Book Tour Review: Holding On and Letting Go by Lucy Kelly

                             

Holding On and Letting Go 

by Lucy Kelly.

Released Date: Published March 10th 2013 by K. Coleman

Series: The Ties That Bind Us #1

Pages: 186

View/Purchase: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N

Is there a way to describe the ties that bind us together? What

happens when one of those ties is unexpectedly severed? Can

everything else remain the same? Will the other ties hold strong?

Two years after her little brother's death, sixteen year old Emerson

Caulfield returns to a home that she spent the last two years missing.

In theory, everything should be the same. Her best friend, Matt,

still lives next door. Her house is in the exact same condition as

they left it. The scenery and hallways haven't changed, yet for

Emerson, everything is completely different. The place may be the

same, but Emerson is most certainly not. She returns home hurt, angry, and miles away from the girl she once was.

The 60,000 word novel alternates between the perspectives of Emerson, who is struggling to keep breathing on a daily basis, and Matt, who wants to have his old best friend back so badly that he is willing to overlook the fact that she has completely changed. Though their friendship and relationship is a major part of the story, it takes backseat to the unique bonds between siblings, what happens when your worst enemy is in fact yourself, and the hardships that come with growing up and changing.

(Summary taken from Goodreads)

My Review:

I absolutely love this book, it has a lot of the elements that make this story a page-turner. From the first page to the very end, I found myself completely immersed in the world of Emerson Caulfield, a sixteen year old whose life has been full of eventful events since the day she was born. Her parents have stopped acting as parents and she has lost her little brother as a young girl. Taken to France by her parents, Emerson leaves everything behind, including her best friend Matt. It wasn't long after that, that she comes back to where everything started and it doesn't take long before her life starts to take her into new a new path. What I like about this book is that the point-of-view changes back and forth between Emerson and Matt. It definitely helped me understand them more and their situations. Every single character in the book has its challenges and problems. I also like how everyone evolves and grows throughout the story. Not only were the characters easy to relate to, but they also had compelling backgrounds. The author does a very good job describing the story and it is also very well-written. There were moments were I found myself attached to the characters and as the story progressed it was very hard to put down. Matt and Emerson's story is one that everyone needs to read, not only is this book full of sweet moments between them, but it is also full of mystery that will leave you wanting to know more. I recommend this story to those that love contemporary young adult novels, full of romance and self discovery.

My Ratings: