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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
Jealousy can make people do crazy things. For Christian, he actually went crazy. You’ve heard of abusive boyfriends, and you’ve heard of possessive ones. To Christian, Clara was his and his alone. She couldn’t even joke around with his friends without him going insane. The way Caletti wrote this novel was every other chapter reflected Clara’s relationship with Christian and then the other half of the chapters was devoted to telling the present story of her life.
The one thing I really loved about this book was her relationship with her father and the fact that they were like best friends almost, and it reminded me of my relationship with my own father. This books felt real, a storyline that held no fantasy because there are people like that in the real world. It was horrifyingly and amazingly realistic.
After this novel, I want to try reading her other books as well!
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.88/5
The one thing I really loved about this book was her relationship with her father and the fact that they were like best friends almost, and it reminded me of my relationship with my own father. This books felt real, a storyline that held no fantasy because there are people like that in the real world. It was horrifyingly and amazingly realistic.
After this novel, I want to try reading her other books as well!
Plot: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World Building: 4.5/5
Cover: 5/5
Overall: 5/5
GoodReads Rating: 3.88/5
I sat down to type out my review but I was completely out of words to describe the poignancy and beauty of Stay by Deb Caletti. Caletti makes the characters incredibly real and relatable. Very rarely I come across a book that strikes a chord within me. This book will Stay with me forever and definitely will go to the top tier of my favorite books. I let Stay to saturate in me and devoured every part of it.
What do you call an intimate relationship? - Intense? but do you know that it can sometimes turn out to Obsession? Well.. Stay is about abusive relationship between Clara and Christian. Often we relate this type of relationship as physically abusive, but Caletti brings out that it can also be purely Emotional.
It starts out with Clara and her father moving to a small seaside town to escape her stalker ex-boyfriend. As the story is said in retrospect, we could look through Clara’s life at the time of her relationship with Christian. Clara meets Christian across a crowded basketball game. Things between them escalates into Obsession quickly. Christian is the kind of a guy who thinks he is being protective, he is but he isn’t. Do you get what I mean? Protectiveness turns more like controlling. Clara is terrified of Christian and tries to escape. Furthermore Clara meets interesting people at the seaside town and their bond with Clara is brilliantly explained.
What makes this novel endearing? - It’s Bobby Oates, Clara’s Father and of course the footnotes. Footnotes are funny and I loved it. The openness between Father-Daughter relationship and their witty-banters are spectacular. I wish I had such an awesome relationship with my Father too.. Caletti’s writing style is fantastic and has a poetic flow to it. I would like to quote a few.
" We can’t get so wrapped up in our own misconceptions that we miss the simple beauty of the truth."
" Fate is a shape-shifter. It is the kindest and most generous entity imaginable, laying out more goodness than a person deserves, and then it shrinks and curls and forms into something grotesque. You think something is one thing, but then it´s another."
I felt Clara’s relationship with Finn was rushed. That was the only qualm . Nevertheless, this book took me on an emotional roller coaster. Are you the kind of a person who would like to sit by the sea with the lapping and sloshing of water and enjoy a good book? Then Stay is for you. I warn you it’s not an easy beach read.
I know it’s not more of a review but I can’t go any further. It is a poignant novel. Without a doubt I would recommend Stay by Deb Caletti to anyone, particularly teen girls.
What do you call an intimate relationship? - Intense? but do you know that it can sometimes turn out to Obsession? Well.. Stay is about abusive relationship between Clara and Christian. Often we relate this type of relationship as physically abusive, but Caletti brings out that it can also be purely Emotional.
It starts out with Clara and her father moving to a small seaside town to escape her stalker ex-boyfriend. As the story is said in retrospect, we could look through Clara’s life at the time of her relationship with Christian. Clara meets Christian across a crowded basketball game. Things between them escalates into Obsession quickly. Christian is the kind of a guy who thinks he is being protective, he is but he isn’t. Do you get what I mean? Protectiveness turns more like controlling. Clara is terrified of Christian and tries to escape. Furthermore Clara meets interesting people at the seaside town and their bond with Clara is brilliantly explained.
What makes this novel endearing? - It’s Bobby Oates, Clara’s Father and of course the footnotes. Footnotes are funny and I loved it. The openness between Father-Daughter relationship and their witty-banters are spectacular. I wish I had such an awesome relationship with my Father too.. Caletti’s writing style is fantastic and has a poetic flow to it. I would like to quote a few.
