When Holly Cupala's debut book Tell Me a Secret Came Out in 2010, I heard nothing but good things about her and her book but never really got around t...moreWhen Holly Cupala's debut book Tell Me a Secret Came Out in 2010, I heard nothing but good things about her and her book but never really got around to reading it. So when I got the opportunity to read Don't Breathe a Word, I jumped at the chance. And of course I found out for myself just how great Holly Cupala is.
Though on the surface Joy appears to be living the perfect life in the suburbs with her family, when you scratch the surface a little everything isn't so idyllic. The truth is, Joy is suffocating in more ways than one. To escape the suffocation, Joy runs away to the streets of Seattle, hoping to find the boy who once said he would help her if she needed it. Now living as a homeless teen on the streets of Seattle, Joy finds running away may be more difficult than she originally thought. But with Creed's help, Joy just may be able to survive and escape her old life. But there are some parts of her life she just may not be able to leave behind.
Wow. Just wow. That was pretty much my initial reaction when I finished reading the book. Right from the start I found myself getting very invested in Joy's story. But soon that story grew to involve more and more people who lives I also found myself getting invested in. Everyone felt very real, an I couldn't help but want things to work out for the best for everyone. But aside from the characters and their lives, I loved just about everything about this book. I most especially loved how well it dealt with the subjects of teen homelessness and abuse. Nothing felt overdone, it was just perfect.
Like I've already said, right from the start of the book I found myself getting invested in Joy's life. But I also found myself loving her as a person right from the start. I could really feel her pain despite having never gone through what she has. But more than anything, Joy was just someone trying to find her place in the world in order to survive. And that's something I admired about her. She definitely had some good people looking out for her, the best probably being Creed. Right from the start, Creed seemed like someone you could count on despite the fact that he didn't even know Joy. And I'll admit that I even developed a bit of a crush on him. He was just so great with Hoy, always reading to jump in and defend and protect her, even when he barely knew her. And that's something that really made me respect him.
Dont't Breathe a Word was absolutely amazing. The further I got into the book, the more I loved it. Definitely pick this book up if you get the chance, you might just be surprised by how much this book as to offer.(less)
Before reading The Disenchantments, I had heard of Nina LaCour in passing, but I hadn't read her other book. So I didn't really know what to expect wh...moreBefore reading The Disenchantments, I had heard of Nina LaCour in passing, but I hadn't read her other book. So I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading. All I can say now is that I was absolutely blown away by Nina LaCour and this book.
Since freshman year, Colby and Bec have been planning the year they will spend in Europe after they graduate high school. But before that happens, they will tour along the West Coast with Bev's band, The Disenchantments. As summer and the tour roll around, Bev becomes more and more distant and Colby can't seem to figure out why. That is until the day Bev tells him that she's going to college in the fall and won't be going to Europe with him after all. Now Colby isn't sure what he has to do anymore. The only thing he knows for sure is that the show has to go on and so he stays on the road with The Disenchantments. And somehow, along the way, things start to fall into place again and maybe Colby will find out what his next move should be.
At first, I didn't really think much of The Disenchantments. Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable read, but not necessarily one that was exceptional. But then something happend and I loved this book. All of a sudden I couldn't put the book down and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to find out what would happen next. The Disenchantments, if nothing else, took me by surprise and I absolutely loved it for that. And a large part of that was Nina LaCour's writing. Even when the story was slower, what kept me reading was her writing. There was something about it that took me in and wouldn't let me go. Despite the book being a contemporary novel, it still somehow felt magical.
Nina LaCour definitely knows how to write characters. Every single one of them felt completely real, even the more secondary characters. But not only did they feel real, each of the characters was also incredibly unique. And more than anything I loved that, despite this being mostly Colby and Bev's story, I still got to know the other people in the story, especially Meg and Alexa. I loved reading about everyone's stories and seeing how in the end they all came together and ended up all being connected. Even now, about two weeks since I've finished reading the book, I can still remember these characters, even the more minor ones, very clearly. All this to say that Colby, Bev, Meg and Alexa are definitely characters that are going to stay with me for a while.
I fell in love with everything about The Disenchantments. It was a book that took me by surprise in the best possible way. Even two weeks later, I'm still thinking about it all. (less)
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