Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Goodreads Synopsis
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.

By Holly Cupala
Paperback, 299 pages

Published January 3rd 2012 by HarperTeen

4.5 out of 5 stars

Genre: YA Contemporary

What I really wanted was not to be a burden to anyone. To be really and truly free.

Don't Breathe a Word was an incredibly touching and captivating read. It's one of those books that leaves me wondering and thinking long after I've finished it.

We have Joy Delamere, a girl who suffers from severe asthma and is in an unstable relationship with her boyfriend, Asher. She feels her family and Asher are suffocating her, not allowing her the freedom she wishes she could have in life. So, after a night in which Asher went too far in damaging Joy, she escapes into the streets of Seattle, where a homeless boy had offered her protection would she ever need it. She sets out to find him, hoping she could be saved from the suffocating life she had been living.

This book was such a breath of fresh air. It's raw and real, and the issues and problems explored in this book were dealt in a tender manner. Joy learns that living on the street isn't as freeing as she thought it would be. She suffers from drug dealers, rapists, thieves, and abusers. She lives in a ratty old shack, with the boy, Creed, and his gang, May and Santos. Together, they pitch in to bring in money somehow, bring in food from the garbage, protect each other from the street thugs out there. Their world is truly heartbreaking. Each teenager is running away from something, each with their own morbid history. We learn slowly why each one escaped their other lives and how they ended up homeless in the streets of Seattle. I loved Creed! He was protective (not overbearingly, though!), caring, understanding, determined. He had a dream to become a musician, and Joy was there to encourage him forward. I thought they were a perfectly complemented pairing. 

Holly Cupala really wove this story into a beautiful one, and I was able to connect with Joy on some levels, in her pain and her imprisonment she feels. My only problem was that in the beginning, Joy appears to be a girl who doesn't know how to stand up for herself. She depends on other people to help her--like Asher, then later on Creed. But I got to watch her develop into a fierce and brave girl throughout the book, and I admired the strength she has towards the end.

So, overall, I loved it. Joy's voice was real, honest, and Holly Cupala doesn't sugarcoat the horrors of run-away life. I'll definitely be looking into her other books as well!

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Goodreads Synopsis

Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe--until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.

Cate Tiernan, author of the popular Sweep series, returns with an engaging story of a timeless struggle and inescapable romance, the first book in a stunning new fantasy trilogy.

By Cate Tiernan

Hardcover, 407 pages

Published September 7th 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

5 out 5 stars
Genre: YA Fantasy/Paranormal

Wow! This was definitely a great and compelling read with a great main character who I instantly loved.

Nastasya is an immortal. She's been alive for about 450 years now, and her whole life she's been living a reckless and meaningless life. She's been a 'party-girl' for as long as she remembers, and she's always thought it was the way to live. Then one day, her best friend, Incy, another immortal, tortures a human with dark magic, causing Nastasya to question the way her life is heading and what she might become if she continues down the same road. So, she sets out to River's Edge in hopes of beginning a new life. There she meets a bunch of other immortals who are also trying to begin anew, and hope to become good immortals--Tahti. While at River's Edge, Nastasya assimilates to a complete different lifestyle from her previous years, in which she has to do chores--cooking, cleaning, picking eggs, and other chores she hates. She also gets a minimum paying job, which is unbelievable for her since she's never had a job in her whole life--at least, not like this.

There's so much more to the story than that, though. Nastasya is running away from her past, a past so terrible and frightening, Nastasya avoids thinking about it all the time. She has secrets and nightmares she doesn't share. She has darkness within her she doesn't want to admit to. I connected with her on so many levels. She has such a witty and sarcastic attitude--being inside her head is so much fun. She makes awkward situations light, teases other people for their faults. It's obvious she's spoiled and likes things to be fun and exciting, rather than dull and boring. So, coming to River's Edge is so unlike her character that at first she isn't intent on staying at all. But the people there, the atmosphere she finds herself in, makes her view her life in a new manner, and finally she actually feels like she's <i>doing</i> something. I loved all the characters in this book, even the mean ones. River, the immortal who takes in Nastasya, is patient and kind. She's a wonderful mother like figure for Nastasya. There's Brynne, Solis, and Charles among others who befriend Nastasya and teach her things she hadn't known before. She learns more about the history of Immortals and what they're capable of. And I can't forget about Reyn! She refers to him as the 'Viking God' and also very often, "Odis", because of his incredibly good looks. There is seriously so much tension between these two--I just wanted them to kiss already! She finds him insufferable though, and knows there's more to him than meets the eye. He ends up playing a large part in Nastasya's life, both past and present. He's almost a catalyst for Nastasya's new lifestyle where she faces the darkness within her, and learns to confront the past she's been running away from in the past 440 years. It's such a long and tough journey for her, but she never falters or backs down. Even with that tiny voice in her head giving her doubts, there's always a bigger part of her that wanted to keep going, to find the place she's been looking for her whole life. I loved how the author makes us realize that even though Nastasya is old, like really old, she's still a teenager at heart, still confused about the person she is, and the person she's meant to become.

Immortal Beloved doesn't have any action-packed scenes or drama-worthy fighting. This is simply a story about a girl who goes on a journey in hopes of finding the right path, while escaping the evil that she seems to have gotten caught up in recently. She recognizes the darkness in immortals and is determined to not let it conquer her. There are plenty of laugh-out-loud moments in this book, many including Nastasya's cranky boss, Old Macintyre, and, of course, Reyn. There's also a side-plot regarding someone who wants Nastasya dead. I loved the immortal history, their background. I want to learn more about them, and I want to see some more of Nastasya and Reyn--hopefully their relationship will be more prominent in the next book. We're also given insight into Nastasya'a history, and I'm definitely interested in learning more about her magick powers. This was a great story, great first book, and I'm eagerly ready for the next one! There is still unanswered questions lingering, and characters left out. It seems they'll be more focused in the next book.

This song reminded me of Nastasya's story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5ZUZjhX2qU&feature=related