Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

Try Not to Breathe
Jennifer Hubbard
Publisher: Viking
Release Date: January 19, 2012
Pages: 272

Rating: 4 stars

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

Try Not to Breathe was a really great read. I was very interested in this one when I heard about it, since I had liked her debut, The Secret Year. Try Not to Breathe was a really touching read that was just a really great book and I am happy to have read it.

I really loved the characters. Val, Jake, Nikki, they were all just great. The relationships between all the characters were so complex, and I loved seeing how everything would pan out between them. I really liked Nikki - she was no nonsense when it came to Ryan; she wasn't going to let him just hide within himself. I really admired her.

Jennifer Hubbard's prose is absolutely beautiful. She really has written just an enchanting story. It deals with such a raw, emotional topic, yet there was a very hopeful light about it. The characters all support each other and will not let anyone fall into darkness, and I loved that about this book.

I would quite recommend this one. I loved the characters and the story they had to tell. Jennifer Hubbard's writing really grew from her debut in this one, and I really am excited to see what is next from her.

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Don't Breathe a Word
Holly Cupala
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 299

Rating: 4.5 stars

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

Don't Breathe A Word is a book that is just heart-breakingly beautiful. It was a story that was so worth telling and was powerful. I read straight through it, and did not want to put it down for a moment.

The story was so intriguing. Going in, I really had no idea what to expect, and even in the first few chapters, you get a general idea, but I didn't get the whole picture. Just as Joy is experiencing life on the streets and figuring that out, you have to piece together her history and everything that has gone on. The book was a mix of the present day, with little snippets of the past, which was super awesome.

The plot was intriguing and I was always wondering what was going to happen next. There was such a mix of these heartwarming moments mixed with the grittiness of reality in others. Holly Cupala keeps readers on their toes with the story she has to tell in Don't Breathe a Word.

I loved the characters. From the start, I was intrigued about the characters in that first flash back scene. I loved Creed - he was one of those just genuinely good hearted people.He had me when I found out he played music, but everything about his character was just great. I really admired Joy, for what she has the strength to do. Santos and May were an interesting duo, and I really liked both of them. All the characters in Don't Breathe a Word were so vastly different from one another - they all had their own unique story to tell.

After reading this one, I am very excited to pick up Holly Cupala's other novel, Don't Breathe a Word. I fell in love with the writing, the characters, and the story. And after this brave, raw story I cannot wait tot see what is next for Holly Cupala.

Sophomore Challenge

I love that it is that time of the year again, to be signing up for 2012 Reading Challenges! Chick Loves Lit will be hosting the Sophomore Challenge this next year! It entails reading 10+ "sophomore" books, also known as second book an author has written in YA/MG. Find out all the details here.

I don't know what I will all end up reading, but some I'm really looking forward to are:

Bolded Titles = Read, Not Reviewed
Italicized = Own, Not Read

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Demons Eyes by Scott Tracey
Eye of the Sword by Karyn Henley
Perception by Kim Harrington
Outpost by Ann Aguirre
Point of Origin by Amanda Havard
Vampire's Kiss by Veronica Wolff
Tempest Unleashed by Tracy Deebs
Crimson Rising by Nick James
Fever by Lauren Destefano
The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour
Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson
In Honor by Jessi Kirby
The Archived by Victoria Schwab
Never Enough by Denise Jaden
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

I don't know if I'll get to all of those next year, but I'm definitely looking forward to them and a bunch more that I probably just can't think of at the moment.

Read in 2011:
A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford