Play Audiobook Sample
Hold Tight Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.00) - 18,033 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Plot Summary
Adam Baye has become distant. Perhaps a little too distant. After the suicide of his close friend Spencer Hill, his parents have become worried. Adam isn't himself anymore. He won't tell them anything, let alone talk to them...and they're beginning to be concerned. Tia and Mike never thought they'd become those overprotective parents, spying on their kids every second of the day...but then, here they are, installing a sophisticated spying program on their son's computer. Within days, they are rocked by mysterious messages coming from a correspondent neither has ever heard of before: "Just stay quiet and all safe". They begin to question themselves: Have they been good parents? Is everything what it seems? How much is too much when it comes to keeping an eye on your children?
With a deep plot and several very relevant thematic elements, Hold Tight is sure to please both Coben's long-time fans and those just discovering his work.
Harlan Coben was born January 4, 1962 in Livingston, New Jersey. He graduated from Amherst College with a degree in political science. He published his first book his senior year of college, and had several standalone works published in the early 1990s. He's won several awards from the mystery fiction community, and has received high regards from critics at large. His book Hold Tight received generally positive reviews from critics regarding messages such as monitoring your kids and teenage drug use. His most recent work, Six Years, is set for release in 2013.
"i really liked this book. i had a hard time putting it down...i saw some of the negative reviews and i didn't agree with any of them. coben's characters are easy to relate to, not far fetched or over the top and the plot was believable. i felt like i was trying to figure it out myself! i love coben's style and have yet to be disappointed by any of his books."
— Jennifer (4 out of 5 stars)
Publisher Summary
Mike held his son’s hand and told him to “hold tight,” and he could feel the little hand dig into his but the crush got bigger and the little hand slipped from his and Mike felt that horrible panic, as if a wave hit them at the beach and it was washing his baby out with the tide. The separation lasted only a few seconds, ten at the most, but Mike would never forget the spike in his blood and the terror of those brief few moments. Tia and Mike Baye never imagined they’d become the type of overprotective parents who spy on their kids. But their sixteen-year-old son Adam has been unusually distant lately, and after the suicide of his classmate Spencer Hill - the latest in a string of issues at school - they can’t help but worry. They install a sophisticated spy program on Adam’s computer, and within days they are jolted by a message from an unknown correspondent addressed to their son: “Just stay quiet and all safe.” Meanwhile, browsing through an online memorial for Spencer put together by his classmates, Betsy Hill is struck by a photo that appears to have been taken on the night of her son’s death…and he wasn’t alone. She thinks it is Adam Baye standing just outside the camera’s range; but when Adam goes missing, it soon becomes clear that something deep and sinister has infected their community. For Tia and Mike Baye, the question they must answer is this: When it comes to your kids, is it possible to know too much?
Download and start listening now!
Quotes
-
“A fast and exhilarating roller-coaster ride that you don’t want to end, but hold on tight. Then take the time to hug your kids.”
— Library Journal (starred review) -
“A page-turner. Don’t start reading it if you’ve got important business the next morning because Hold Tight will keep you up all night.”
— San Francisco Chronicle -
“A thriller for the Google era.”
— New York Times -
“Coben delivers another tense thriller—this one hitting closer to home than his usual high-concept fare…His characters ring true and should strike a chord with parents—especially narrator Mike—as they struggle to discern how much they should interfere in their children’s lives.”
— RT Book Reviews (4 stars)
Awards
-
Finalist for the 2009 International Thriller Writers Award for Best Novel
-
A #1 New York Times bestseller
-
A USA Today bestseller
-
Finalist for the 2011 Abraham Lincoln Award
Hold Tight Listener Reviews
-
" I would definitely give this book 3.5 stars if possible. It was very suspenseful and well-written. I hesitate to rate it higher for personal reasons. The most horribly violent person in the book has the same name as my little boy, Nash, so that made it hard. Still a good book. "
— Mykette, 2/8/2014 -
" I like Hold Tight. It has a plot that connects a group of people. Strong family theme. "
— Rhonda, 2/4/2014 -
" A quick read, but I found it less satisfying than other Coben books I've read and enjoyed. Yes, I kept turning the pages, but only to tie up all the various plot strands - I wasn't really gripped by it. I also found the ending just a little bit too pat. Enjoyable enough, but I'd recommend Tell No-one or The Woods before this. "
— Denise, 2/3/2014 -
" Good story. Might want to read more by this author. Sort of a mystery. "
— Julie, 1/26/2014 -
" 16 year old Adam had become distant since the suicide of his best friend, Spencer Hill. After installing spyware on his computer his parents find a surprising cryptic message, "Just stay quiet and all is safe". This shakes his parents to their core. "
— Barbra, 1/24/2014 -
" This book was very different than what I usually read. It built suspense, and had some great twists. "
— Mel, 1/17/2014 -
" A plot that hold the reader tight, I could not put it down. One of my favorite Harlan Coben books to date. I know critics probably think that it all comes together a little too neatly in the end but I read books for an escape, so I never mind when that happens. "
