In Kansas City there is a strong debate brewing between the parents of a freshman student, their pastor and the public school system. At the focus of debate is the book Hold Still by Nina lacour.

Hold Still is about a girl dealing with her friend’s suicide.
From School Library Journal:

After losing her best friend, Ingrid, to suicide, Caitlin is completely immobilized. Unable to function, and refusing to visit a therapist, she begins the long journey to wellness alone. During this year of heart-wrenching, raw emotion, Caitlin finds Ingrid’s journal, which not only reveals her descent into irreversible depression, but also serves as Caitlin’s vehicle for renewed hope in the future. The book is written with honesty, revealing one’s pain after the loss of a loved one. Caitlin learns, with the help of new friends and her parents, that there is life after Ingrid.

In the article from KCTV5 the parent states that the first word in the book is the f-word, however there is a preview available on Amazon of the first several chapters and the f-word is nowhere to be seen. It’s not to say that the word isn’t in the book or that the subject matter isn’t challenging. Check out the video below where the parents and their pastor discuss being a ‘watchdog’ when it comes to books.

What do you think about the controversy surrounding this book?