HOLD STILL

Still reeling from the recent death of her best friend, Caitlin returns to school hoping to find some peace but instead finds only confusion, loneliness and pain. Her photography class was once her safe haven, but now she can barely stand to look at the photos that stare at her from the walls. Desperate to find a reason for Ingrid’s suicide, Caitlin turns to her friend’s journal, which she finds under her bed. As she reads, she has to confront not only her friend’s memories but her own demons as well. Interspersed with drawings and journal entries, the story of Caitlin’s journey through her grief is both heart-wrenching and realistic. A smart voice, an engrossing story and genuine emotion are only occasionally marred by missteps in characterization. LaCour strikes a new path through a familiar story, leading readers with her confident writing and savvy sense of prose. (Fiction. 14 & up)