Full review on Reader's Dialogue: readersdialogue.blogspot.com/2012/09/keep-holding-on.html


Noelle is such a strong character. Even when she's doing nothing to stop the bullying, she has such strength, just to keep going, to "keep holding on," in the face of such terrible trials. But her self-doubt creeps in as a result of all of it, and she almost destroys her chance at actual happiness because she feels she isn't worthy, when Julian asks her out. To complicate things, she has such low self-esteem that she doesn't even realize it when her "boyfriend" is using her and is so undeserving of her.

The thing is, I loved the book up until the last few pages. I wasn't so happy with what happens when Noelle stands up to the bully face to face. Someone else steps in to defend her, but that person ends up bullying the bully. To me, that just reinforces the cycle and doesn't teach the lesson that bullying is wrong. For a book that's meant to teach a lesson, it fell short for me in that respect.