Don't Breathe a Word

Mar 30, 2012 Emily May rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-na, 2012, contemporary

3.5

I did that stupid thing where I don't check what a book's about before I start reading it with Don't Breathe a Word. The synopsis on the back of the paperback I have is quite ambiguous but it looked like a relatively short, interesting read. I began to be concerned when I realised it was another tale about abuse, I would never have started it so soon after a powerful novel like Split had I known.

However, Don't Breathe a Word is actually a completely different type of novel. Split is very rea...more

25 likes · like · see review

Apr 06, 2012 April*procrastinator and proud* marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Whenever I hear the name Creed i always think of "Creed" from the office XD
And I plan on naming my future child Asher, so if I read this book I'll be like "NO MY BABY DON'T DIE!" and "Sweetie, you're faaar too young to have a girlfriend."
And also, is he that bad guy!? If he is... then no... just no. He's gonna get a serious time out for that.

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 26, 2012 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Sam by: Emily

Shelves: ya-lit, social-issues, contemporary, psychology

If there's no one beside you
When your soul embarks
Then I'll follow you into the dark

- Death Cab For Cutie, I Will Follow You into the Dark

I decided to give myself twenty four hours to think about this review. My time was up hours ago and I still have no idea how to put into words how I feel about Don't Breathe A Word.

Holly Cupala did an outstanding job covering the topic of abuse in teen relationships. Every sign, every threat was nuanced in a way that touches on the fear of every woman, includ...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jan 22, 2012 Melannie :) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, completely-contemp-challenge-2012, to-re-read, read-2012

It's been a while since I last had such an intense reading experience as the one I had while reading this book. I knew from the moment I read its synopsis that this was going to be good, but I never imagined it will touch my soul to this proportion.

I'm struggling with words right now, because no matter what I say, I won't be able to describe the strong feelings this novel evocates in me. I will just tell you, this is a story you don't want to miss.

Joy is been dealing with a very difficult sittua...more It's been a while since I last had such an intense reading experience as the one I had while reading this book. I knew from the moment I read its synopsis that this was going to be good, but I never imagined it will touch my soul to this proportion.

I'm struggling with words right now, because no matter what I say, I won't be able to describe the strong feelings this novel evocates in me. I will just tell you, this is a story you don't want to miss.

Joy is been dealing with a very difficult sittuation for more than a year, her ashtma, her sometimes oppressive family and her abusing boyfriend have become too much to handle. So Joy decides to leave everything behind and she abandons her home to find help from an street musician who once offered her that.

But being homeless was nothing like me, you, or Joy could have ever imagined and she will need all of her strenght to survive out there. You know, I've always thought that women who let others abuse them were weak, I thought they were in that position because they let themselves get there; but Joy really opened my eyes. She was not a weak girl, she does stuff that I could never imagined I would be able to do, I mean I shudder at the thought of sharing old chewed gum.

I don't encourage women to not speak up, but I now realize it takes guts to handle all that mind-twisting games without falling apart. As it also takes courage to walk away too. I am so proud of Joy, she did was she thought was the only answer and she didn't back down. She's my new hero.

Then we get to the actual part of Joy living on the streets of Seattle. She becomes a whole new person, she cannot be Joy anymore there's nothing joyful in her, so she becomes Triste. The name makes me giggle but it's actually really fitting. My throat closes at the thought of her first days alone on the streets, it was painful to witness and I wish no one will ever have to live through something like that, yet if someone does, I don't think they would be able to handle it as well as Triste, she was such a champ.

But no girl can survive on the streets by herself. And she meets Creed, a knight in ratty clothes. I won't try to describe my love and gratefulness towards Creed. Much like Triste, I thought he was the highlight of my day life, he is a kind, protective soul that is so selfless and caring he makes you forget you're even living in the streets. He's also a fabulous musician, like set-your-heart-on-fire-and-makes-your-insides-dance kind of good. I could feel the intesity of his music through the pages, and I was left wishing for more. He's the kind of people that make me want to be a doctor, just knowing there's people like him and in his situation, makes me want to pack my med supplies and go find them.

I say them because Creed takes Triste to where his "family" is. May and Santos, the other teenage kids that hang out with Creed. At first they lived in this awful, ruined, abandoned house that had no electricy or even running water but then May and Santos (and Creed) had such a tender, sweet and loving relationship that is probably 10 times better than any family in the suburbs. I loved May and Santos, I love them so much my heart aches. They're so mature and loyal, and despite all the hell they've been through they hadn't give up. You know the world is not so screwed up when you realize people that have been through so much can still be as amazing as them.

So basically, I'm talking as if these people were real. Why?, because Holly Cupala did a marvelous job at transforming reality into art, it's difficult to take a serious problem like abusive relationships and homeless teens and convert them into a story that captures reality without going over the top drama. I also loved the job she did with her description of the setting. And really, everything about her writing was powerful and captivating.(less)

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 20, 2012 Lalaine ( Ficbookreviews ) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: my-favorite-reads, this-author-can-write

"He had reduced me to ashes.

And now I would rise." - Triste

description

Raw, gritty and terrifying but beautiful. Don't Breathe A Word is a kind of book that will give you a healthy dose of realism. It has the kind of characters that will make you feel their struggle, frustration, anger, pain and happiness as if it was yours. The kind of book that will make you think hard, throwing yourself questions if you were in her shoes, "what would I do if it was me"? The beautiful writing pulled me into the story from...more

6 likes · like · see review

Jan 04, 2012 Mundie Moms & Mundie Kids rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012-release, books-i-own, mundie-moms-reviews, 2012-100-book-challenge

Don't Breathe a Word is one of those edgy books that's raw, emotional gripping and tackles the tougher things teens deal with now a days. I normally have to be in a certain mood to read these type of books, but Holly Cupala's writing is brutally honest, powerful, and lyrically written which made it hard for me to stop reading it. I got to a point in the story that I wanted to know more. The other thing I liked, is that Holly doesn't shy away some pretty tough subjects, and she gives readers a re...more Don't Breathe a Word is one of those edgy books that's raw, emotional gripping and tackles the tougher things teens deal with now a days. I normally have to be in a certain mood to read these type of books, but Holly Cupala's writing is brutally honest, powerful, and lyrically written which made it hard for me to stop reading it. I got to a point in the story that I wanted to know more. The other thing I liked, is that Holly doesn't shy away some pretty tough subjects, and she gives readers a real look inside teenage relationships, teenage abuse, family dynamics, teenage homelessness, friendships and more. As heartbreaking as it was seeing all Joy/Triste had to deal with, I really admire the empowered person she grew into.

