What a great book Boy on Hold by JD Spero is. A good clean little who done it, although the culprits are given to you early, this story is built around giving you the clues to build the case yourself. I love how Hen comes to learn about truth and how he learns about forgiveness. The way the author shares an awareness about schizophrenia is great. I love really good stories that teach us something on the journey. And this is a good story. Even a very tasteful romance. A good clean read…. you can’t go wrong with this book.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jonell Collinshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJonell Collins2020-06-28 21:09:522020-06-29 07:51:22Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Jonell Collins
This is a heartbreaking story about a young person suffering from mental illness. It was really well written that allowed you to really understand what it feels like to suffer from this illness and how it effects everyone’s lifes not just the person who has it.
Henry loves with his mum and his big brother Tyler. Tyler is struggling with mental health problems but his mum is so focused on being a good mum and providing for her two boys that she doesn’t see the signs or her sons struggles.
That is until their next door neighbour is attacked in her home. No ones knows who has done it but the two main suspects are Tyler and his friend Derek.
All evidence points to Tyler as the main suspect but his mother and Henry don’t believe it.
Was it Tyler who committed the horrible crime or was it Derek? Was Tyler in sound mind or was it voices pushing him forwards.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Kerry Carrhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKerry Carr2020-06-22 13:20:252020-06-22 13:25:34Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Kerry Carr
I have never had the pleasure until now to read anything penned by JD Spero, and I am so glad that I have. Boy on Hold is a very raw and realistic look into the lives of a boy, Hen Trout and his family’s battle with addiction, mental illness, and shocking murder. This family sees it all and the author does a very good job at keeping things authentic and realistic. Everything comes off as raw and real as you read that you can’t help but feel the same emotions that the characters are struggling with. I loved how this kept you on the edge of your seat and had a slow build throughout the story. It was impossible for me to put this book down until I reached that last page. I not only had to know how things would come to be for the family but even more wanted to keep reading because it was just that good. I felt transported right there and I can’t wait to see what else JD Spero has to get lost in soon! This is one you don’t want to miss!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Liz Vrchotahttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLiz Vrchota2020-06-18 15:39:572020-06-18 15:43:17Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Liz Vrchota
We are invited into the lives of Marcella, Hen and Tyler. A nice family dealing with normal family issues. But in this story they take a little different avenue. This becomes a mystery or a who did it. We meet other players and learn more and more about Tyler and Hen. Hen only wants to catch a hedgehog and keep the love and trust of his big brother. Tyler is just trying to get through each day. The author did a good job portraying these boys and this family. I came to came about them an hope against hope that they are all in the clear. I did wondered where the title came from when I picked this up. After reading it makes more sense.
The story moves along and easily kept my interest. I loved the characters and they story weaves together nicely.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Lisa Helmickhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLisa Helmick2020-06-18 13:17:152020-06-18 14:16:56Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Lisa Helmick
Boy on Hold by JS Spero is a book that utterly took me by surprise and had me hooked right from the word go. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I was a bit sceptical going into it. The description didn’t really grab my attention but I couldn’t detract from the amazing reviews. I decided to give it a go and I am so glad I did. The story that unfolded as a complex and intriguing story. The characters we so compelling. It was a great story of family and mystery. As an introduction to this author I couldn’t have picked a better book and I am certainly looking for were to reading more.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Kerry Bakerhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngKerry Baker2020-06-11 14:04:282020-06-11 14:56:51Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Kerry Baker
I was fascinated by the synopsis but certainly didn’t quite know what to expect within these pages. What a thrill ride. A domestic tale charged with emotion and suspense – and it all hinges on one witness of an event – a child. The fabric of a family and a small town are explored with grace. I found the story to be captivating and emotional. Loved it and highly recommend it!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Heather Lovelacehttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngHeather Lovelace2020-06-04 21:39:542020-06-04 21:39:54Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Heather Lovelace
