The Art of Holding On and Letting Go

Yes, I m kicking off my book launch by giving my own novel a 5 star rating I was so excited to see the beautiful cover I m in the final stages of editing with my publisher this month, and the release date is September 12th, 2016 Stay tuned for giveaways Update, July 12, 2016 Editing is done, advance reading copies have been sent out, and reviews are rolling in Thanks to Kirkus A compelling, unusual coming of age story And Publisher s Weekly Lenz offers a thoughtful meditation on life after loss [...]

Gorgeous debut novel All the details about rock climbing and the peace to be found in nature are a breath of fresh air in the YA world I love the strong female and male characters with different backgrounds and physical challenges presented as real, rich, individual voices Clean enough to give to young middle schoolers a bit of swearing, a bit of kissing but really aimed at high schoolers who are learning how to hold on and to let go.

Lenz s book pulled me right in with her descriptions of mountain climbing in The Art of Holding On and Letting Go She offers so much sensual and lyrical detail about the climbing process that I felt I was on the cliffs and mountains with main character Cara The book follows Cara s emotional journey from Ecuador, where tragedy strikes her family, to the flat, concrete streets of a Detroit suburb, where she is sent to try to restart her life with her grandparents She must try to make new friends, [...]

First what an amazing cover So beautiful and ties directly to the story.This is one of those books that is so full of emotion and depth it sticks with you long after you finish reading it Cara is a complex character and the growth that she goes through in the different parts of the book is very real And the secondary characters are just as full and rich with emotion Seeing how they interacted together made me root for the different relationships between family and friends Lenz s writing style pu [...]

I really loved this book and would have finished in one day but had to pack for a week s vacation At first I didn t think the rock climbing aspect of the story would appeal to me much I m not an outdoorsy person unless sightseeing counts But almost as soon as I started the book, I became enthralled with the characters, the plot, and yes the rock climbing Kristin Lenz does a marvelous job of keeping the reader engaged in the story I never once felt like skimming a page, which says a lot Definitel [...]

This review will also appear on A Leisure Moment as a part of the blog tour on Aug 22, 2016 I received an ARC of this book via Elephant Rock Books in exchange for an honest review First, let s talk about how much I love this cover It s beautiful in its simplicity, yet it describes Cara perfectly Next, I ve never been to Detroit, or California really any of the places mentioned in this book, but Cara made me feel like I was there Me, someone who hates heights, lived vicariously through Cara as sh [...]

Not rated Review only Advance Reading Copy This is one of those rare books where the story lives up to its cover and title I couldn t wait to read this one The idea of holding on and letting go being something that anyone can relate to and strive for It s an especially good concept for those of us who may have a tendency to hold on a little bit too tightly But also important for those who have experienced loss and are in danger of letting go completely And of course it quite literally applies to [...]

I served on the Sheehan Book Prize committee that selected this book as the winner It s a wonderful exploration of grief, of friendship, and of relationships broadly A solid voice, some really fantastic settings with incredible details that really make clear Lenz knows how to world build , and a book that will linger with readers.

This is a fantastic debut novel by Lenz I loved the symmetry between rock climbing and personal loss and love Beautiful prose and imagery Congrats Kristin Emily S Deibel, author of Cecilly in Cinderland

In The Art of Holding On and Letting Go, homeschooler and competitive climber Cara s life falls off balance when the unthinkable happens Cara is left to pick up the pieces in unfamiliar territory when she moves in with her grandparents Detroit is much different than her California mountain cabin home, plus she has to adjust to the stresses of high school New friends help her navigate these uncharted waters in this journey of self discovery.This debut is a quick, absorbing read about friendship, [...]

I started this book expecting it to be a pretty light read, and on some level, it was I finished the book within 24 of cracking it open What I didn t expect that it was a remarkably thoughtful and multi dimensional book about loss When tragedy strikes Cara s family, she finds herself parked with her grandparents for an indefinite amount of time She s jerked out of her woodsy, climby, homeschooled California world and thrown into suburban Detroit and all that goes with it.I loved that while there [...]

I gobbled this one right up and found it sweet and engaging and full of heart without any hint of cloyingness A million years ago, Kristin and I sat next to each other in a cubicle jungle and talked about books and reading and all these years later, here she is with her very own Congratulations, Kristin and thanks for sharing your work I m thrilled I got to read something of yours.

I could not put this book down Cara s story not only gives us a glimpse into the amazing world of rock climbing, it highlights and supports the need to do what you love even when life knocks you down All of that is excellently blended with a typical life of a 15 yr old who tries to find who she is outside of everything she s ever known.

4.5 starsi loved reading this i definitely had a wonderful time reading cara s journey also, the way the author described both rock wall climbing makes me wanna try it out one day too it s so effortless nice job i highly recommend this book to everyone

A beautifully written novel about loss, the meaning of home , and the healing force of nature, rock climbing, and friendship Full review soon I gotta let this one sink in.