The story follows that of Joy (who on the streets is known as Triste), a teenage girl who's looking for a way to escape. She wants out for her abusive relationship with her well to do boyfriend who hails from a prominent family in the Seattle area, an escape from her overly protective parents, and to run away from the person who's become since dating Asher. The thing I like that Holly does with Joy's character is she allowed me to see how broken she was, how and why she changed so much. In doing so, she also let me see the person she becomes. Through out the course of Joy's journey Holly does such an elegant job at revealing bits of Joy's past mixed into present tense, which allowed me to see what lead up to her decision to leave her life behind and what she's going to do now.

Joy's transition to life on the street is far from easy and in fact, it's at times down right scary. Luckily she has the help of Creed, the boy how gave her the strength to seek a different life on the streets. Creed's group of friends are far from those Joy had back home before she started dating Asher, but regardless of back grounds, Joy learns the importance of friendships and having one's back at all costs. It's during this time and through a course of events that Joy truly becomes a person who finds her inner strength and grows into a surprisingly strong character. This is a story about a broken girl who through the course of her own journey discovers the inner strength to break away from everything that was holding her back. This book won't be for everyone, but I think that everyone who reads it will take something away from it. There is abuse, some language, an attempted rape, and a few scenes that might be a little graphic for some. This is a book I'd recommend to mature YA readers and those who enjoy reading a literary book with a contemporary setting.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 26, 2012 Bookish♥Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: singles-fic, cover-love, read-in-2012, favorites, top-10-of-2012, own-hard-copy

♥ Find my reviews on Blogger ~ Reviews by Bookish Sarah

- - -

This book opens up to our protagonist, Joy Delamere (16 or 17 years old - I waited too long to review this so I don't remember which...), setting up her own “kidnapping” - except she's really running away from home.

The problem? It's more than just one thing. Joy has severe asthma and because of a brush with death when she was younger, her parents practically suffocate her by watching over her too closely - she feels like a burden. She...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 30, 2013 Manda rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: all-for-one-and-one-for-all, began-to-bore, break-your-heart-kind-of-story, bright-lights-big-city, dumpers-dumpees-exes, for-love-of-music, holy-crap-what-moment, learn-new-things, middle-child-syndrome, new-kid-new-world, reality-earnest-yet-unpretty, smells-like-mature-teen-spirit

Maybe it's just unfortunate that I've recently been reading other books that hit harder and dig deeper, but while this still told a meaningful story and opened my eyes a bit to the realities of teenage homelessness, the book was just OK for me.

The protagonist, Joy, is mostly your average suburban teenage girl, albeit with fairly severe asthma that's resulted in overbearing-parent-syndrome. She tells of how she quickly falls under the spell of the older Asher, and gets caught between loving his f...more

like · see review

Mar 14, 2013 Liv Bookish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: The universe

Recommended to Liv Bookish by: Goodreads ;)

Shelves: all-time-favourites

THIS BOOK IS JUST.

IT's 4 in the morning now. I started this book at 11.30p.m. and I've just wrapped it up. And the lack of sleep I'm bound to be getting after this is ABSOLUTELY WORTHWHILE.

This book spoke to me in so many aspects of varying levels. From the very first line to the very last word, I felt as if I was there with Joy/Triste, Creed, May and Santos. I felt every emotion and every fear, every joy, every pain, everything. I didn't even realise that time passed.

I won't elaborate or go in...more

like · see review

Oct 25, 2012 Trista rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: 2012-books

This book was frustrating. The only good thing about this book was that the author highlighted the homeless teen runaway situation and provided links so readers could find ways to help out. The rest of this post has spoilers.

Joy is a 17 year old girl with severe asthma and because she has almost died twice her parents are over-protective of her. Or so I was lead to believe, but would over-protective parents let their daughter date a boy (Asher) who is so much older than she is and when she stops...more This book was frustrating. The only good thing about this book was that the author highlighted the homeless teen runaway situation and provided links so readers could find ways to help out. The rest of this post has spoilers.

