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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Edited, 26/9/12: I just realized I left my sentences hanging. Let me try this again.
This story is about Clara and her psycho boyfriend Christian who is obsessed with her, like SUPER DEE DUPER obsessed, to the point that Clara and her dad had to leave town to escape from him, because he wouldn't leave her alone after she dumped him.
I love Clara. She sounds so honest and innocent, and she's very likeable. I love her relationship with her father; he is probably one of the hippest dads of YA I ever read about, although I do think his "secret" is unnecessary. But hey I don't question, I just ride with it. It's crazy how scared I was for her when I was reading this. Christian is like a walking time bomb, you never know when he will blow. Deb Caletti makes the whole obsession-turned-stalking thing so realistic it's just plain creepy.
I think Deb Caletti did a great job of describing Christian as this unstable, insecure boy who wants to control everything, and how that affects Clara. It's frustrating, seeing the signs of trouble and having to read through Clara being all oblivious about it. And I do think the idea of including those annotations or footnotes for the readers is brilliant. The whole book is set out as if Clara is re-telling the story again, and she knows what we think, hence the little footnotes.
I don't have much experience in the field, but what I do know is while love is never easy, it is NEVER destructive.
This story is about Clara and her psycho boyfriend Christian who is obsessed with her, like SUPER DEE DUPER obsessed, to the point that Clara and her dad had to leave town to escape from him, because he wouldn't leave her alone after she dumped him.
I love Clara. She sounds so honest and innocent, and she's very likeable. I love her relationship with her father; he is probably one of the hippest dads of YA I ever read about, although I do think his "secret" is unnecessary. But hey I don't question, I just ride with it. It's crazy how scared I was for her when I was reading this. Christian is like a walking time bomb, you never know when he will blow. Deb Caletti makes the whole obsession-turned-stalking thing so realistic it's just plain creepy.
I think Deb Caletti did a great job of describing Christian as this unstable, insecure boy who wants to control everything, and how that affects Clara. It's frustrating, seeing the signs of trouble and having to read through Clara being all oblivious about it. And I do think the idea of including those annotations or footnotes for the readers is brilliant. The whole book is set out as if Clara is re-telling the story again, and she knows what we think, hence the little footnotes.
I don't have much experience in the field, but what I do know is while love is never easy, it is NEVER destructive.
Beautifully written! I keep stopping to re-read especially perfect sections.
This review was originally published on: The Reading Fever.
"Wow." That's basically the only word I could transmit once I finished reading Stay. I loved it. I loved it just as much, and possibly more than, the best books I have read this year...not because of a beautiful romance, or sexy characters, but because it was profound and enlightening. In fact, I'm including a few quotes in this review, because the book was full of profound and enlightening passages.
Stay resonates with me in ways I can't even put into words. It can be hard to understand abuse, and why someone would ever put up with it (I'm not judging here; I've had my own experiences with abuse). There is an honesty to the pages of this book, allowing the reader to think about Clara's situation, and really understand it and even identify with Clara; allowing the reader to see inside those moments when it is happening, and she feels like she wants to do something about it, but doesn't know how, and then she decides to brush it off or shoulder it, as if it were all her fault. Somehow, Caletti is able to let the reader see how easily one can go down that path, and not even realize it.
I was hooked from the first page. The story is set up nicely, leaving you wondering what happened to set everything in motion as it did. Caletti removed herself from the story, allowing it to be told by Clara. This is done so well, that the reader feels involved; like it were happening to a best friend right at that very moment. I love that there are also footnotes, where "Clara" wanted to give more information about something she was talking about. It's a cute addition that gives more credit to the story.
The characters in Stay are very developed, especially Christian (the jerk), and Clara's dad. Clara, herself, is a great character, and I loved the view inside her head the book gave. The town that she and her dad run away to is such a charming place, and full of character. I couldn't help but laugh at the names of every place they came across (read the book and you'll get it); pretty clever stuff.