— Rachel, 1/13/2014 -
" Another good book by Coben. Subject is about "spying" on your teenager via cell phone (GPS) and computer. "
— Carol, 1/8/2014 -
" In no way did this expand my literary mind, but it was the definition of "page turner" for me. An entertaining crime story, not heady just fun. "
— Michele, 1/6/2014 -
" This was definitely a page-turner and very thrilling. An easy, fun read. "
— LeAnn, 12/2/2013 -
" Fast, fun read - perfect for spring break. Scary, gripping, and page-turning! "
— Kathy, 11/20/2013 -
" Coben is among the deans of this genre. "
— Bill, 10/8/2013 -
" Coben's most recent and so far, my least favorite. I just don't think I will ever enjoy a book with a dead child and this is no exception. Back to Myron Bolitar... "
— Patricia, 10/3/2013 -
" Not his best book in my opinion but I still liked it. "
— Kathi, 5/3/2013 -
" Just a fun Coben thriller. This is a good read and lends itself to a movie but probably an international film set in Australia or UK etc just so it doesn't end up being a Lifetime flick in the U.S. "
— Matthew, 3/6/2013 -
" This book in particular may not deserve 5 stars but Coben is, far and away, my favorite author. And that's saying ALOT! "
— Jenny, 7/8/2012 -
" Fast-paced plot and plenty of action. "
— Carolyn, 6/7/2012 -
" Love Coben books. Just keeps getting better "
— Diane, 6/4/2012 -
" This is the second book I've read of Harlan Coben's. The first was better than this one - which dragged in the middle a bit and I struggled to hold interest. Overall a good book and an author I will pick up again. "
— Carolyn, 5/13/2012 -
" Reading Harlan Coben is simply a thrill.... This was my favorite one yet ! "
— Kristin, 4/14/2012 -
" Good book. But really not my sort. "
— Rachel, 12/29/2011 -
" I didn't really enjoy this book because the bad guy was really really evil. And he was evil with no real reason. The crime did not fit the punishment. I don't really think it is necessary to go inside the mind of a lunatic. I was disappointed in the Harlan Coben. "
— Joanne, 10/21/2011 -
" Good book..kept me guessing till the very end "
— Tina, 10/20/2011 -
" I didn't like this as much as some of his other novels. A little to drawn out for me. "
— Colleen, 7/30/2011 -
" This was a well-crafted, topical story as you would expect from the author. "
— Susie, 7/10/2011 -
" Like other Coben books, I enjoy the multiple plots, continual suspense, and creative story lines. Read the synopsis for the plot. Know that it's a great read and comes highly recommended. "
— Jessica, 5/23/2011 -
" This book wasn't bad, I had to read it twice to actually like the book because the first time around it didn't make a whole lot of sense. If you have children you will like the book, or hate it thats your call. "
— Bubba61909, 5/21/2011 -
" like an extreme episode of law & order "
— Chelsea, 5/15/2011 -
" Set up took awhile. It was positively surprising how all the story lines connected. "
— Melanie, 5/12/2011 -
" This book reinforced my belief that having children can be a total nightmare. "
— Amanda, 5/9/2011 -
" January 2011 I Love A Mystery Book Club. "
— Margo, 5/9/2011 -
" Good beach read! It was very compelling. As with a lot of these mysteries, the mystery itself was almost better than the ending, but I liked most of the characters. A few of the twists were easy to see, but overall a fast and enjoyable book! "
— Jenny, 5/6/2011 -
" I liked this book, it had so many different angles and people involved until they were all tied in at the end that it was very enjoyable reading. "
— Betty, 5/3/2011 -
" I love this author as long as I stick with his 'stand alone' books. He writes a wonderful suspense/mystery story and reads almost as fast as James Patterson. This book held me in it's grip to the very last page. "
— Mary, 4/28/2011 -
" A bit confusing with different subplots that only come together at the very end. "
— Nancy, 4/28/2011 -
" Interesting dilemma on how far parents should go to protect their children from harm - should they spy on them? The story is not one of Coben's best and maybe the ending is a little too perfect, but still had enough for me to give it 4 stars. "
— Rhod, 4/27/2011 -
" I really enjoyed this book. Faced paced, with multiple intertwining story lines and plenty of cliffhangers made it very hard to put down. The one thing I wish is that there was more description of settings in the book, but at the same time, that would have slowed the book down. "
— Daniel, 4/25/2011 -
" I wish you could give half stars. This one is more like 2.5, but hey, no thinking was involved. Easy whodunnit summer reading. "
— Dana, 4/23/2011 -
" Terrific. A page turner. Kept me up at night and that’s hard to do now that I’m older. I snooze off early. "
— Joann, 4/21/2011 -
" I think this is one of his best books.<br/> "
— Dondero, 4/20/2011 -
" Not as good as Caught, but still a good page-turner. "
— Allison, 4/17/2011
About Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s leading storytellers. His suspense novels are published in forty-five languages and have been number one bestsellers in more than a dozen countries, with seventy-five million books in print worldwide. His Myron Bolitar series has earned the Edgar, Shamus, and Anthony Awards, and many of his books have been developed into Netflix series, including his adaptation of The Stranger, headlined by Richard Armitage, and The Woods.
About Scott Brick
Scott Brick, an acclaimed voice artist, screenwriter, and actor, has performed on film, television, and radio. He attended UCLA and spent ten years in a traveling Shakespeare company. Passionate about the spoken word, he has narrated a wide variety of audiobooks. winning won more than fifty AudioFile Earphones Awards and several of the prestigious Audie Awards. He was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine and the Voice of Choice for 2016 by Booklist magazine.