Joy is a 17 year old girl with severe asthma and because she has almost died twice her parents are over-protective of her. Or so I was lead to believe, but would over-protective parents let their daughter date a boy (Asher) who is so much older than she is and when she stops hanging out with her best friend Neeta, don't they think this is strange behavior? In fact, if her best friend noticed she was different since dating Asher, wouldn't her parents have noticed and become concerned as well? Apparently, not. Asher, is the son of a millionaire/billionaire and when Joy's dad is out of work for 6 months he arranges an interview for her Dad. So Joy then feels compelled to thank him by losing her virginity to him. Asher, is manipulative. Is he a monster? Probably, but as we find out throughout the book he never physically abuses Joy and instead relies on guilt and Joy's spinelessness to take advantage of her, even going so far as to guilt her into branding herself with his name. Which is a bit unrealistic since she would have fainted before she finished writing his name with a hot poker on her hip. Anyways, all this leads Joy to feel like instead of just telling her parents about Asher, or simply running away, she needs to fake her own kidnapping. That's right. Fake her own kidnapping. That is heartless. But, she feels like that is the only way Asher won't take it out on her family by having her dad fired. A child being kidnapped is probably every parents worst fear. Never knowing if they are alive or dead or being tortured. She did this to her parents. So, she runs away to Seattle, which is only a few hours from where she lives. I thought that was dumb on her part. Ok, so she winds up with this group of teen runaways. May, who is a drug-addict and a prostitute (but really good at doing hair). Santos, who also turns out to be a prostitute and a foster care runaway and Creed who ran away from an abusive father and sings and play guitar. Joy changes her name to Triste. Spanish for sadness. Which is probably the stupidest name a rich, white girl could have picked for herself if she was trying think of a real fake name. My name is very close to this so maybe I am nitpicking here. Anyhow, Joy/Triste "falls" immediately for Creed. Even though, she is escaping an emotionally/mentally abusive relationship. She lusts after Creed and acts like a spoiled rich girl when the others in the group don't want to reveal all their secrets to her. The end of the book is where I had the most problems with this story. After having to use her cell phone to dial 9-1-1 and save Santos's life she is reunited with her parents. And she finally, finally tells them all about Asher. Yay! She is out with Neeta and runs into Asher at Starbucks and when he starts telling her he will take her back if she pays the price, she just calls him a liar and tells him to leave her alone.....and he does! That is it. Ok. So was he not really abusive? Was she abusing herself? Punishing herself somehow or just flirting with danger since her parents were so over-protective of her? Doesn't matter. It didn't warrant faking your own kidnapping. But wait! That's not the happy ending. Creed having gone home to Oregon found that his mom has divorced his abusive father and is moving them to Seattle and guess what!?! Creed also has a recording contract! WTF!?! A recording contract? Really? Oh, and May is now a hair stylist living in an apartment for teen runaways and Santos is trying to get emancipated from the foster care system. Ridiculous. This is a slap in the face to anyone who has ever actually had to deal with an abusive boyfriend and to homeless teen runaways. I have never disliked so many characters in one book before. Good idea...poor execution.
(less)

like · see review

Jun 27, 2012 Harmony Beaufort rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't Breathe A Word is an interesting book and definitely a quick read!

The story centers around a girl named Joy who has severe asthma and is constantly under watch by her parents until her brother moves out, her primary care-taker. Then, her boyfriend Asher starts to take over. And when I say "take-over", I literally mean take over. He's rude, abusive in both a mental, verbal, and eventually physical way, and you start the story with Joy simply unable to take it anymore, causing her to run awa...more Don't Breathe A Word is an interesting book and definitely a quick read!

The story centers around a girl named Joy who has severe asthma and is constantly under watch by her parents until her brother moves out, her primary care-taker. Then, her boyfriend Asher starts to take over. And when I say "take-over", I literally mean take over. He's rude, abusive in both a mental, verbal, and eventually physical way, and you start the story with Joy simply unable to take it anymore, causing her to run away and become homeless.

Holly Cupala has the kind of writing style that packs a punch without being too flowery or over-descriptive. She alludes to the "incident" that caused Joy to run away in the first place any times, making it something Joy keeps thinking about in small pieces until you finally get the whole picture. As for Joy herself...I wasn't really feeling her. I felt like she grew a lot throughout the book but, especially with scenes that included Asher, I was like: GIRL WHAT ARE YOU DOING? She comes into her own in her own way though, which I can appreciate.

Something that did confuse me however was the fact that she had severe asthma and I kept thinking that this was going to be a major problem because you don't usually put SEVERE in front of something if it's not...you know, severe. And it's a problem, but it's not anything big. As long as she had her meds, even in the Winter, she was alright. I don't know how asthma works since I don't have it, but I felt that was just brushed over when it was supposed to be an important part of the story (in my mind).

Asher was a total asshat and I think that's what frustrated me the most about Joy. You get to see when she first meets him and he was...not appealing in any way. He's not charming or sweet in the beginning; he's pushy and arrogant and pretentious and I just have no idea what she saw in him. I understand the idea of Joy wanting something that was always in control in her life, because DUDE. NOTHING APPEALING.

On the other hand, I did love Creed. Tortured street musician that's sweet, caring, and a really friendly guy, he gave Joy the love that she needed.

As for the ending, that ALSO didn't rub me the right way. I'm a optimistic person guys, you know me. But the ending ties up in this perfect little bow that kind of just...didn't seem realistic at all. Some of the side-character gets into some pretty deep crap and suddenly, at the end, everything's okay! Nothing happened! Everyone's fine! Especially May? I was completely surprised.(less)

1 like · like · see review

May 18, 2012 gitata aria rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

3.5*

[Joy Delamere, anak gadis satu-satunya keluarga Delamere, hampir mati saat masih kecil karena serangan asma dan pneumonia. Dan Jesse sebagai anak pertama keluarga Delamere dan yang pertama kali menemukan kondisi Joy yang tak bernapas akhirnya "ketiban" tugas untuk menjaga Joy tetap hidup. Sejak kejadian itu keluarga Delamere, terutama Ibu-nya sangat protektif dalam menjaga Joy agar tidak mengalami kejadian yang sama.

"Tongkat menjaga Joy tetap hidup" diserahkan ke Asher, anak dari Ayah yang t...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2012 Amy at bookgoonie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Asthma first incapacitated Joy. Her near death experiences caused her to be coddled and protected by her family. This grew into a lack of self-confidence, life and worthiness deep within her. So when Asher comes along, she is the perfect victim. First can we agree, that anyone that drives a DeLorean is a douchebag. If it isn’t 1980 and you’re not traveling Back to the Future, you don’t drive one. So in this case Holly’s car choice tells us a lot about him as a person. Asher victimizes Joy. He us...more