My final thoughts are that Stay is definitely a favorite book (I'm buying a copy, and it's going on the good shelf.), and highly recommend it. Be prepared for your emotions to get involved, though. Stay is deep, emotional, read. Definitely worthy of the Fever Inducer title.
"Wow." That's basically the only word I could transmit once I finished reading Stay. I loved it. I loved it just as much, and possibly more than, the best books I have read this year...not because of a beautiful romance, or sexy characters, but because it was profound and enlightening. In fact, I'm including a few quotes in this review, because the book was full of profound and enlightening passages.
Stay resonates with me in ways I can't even put into words. It can be hard to understand abuse, and why someone would ever put up with it (I'm not judging here; I've had my own experiences with abuse). There is an honesty to the pages of this book, allowing the reader to think about Clara's situation, and really understand it and even identify with Clara; allowing the reader to see inside those moments when it is happening, and she feels like she wants to do something about it, but doesn't know how, and then she decides to brush it off or shoulder it, as if it were all her fault. Somehow, Caletti is able to let the reader see how easily one can go down that path, and not even realize it.
"It's strange, isn't it, how the idea of belonging to someone can sound so great? It can be comforting, the way it makes things decided. We like the thought of being held, until it's too tight. We like that certainty, until it means there is no way out. And we like being his, until we realize we're not ours anymore."
-Stay, by Deb Caletti
I was hooked from the first page. The story is set up nicely, leaving you wondering what happened to set everything in motion as it did. Caletti removed herself from the story, allowing it to be told by Clara. This is done so well, that the reader feels involved; like it were happening to a best friend right at that very moment. I love that there are also footnotes, where "Clara" wanted to give more information about something she was talking about. It's a cute addition that gives more credit to the story.
"I've heard that people stay in bad situations because a relationship like that gets turned up by degrees. It is said that a frog will jump out of a pot of boiling water. Place him in a pot and turn it up a little at a time, and he will stay until he is boiled to death. Us frogs understand this."
-Stay, by Deb Caletti
The characters in Stay are very developed, especially Christian (the jerk), and Clara's dad. Clara, herself, is a great character, and I loved the view inside her head the book gave. The town that she and her dad run away to is such a charming place, and full of character. I couldn't help but laugh at the names of every place they came across (read the book and you'll get it); pretty clever stuff.
"People can attach themselves to something--an idea, another person, a desire--with an impossibly strong grip, and in the case of restless ghosts, a grip stronger than death. Will is a powerful thing. Will--it's supposed to be a good trait, a more determined and persistent version of determination and persistence. Bit will and obsession--they sit right next to each other. They pretend to be strangers and all the while meet secretly at midnight."
-Stay, by Deb Caletti
My final thoughts are that Stay is definitely a favorite book (I'm buying a copy, and it's going on the good shelf.), and highly recommend it. Be prepared for your emotions to get involved, though. Stay is deep, emotional, read. Definitely worthy of the Fever Inducer title.
Review first posted at http://unautrehistoire.blogspot.com/
In recent months I have read quite a few books dealing with fairly heavy/serious issues. Books dealing with abusive boyfriends among them so picking this one up was no biggie. Stay by Deb Caletti is about a boy who is so obsessed with his girlfriend that he becomes extremely abusive (although not physically abusive, but I am sure it could have gone there). This was the first novel that I have read by Caletti and I wasn't a huge fan of this one. There were things that I loved about it, and some things that really bothered me.
The thing that I loved the most about this book was Clara's relationship with her father. I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. Clara's mom had passed away when she was four, so it had just been her dad and her for many years, and they had this really special relationship. Clara's dad was supportive and encouraging and he really cared for his daughter. In most YA novels you don't often see the parents and you wonder where they are, in this one Clara's dad was around and he was dad. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel.
Christian, to let the psycho ex-boyfriend cool off. They went to a small cottage town, and Clara got a job. That's all fine and dandy, what I thought was odd was the fact the Clara found herself becoming romantically involved with a boy, I found myself saying oh come on. I liked Finn, I really liked his character, and I think however that if he could have simply been her friend instead of her boyfriend the book would have been better for me. I also wasn't a fan of the end, I feel like Christian got off way to easily, and it was a little anti-climatic for me. It was a tad disappointing.
