Review - Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Author - Holly Cupala
Publisher - HarperTeen
Release Date - January 3rd, 2012, 299 Pages

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. 

Don’t Breathe a Word is a painful yet beautiful story of a girl, Joy, who is trying to just forget who she is and to start a new life, even if it’s a life of nothing. She wants to be free of everything that is tying her down, especially her boyfriend Asher. She makes the heartbreaking decision to leave home to go live on the streets. We get to see the struggles that she has to go through from the start by making this decision to following through with it. We get to see her find courage within herself, find strengths that she never knew she had, and face her deepest fears.

Creed, the boy who sang the lyrics that helped her make her decision to leave home, changes things for her. He gives her not only hope that things can get better if you look on the bright side but he keeps his word from when they first saw each other. Everyone that Joy meets while living on the streets has their own dark secrets and it was great to see them be able to share them and overcome their past.

This is the first novel that I have read by Holly Cupala and I was head over hills in love with the writing.  I was sucked in this emotional journey of love, hate, pain, courage, sacrifice and the strength to live when they are at their lowest. I will definitely have to read more of her work. Don’t Breathe a Word shows us that not everything is what it can seem to be from the outside looking in but also of those that are getting a second – or third – chance at life. If you haven’t read this then you are missing out, add it to your list, grab it from your library. It’s an amazing read and reminds us of everyday struggles that thousands of people go through. 

-Shellie