like · see review

Mar 03, 2012 John Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupola (New York : HarperTeen, 2011.9780061766695) is the story of Joy Delamere who is suffocating both literally and figuratively. She nearly died from severe asthma when she was very young and ever since, her family has 'smothered' her by hovering in overprotective mode, waiting for her to have another attack. The specter has hung over her head on a daily basis for so long, it has become like a twin sister. When her older brother Jesse goes off to college, enter A...more Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupola (New York : HarperTeen, 2011.9780061766695) is the story of Joy Delamere who is suffocating both literally and figuratively. She nearly died from severe asthma when she was very young and ever since, her family has 'smothered' her by hovering in overprotective mode, waiting for her to have another attack. The specter has hung over her head on a daily basis for so long, it has become like a twin sister. When her older brother Jesse goes off to college, enter Asher, handsome, wealthy and incredibly twisted. He assumes the dual role of caretaker and boyfriend, a role Joy's parents are happy to have him assume. Unfortunately, his twisted need for complete control and domination effectively walls Joy off from friends and family, creating an unreal world where her every mood and thought is subject to Asher's approval/disapproval. When his anger peaks after Joy and her friend Neeta go to visit Jesse without getting approval, he forces Joy to do something so abusive it pushes her into faking her own kidnapping and fleeing to live on the streets of Seattle. She decided to use Seattle as her escape because she saw a tall intense, guitar-playing street kid one night when Asher was raging. The boy had looked at her while playing and had sung "I've seen how he treats you. If you ever need help, you know where to find me." Joy's whole goal is to outwit the asthma and find this strange kid. The bulk of the story involves her trying to fit in on the street without giving away her previous life. She has some really scary moments with an older pedophile she calls Stench who targets her. When he grabs her one evening, Joy escapes, but not before Stench rips away her backpack which has her inhalers, meds and remaining money. Fortunately, she soon runs into Creed, the mysterious boy she came to find and begins a precarious life sharing a condemned house with him and two other street kids May and Santos. The developing relationship between Joy and Creed as well as her negotiations to get along with May and Santos are pretty gripping. Everyone has trust issues as well as things too painful to share. This is a very gritty and realistic story, full of some pretty awful events that are probably not unlike ones street kids encounter every day, even here in Maine. Even so, this is one heck of a good book and will pull in many young adult readers. Despite the bleakness and horrific things some of the kids go through, you'll find the ending particularly satisfying. (less)

like · see review

Feb 03, 2012 Christin (Portrait of a Book) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 100in2012, book-portrait-review, src2012, young-adult, contemporary-fiction

I haven't read many darker contemporary books, but when I was looking to read an emotional, powerful story, I turned to Don't Breathe a Word. And I was not disappointed. This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you can read past the heartbreaking moments and the grim reality that what is portrayed here is life for some teens, you will be left with a truly poignant story.

Joy Delamere struggles to breathe - literally and figuratively. She suffers from asthma, and because of several near-dea...more I haven't read many darker contemporary books, but when I was looking to read an emotional, powerful story, I turned to Don't Breathe a Word. And I was not disappointed. This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you can read past the heartbreaking moments and the grim reality that what is portrayed here is life for some teens, you will be left with a truly poignant story.

Joy Delamere struggles to breathe - literally and figuratively. She suffers from asthma, and because of several near-death experiences, she suffers from overprotective parents who nearly smother her in their effort to make sure she is okay. She also suffers emotionally from her relationship with Asher. Eventually it all becomes too much, and Joy knows what she has to do: disappear without a trace. She runs away from home, finding a new life on the streets of Seattle. There she is befriended by several "Ave Rats" - Creed, May, and Santos - and with their help she learns how to survive on the streets. But Joy soon learns what harsh realities this life brings. She is not the only one with a secret, with things to escape from. People aren't always who they seem to be. And on top of everything else, winter is quickly approaching, bringing with it cold, sickness...and possible death...

Where do I even begin to talk about this book? I am amazed that Holly Cupala could write this story to be heavy, intense, and yet not completely depressing. She doesn't shy away from any issues that kids on the streets (or teens in general) face, but a book like this needs the gritty truth rather than a glossing over of these unpleasant aspects. It's impossible not to be drawn into the world that Cupala has set up for these teens and to hope that they all do find a way to survive (preferably off the streets). At the same time, the relationships they forged, the family they created themselves, was incredibly touching. The fact that these teens who seem to have seen little true love in their life are capable of loving and taking care of themselves and others is inspiring to see. The four main characters in this book - Joy, Creed, May, and Santos - all have their own story and their own secrets to tell, and learning about all of their secrets and how they'd had to deal with them was nothing short of heartbreaking. I cared for each of them and I hope that, even though the story is over, they all continue to find their way.

Surprisingly, the character who bothered me the most in this story was Joy. Even though we learn the most about her story through flashbacks, I wasn't quite as moved by her story as by the others. However, I did appreciate that her time on the streets helped her to grow into a stronger person. Despite my issues with Joy, this book is worth reading for the stories of all the characters, especially Creed, and for insight into lives that most of us cannot even begin to imagine.

Don't Breathe a Word has both a story and characters that will draw you in and not let you go. It is not an easy read, but it is certainly a good one. I will look forward to reading more from Holly Cupala!(less)

like · see review

Jan 30, 2012 Dianne C. rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a little disappointed that I didn't like this book more, considering the glowing reviews I saw on goodreads. First off, I was glad to see links and information to raise awareness of the homeless population and what the average person can do to help. I also liked that Joy's experience being homeless wasn't all roses and daisies, but showed how unbelievably dangerous it really is.

I thought the writing was disjointed when flashing between present and past. I know the author was trying for suspe...more I'm a little disappointed that I didn't like this book more, considering the glowing reviews I saw on goodreads. First off, I was glad to see links and information to raise awareness of the homeless population and what the average person can do to help. I also liked that Joy's experience being homeless wasn't all roses and daisies, but showed how unbelievably dangerous it really is.

I thought the writing was disjointed when flashing between present and past. I know the author was trying for suspense when we weren't supposed to know what happened between Joy and Asher, but I was ultimately disappointed with the big reveal. It was clearly awful, what Asher made her do and all the things that he made her do, but overall Joy came across as a spoiled little girl who just wanted to play at being homeless for a little while. The dynamic of their relationship was not very well developed, although the author did a good job of showing that sometimes people are just abusive, and it's not the victims fault for being victimized. But when she mentions that her family is overbearing -- it's because they want to protect her from dying of an asthma attack. And I never really understood the part with Jesse -- why was he so mad at her?

