ARC Review: Holly Cupala - Don't Breathe a Word

Holly Cupala - Don't Breathe a Word

• Pub. Date: January 3, 2012
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Format: Paperback 320pp
• Age Range: 12 and up (I hope B&N rethinks this age range. It's way too mature for 12-year-olds)

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.

I received this through Around The World ARC Tours. Here is my honest review:

Wow. This book is not like anything I've read lately. Joy is serious and means business by faking her kidnapping and running away to the streets of Seattle. What happens to here there really changes her, but she has to work through her past while figuring out her future. Her past is slightly shocking. While I was kind of expecting more, I really shouldn't have. It honestly made me think of my own life so I wanted her to survive and kick butt like you wouldn't believe.

I enjoyed the real feeling I got from this book. It wasn't really sugar coated, so the language is crude, the subject matter is shocking and sad, and what these characters have to do to survive is disturbing. Don't let that scare you away, though! Of course I won't say what happens, but the end makes this novel worth the hard journey.

What I liked:

• The feeling. While this book's topic is seriously tough, it felt so real to me. The emotions and dialogue seem very authentic.
  
• Ability to relate. It's almost unfortunate how much this book reminded me of my past relationship. I could relate to Joy way more than I wanted to.
• The end. Like I said above, I won't spoil anything. This book left me with an uplifting feeling after being dragged through the mud. Hope and light at the end of the tunnel.

What I didn't like:

• The topic. This book is pretty heavy. But it's no heavier than Ellen Hopkins's novels about rehab and drug use. It's different, that's all. Homelessness isn't something that gets talked about a lot, really, so I guess I'm actually glad that it is brought to the light in this novel.

Bottom line: This is sad and a bit shocking, but it's definitely a great read. Read it!!

Rating:

4/5 book sharks!