This book would have been great if it had focused on homelessness. I would read it and my brain would say adverb. They just would not stick in my brain, especially Early. The character's names drove me absolutely nuts. I also didn't buy Early and Jubie calling their parents by their fist names. But all of the detective work seemed out of place in this story.

Balliett did an excellent job with the details. I found myself interested in Early's experiences at the homeless shelter and the new school. Trying to connect them into one story was like mixing oil and water. Life in a homeless shelter and the mystery surrounding Dash. I felt like this book was running two plots. Summer and the kids end up in a homeless shelter. But the library job doesn't pay much, so Dash gets involved in book collecting on the side. His daughter, Early, and son, Jubilation, appreciate their dad's love of books. He works at the library and loves Langston Hughes, books, words, dictionaries and rhythms. Although Dash and his wife Summer got married in high school, he is really intelligent. I loved the opener describing the disappearance of Dash at 1:11, 2:22, 3:33 and 4:44. I really had to slog through it to get to the end. With her signature, singular love of language and sense of mystery, Blue Balliett weaves a story that takes readers from the cold, snowy Chicago streets to the darkest corner of the public library, on an unforgettable hunt for deep truths and a reunited family.This book barely held my interest. There are patterns and rhythms to what's happened, and Early might be the only one who can use them to track him down and make her way out of a very tough place. Because her father hasn't disappeared without a trace. Once there, Early starts asking questions and looking for answers. With nowhere else to go, they are forced to move into a city shelter. and he's left a whole lot of trouble behind.Īs danger closes in, Early, her mom, and her brother have to flee their apartment. Where is Early's father? He's not the kind of father who would disappear. From NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Blue Balliett, the story of a girl who falls into Chicago's shelter system, and from there must solve the mystery of her father's strange disappearance.

Hold Fast by Blue Balliett