Beware of spoilers past this point because the ending was what really made me unhappy. So Santos and May magically clean up their lives to prove a point to Joy, while Creed and Joy go home to their little families -- and when Joy runs into Asher again she just... tells him that he has no control over her and that's that? That's all she had to do and instead decided to plan an elaborate faux kidnapping and become a street kid? I mean, it's awesome that she gained control at the end and I applaud the author for not romanticizing this fucked up relationship, but it didn't sit well with me.

I definitely have mixed feelings on the book because the relationship between Joy and Asher is dealt with well in some parts, and not so well in other parts. Overall, the message is a good one for young girls to get but... there were some issues.

(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Naberius rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked that this story was somewhat edgy, and that it brought real-life issues of homeless teens into the forefront. The story is full of characters with flaws, even the characters who seem a bit too good to be true at first --- and I liked that. The pacing is even, and I liked how the story built as Joy not only made her way through her days, but also in how the story's backstory was built up through Joy's memories, and reflections on her immediate past (the time right before she decided to le...more

like · see review

Jan 01, 2012 Jen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-contemporary-challenge-2012, favorites

Another beautifully written book by Holly Cupala that's heartbreaking, gritty and real. Everyone needs some breathing room in their lives but for Joy, it's become a struggle of life or death. Each breathe leads her one step closer to suffocation or one step closer to freedom. Freedom from her parents constant worry, freedom from her boyfriend Asher's control and freedom to figure out who she's meant to be. If she can manage to escape, to find the homeless boy who offered to help her, maybe she'l...more Another beautifully written book by Holly Cupala that's heartbreaking, gritty and real. Everyone needs some breathing room in their lives but for Joy, it's become a struggle of life or death. Each breathe leads her one step closer to suffocation or one step closer to freedom. Freedom from her parents constant worry, freedom from her boyfriend Asher's control and freedom to figure out who she's meant to be. If she can manage to escape, to find the homeless boy who offered to help her, maybe she'll be able to breathe again.

Joy, a life-long asthma sufferer is literally suffocating in her life. Her family suffocates her with their constant worry about her health - is she taking her medicine? Does she have her emergency inhalers? Will the next coughing fit land her in the hospital again, or worse, will this be the time she stops breathing for good? The medical bills and her parents job situations have taken a toll on everyone in the family. Then there's her asthma. If the air isn't clean enough or she strains her lungs too much she literally suffocates.

Her boyfriend Asher, who is the definition of "control freak", suffocates her with his words, affection and the manipulative way he shows his love to her. (which isn't love at all) He leaves scars that are both seen and unseen. Her family either doesn't notice or chooses to not to notice how much of driving force he is in her life.

Joy's relationship with Asher is unhealthy right from the start. The pull she feels towards him is a powerful one and she recognizes the control he has over her but she can't seem to make herself leave. After awhile, he won't let her. When things go too far one night, farther than just cruel words, or mere threats, Joy realizes the only way to protect herself and her family is to escape.

She's convinced that the best place to go is the streets of Seattle, to disappear into the homeless population there. She's seen them numerous times, even accompanied her older brother Jesse while he handed out sandwiches but it was the last time with her friends that's etched in her mind. Asher had been upset with her and after the homeless boy witnessed Asher's harsh treatment, he'd offered Joy his help, saying, "If you ever need help, you know where to find me." (pg 79) She believes if she can just find that boy again, she'll be okay.

With a drastic new appearance and only a backpack to her name Joy sets off to search for the boy and begin her new life on the street. When she finally does catch up with "Creed", she discovers that life out there is much harder and more dangerous than she ever imagined. He lives with two others, Santos and May, in an abandon house with no running water which means no bathroom facilities and no showers. They sleep on dirty mattresses while scavenging for food in dumpsters or shoplifting it. Joy meets other people too, many of whom are not as nice and who are willing to do whatever it takes to survive on the streets. Whether it's selling drugs, prostitution, panhandling or modeling (nude) for local art students these teens will do whatever is necessary to survive. There are shelters nearby offering clean showers, hot meals and warm beds but many of the kids are afraid of being returned to foster care or in Joy's case, turned into the police if her family or Asher is looking for her.

Joy learns that looks can be deceiving and even though Santos is a tough kid, he has a kind heart and a love of reading. He takes Joy under his wing and shows her how to acquire food and gets her asthma medicine when she needs it. May was the character who broke my heart. She's a product of the streets with a drug addict Mom who proves the point that many homeless kids feel living on the street is safer than at home. As a result, she's built a wall around herself using sarcasm as a means of protection.

Creed is the self appointed protector of the group. (He was also my favorite) He wasn't able to protect those he loved back home so he did was he thought was best and left. His dream is to be a musician and he plays on street corners and fills in at gigs when he can. He's kind and generous and doing what he needs to in order to provide for those around him. It's obvious that he cares for Joy or Triste, as she goes by on the street but he doesn't allow anything to happen between them. This frustrates her but he knows what Asher did to her and the last thing she needs is another guy trying to control her.

Joy and Creed grow closer the longer she spends on the street and she begins to realize that neither one of them can run away from their pasts forever. Eventually, you have to decide to stop struggling and face your life in order to become the person you were meant to be. When she does return home, she's forced to face the truth - about her family, Asher and why she left. She comes through her experience stronger and more aware of who she is and the she also learns what real love is. Real love isn't cruel or hurtful and it certainly doesn't leave scars. Real love is joy, pure joy.(less)

