seemed to have an idea who she is without even knowing her first. Thank God she met a new best friend, Breckin - a gay Mormon who is just as wonderful as Six. One thing I love about her: She's one lucky, and brave girl.

Then there's Holder. Rumor has it that he's just spent a year in juvi for beating a gay. BUT!!!!

Holder... oh Holder.... He's.... *speechless*

Let me borrow Sky's thought - because I could already feel myself swooning.

1. His amazingly perfect white teeth hidden behind that seductively crooked grin. 2) The dimples that form in the crevices between the corner of his lips and cheeks when he smiles 3) I'm pretty sure I'm having a hot flash or I have butterflies or maybe I'm coming down with a stomach virus.

I can already tell he isn't the kind of guy a girl gets a simple crush on. He's the kind of guy you fall hard for, and the thought of that terrifies me.

He's a boyfriend that a girl could want. Oh hell, I want him for myself!!! How could I not, when he's a whole lot of package roll into one? He's the bad boy who turned to a most whipped boyfriend by love. He's sweet, and I'm glad that he found her after a life-long search.

“F#%k all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.”

But there are just some things between them - dreams that Sky could not understand and secrets Holder could not divulge. This could end things between them, and their lives would change forever. But no secrets can be kept for long.

I could no longer continue without spoiling the book. So let me end this review right now by saying:

It's one of the book that I will constantly remember for a very, very long time and I will gladly recommend to ALL my friends without any doubt. And Colleen, just like what your character said in the book - let me just rephrase it.

“I swear I will spend every last breath thanking you for writing this book .” 

Favorite Quotes 

• “Sky, I'm not kissing you tonight but believe me when I tell you, I've never wanted to kiss a girl more. So stop thinking I'm not attracted to you because you have no idea just how much I am. You can hold my hand, you can run your fingers through my hair, you can straddle me while I feed you spaghetti, but you are not getting kissed tonight. And probably not tomorrow, either. I need this. I need to know for sure that you're feeling every single thing that I'm feeling the moment my lips touch yours. Because I want your first kiss to be the best first kiss in the history of first kisses.”   
• “The moment my lips touch yours, it will be your first kiss. Because if you've never felt anything when someone's kissed you, then no one's ever really kissed you. Not the way I plan on kissing you.”
• “The sky is always beautiful.Even when it's dark or rainy or cloudy,it's still beautiful to look at....it'll be there no matter what...and I know it'll always be beautiful.”
• "You cant get mad at a real ending. Some of them are ugly. Its the fake happily ever afters that should piss you off.” 
• “I'm not a sucker for happily ever afters, but if these two characters don't get theirs I might climb inside this e-reader and lock them both inside that damn garage forever.” 
• “My lack of access to the real world has been replaced completely by books, and it can’t be healthy to live in a land of happily ever afters.” 
• “You don't deserve words, Sky. You deserve actions.” 
• “F#%k all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers.”      
• “Sky, if you’re wondering if I have commitment issues, the answer is no. Someday in the far, far, far away future…like post-college future…when I propose to you…which I will be doing one day because you aren’t getting rid of me…I won’t be marrying you with the hope that our marriage will work out. When you become mine, it’ll be a forever thing. I’ve told you before that the only thing that matters to me with you are the forevers, and I mean that.”
• “I can already tell he isn't the kind of guy a girl gets a simple crush on. He's the kind of guy you fall hard for, and the thought of that terrifies me.” 
• “Lust is the best of all the deadly sins. Six” 
• “All marriages have a time limit if you enter them for the wrong reasons. Marriage doesn't get easier...it only gets harder. If you marry someone hoping it will improve things, you might as well set your timer the second you say, 'I do.” 
• “I swear I will spend every last breath thanking you for allowing yourself to love me.” 
• “Not everyone gets a happily every after. Life is real and sometimes it's ugly and you just have to learn how to cope.” 
• “The things that knock you down in life are tests, forcing you to make a choice between giving in and remaining on the ground or wiping the dirt off and standing up even taller than you did before you were knocked down. ” 
• “The events of your life are all crammed together one minute right after the other without any time lapses or blank pages or chapter breaks because no mater what happens life just keeps going and moving forward and words keep flowing and truths keep spewing wether you like it or not and life never lets you pause and just catch your fucking breath.” 
• “Sarcasm isn't at all funny when it's the truth” 
• “Somehow in the course of sixty seconds, this guy has managed to swoon me, then terrify the hell out of me.” 
• “Sometimes you have to choose between a bunch of wrong choices and no right ones. You just have to choose which wrong choices feels the least wrong.” 
• “When I touch you, I’m touching you because I want to make you happy. When I kiss you, I’m kissing you because you have the most incredible mouth I’ve ever seen and you know I can’t not kiss it. And when I make love to you—I’m doing exactly that. I’m making love to you because I’m in love with you.”              

