I read Keep Holding On back in 2012 but never posted my review. The story follows Noelle, a teenager dealing with poverty, bullying, and a neglectful home life. While the premise is powerful, it’s undermined by a major flaw in the way her hunger is portrayed.

Noelle is supposed to be poor and hungry, but the way this is handled doesn’t feel accurate. She gets food—just not the food she wants. She also has a babysitting job but doesn’t spend her earnings on food like a truly hungry teenager would. This lack of realism made it hard to fully connect with her struggles or feel the intended emotional impact.

The themes of bullying and isolation are compelling, and there’s potential in the story, but the inconsistent depiction of Noelle’s poverty keeps it from hitting the mark. While I appreciate the effort to tackle tough topics, this detail made it difficult to immerse myself in the narrative.

I read other books by this author so I thought I would like this one. It's been awhile since I read it but it wasn't for me.

A sweet YA story about a young girl who is an outsider and has never felt like she really fit in. With bullies and high school love, this book felt like the typical experience of a high schooler who doesn't quite fit in (but who does!). Although I wasn't the target audience for the book, I still enjoyed the message and thing it was a great way to present the message to the audience that needs to hear that it is ok to not always fit the mold.

I've been trying to clear out the older books on my bookshelves, so I picked this up because it looked like a quick read. I ended up skim-reading it because the material made me livid, not at the main character, but everyone around her. Apparently I can't stand bullying to the point where I can't even read about it. It does get better toward the end, which is when I stopped skimming, but the rage lingered enough that I couldn't enjoy it.