3 likes · like · see review

Apr 18, 2012 dontouchmychocolate rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Up until Joy's "big secret" about Asher came out, Don't Breathe A Word was feeling alright to me. I'm not being a sadist but I thought there would be more than...that.
I also felt that we got to read more of Joy's personal teen angst rather than getting the full extent of her relationship with Asher. The author, bless her heart, highlighted about teen homelessness, and she focused so much on it more rather than Joy's story. Sometimes Joy came off as spoilt and a little nasty, and although I didn'...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 25, 2013 Amanda MacRae rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The second book I read for my independent reading book was, “Don’t Breath a Word” by Holly Cupala. If a reader enjoys reading Ellen Hopkins books, then they’ll definitely fall in love with this one. Cupala’s stories are much slower in pace although and her writing style is much different. These two authors do love writing about situations dealing with teenagers. Regardless of how depressing it may be. Cupala honestly doesn’t know much about street culture she confessed. What helped her with writ...more The second book I read for my independent reading book was, “Don’t Breath a Word” by Holly Cupala. If a reader enjoys reading Ellen Hopkins books, then they’ll definitely fall in love with this one. Cupala’s stories are much slower in pace although and her writing style is much different. These two authors do love writing about situations dealing with teenagers. Regardless of how depressing it may be. Cupala honestly doesn’t know much about street culture she confessed. What helped her with writing this book is reading other books on this issue and doing a little bit of research. Cupala also said that she had worked in a library for a short period and she became familiar with the homeless population. This story is about a teenager named Joy who runs away to the cruel streets of Seattle. Joy was not only running from her home, she was running from her family and her boyfriend. Joy has severely bad asthma and she is always looked after by someone in her family. Asher was Joy’s boyfriend who hit her with words and made her do things she didn’t want to do. Joy had no control over her life which made her want to run away and live as a homeless teenager. The major themes of this book are love and sacrifice, losing hope and destruction of family. Joy sacrificed her own life for three people she just met on the streets. She sacrificed her love for her family and she lost a friend in the process. Joy lost all hope for a better life, so she decided that running away would be a better way to live. Her family was broken apart when Joy left home. She left her parents behind and a younger brother. Her older brother who was in college was also torn apart. No one in her family knew if she was kidnapped her if she ran away. They didn’t know where she was. Joy’s family though, never lost hope. They knew they would find her.
Joy Delamere was having a difficult time at home and with her boyfriend, Asher. Joy had a serious asthma problem and when she was younger, she almost died twice because of it. Her family began to smother and suffocate her. She wasn’t allowed to hang out with many people or go places because her parents were worried for her. Joy was only really allowed to hang out with her best friend, Neeta because Joy’s parents trusted her. Joy also has an older brother named Jesse who always took care of her. Jesse was now in college which made Asher, her boyfriend a good replacement. Joy thought of Asher as an escape from her parents worry. But no on buy Joy ever knew how bad he really treated her. After Joy met Asher, she stopped hanging out with Neeta. Joy also had a little brother named Jonah. In the beginning of the book, Joy lived in Issaquah. Joy couldn’t take the emotional abuse from Asher any longer which made her decide to run away. In the middle of the night, Joy packed her bags and left her house making it look like she had been kidnapped. She took a train to Bellevue and then another to Seattle. Prior to her running away, Joy saw this boy in Seattle and he said to her, “I saw how he treats you. If you ever need help, you know where to find me” (Cupala 79). This boy was obviously referring to Asher. So Joy set out to find this boy in Seattle. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. Joy would rather be homeless then spend any more time with Asher. Joy had said,
Even the one person I wanted to recognize me wouldn’t know me now. I thought of his voice, following me even after I had ducked away from his gaze into Hot Topic – penetrating and intimate. Not like Asher, who made me feel stripped and vulnerable every time he looked at me. This boy, whoever he was, made me feel vulnerable in an entirely different way. If he had a street power, it was music. It spoke to my soul. I knew it was crazy to think he could help me, this boy with the guitar whose name I didn’t even know – only the eyes that met mine, promising his help. (Cupala 47)
Joy has only met this boy once and he only spoke to sentences to her. But this homeless guy is her only hope to escape from her life at home. While roaming the streets, Joy was harassed by the homeless guy with a Mohawk. Later she learned that this guy’s name was Maul. He was very popular to the women in the streets. He got a lot of money from them because he considered himself as a ‘protector’ to the women. Maul tried getting Joy to be one of his girls but she refused. She walked away and he yelled, “If you think you’re gonna survive out here without protection, you’re gonna find out the hard way” (Cupala 64). If you’re a girl walking out in the streets, you are more vulnerable to being raped. That’s one reason why girls prostitute. They have protections from their ‘pimp’ and earn money in order to survive out on the streets. While searching for the boy she didn’t know, a homeless man stole her backpack that contained all her inhalers and medication for her asthma. Joy only had one inhaler on her, so she had to make it last until she found a way to get more. This homeless man started running after her, she knew what he’d do to her if he caught up. While on the run, another homeless guy jumped onto this homeless man and beat him in the face. He saved Joy’s life. Joy then realized that this boy who saved her was the guy with the guitar. She’s been looking for him all along. The boy asked, “What’s your name? The word stuck in my throat. Joy was wrong. It didn’t fit. Tristesse, I though, would be better. Sadness” (Cupala 87). In the streets, people don’t usually use their real names but instead they adopt new ones. Joy adopts a new name for herself because ‘joy’ wasn’t the right word. This doesn’t only protect her from being found by the police, this makes Joy’s decision final. She continued to believe that her name was Triste and that her family was three homeless kids on Capitol Hill. Changing her name proves that Joy was serious about living on the streets. The boy’s name ended up to be Creed. At first he told Joy to go home, the streets were no place for a girl like her. Eventually Creed does decide to take her under his wing before someone else got to her first. Creed introduced Joy to his ‘family’, Santos and May. Creed is the protector of the group. He feels like he has to take care of everyone. May is the trouble maker. She believes the she doesn’t need anyone’s help. Santos is the mysterious one. He disappears at night and has quite a few secrets. The whole group is always there for each other. They describe each other like family. At first, Joy wasn’t easily accepted by May and Santos but she does eventually become part of the family. During the two months that Joy was out on the streets, she learned all she needed to know to survive on the streets. She spent her time stealing, staying invisible to the other homeless people and avoiding the police at all costs. Since she was a runaway, the cops were looking for her. Even though she disguised herself with a different hair color and style, she could still be recognized easily. The rest of the story explains the lives of these homeless teenagers trying to survive in the cruel world.
The book, “Don’t Breathe a Word” was a great teenage issues book. These issues include: running away, abuse, drugs, stealing etc. I enjoyed reading this because the author wrote in past and present. She also wrote with a sense of hope. These teenagers always could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Holly Cupala always thought of the bright side of things although her characters didn’t picture the world that way. I could really connect with the characters in this book and I understand how they felt. I know what the characters where thinking and why they chose to make a stupid mistake. The author wrote a very sincere and depressing story. All the experiences these teenagers went through happen to many teenagers around the world. The author wanted the reader to realize and understand that this isn’t just a fiction story. It’s a message saying that that book could easily be nonfiction in many ways. Cupala wasn’t afraid to prove to her readers that life isn’t always sunshine and roses but it does have its ups and its downs. People do hurt people and life events can eventually destroy all hope. ‘Don’t Breathe a Word’ is a powerful novel. It digs to the heart of feeling alone and feeling desperate without taking an easy way out. In my opinion though, the ending didn’t satisfy me. The situation just got wrapped up too perfect to be realistic. While I was reading, I thought that Joy might end up committing suicide but that didn’t happen. I would though recommend this book to many teenagers.

