Hold Me Tight

by Lorie Ann Grover

"I'm leaving."

Dad's words come as a complete shock to Essie. How can he just walk out on her and the family, especially when Mom is pregnant?

Essie keeps her dad's leaving a secret. Then Essie's classmate, Chris Crow, disappears, and everyone finds out he's been kidnapped. Is Chris okay? Is Dad ever coming back? Essie is left to wonder if people really have any control over what happens in their lives.

Finally, after a startling incident with a family friend, Essie finds the strength to hold on tight to all that she has left -- and in the process realizes that the bonds of love and family do hold a person together.

Inspired by true events, Hold Me Tight is a moving and powerful novel. An author's note provides further information about kidnapping and the Amber Plan programs that are in use today to help communities find abducted children.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Poetry

352 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2005

About the author

Lorie Ann Grover is an awarded YA novelist and board book author whose works include Kirkus Starred Review, Firstborn, and Parents Magazine Best Children's Book, Bedtime Kiss for Little Fish. She co-founded readergirlz and readertotz. Living with her husband in the foothills of Mt. Rainier, she writes, practices weapons tai chi, and watches hawks take flight.

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel in verse despite the unbelievability of this girl enduring those 3 successive crises so close together in time. Ok, divorce is, alas, a common crisis for a child to go through, but the other two? (I don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it.) It's the combination of the three... Nevertheless, I could empathize with her feelings, and her voice felt genuine. Recommended.

[Madison ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not have what it deserves. This book was an emotional roller coaster. I cried maybe 1,000 times. It's so beautiful and is now easily one of my favorite novels. And the last sentence made me smile so much. Honestly, this book is beautiful.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg this bookk was the cutest thing ever i like cried reading it.

[Tynia]

This Book Is A Winner I Look Foward To Following This Author;
I Recommend This To Poetry Lovers!

[Heather Christenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was "just ok" for me until about half way through and then it picked up with some unforseen turns and kept my attention for the next hundred pages or so. I think that the author did a good job of addressing many different issues throughout the novel and wrapped them up convincingly in the end, leaving no loose ends. The fact that the book was written in verse kind of threw me off at first, but soon I got into the groove of it and enjoyed it quite a bit...though it does make the book quite a bit thicker than it really should be.

[Sarah (Mood Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book a lot. At first it caught my attention by having the chapters in a different layout that I had never seen before. Dale is the cutest little brother and I could not help smiling at some of his antics. The only thing I wish about this book was that they would have stated if Mr.Paul was caught and arrested because I was cheering for it all the way to the end just to be disappointed.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eww! Mr. Paul kissed her?! With tongue and rubbing!! Gross! Perv-alert! Blech! Poor Chris! I'm soo gald she at least smiled at him-incoming relationship? Or maybe with Wally. truthfully, I thought that Chris was kidnapped by her Dad when he left. Geez! How could her dad just do that to Essie, her bro and her mom-when she's pregnant? Cheating is such a bad thing!

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful tale in the eyes of a young little girl going through three traumatic situations in the course of just a couple months, and you witness all the feelings and concerns through her words. I enjoyed it. However, I'll admit, I thought I was getting a different book, but I'm glad I got this, it was a very quick read.

[Liliana Venegas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is like reality to me. Not one of those crappy fantasies about how there love is stronger than anything. yes I do love those but realistic is so much better. I could take this better than a sappy crappy never will be romance.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a thick book, but it's interisting!

[Livvytodd]

This book is so heart warming so far ill tell my mom ever thing about this book! Its sad in some parts but its okay because all books have some sad things in it right?

[Mia · Rating 4 out of 5]

really, really sad. so true when it comes down to reality. it could happen to anyone. it's a must read(:

[Trinity · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is sooooo depressing,but it was good.

[Nina Brockmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read this book multiple times and each time I believe it was well written and I really enjoyed it.

[Kate Shanks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another story told in verse which will appeal to female adolescent readers who like realistic fiction. 10-year-old Essie lives with her mother, 7-year-old brother Dale, and up until recently her father. One night, he packs up his things and abandons his entire family. To add to the turmoil, Essie's mom is pregnant. At school, Essie must also deal with the recent kidnapping of her classmate, Chris Crow. Essie is beginning to wonder if anything will ever go right, when everything seems to be going so wrong. This is a very easy book to read and extremely relatable. My biggest criticism would be the length. Some parts dragged, but the story does wrap up quite nicely. A good book to recommend to apprehensive readers especially those who are not quite mature enough to handle Ellen Hopkins' books.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Essie's father walks out on the family including her pregnant mother. Essie wonders how the family will survive without his income. To add to her worries a student from her school has been kidnapped. Then her mom's friend of many years begins to spend more and more time with the family. There's something fishy about this guy and Essie figures it out when he sexually assaulted her.

[Elliott · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book moved a little slowly for me. I was trying to read it a little at a time but I could never get into it. Finally I just sat down and started reading determined to get a big chunk done. And that's wheni finally got into the story.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very touching story about a girl dealing with trauma in her life. Inspiring. We don't have to let the bad things in life that happen to us...the people that hurt us...have control over how we feel about ourselves. Great message for young people.

[Cara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in Jr. high and I still remember it it's all told in poems and I'm not that into poetry but it was deep and told an intense story that stuck with me. Highly recommend it.

[Kyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is how I fear my verse novel will appear - just kind of, eh.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay, nothing great but kept me reading. Poem form.