Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
HarperTeen (January 3rd 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 299 pages
Source: Publisher
Rating: 5 of 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.
Review: I absolutely loved this book. The first word I think of when recalling Don't Breathe a Word is raw. Holly transports you to the streets of Seattle and flawlessly places intriguing characters into the story that help readers feel as if they are seeing it all through the eyes of a troubled teen.
Joy is a young girl who feels trapped in her situation. She has a boyfriend who may seem perfect to some people, but she knows that is far from the truth. He is manipulative. His words make Joy do things she wouldn't normally do. She is slowly losing herself and she can't see a good way out.
She soon makes the decision to run away. To break free of her boyfriend and her overprotective parents and start a new life as someone else. There is one thing she wants-- to find the boy who plays music on the streets. She has seen him before. He would know her story and he would help her. So she takes off on her journey and quickly finds out what the streets are like. Even though she is immediately faced with scary situations, Joy doesn't back down or give up. Eventually her efforts pay off and she does find Creed.
Creed is sort of the protector of their little group and he soon takes on the role of trying to protect Joy — or Triste, as she calls herself --. It takes some time for her to really be accepted by the others and soon she sees what exactly people have to do in order to stay alive. During this time we get glimpses into Joy's past. We can see the path that made her run from her past. This was very beneficial because I could see how her boyfriend, Asher, slowly brought her down.
Holly is an outstanding writer. She doesn't disguise situations with fluff or vague terms. She tackles a hard subject in a way that is gritty and bold. The streets are a scary place and Holly really enables the character and reader to see exactly what that may entail.
I truly got invested in this story and I was completely astonished by how emotional it made me. Joy's story came to life and her connection to Creed was a bright spot in this story. It slowly grew until it was something Joy could really hold on to and put her hope in.
Don't Breathe a Word is simply brilliant. A powerful look into the life of a young girl trying to break free and find her own way-- away from the people that were keeping her trapped. Holly Cupala knows how to approach a difficult topic and give it clarity and substance.
Recommend: I highly recommend this book! It is perfect for people who love contemporary titles or want something that will really have an impact. (More appropriate for older teens due to subject matter).
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