Christian was a creepy character, totally insane and that was something that was believable in Stay. He was totally obsessed and totally psycho. He was freaky. Clara was meh. I didn't love her, and I didn't hate her. She didn't do a whole lot for me.
I think that maybe I shouldn't have read Stay when I did, that maybe I wasn't in the mood for it, therefore am being a little to critical, but who knows. I am planning on reading a couple more books by Deb Caletti to give her a second chance. Wish me luck.
Happy Reading Everyone!
In recent months I have read quite a few books dealing with fairly heavy/serious issues. Books dealing with abusive boyfriends among them so picking this one up was no biggie. Stay by Deb Caletti is about a boy who is so obsessed with his girlfriend that he becomes extremely abusive (although not physically abusive, but I am sure it could have gone there). This was the first novel that I have read by Caletti and I wasn't a huge fan of this one. There were things that I loved about it, and some things that really bothered me.
The thing that I loved the most about this book was Clara's relationship with her father. I thought it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever read. Clara's mom had passed away when she was four, so it had just been her dad and her for many years, and they had this really special relationship. Clara's dad was supportive and encouraging and he really cared for his daughter. In most YA novels you don't often see the parents and you wonder where they are, in this one Clara's dad was around and he was dad. I really enjoyed that aspect of the novel.
Christian, to let the psycho ex-boyfriend cool off. They went to a small cottage town, and Clara got a job. That's all fine and dandy, what I thought was odd was the fact the Clara found herself becoming romantically involved with a boy, I found myself saying oh come on. I liked Finn, I really liked his character, and I think however that if he could have simply been her friend instead of her boyfriend the book would have been better for me. I also wasn't a fan of the end, I feel like Christian got off way to easily, and it was a little anti-climatic for me. It was a tad disappointing.
Christian was a creepy character, totally insane and that was something that was believable in Stay. He was totally obsessed and totally psycho. He was freaky. Clara was meh. I didn't love her, and I didn't hate her. She didn't do a whole lot for me.
I think that maybe I shouldn't have read Stay when I did, that maybe I wasn't in the mood for it, therefore am being a little to critical, but who knows. I am planning on reading a couple more books by Deb Caletti to give her a second chance. Wish me luck.
Happy Reading Everyone!
Deb Caletti does it again! After reading some of her earlier novels and seeing her progression to the mature author she is today, I was anxious to read her latest novel.
Stay will be considered this year's best summer contemporary romance, but for different reasons than most YA novels. Rather than showing an amazing relationship or cute couple, Stay portrays Clara and Christian's terrifying and ugly love. Too often we see a "insta-love" where people meet, fall in love, and everything works out; for Clara and Christian we see the realistic ending when they don't live happily ever after. It's also one of the few YA novels that looks at the negative impacts of passionate obsessive love and how it can destroy relationships. I really liked how none of Clara's relationships in the novel are textbook "perfect" as each character has faults and each relationship is not necessarily based on the best values or expectations.
I really enjoyed how much attention Deb Caletti paid to small details, such as the alternating chapters, subtle references to the climax, the perspectives of situations, and describing Daniel in bits and pieces. She has such a great concept of how teenagers think, act, and speak that all of her characters were incredibly realistic. I especially liked her reference to how long it can take for certain songs, places, or events to no longer remind you of a person as Clara struggles to become a separate person from who she was with Christian yet is still plagued by memories they shared together.
My pet peeve with Stay actually has nothing to do with the content at all. It's the cover. First of all, it shows the wrong setting and the girl is too skinny to be Clara. Then there's the summary: atrocious! I never would have read this if I'd seen such a cheesy and melodramatic synopsis. I'm really glad that I'm not reading summaries this year to remain more objective about the books I read and this one will be a shining example.