(less)

like · see review

May 05, 2012 Nadine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2012

Joy lebt zwar in einer liebevollen Familie, reißt aber dennoch aus, um auf der Strasse zu leben, um ihrem tyrannischen Freund Asher zu entkommen, der droht, ihren Vater zu entlassen, wenn sie ihn verlässt. So täuscht sie ihre eigene Entführung vor und flieht zu dem einzigen Menschen, von dem sie sich Hilfe erwartet, einen Fremden, dessen Namen sie nicht kennt, der ihr aber einmal seine Hilfe angeboten hatte, als sah, wie Joy von ihrem Freund behandelt wurde.

Das Buch war sehr spannend und hat mic...more

like · see review

Jul 23, 2011 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

like · see review

Apr 21, 2012 Mindi Ridgeway rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: ya

I thought this book was going to be tough, with an inside look at some hard topics, and it was somewhat. I liked that it showed an abusive relationship in terms of words & manipulaton rather than hitting & alcohol. But it's also made clear that our main girl comes from a loving, if overly protective, suburban family. So her decision to run away, despite having severe asthma, still seemed fairly extreme. It's very true that sometimes kids feel safer on the streets than at home, but not us...more

like · see review

Feb 08, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-sometimes-make-you-uncom

I just finished this book about an hour ago, and usually I like to wait and think about a book for a few days before writing my opinion; but this book was filled with enough emotion, I don't feel like I can wait any longer to write it all down.

Don't Breathe a Word is my first book by Holly Cupala, and I have to say her writing has definitely intrigued me, and made me want to seek out more of her work. This book was not an easy one to swallow, there were some parts that were hard to imagine, and...more I just finished this book about an hour ago, and usually I like to wait and think about a book for a few days before writing my opinion; but this book was filled with enough emotion, I don't feel like I can wait any longer to write it all down.

Don't Breathe a Word is my first book by Holly Cupala, and I have to say her writing has definitely intrigued me, and made me want to seek out more of her work. This book was not an easy one to swallow, there were some parts that were hard to imagine, and there were things that the main character did that were hard to understand. I don't want to go into too much detail for the synopsis, since you can look it up yourself, but I'll give a brief one. This is a book about a girl named Joy, she leaves her suburban upper-class home, escaping to the streets of Seattle, in an attempt to free herself from an oppressive relationship, and family that makes her feel as though she is suffocating. Once on the street she finds a boy, whom she heard playing music once before, and joins him and his street "family", as they try to navigate living in the harsh reality of being homeless in Seattle.

I have mixed feelings about Joy, at times it was difficult to really like her, but at others it was so easy to relate to her, and understand her need to escape; even if it was from a family who clearly loved her, but didn't always show it the best way. I felt like Joy's street family were pretty well rounded as characters, even though there were a lot of secrets they were keeping... but that Joy herself sometimes read a little flat. The book is set in present tense, but we're given flashbacks to what Joy's life was like, and what made her run. Joy complains about her family and how they are suffocating her, yet we aren't really given any reasons as to why she feels the need to escape them. At first this really bothered me, because I kept thinking... why not just tell them about your abusive boyfriend, and then move on? However, I started to think about it more and more, and realized I completely understand her need to escape... even if it is from a family who loves her too much. Sometimes, you just feel too smothered that no words could break through, and the only way out is to just disappear. I think every teen has had those thoughts at some point. The feeling of just been plain overwhelmed. The other thing that kind of bothered me about the book was the timeline. After she left her house, it seemed like weeks and weeks were going by, and at one point I thought she had been gone for over 6 months... Only towards the end of the book it's revealed she's really only been gone for about 2. It was confusing, because she falls in with Creed and his friends, and they're "family", but there just wasn't enough time that had lapsed for her to form the incredibly tight night familial relationships with them that she did. Cupala even leads us to believe much more time as passed, by stating how days and weeks had passed with much of the same events occurring, as far as how they found food, and places to sleep.

Her relationship with Asher was interesting... it was about his control, and power over her... yet he never actually laid a finger on her. I was glad to see light shed on this type of an abusive relationship because so often you think of abuse as only physical... but just because a mark isn't left on the skin, it doesn't mean they aren't scarred. Her relationship with Asher is actually the only relationship that we're given any real and telling glimpses into though. We're given brief flashes of what he did to her, and the hold he had over her... though sometimes they seemed like quick flashes into her former life... they were powerful enough to get the message of what kind of relationship they had across.