Boy On Hold by J.D. Spero a very detailed and compelling five-star read. This was my first by this author and won’t be my last as I flew through this one, I adored getting to know Hen. This is a compelling story filled with family drama with Mum Marcella struggling to get everything done, working hard, then we have Tyler older brother and struggling with his own fate, then there is young Henry or Hen as he is more commonly called, he is an enigma all of his own. This tale has a wonderful way of unfolding before your eyes, you don’t get any detail before you are ready and that shows us the talent of the author. I am becoming a fast fan of this author and was very sad when this story ended as it was such an emotional rollercoaster I didn’t want it to end.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Sara Oxtonhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngSara Oxton2020-06-04 01:58:072020-06-04 12:26:27Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Sara Oxton
The story Boy on Hold by JD Spero is a suspenseful mystery book. It is a story that pulled me in from the beginning and didn’t let me go until the final page. The book is written in such a way that I felt like I was right there with the characters. The story is about a violent crime that takes place in a small Adirondack town. Hen Trout is a young boy who sees the crime take plan. Tyler is the 17-year-old that is arrested for the crime and Marcella Trout is Tyler’s mother. What exactly did Hen see on that fateful night? Is Tyler guilty of the crime? Will the whole truth be revealed? Read this book to find out. This is a story that had me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next. With each chapter that I read, I found myself trying to put together the clues to what happened that night in 1991. You can’t help but feel for the Trout family as they are going through an investigation that brings forth emotions that each member of the family deeply feels. There are also heartbreaking moments as well. There are additional characters that interact with Hen, Marcella, and Tyler who are helpful, and then there are those whose motives I questioned. This is a story that will keep you guessing. I highly recommend reading it.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Laura Furutahttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLaura Furuta2020-06-03 13:05:032020-06-03 13:59:35Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Laura Furuta
I enjoyed this book. It is my first book by this author and I will be looking for more from them. This is a well developed mystery-thriller that I had a hard time putting it down. I was pulled right into the story from the beginning. The twists and turns had me turning pages fast just waiting to see what would happen next. This is a story about a young boy named Hen, who seen the murder of Miss Sally. A prank turns into a violent crime and a family starts to fall apart. What will happen when Hen starts questioning the truth? Is there family secrets that could be this family’s undoing? I had no problem connecting to the characters. They kept the story moving easily and engaging. I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens to the boy who witnesses a violent crime.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Bobbi Wagnerhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngBobbi Wagner2020-06-03 06:20:262020-06-03 06:20:26Boy on Hold by JD Spero – Review by Bobbi Wagner
Cabbage Night, 1991. The traditional night of pranks takes a disturbing turn when a violent crime rocks a small Adirondack town. Even more so when the only witness is a seven-year-old boy. Hen Trout, who had hoped to catch a pet hedgehog that night, instead sees his beloved Miss Sally become a victim.
Single mom Marcella Trout is blindsided when Tyler, her seventeen-year-old, is arrested for the very crime Hen witnessed. Now Tyler’s eerie mood swings seem dark and frightening and rooted in a family history Marcella has desperately tried to bury. As the criminal investigation churns on, the tenuous fabric of the Trout family begins to unravel…and even Hen begins to question the truth.
Johannah Davies (JD) Spero’s writing career took off when her first release, Catcher’s Keeper, was a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in 2013. Since then, she’s found similar success with her young adult fantasy Forte series, winning recognition from National Indie Excellence Award (2014, 2016), Adirondack Literary Award (2015). Her newest release, Boy on Hold, a winner in the 2020 Book Excellence Award and 2020 IPPY Gold winner for Best Mystery/Thriller. With a Masters in Education, Spero leverages her years as a high school English teacher in author presentations across the country, most notably at DFW Writers Conference in 2014. Having lived in various cities from St. Petersburg (Russia) to Boston, she’s settled with her husband and three sons in the Adirondack Mountains, where she was born and raised.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BoyOnHoldfront-scaled.jpg1200811itsybitsybookbitshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngitsybitsybookbits2020-06-03 00:01:192021-02-15 12:46:02Boy on Hold by JD Spero
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