I loved that the characters in this novel felt real like they were your own friends A book I will definitely be recommending to my middle school readers.

After tragedy strikes while climber Cara Jenkins is competing in Ecuador, she finds herself living in Detroit with the grandparents she hardly knows Cara is completely rudderless, uninterested in climbing again, and desperate to return to her California home But her parents are still climbing mountains, even while her father in particular struggles to heal from his emotional wounds Even while Cara chafes under her grandmother s rules and stern demeanor, she finds friendship in Kaitlyn and Nick, [...]

This is by far the best book I have read in the past year I don t care if you re 14 or 40 Everyone should read this book The characters are so fleshed out and we get to see them all changing from page to page, not just Cara The author delivered everything I could have possibly wanted honestly I even was praying someone would use the nickname Carabiner and almost cheered when it was finally used I would give this novel than five stars if I could.

The reason this book took so long to read was my teenage daughter and I were reading it together Finding the time our schedules jived to read together were far and few between It was nice to read about the sport of climbing It will not disappoint

I stumbled upon this book in a local book shop the beautiful cover and the fact that it was autographed copy woohoo caught my attention I m so glad I picked his up I ll definitely be recommending this to my middle schoolers and adult friends too I love how it hit on themes of risk taking, independence, femininity, and loss.

Wonderfully written YA book about loss and finding yourself The detail is fantastic This would be great for teachers classrooms for their booklists.

Received in exchange for a honest review.This is a incredible book For a first book, Kristin Lenz hits it out of the park each character is dynamic and amazing the story is real and one so many of us face whether we are teens or adults We see a young girl who is torn and lost but also angry for she is placed in a place and situation that is foreign to her and at a time when she really needs to have her parents love and security and has love but isn t seen outright and no security.Cara is a compl [...]

Find my review also on my blog Thank you to Elephant Rock Books for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review When the publisher contacted me regarding this book and I checked out the synopsis I was definitely intrigued I ve never read a book about a competitive climber before, or even seen climbing being mentioned in any other YA book I ve read so far, so I was eager to dive into it Thanks to a massive reading slump it took me way longer then it usually would, which is a shame, [...]

Cara Jenkins is a nationally ranked competitive climber Homeschooled by her mountaineer parents, Cara has always felt at home on rock faces and cliffs When disaster strikes during a climb in Ecuador, Cara s carefully ordered world is completely upended.While her parents struggle to move on in Ecuador, Cara finds herself living with her grandparents in Detroit and entering a traditional high school for the first time.Determined to give up climbing in her grief, Cara will have to figure out who sh [...]

I d been looking forward to this novel for a long time, and it did not disappoint This book delivers everything a likable, talented, smart yet realistic protagonist and an incredible cast of supporting characters Grandpa practically steals the show , a nuanced and thoughtful yet non plodding plot, and a setting that was innovative and artfully rendered One of my favorite elements of the story was how fully it was grounded in the details of mountain climbing I got a wonderful insight into this wo [...]

I won I won A copy of this book was sent to me by the good folks at Elephant Rock Books thank you one and all I am happy to have the opportunity to review THE ART OF HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO at its relative birth into the world I will give an honest review.You can get the general gist of the book from the above description, but what I d like to tell you about is the nice development of the characters and the way the characters learn to empathize and realize they are not alone in their troubles [...]

The Art of Holding on and Letting Go is a debut YA novel worth reading The story revolves around Cara Jenkins a teenage girl and competitive climber Cara lived with her parents and their friend But one day after the tragic incident that changed and Cara is forced to move with her grandparents The story follows Cara s coming of age during her junior year in highs school During that year Cara tries to find her new life, she falls in love and, to she learns how to climb again.I was amazed by the st [...]

From the first page, this book reels you in and leaves you never wanting it to end If you start it at night, be forewarned This is a tale that includes travel, climbing, nature, big cities waves to Detroit Love you , following your dreams, the very real nature of safety in climbing, and the importance of family and friends And all while I was reading the book, I wondered how Lenz was able to capture all of these things into one flawlessly written novel This is one book I am happy to recommend, f [...]

I adored this book It covers so much ground Grief is covered poignantly and delicately Family bonds are investigated with vigor and honesty In case you like a good adventure story, or books about sports, it has you covered on both fronts It deals with broken hearts and first loves and the horror of moving in high school While all of that sounds super heavy except maybe the part about adventure and sports , it s not an intimidating, slow read I started it as I was waiting to be called for jury du [...]

Although the book had a few choppy moments in its first quarter, it steadily smoothed out and I found it easier to navigate through Cara and all the people surrounding her are very well developed and it was extremely easy to get attached as you were guided through everyone s lives as well as Cara The dialogue was well written and I absolutely loved the references to authors like Thoreau, Dillard and others to give the story even depths and angles Highly recommended this book to teens as well as [...]