Book: Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti
Pages: 224
Genre: Young Adult, Romance
Source: Library
Short Synopsis: Noelle is constantly being bullied at school. Each day is about surviving, and even her boyfriend Matt doesn't want to be seen with her in public. It isn't until she meets a boy named Julian Porter, when her whole life starts to change.
My Thoughts: Wow. There is no words for what I felt about this novel. Very emotional, and very eye opening.
A romantic and empowering book about bullying
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.
--From Goodreads
A very interesting and entertaining novel. The main character, Noelle is a victim of a bully, just because she doesn't have as much money as the rest of the kids at her school. Her mother isn't very considerate, and takes her for granted, and expects Noelle to chip in on all the work, leaving Noelle, with no form of money for herself.
Noelle is quiet and angry, as she endures all the ridicule, the harsh comments, and the constant threats, Noelle keeps everything inside, because she knows that if she does in fact tell someone, the bullying will only get worse. I hated the scene where Nolle had paint balls shot at her as a prank, and even then, didn't out who really did it. I kept rooting for Noelle to speak up and do something about her situation.
And though it was probably intentional, I hated her "boyfriend" Matt. Something should have registered with Noelle that if you're boyfriend didn't want to be seen with you in public, than either he is hiding something, or he isn't worthy of you. And I despised the girls that bullied her. Just because Noelle doesn't have as much money as the rest of them, didn't mean she deserved to be treated as such. And though I don't like giving away spoilers, when something happened to their fellow classmate, I despised the fact that all the popular girls had a right to act the way they did, when they were the ones to cause the mess in the first place.
I enjoyed reading how Julian and Noelle grew to know each other, and the fact that Noelle was different from others, that he didn't care, and he didn't give up on her. I despised Noelle's mother, and the fact that her mother didn't really care about Noelle until the end, when Noelle finally spoke up, only angered me more about her mother. All in all, a very moving and heartfelt novel, about bullies and being bullied, and having the courage to do something and speak out about it.
Would I recommend this book: Yes!
Rating: I give this book a 4.5/5.
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