The best part of this book I think were Creed, Santos and May. I think Santos and May portrayed the harsh reality of what life is like on the streets especially well. May is incredibly rough around the edges, and is often awful to the people around her... yet there's a vulnerability to her that's hard to resist, and has the others continuing to try to come back to help her. Santos' story to me was the hardest to stomach... mostly because it seemed to be the most accurate portrayal of what happens to so many kids that are thrown in and out of the system. Prostituting and stealing weren't really a way of life... but just the only way he had to survive. Creed seemed to be a descent mix of Joy's old world, and the current one of Santos and May. He comes from a home with an abusive father, and a mom who would never stand up to him. After tiring of being beaten, and attempting to stand up for a woman who could never do it herself, he fleas to Seattle to try to make it in the underground music scene. We don't actually see too many of his lyrics to the songs he writes, but Cupala does a pretty good job getting the rough emotion of his music across. It's easy to see what had Joy so transfixed the first time she heard him sing. Though there really aren't too many romantic moments between Creed and Joy, and while they are actually still keeping a lot of secrets from each other, you really can't help but fall in love with them together, and almost envy the closeness that they have. While running away and trying to save themselves, they seem to really save each other.

Overall I think this book is worth reading. It sheds a light on a lot of issues that aren't really talked about, and brings awareness to the harsh realities for kids living on the streets. Though sometimes Joy felt a little flat, the rest of the characters more than make up for her. Even if you don't totally lover her, you can't help but fall for her and Creed together. It's definitely an intense read, and I wouldn't pick it up unless you are prepared to give up any kind of social activities until your finished with it, because you will get sucked in, but I think once you do you'll definitely be glad that you did. (less)

like · see review

Jan 31, 2012 Calia rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: mature-young-adult-reads

This is the kind of book that hits you in such a way that you NEVER see it coming.

This book as suggested to me, and I begrudgingly put it on my TBR list. With books like Don’t Breathe a Word , Poughkeepsie or any other book that is so blantly real I hesitate at. Sometimes they are just a little too much for me.

Times like this... I’m glad I ignored my reluctance and read it anyways...

Joy has lived an extremely sheltered life. Hindered by the effects of having asthma, she feels even more suffoca...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 11, 2012 Sara Ahmed rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I just finished reading Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala. I have to say, at first, it started off rather slowly. I was having a hard time getting into it because it was very confusing and hard to follow.

The book starts off with Joy, the main character, getting ready to go on the run. However, you don't know what it is exactly that she is running from. This goes on for a couple of chapters until you start to piece it together and by a little more than halfway you finally get the full story/re...more

like · see review

Jan 03, 2012 Natalie (Mindful Musings) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, young-adult, tough-stuff, own-arc

Read this review on my blog, Mindful Musings.

In a Sentence: Don't Breathe a Word is a compelling contemporary that brings the world of a homeless kid to life.

My Thoughts

Though this book was just released yesterday, for weeks now I've been reading scores of reviews from bloggers who received advanced copies of Don't Breathe a Word. When I found my own review copy in my mailbox, I was excited to get started. I'm not sure if I've even seen a negative review of this book yet. Most of the ratings ha...more

1 like · like · see review

Jan 02, 2012 Katie added it · review of another edition

Shelves: arcs, for-review, finished-copy-wishlist

Don't Breathe a Word is probably the most powerful story I've read. Seriously. This book suckerpunched me right in the heart and I'm still reeling from the blow. Holly Cupala's writing is gorgeous and lyrical and absolutely perfect for the harsh situations that Joy deals with.

I feel like there's a lot of places in this book where it would be easy for some critical readers to question Joy/Triste's decisions if not for Holly's brilliant character development. I was yanked so far into Joy's mind an...more Don't Breathe a Word is probably the most powerful story I've read. Seriously. This book suckerpunched me right in the heart and I'm still reeling from the blow. Holly Cupala's writing is gorgeous and lyrical and absolutely perfect for the harsh situations that Joy deals with.

I feel like there's a lot of places in this book where it would be easy for some critical readers to question Joy/Triste's decisions if not for Holly's brilliant character development. I was yanked so far into Joy's mind and heart and conscience that all of the brutal and twisted things started to seem normal and all of her motives were crystal clear.

The pace of this book is sort of perfect. This isn't a story that needs action or pulse-pounding scenes. It's all about Joy/Triste gaining her bearings on the streets, learning to fit in among a new kind of people. And I love that we only get brief glances of the past, of the stuff that happened to lead Joy/Triste to leave her home, every few chapters. Her unraveling mixed in with the present works well together.

And the characters! My favorite part of the book! They're crude and obscene, but they're a family and their togetherness leaps off the pages.They've each got their own story and attitude, and even though I wanted to reach through the pages and punch them in the face a time or two (*coughMAYcough*) I still closed the book caring about all of them. I was also immensely happy with how their stories ended, how this book ended in general. It seems a bit unrealistic, but if you come to love the characters as much as I did, especially Joy and Creed, you wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Overall, Don't Breathe a Word is unlike any other book on YA shelves today. It's intense, emotionally powerful, harsh and raw and brutal and beautiful all at the same time and I'm suddenly finding it difficult to find words to justify how incredible I thought it was. Anytime I ramble, take it as a good sign. I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Nov 09, 2011 Brittany added it · review of another edition

Don't breathe is about this teenage girl named Joy, whom is in an absolutely terrible relationship with this boy by the name of Asher. Asher and his family are extremely rich and powerful, so they provide Joy's Father a job when he gets laid off. Which keeps Joy hanging around, so her family can survive without Asher messing everything up for them. Eventually Joy gets fed up, and Asher draws the last straw, so Joy decideds to run away to the downtown areas and survive that way. Because anything...more

like · see review

May 15, 2013 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was super frustrating. As a person who has been homeless and as a person who lives in Seattle, ugh. It just made me angry to read this person's idea of what it is to be a homeless youth. This book could have done a much much better job of talking about queerness, instead of getting all weird about her friend who is gay. Overall, it just felt like being homeless was romanticized in some ways and also misrepresented.

Also people can write about whatever they want and stuff, but this is o...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Don't Breathe a Word
avg rating	preview: Don't Breathe a Word Goodreads rating: 4.01 (1479 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6625700-don-t-breathe-a-word?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1303923091l/6625700.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6625700-don-t-breathe-a-word?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala[/url]

Don't Breathe a Word

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (3)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Holly Cupala

Books by Holly Cupala

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Don't Breathe a Word

Quotes from Don't Breathe a Word