In light of the recent article about the "darkness" of young adult literature I thought it would be appropriate for me to point out how Stay would be an excellent example of a "dark" novel that teenagers should read. As I previously stated too often YA novels focus on first loves, best-friends-that-become-boyfriends, and the happy aspects of love. None of these prepare or inform teenagers of the downside of love, that it doesn't always end in happiness and people can get hurt. Stay cracked me wide open with its amazing metaphors and characters but in the end it was the plot, a story of a girl and her boyfriend-turned-stalker, that will stick with me long after I write this review. While some may argue that it was inappropriate of Deb Caletti to include sexual, self-injury, or suicidal references in her novel, I found them all to be realistic and relevant to the scenario posed and they helped make the novel into the masterpiece it is.
Stay will be considered this year's best summer contemporary romance, but for different reasons than most YA novels. Rather than showing an amazing relationship or cute couple, Stay portrays Clara and Christian's terrifying and ugly love. Too often we see a "insta-love" where people meet, fall in love, and everything works out; for Clara and Christian we see the realistic ending when they don't live happily ever after. It's also one of the few YA novels that looks at the negative impacts of passionate obsessive love and how it can destroy relationships. I really liked how none of Clara's relationships in the novel are textbook "perfect" as each character has faults and each relationship is not necessarily based on the best values or expectations.
I really enjoyed how much attention Deb Caletti paid to small details, such as the alternating chapters, subtle references to the climax, the perspectives of situations, and describing Daniel in bits and pieces. She has such a great concept of how teenagers think, act, and speak that all of her characters were incredibly realistic. I especially liked her reference to how long it can take for certain songs, places, or events to no longer remind you of a person as Clara struggles to become a separate person from who she was with Christian yet is still plagued by memories they shared together.
My pet peeve with Stay actually has nothing to do with the content at all. It's the cover. First of all, it shows the wrong setting and the girl is too skinny to be Clara. Then there's the summary: atrocious! I never would have read this if I'd seen such a cheesy and melodramatic synopsis. I'm really glad that I'm not reading summaries this year to remain more objective about the books I read and this one will be a shining example.
In light of the recent article about the "darkness" of young adult literature I thought it would be appropriate for me to point out how Stay would be an excellent example of a "dark" novel that teenagers should read. As I previously stated too often YA novels focus on first loves, best-friends-that-become-boyfriends, and the happy aspects of love. None of these prepare or inform teenagers of the downside of love, that it doesn't always end in happiness and people can get hurt. Stay cracked me wide open with its amazing metaphors and characters but in the end it was the plot, a story of a girl and her boyfriend-turned-stalker, that will stick with me long after I write this review. While some may argue that it was inappropriate of Deb Caletti to include sexual, self-injury, or suicidal references in her novel, I found them all to be realistic and relevant to the scenario posed and they helped make the novel into the masterpiece it is.
Stay tells the story of Clara Oates who moves to a seaside town after an abusive relationship with Christian. She starts to put her life together again, feeling free since no one back home knows where she is. Yet, she still struggles to shake off her fear because she knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough.
I sort of put off reading Stay for a while because of the subject matter but I’m glad I finally finished it. The abusive relationship portrayed her is more of a controlling one, but of course, a controlling relationship is also an abusive one. I did find it comforting that physical abuse wasn’t overly portrayed here because the last YA-abuse novel had graphic descriptions of the violence and it really turned me off.
So anyway, in Stay, the story is told, in alternating chapters, what is going on in the present as well as what happened to Clara and Christian’s relationship. This may sound a little sick but I do feel a little sorry for Christian. He really comes across as someone who is deeply in need of psychological help. I truly don’t think he really meant to hurt Clara even in his fits of anger.
Clara is someone who undergoes healing and self-empowerment in this story. She re-examines her relationship with Christian and at the end of it all, becomes more powerful because of it. I quite like the last line of the novel as well. I don’t have the book with me at the moment but it has something to do with remembering the past and carrying on with life. It was really empowering and inspiring.
