Mundie Moms

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Book Review: Keep Holding On by Susanne Colasanti


Published by: Viking Juvenile
To Be Released on: May 31st, 2012
Source: ARC from publisher to review
4.5 Stars: I Highly Recommend This Book
Pre-Order from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Extras: Get the discussions guides & more here

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 -quoted from Goodreads

This is one of those books I want to hand out to every person who's dealing with a bully, has been bullied and has yet to deal with a bully. Susane Colasanti packs a powerful punch with her newest release, Keep Holding On. This story totally broke my heart, bothered me to no end because of some of the things that happen in this book, moved me to tears, and left me feeling hopeful for Noelle. This story is an eye opener. It's one that will move readers as much as it will inspire them. Noelle's story is full of grace, strength, heart break, bullying, broken heartedness, love, and that little thing that keeps Noelle going even when she doesn't have much to go on for, HOPE. 

Noelle is an amazing strong character! I say that in the same breath as I say she's incredibly broken as well. She's brave and surprisingly strong, because even in the face of her daily bullying, her constant teasing, living with a single mother who completely neglects her, and doing her best just to survive each day, Noelle keeps her inner head held high. She will do whatever it takes to stay strong in the face of so much discouragement and hate. When I would have crumbled, she kept going. Let me just say, Noelle deals with some pretty cruel things from some pretty terrible people that had me wanting to go all "mama bear" on them. Seriously, it was painful reading what she had to endure by herself. It was horrifying to know that there are kids that really do endure the bullying on the same level Noelle does and worse. 

Aside from the hope that keeps Noelle going is her amazingly awesome best friend Sherae, who will do anything for her. The relationship these two have is so well written and created. I loved it! The other person I enjoyed getting to read about is the story's main love interest Julian. Their relationship was built up so naturally and it was so wonderful to see a relationship like theirs. The progression was well paced and really fit in with Noelle's story. The other thing I enjoyed was the list that Noelle kept of all the ways she as a teacher (she wants to be a teacher or a writer) was going to help stop the fight against bullying. Numerous times she things back on all the bullying incidents that have happened to her were no one, not even a teacher who witnessed what was happening took a stand against it. Shocking, I know. 

Huge kudos to Susan for tackling such tough issues. The things that Noelle deals with are serious issues that teens face today, and through  Noelle's story Susane brings them to light with such poise. She creates a story that pulls you in with Noelle's voice, and then emotionally grabs at you either from things you've personal dwelt with as a reader when you were a teen, or it will grab at you because you're dealing with it now or know someone who is. Susane nails bullying on the head. She doesn't just say bullying is bad, as a reader you get the first hand effects of how it effects Noelle, and the horrible things this poor girl has to endure. Through Noelle, we also see the deadly effects bullying has on others, the guilt some of us carry for not speaking up and how it moves others to stand up and take action. 

Through all the tough things that Noelle faces and deals with, I loved her positive attitude, and the fact that she never gave up! She didn't let the bullies control her, even if they controlled the situations they created. NEVER GIVE UP is one of the strong messages Noelle's story shares. The book ends on a high note with a powerful message from Noelle talking directly to the writer. Susane herself also includes a message of hope from her personal letter to readers about her dealing with bullying and at the very end of the book is a list of organizations who are there to help teens cope and get through all they're dealing with. Noelle's message is a powerful one mixed into a well written contemporary. This is book that I'd HIGHLY recommend picking up! This is for teens as much as it is for parents and teachers etc. 


City of Lost Souls Press Release



CASSANDRA CLARE’S THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS SERIES MARKS
52 WEEKS AS A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER



NEW YORK,  May 3, 2012– On May 6th, Cassandra Clare’s THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series, published by Simon & Schuster’s Margaret K. McElderry Books imprint, will mark one full year and counting on the New York TimesChildren’s Series Best Sellers List.

Ms. Clare took the world of young adult literature by storm in 2007 with City of Bones, her debut novel and the first installment in The Mortal Instruments series, which immediately became a New York Times bestseller. The Mortal Instruments series (which includes City of BonesCity of Ashes, City of Glass, and City of Fallen Angels) and its prequel series, The Infernal Devices trilogy (which includes Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince), have gone on to become New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestsellers. Constantin Films is set to start filming City of Bones for a theatrical release, currently scheduled for August 23, 2013. 

City of Lost Souls, the fifth installment in The Mortal Instruments series, will be published in all formats on May 8, 2012 Clare will celebrate its publication with a book launch party at Pfeiffer Hall at North Central College in Naperville, IL, on May 8th at 7:00 p.m. For more information about the event, go to http://www.cassandraclare.com/tour-dates/.

With more than six million copies of her books in print in the US alone, Cassandra Clare’s works have also been translated into 35 foreign languages. For more information visit www.mortalinstruments.com.

“S&S is thrilled to celebrate this milestone for The Mortal Instruments series as fans eagerly await the publication of City of Lost Souls,” says Jon Anderson, Executive Vice President & Publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. “The continued success and longevity of this series on the bestseller list is a testament to the staying power of Cassandra Clare, and we look forward to bringing her books to fans for many years to come.”

# # #

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING

Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niƱos, Little Simon®, Little Simon Inspirations™, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Paula Wiseman Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Nickelodeon’s® Dora the Explorer®, and SpongeBob SquarePants. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at http://kids.simonandschuster.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com

*quoted from the COLS press release I received in an email from Simon & Schuster

City of Fallen Angels Read A Long Day 16: Chapter 16: New York City Angels



Welcome to Day 16 of the City of Fallen Angels Read-A-Long. You can follow the entire read-a-long and find each of the day's posts here. Remember there's no right or wrong way to participate. Your comments can be as long or a short as you'd like them to be. You can answer one or each of the questions asked, it's totally up to you, BUT, in order to be entered into the COLS giveaway (which you also had to sign up to win), you do need to be actively participating in the read-a-long. 

Today's discussion is about: Chapter 16: New York City Angels

Now everything makes sense. We meet Lilith, the one who's responsible for all the chaos that's been going. We not only get to know a little more about her, but we learn she's the one behind the baby deaths at the church, sent those guys after Simon, was the one who quite possibly had Maureen turned (put her in the cage so she did turn into a vampire) and she has Sebastian/Jonathan's body. We also learn that Sebastian/Jonathan is indeed dead, but not for much longer AND Lilith is most likely the person who's been controlling Jace.
  • Were you guys shocked that it's Lilith and not Sebastian who's been behind everything that's been going on lately? It was obvious that someone was behind all this, but I had no idea it was Lilith.
  • The fact that Lilith wants to create a new race of Shadowhunters is a bit alarming. I can see why she'd want Sebastian/Jonathan to lead her new race, but why do you think she wants Jace and Clary, and what could their role be in Lilith's plans for her new race?
  • What do you think Lilith meant when she comments to Simon that Clary never told him...."An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a life for a life. To prevent chaos there must be order. If a life is given to the Light, a life is owed to the Dark as well." (pg 332)?

    Please DO NOT POST SPOILERS. There's some fans who are joining the read-a-long who are reading COFA for the first time. 

    City of Lost Souls Snippet #4: 5 Days Left



    A short one today. Just in under the wire! I had to remove a pronoun or two here. :)
    “Either you stand with us, or against us, Jocelyn.” His face hardened. “But you cannot stand against your own son.”

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