Peptastic is standing still

I had a few problems with this novel.
The main thing that irked me was an overall sense of "slut shaming". Jules did it to her mother for being a stripper, her brother slut shamed both his mom and his sister, her ex boyfriend, etc.
Jules mother has a string of boyfriends who all lust after Jules. She wears baggy clothes so men won't want her.
I really hated that the second time she wears less clothing she gets raped. Girls are not to blame for how they dress. That, and the one time her boyfriend is late for a date is when it happens.
Nick's mother and Jules are both defenseless women who never make any attempt to defend themselves. Jules instantly felt safer having a guy around with muscles.

Keep Holding On had it's flaws but ultimately the lead realised adults were people with problems too. The book was trying too hard to fit in different social issues but at least it grasped [in a heavy handed way] that actions have consequences and everyone has it bad in some way.
Even after Jules repeats her mom's mistakes she never realises she's judging her mother for having sex. Nick's mother was let off the hook but Jules mother was not. Why have her spiral into drugs if she wasn't going to realise this?
The family dynamic and the cycle of abuse is far more complex than this book lets on.
It also missed an opportunity to have one of her mom's "friendlier" boyfriends reveal himself to be a creep. He just vanishes and is never seen from again.


I'd recommend skipping this book and renting the film Fish Tank instead.