''Hold Still'' is a young adult novel by

Nina LaCour Nina LaCour is an American author, primarily known for writing young adult literature with queer, romantic story lines. Her novel ''We Are Okay'' won the Printz Award in 2017. Early life and education LaCour was born in 1983 in and raised in ...

, published October 20, 2009, by Dutton Children's Books.

Backstory

''Hold Still'' was written to complete LaCour's requirements of her

master of fine arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

degree from

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

. LaCour has stated that she pulled inspiration from the book from her personal life, noting that when she was in ninth grade, two people she knew killed themselves, a teacher and a classmate. LaCour's decision to add photography into the novel stemmed from a photograph she found, taken by one of her mother's high-school-aged students. The photo focused on "a girl's bare stomach with the words 'fat, ugly, stupid' carved into the skin." The girl in the photo served as the inspiration for Ingrid, whereas the person who took the photo became the inspiration for Caitlin.

Reception

''Hold Still'' received a starred review from ''

Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...

'', as well as positive reviews from ''

Kirkus ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' and ''

The Horn Book ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony Miller and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietres ...

.'' The book is a Junior Library Guild selection. ''Publishers Weekly'' called the novel "an impressive debut with an emotionally charged young adult novel about friendship and loss." ''The Horn Book'' called it "a fresh take on a well-worn subject and a passionate argument for creativity as a vehicle for healing." The Junior Library Guild echoed the sentiment, stating, "The book is invested in the creative process and shows that there are multiple steps involved in moving from inspiration to finished art." The Junior Library Guild further noted that LaCour's " aracters are detailed and feel refreshingly contemporary," providing a " mpelling depiction of friendship." '' Booklist'' provided a mixed review, stating that "this first novel may try to cover too much," while noting that the "immediate, present-tense, first-person narrative stays true to a teen’s daily experience, and ... the metaphors of loss and recovery are rooted in the surprising dramas of daily life."

References

2009 children's books Dutton Children's Books books Novels set in San Francisco Children's books set in San Francisco Children's books with LGBT themes {{2000s-ya-novel-stub