Book Review: Just Remember to Breathe

by Charles Sheehan Miles

Review: 5/5

“When I'm ninety, I want you to tell me that it's my turn to ask you a question, and if that miracle happens, then my question is going to be, 'Do you still love me?' and I hope that answer will still be yes.”

This is a brilliant book that had me awake till the wee hours of the morning during my day off because I couldn't wait to see how it ends.

Thank you Milka for the recommendation - the read and the lack of sleep was totally worth it.

I will begin this review with the question that haunted me in the first chapters of the novel: WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM? Because here I see two people, still crazy in love with each other - but at some point have to let go of each other. Not to mention their separation was not pretty either. So again, what happened to them? What went wrong? Was it the long distance relationship?

Alex Thompson: she's rich, pretty, intelligent and a pre-law student at Columbia University. She has a secret she's not willing to share, and currently nursing her broken heart, trying to move past a break up that shattered her. The last thing she wanted to see was the boy who tore her heart apart.

Dylan Paris: an ex-soldier who just came home of Afghanistan nursing physical and emotional wounds from the war. He was not the same boy before he got deployed. And seeing the girl who made him feel alive and in love just makes thing difficult. The last thing he wanted to do was to involve this girl with his issues. But no matter how hard he tried - he just couldn't stop himself. Because Alex...

“I’d say you’re worth falling in love with twice.”

Alex needs him to tell her everything, or at least anything for her to trust him with her heart once again. Can Dylan tell her without scaring her and have her running away from him? On the other hand, can Alex spill her secret as well? Secrets she had kept from her family and most of the world?

To simply state that I love reading Just Remember to Breathe is an understatement , because at some point of this book - you'll come to a point that you will forget to breathe in anticipation. Will they or will they not make it?

Favorite Quotes:

• “When I'm ninety, I want you to tell me that it's my turn to ask you a question, and if that miracle happens, then my question is going to be, 'Do you still love me?' and I hope that answer will still be yes.”
• “You're crazy, Dylan. Oh, my God, you proposed marriage with index cards? No one else in the world would do that. Yes. Yes, Yes! If you ask me a thousand times, then every single time I'll say yes.” 
• “I can imagine a life without you, but it seems impossible dreary, imperfect, unhappy.” 
• “You don't get to decide what's to big a risk for me. You don't decide what's good for me and what isn't. That's my decision, Dylan. If you care about me so much, then how dare you do this all by yourself? I choose not to destroy my present because of the risk of a future that might or might not happen.You should think about that.” 
• “I wonder if that’s why it was so painful when we split up? Because we’d fallen so hard, so fast. I lost myself in him.” 
• “I’d say you’re worth falling in love with twice.” 
• “Love meant a lot, it meant everything, and it meant nothing.”         

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Book Review: The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden

by Jessica Sorensen

In the existence of our lives, there is a single coincidence that brings us together and for a moment, our hearts beat as one.

Callie and Kayden have dark secrets.

Callie and Kayden kept their own scars to the world.

Until that single night which brought the both of them together - she saved his life, and finally he knew her existence.

The novel left me speechless, it had me wanting for more when I got into the last page. It is seldom that I can come across reading a more intense and emotional novel - and this is one of those.

The cover had me, so did the blurb. I was excited to know Callie and Kayden, and when I did - my heart break.

There is something about someone trusting you enough with their secrets that it makes it easier to trust them. It's like they're opening their heart and in return yours should open up to them, too.

Kayden is the star quarterback at school. Their family seemed perfect, but only to the outside. Once the door closes - their home becomes his hell rather than his sanctuary. He suffers in silence, never fights back, never tells anyone. He survived this long - but one night he could almost feel his life was hanging on the edge when finally fate saved him and gave him some luck when Callie coincidentally arrives right on time and saves his life without her realizing it.

If Kayden got lucky, Callie wasn't lucky on the day of her 12th birthday when something unimaginable happened. After that, she changed. She cut her hair, wore baggy clothes and kept everything to herself. Her mother was too happy to notice something terrible happened to her, and she didn't want to disrupt her happiness by telling her. She didn't tell anyone what happened, all she wanted to do was just to get out of town for college and start a new.

I already knew what happened to Kayden, but to Callie, I was half guessing until finally I found some clues. I spend more than half of the novel asking who, who, who? Who can possibly do it?

Once in college, she didn't expect to see him again. She got herself busy with school work and crossing off things from her list that she and her new found friend, Seth made. The List were her road to change, and she's taking baby steps.

As for Kayden, he couldn't stop thinking about the girl who spent her high school being a stranger to everyone and suddenly saved his life. When he found out that Callie goes to the same school, he tried his best to get to know her. But how can he do it - when every time he comes close, Callie seemed to close herself more and more?

And when you think it's only Callie and Kayden keeping secrets - then you are so wrong! Because their friends: Seth and Luke are also keeping their own. But I love them still, they had the back of their friends when they needed them most.

I couldn't help falling in love for each character and wanting them to have their happy endings. I wanted those people who have broken them punished as they should have deserved. But I guess I have to wait for the next novel which is expected to come out next year ----- that long???!!!! with a story as good as this, it should come out earlier!!

I love these two characters who have suffered so much and found the courage to stand up to their oppressors, conquer their fears and fall in love...

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Book Review: Almost

by Anne Eliot

Format: Kindle

Summary:

At a freshman party she doesn't remember, Jess Jordan was almost raped.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. Three years later, Jess has managed to make everyone believe she's better. Over it. Because she is.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Unfortunately, until Jess proves she's back to normal activities, her parents won't discuss college. So, she lands a summer internship and strikes a deal with hockey jock, Gray Porter: He gets $8,000. She gets a fake boyfriend and a social life. 

Jess has no idea Gray signed on for reasons other than money. She also never expects to fall in love. But Gray’s amazingly hot, holds her hand all the time, and makes her forget that he’s simply doing his job. It’s like having a real boyfriend.

...Almost. Very nearly. Not quite.

Gray Porter is hiding secrets of his own. About Jess Jordan. About why he’s driven to protect her, why he won't cash her checks, or deny her anything she asks.

Review:

4/5

Almost. Very nearly. Not quite. 

How can you start living your life again when everything fell apart and you couldn't remember anything at all? 

When she was in her freshman year, Jess Jordan attended a senior party and she was almost raped. It turned her world in complete rotation and everything was not what they used to be again. She knew she wasn’t rape – but the whole thing was blurred and she could only remember bits and pieces from that awful night.

She was having nightmares she couldn't decipher, she didn't have any friends, she didn't go out with anyone. She didn't have a normal teenage life. Heryounger sister was frantic - giving her lists on how to act like a normal teenager. Her parents were deeply concern, and were adamant in letting her leave for college when she was obviously not ready to be part from them. She needs to become normal. 

Thus - operation LIVE A NORMAL LIFE began.

