I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

Ended up falling off the YA wagon before I got this downloaded. I've enjoyed Elle Cosimano's previous books, so I am sure this one is great for the correct audience!

Holding Smoke was a thoughtful, complex, and interesting read. I enjoyed that it took a break from the usual paranormal tropes and made it stand apart from others.

This was an easy read, solid plot, but not as remarkable as so many YA books have been of late. In fact, there isn't much that stands out to me about this one apart from the cover art being interesting.

Very good book - I finished this in just a couple of sittings! I work at a placement facility for youth so this was especially hard for me to read - I am so glad the place I work is nothing like this!!! Very intense.

Holding Smoke was such a great book! Astral projection. Really well fleshed-out characters. Prison. Corrupt people... I loved how the main character appeared to be so mysterious, and how he was able to use his astral projection for good - and sometimes to just help himself out.
In the harsh world of prison, he needed to do everything he could in order to stay ahead of the game. Ahead of the other prisoners who wanted to hurt him. And finally, to keep other people safe.

John "Smoke" Conlan is in a juvenile rehabilitation facility for a murder that he didn't commit. The jury went easy on him, considering he had just been released from the hospital after his father had killed him. Having being brought back to life after being dead for eight minutes has left John with a gift; one he uses to his full advantage at the "Y", the Greater Denver Youth Offender Rehabilitation Center.

Smoke has earned his nickname by using his new gift to gather information. You see, Smoke can leave his body. He can travel through walls, past guards and around barriers. He is happy to let this gift keep him alive and out of trouble at the Y, a place where he is safe, as long as he has information to trade for that security. But then, while digging up information for another inmate, he stumbles upon someone who can both see and hear him in this altered state. Meeting Pink changes everything. Now he has to get out.

Holding Smoke is a fresh story that will appeal to readers of all ages. Part fantasy, part realistic fiction, I think this is a book that will cross genres. I have ordered it for my middle school library, and think it would work in high school as well. Smoke has a voice that I think many teens will relate to, and even some adults!

So... I've had this on my Kindle to read for over a year!
Finally, took the time to read and am glad I did.

I've included a synopsis, which caught my attention.


“John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders – but he wasn't the one
who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other
witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado,
known as the Y, is Smoke's new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike, his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment.
After a near-death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body
at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering
information for himself and his fellow inmates while they're asleep in their beds.
Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke
doesn't care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin – that
one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough,
resourceful girl who sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible.
With Pink's help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to
the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption
that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined.
With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he's willing
to risk, and, if he can envision a future worth fighting for.”


Naturally, there was more to the story.
Which I will leave for the reader to uncover.

Ms. Cosimano created an intriguing group of characters.
This story was well written and held my attention throughout.
There was a hint of mystery, but not in the traditional “who done it” theme.

In the author's notes, I learned Ms. Cosimano was the daughter of a prison warden.
This added something to the story for me.
Honestly, I found the prison as fascinating as those who lived there.


I received this electronic book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity!

Such an interesting premise that is well executed. The pacing is steady as Cosimano builds the tension surrounding John. You are right there with it all as you wonder when time will run out for John. Well done.

I am kind of surprised how much I liked this book. Smoke was an endearing character that I really felt sorry for, at times. He had a horrible childhood and was convicted of a murder that he didn't commit, although he admits the other one was in self defense. The depiction of the juvenile detention center felt authentic, although I've never been in one, I've worked in group homes with similar types of kids. The culture inside is so different and you really have to find your niche to survive. Smoke's commodity is information. Because he can travel outside his body and not be seen, he can gather intel that others can not, and trade it for favors from other inmates and guards. The astral projection part of the story was an interesting twist. I think this is the first book I've read where this type of power was central to the story. It certainly added an interesting layer to the mystery plot. The mystery was well done, with lots of twists and turns and I kept changing my mind as to who had really committed the murder which was good. I also like the relationship that Smoke develops with Pink. I really like her, she had spunk and wasn't afraid to help Smoke, even when her life was threatened. If you like mysteries with a paranormal twist I highly recommend this one.

Sorry, requested but did not find the time to review.

Smoke is serving time in juvie, charged with two murders he did not commit. But unlike the other dangerous prisoners at the Y, Smoke is not kept in behind bars. At night, Smoke escapes during his sleep state, thanks to a near death experience. Using his power to gain favors in prison, Smoke encounters a girl who will change his life forever, offering him hope of redemption and freedom.