The secondary characters also shined in Stay. I found Clara’s father to be rather entertaining. After all, he’s no ordinary father. He’s a writer, a wordsmith and he was very amusing to read, especially when he’s cursing. LOL. Other characters like Aurora Annabelle and Sylvia also brought colors to the story and of course, the love interest Finn. A charming, charming young man and together with his brother, Jack, they make quite the formidable pair. I also liked how Caletti used Finn and Jack, for a scene, when comparing their friendship to Christian’s friendships to other people. Christian’s just the person who can’t be teased, mocked or even joked with; he’s that sensitive.
The ending was a pretty good one, with a subplot thrown in about Clara’s father and his fear of water. I thought it wouldn’t fit in but in the end, it did and I was glad for it. Some might find the ending involving Christian to be unsatisfying but I think in a lot of cases in real life, this is what happens and no one can really do anything about it.
I sort of put off reading Stay for a while because of the subject matter but I’m glad I finally finished it. The abusive relationship portrayed her is more of a controlling one, but of course, a controlling relationship is also an abusive one. I did find it comforting that physical abuse wasn’t overly portrayed here because the last YA-abuse novel had graphic descriptions of the violence and it really turned me off.
So anyway, in Stay, the story is told, in alternating chapters, what is going on in the present as well as what happened to Clara and Christian’s relationship. This may sound a little sick but I do feel a little sorry for Christian. He really comes across as someone who is deeply in need of psychological help. I truly don’t think he really meant to hurt Clara even in his fits of anger.
Clara is someone who undergoes healing and self-empowerment in this story. She re-examines her relationship with Christian and at the end of it all, becomes more powerful because of it. I quite like the last line of the novel as well. I don’t have the book with me at the moment but it has something to do with remembering the past and carrying on with life. It was really empowering and inspiring.
The secondary characters also shined in Stay. I found Clara’s father to be rather entertaining. After all, he’s no ordinary father. He’s a writer, a wordsmith and he was very amusing to read, especially when he’s cursing. LOL. Other characters like Aurora Annabelle and Sylvia also brought colors to the story and of course, the love interest Finn. A charming, charming young man and together with his brother, Jack, they make quite the formidable pair. I also liked how Caletti used Finn and Jack, for a scene, when comparing their friendship to Christian’s friendships to other people. Christian’s just the person who can’t be teased, mocked or even joked with; he’s that sensitive.
The ending was a pretty good one, with a subplot thrown in about Clara’s father and his fear of water. I thought it wouldn’t fit in but in the end, it did and I was glad for it. Some might find the ending involving Christian to be unsatisfying but I think in a lot of cases in real life, this is what happens and no one can really do anything about it.
There are so many key points about a relationship turned toxic and what it takes to get out of that. To find yourself again. Deb does a fantastic job of grasping that concept. Her novel has such a powerful and truthful voice especially since it’s geared towards a younger audience.
2.5 stars.
I just couldn’t get into it at first and then when I did I would be a little disappointed..
I think I came in with expectations that were way too high. I really expected more BUT the story/concept was good, the execution not so much.
I know this review is all over the place but I hope you get the gist
On a side note, the Bishop family is amazingggg! Tbh all the characters except for obv Christian and sometimes Clara were great!
I just couldn’t get into it at first and then when I did I would be a little disappointed..
I think I came in with expectations that were way too high. I really expected more BUT the story/concept was good, the execution not so much.
I know this review is all over the place but I hope you get the gist
On a side note, the Bishop family is amazingggg! Tbh all the characters except for obv Christian and sometimes Clara were great!
A quiet, deliberate story of relationship abuse. It's a little difficult to get into because of the alternating past/present chapters (which, at least in the arc, aren't denoted). I thought Clara's relationship with her father was fantastic, though. One of the better family dynamics I've read in a while. My big issue with the book is that I didn't quite buy enough of Clara and Christian's relationship -- perhaps because of the set up of the story -- and I really think that this book appeals much more to adults than teens. That's not to say there aren't teens that will love this, because there certainly are, but I feel like Caletti's work would do so well on the adult market.
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/stay-by-deb-caletti.html
Full review here: http://stackedbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/stay-by-deb-caletti.html