Online Read and ReviewHold Fast
by Blue Balliett
Reviewed by Brianna
Rating: ****

  Hold Fast follows an 11-year-old girl named Early Pearl, her 4 year-old-brother, Jubie, their father Dash and their mother Sum in their loving, little, one room apartment in Woodlawn, Chicago.  They call themselves Dashsumearlyjubie, and though they are poor in money, love is abundant among them.

They love books.  Every day when Dash gets home from his job as a library page, he sorts his books for the bookseller and then reads to Early and her brother, sharing with them the magic of words.  When Dash doesn’t come home one night, and several nights after that, they all know that something is wrong, especially Early, but what she didn’t know was how wrong it was.  Many days after her father disappears, Early tells her mother of a stack of money her father had hidden, a very large sum for a library page.  Soon thereafter, three masked men come and destroy what little they have left, threatening Early, taking their money and, curiously, all their books.  After they are gone, Early finds a book they left behind.  The First Book of Rhythms.  In all the chaos, Early and her mother fail to notice the books importance both in the mystery of the break-in and in Dash’s disappearance.

Now that all they have is destroyed, they are forced out of their apartment and onto the streets, hiding from the men that had attacked them.  They get bounced around the homeless shelter system during this time.  Sum tries hard to get a job to take care of Early and Jubie, while fighting her oncoming depression.  All hope of finding Dash slowly fading in her mind.  Finally, when she has exhausted all avenues, she can think of, she slips into a depression, leaving Early and Jubie to almost fend for themselves.  At this point, Early realizes that she is the only one left that is looking or her father.  Will she be able to find him?  Will she be able to hold fast to her dreams?

Hold Fast is really quite an amazing piece of literature in almost every aspect I can think of.  The writing style is unique and different from anything I’ve ever seen, but done fantastically, as Balliett always does.  The book was also quite deep and inspirational, with many messages portrayed throughout.  One of these was the interesting and detailed glimpse into the lives of homeless people, who are often disregarded and treated as if they’re beneath the average person with less rights.  Hold Fast helps to show us that they are people like us, who have fallen on hard times, and are suppressed from getting help.  It’s wonderful that Balliet has chosen to write about this subject, as it’s so often ignored, brushed off or thought of as an economic symptom rather than being actual people in actual situations of need.  The main point conveyed, though, would be to hold on to your dreams.  How working hard for some of or smaller dreams can make larger dreams come true.  Hold Fast is a wonderful, beautifully written and well thought out book that I would recommend to anyone, young or old.

 

 

Online Read and Review
Money Run

by Jack Heath

Reviewed by Brianna
Rating ****

 

Money Run is centered on Ashley Arthur and Benjamin, best friends and partners in crime.  When Ash's  mother left her and her dad, Ash and Ben had started stealing money to make up for the lack of money.  They soon found that they greatly enjoyed it and started doing larger and larger heists more for the kicks than for the money.  Then they start receiving emails from The Source, an anonymous figure who emails them times, dates, locations and amounts of money for them to rob.  Soon they get an email offering a job to steal from one of the richest men in the country, Mr. Buckland.  It's an irresistible offer and they snatch it up with enthusiasm.

 

They soon find out that this is nowhere near as simple as other heists they've done in the past.  Ash gets in through an interview with Mr. Buckland, who mentions things quite odd to tell a a15-year-old girl, including the governments control on him and the disadvantages of being rich.  Ash is slightly shaken by this, but nevertheless continues on her quest for the money.  Things are much harder than they seem, though, and Ash is confronted with problems far beyond what she had come expecting, including a tenacious assassin, anthrax, and a far-too-intelligent detective.

 

Money Run  is a great action-packed book, with all the qualities of a high-tech spy movie in a teen-oriented chapter novel.  With unique characters and intriguing plot twists, it makes for a captivating read.