Don't Breathe A Word...

...But read every word instead.

I recently--and finally--read Holly Cupala's second novel, Don't Breathe A Word. (Her other book is the fantastic Tell Me A Secret.) Before I tell you why you should read it, let me tell you what the book is about.

Joy Delamere is suffocating.From asthma, from her parents, and from her boyfriend, Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out. She can take his cruel words, his tender words . . . until the night they go too far.To escape, Joy sacrifices her suburban life to find the one who offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. He introduces her to a world of fierce loyalty, to its rules of survival, and to love—a world she won’t easily let go.Set against the backdrop of the streets of Seattle, Holly Cupala'’s power­ful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the secrets we keep, and the ways to redemption. But above all, it is an unflinching story about the extraordinary lengths one girl will go to discover her own strength.

I quite enjoy books that are dystopian and futuristic, the kind of stories that most likely will never really happen. At the same time, there's something exhilarating about reading about something real, something that could happen to YOU. That's what you get from Don't Breathe A Word.

The book is told from the point of view Joy, a high school junior who is dating the gorgeous yet dangerous Asher. When Joy decides that she can't take it anymore she runs away to the streets of Seattle, inserting herself into the ever-growing homeless population. While there she searches for the boy that once offered his help; when she finds him, she finds more than she ever imagined she would. 

Joy learned how to help herself while helping those around her and, in the end, took control of her life.

I would highly recommend this book--not only because it's wonderful but because it's meaningful and could help someone who's going through similar problems in life. 

And if you're going to read be sure you read Tell Me A Secret; that one faces a completely different roadblock with another strong female character. 

For more on Holly Cupala, click here. I've met her a couple times and she is so awesome!


Side Note: This is my first book review. I'm not sure what--or if--to spoil and what not to. Any pointers or comments would be very helpful to get me started. Thank you!