Keep Holding On

April 30, 2012
High school junior Noelle is growing up in poverty with a neglectful mother. At school she is the target of bullies who tease her about her sad lunches, corner her in the bathroom, and even shoot her with paintballs. She has even considered suicide, but after another school outcast does kill herself, Noelle realizes, “I can make a choice to do more than just survive. Which is why I’m going to start shaping my life into the one I want.” With the help of a support network that includes a best friend who has her own problems, an artistic new boyfriend, and a teacher, she begins to do just that. The topic of bullying is perennially timely, but Colasanti’s (Waiting for You) characters are rather two-dimensional, particularly Noelle’s too cruel mother and overly perfect friends. Likewise, Noelle’s transition from outcast to advocate, while inspiring, is perhaps too sudden. Even so, this is a fast read that will give readers plenty to think about and a list of resources to tap into if they need them. Ages 14–up. Agent: Gillian MacKenzie, Gillian MacKenzie Agency.

May 1, 2012
If Noelle can just hold on until graduation, she might finally escape the school bullies and her neglectful mother. But when the bullying goes too far, she must choose whether to run away or finally stand up for herself. Caught between her miserable existence at school and a home life that is at best impoverished and at worst abusive, Noelle believes if she can just keep her head down, she can escape to the city, where her life will really begin. Unfortunately, the brutal bullying, her mother's refusal to buy food and a boyfriend who only wants to make out in secret are making it hard for her to stay hopeful. When she is offered a position on the lit mag and her crush, funky Julian Porter, asks her out, Noelle wants to believe that things are finally turning around. Then one of their classmates commits suicide, and Noelle is determined to make sure everyone knows the truth. The familiar story of bullying is elevated by Colasanti's smart dialogue, quirky characters and richly layered plot. Readers will engage intellectually and emotionally with each character, and the countdown toward graduation that marks every chapter heightens Noelle's desperation to escape. The high level of craft in the writing even makes the cloying and overly earnest ending forgivable. Emotionally satisfying from beginning to end. (Fiction. 12 & up)

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July 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Inspired by the author's personal experiences with bullying, this novel encourages readers to "never, ever give up." Noelle's life is bad; her mother drinks and her neglect goes unchecked. The teen eats mustard and mayonnaise sandwiches for lunch, and the smell from her unwashed clothes earns her the nickname "Rotten Egg." Her position as coeditor of the school literary magazine and the company of her science teacher and friends help alleviate her misery. Noelle eventually begins to accept aid from the people who care about her. When incredibly cute Julian shows interest, Noelle has to find the courage to change her life. This includes ending a destructive relationship and opening up about what she endures at home. When the school social worker brings Noelle's mother in for questioning, the story begins to fall apart. The woman hints at remorse, yet remains deranged. The friends take over, supplying Noelle with all she needs, including clean clothes, food, and love. It's not a horrible ending, only one that might seem illusionary to students enduring bullying and abuse in real life. Colasanti's mission to help victims and encourage teens to make a positive difference in the world is clear from her letter to readers and the back matter, which includes a list of resources. This novel could be recommended to those who enjoyed Sonya Sones's What My Mother Doesn't Know (S & S, 2001) or Courtney Summers's Some Girls Are (St. Martin's, 2010).-Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2012
Noelle is poor, ostracized, and constantly bullied. Her mother is neglectful at best, and her supposed boyfriend refuses to be seen with her in public. When another bullied classmate commits suicide, Noelle finally finds the strength to advocate for herself. Unfortunately, this well-intended novel is poorly developed and doesn't rise above its anti-bullying message.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)