While filling out her college application, she applied for a summer internship and met the former hockey jock Gray Porter . They strike a deal: they both get the internship, only one gets paid. He gets the $8000 and she gets a fake boyfriend, including his friends and social life. A total win-win situation. 

Only that, she didn’t expect the consequences. How can she not fall in love with someone as amazing and as nice and as hot as Gray Porter? He’s sweet and kept on holding her hand all the time. It was almost having a real relationship! 

But some secrets aren’t meant to be kept forever

Gray is keeping his own dark secrets he is not willing to share yet. He threw promises to people back then, and now, he is in dilemma. Is he willing to risk a budding relationship with Jess when these secrets are revealed? Can he handle the consequences of probably losing Jess? 

Reading Almost reminded me of my undergrad thesis about PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder . This disorder is often suffered by people who have been experienced a very difficult and stressful situation in their lives and is characterized by recurring nightmares. It is difficult to try to live a normal life when you are afraid to sleep at night because you know bad dreams will visit you. 

I feel sad for Jess, all she wants to be is to become normal. But the over-protectiveness of her parents made it almost impossible. So, she got herself a boyfriend, a couple of friends and the charade begins. I couldn’t blame her for wanting her freedom. I admire her determination and her courage in trying to face her devils. BUT just as when she was having a grand time, the nightmare intensifies and all the puzzle came into pieces.

Gray, Gray, Gray. I love his name and I love his character more. At first, I was not sure whether he’s the hero or the assailant. Everything was vague at first, and when the real story unfolded somewhere at the middle and near end of the story, I fell in love with him. I couldn’t put as much as I want to without giving you spoilers, so I will leave it at that. 

I’m not sure with the people surrounding her – were they protecting her or were they in denial of what happened with Jess? I’m torn between hating and understanding them. In fairness to them, on the other hand, what they did what they thought could help Jess move on.

This is my first Anne Eliot novel – and I love it. I like how the story unfolded – how the puzzles came together and rock my world a bit. It wasn’t that heavy, my heart wasn’t pounding very hard when Jess was having nightmares but the story touched me. The battle that Jess had with PTSD at a young age and her determination in trying to live a normal life is amazing. They way the story unfold, and how Jess finally realized what happened that night and how everyone revealed what happened in the aftermath awed me as well. The pacing was good, with some surprising twist that will make you love and hate some of the characters.

Rape – whether the crime has been consummated or not is NEVER the victim’s fault. Their rights have been violated, and they need all the help they can get. They should get to chose whether they wanted to pursue the assailant or just leave it at that. I think the first thing about moving on is accepting that the awful crime happened to them and it is not their fault. 

Favorite Quotes 

• “Is this a habit of yours?” he asks. “What?” “Dropping stuff whenever you first see me? It's kind of cute. Flattering,” he adds, straightening while easily holding all of my stuff in his giant arms.
• "Maybe because he's already been in my dreams for so long, it feels to me as though we've always been together."

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Book Review: Keep Holding On

Book Details
Author: Susane Colasanti
File Size: 367 KB
Publisher: Viking's Children (May 31, 2012)

·       Summary

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.


Review
Review: 5/5

TOP FIVE WAYS PEOPLE CAN SURPRISE YOU

5. Just when you think they’ve given up on you, they prove that they never will.

4. They find a way to speak up after staying silent for so long.

3. They defend you when you least expect it.

2. By showing you how life can get better now.

1. By helping you find a place to belong.

I so love Keep Holding On- and it is not just because of the cover which totally caught my attention when I first saw it in Goodreads.

Four Reasons Why I Love This Book:
1) The Length 
Talk about KISS - Susane Colasanti kept it short and simple. Everything is straight to the point and there was no beating around the bush. The heavy subjects such as bullying, neglect and sexual abuse are presented concisely. I am glad that although this is a short read, all subjects were given closure and a resolution - reminds me of Jennifer Echol's Going Too Far. 


2.) The Characters
Noelle. I love how her character developed each day. How she finally earned her courage may be a little tragic. She was afraid, I know. She's a teenager and just want to live life each day at a time, trying to survive high school. I do not blame her for not reaching out, although it would be ideal that she would have. However, for someone who is totally afraid and constantly bullied, being invisible is one of the best option that one can think of while trying to gain the strength to fight back. Lastly, I like how she stood up to everyone at the end of the novel and having a fresh start not only with friends but with her mother as well.

Julian. Well, at first I hated Julian because he seemed to be passive. I mean, if he liked Noelle he would do something for the bullies to stop what they're doing to her. He wasn't the savior/hero that I was looking for (compare to Henry, from Heart on a Chain or Evan, from the Breathing Series). But, part of it may be Noelle's fault as well. She kept on pushing Julian out of her life and settle for something less than she deserved. On the other hand, I love the way how everything works out at the end: Julian having showed his hero-side &  Noelle finally had the courage to confess that she likes him as well.

Simon. He reminds me of sunshine, of someone who is not afraid to be himself despite what other people may think or say. I think he's one of the people who really saved Noelle without making her noticed it (since she really doesn't trust anyone besides Sherae). He gave Noelle the break she deserves in writing: not only saving her from the hell during cafeteria lunches but it also allowed her to grow and share whatever talent she has with the rest of the school.

Sherae. The best friend - who had been through a lot as well. The friendship she had with Noelle is pretty amazing. I was glad that they had each other to fall to when things got out of hand. Although she doesn't really know what is really happening to her friend, their friendship made it bearable for Noelle to go to school everyday. She's the kind of friend who doesn't need the words - she knows how to anticipate the needs - which is really helpful especially when you're friend's lip is sealed. She was also afraid - but at the end, she finally took the courage to face it and asked for help.

3.) The Plot
Bullying is a serious offense. I have read a lot of novels about it, and it always leave me in an emotional turmoil. But, Susane Colasanti's Keep Holding On, set the tone that will still convey the message but manage to place it in a somewhat lighter tone. 


It also touches neglect, the fact that a child, at whatever point in his/her life still needs a parent to take care of him/her - not just with their basic needs but for emotional support as well.

Lastly, it also tackled about rape within a relationship. Okay, so both of you may be in love with each other - but when one of you doesn't give a consent to be intimate - that's another story. Sex should always be between two consenting people - regardless of the status of their relationship.

4.) The Ending
The advocacy to stop bullying as well as neglect is as loud as the fire engine's siren by the end of the novel. It was an amazing way to end the story, calling on to people (young or old) who have been victim - trying to tell them to be strong, that this will all pass, just keep holding on. It was a boost to the victim as well as wake up calls to people who are standing there like sentinels watching the injustice happening in front of them.

SEEING BELIEVING

what’s in front of you

is not necessarily

the entire story

Will I Recommend this Book?
Definitely! For friends who wants a short, light but meaningful and insightful read, I would gladly recommend this book!

Last words...
Bullies or Abuse-themed books always made my stomach churn and turn my intestines into knots. But Keep Holding On made it possible for me to finish reading without feeling completely dreadful.

If it's possible...
I want to read Sherae and Simon's love story too - they both deserve their happy endings :)


Favorite Quotes 
“When your heart is shattered into a million pieces, all you can do is try to keep holding on. You breathe. You try to fall asleep. You try to not think about him.”


“When I’m a teacher, I won’t be using red pens to grade papers. Red pens will forever be associated with criticism and bad grades in my mind. I don’t want this person to get their short story back with harsh red pen marks all over it. Purple is much friendlier.” 


“I wish emotional bruises healed like physical ones.”


“If I’d stopped believing that my life would eventually get better, I don’t think I would have survived high school.” 


“Love is never guaranteed. Love is a risk we take because we hope it will make us happy.” 


“Happiness is not limited. There’s enough for everyone.”


“School would be way more tolerable if everyone wasn’t so afraid to be who they really are. And if everyone else would let them.” 


“You can’t violate someone’s trust and expect there to be no consequences.” 


“We’re products of our choices.”