" We can’t get so wrapped up in our own misconceptions that we miss the simple beauty of the truth."
" Fate is a shape-shifter. It is the kindest and most generous entity imaginable, laying out more goodness than a person deserves, and then it shrinks and curls and forms into something grotesque. You think something is one thing, but then it´s another."
I felt Clara’s relationship with Finn was rushed. That was the only qualm . Nevertheless, this book took me on an emotional roller coaster. Are you the kind of a person who would like to sit by the sea with the lapping and sloshing of water and enjoy a good book? Then Stay is for you. I warn you it’s not an easy beach read.
I know it’s not more of a review but I can’t go any further. It is a poignant novel. Without a doubt I would recommend Stay by Deb Caletti to anyone, particularly teen girls.
Keeping this short, I liked this book more than I expected at first. I love the main character and the fresh start by the ocean. I liked all of the ideas and the characters, my only problem showed up in the last few chapters. It just got SO dramatic. Some of the drama was acceptable, but it all built on each other and I felt a bit confused about what was even going on. It isn't a book that will stick with me, but I DID like it, and I am sure there are plenty of YA readers that will love it. It just got somewhat difficult to relate to for me personally, but I am a harsh critic.
Better than I anticipated, considering I've read stories about abuse that weren't well executed. The author wrote it in a way that wasn't melodramatic but that seemed very real. The book alternates between Clara's present-day escape to a small beech town and the highlights of her relationship with Christian. "Stay" shows how an innocent, well-intentioned relationship can spiral quickly into emotional abuse. What I liked best was Clara's relationship with her father, though, and how it changed as a result of what they endure.
hmm, some very serious issues (stalking, grief) dealt with in a serious and thoughtful way.
I was surprised by how much I liked this book. I wasn't expecting it, but I did. The story was much more than I thought it would be.
I'm still not quite sure why I decided to read this. It's not really my type of book. There are some books I liked by this author... and some I didn't. All I know is I'm glad I did.
Clara is one of those characters that I love. Not once in the book did I think she was selfish or stupid or anything like that.
One thing I did like about this was that even after the whole Christian thing, Clara still managed to find someone. She didn't let what happened with Christian stop her with moving on with someone else. I liked that this book still had a romantic aspect despite everything.
This is not a glamorous story. It's not fun and light-hearted. In fact, there are parts that are downright creepy. Nevertheless, it's a story that needs to be told. One that I liked and will not forget.
I'm still not quite sure why I decided to read this. It's not really my type of book. There are some books I liked by this author... and some I didn't. All I know is I'm glad I did.
Clara is one of those characters that I love. Not once in the book did I think she was selfish or stupid or anything like that.
One thing I did like about this was that even after the whole Christian thing, Clara still managed to find someone. She didn't let what happened with Christian stop her with moving on with someone else. I liked that this book still had a romantic aspect despite everything.
This is not a glamorous story. It's not fun and light-hearted. In fact, there are parts that are downright creepy. Nevertheless, it's a story that needs to be told. One that I liked and will not forget.
Clara meets Christian at a ball game. it seems like fate has brought them together. However, what originally seemed like genuine concern and caring turns quickly into control and obsession. Eventually Clara gets up the nerve to break things off with Christian, but things get desperate enough that she and her father leave town without telling anyone where they are going. They end up at Deception Pass. Clara meets new people, including a new boy, and she must try to come to grips with the past - both her relationship with Christian as well as some things about her family that she never knew before.
Definitely kept me reading with clever flashes between past and present. Nice character introspection and growth, not just Clara but she and her father as well. Clever use of a boat called "Obsession" as well.
Good readalike for Sarah Dessen.
Definitely kept me reading with clever flashes between past and present. Nice character introspection and growth, not just Clara but she and her father as well. Clever use of a boat called "Obsession" as well.
Good readalike for Sarah Dessen.
I have always loved Deb Caletti, and this book is no exception. Just like Clara's father Deb has a way with words, some of the things in this book in particular are going to stay with me for a long time.
I downloaded this book in the summer I think but I didn't get the chance to read it until yesterday. The starting was a bit confusing and that is why I broke my rule of reading the review of a book after finishing the book. Then I went back to the book.
It switches timeline between present and what happened to bring the girl, Clara, where she is today. I will not tell you the exact outline of the plot either only the points I liked.
I read books so I can get a glimpse of a better life - something like learn from other's mistakes. There are times in life when we do the right thing but we keep feeling guilty about it for a long time. Mostly this book is about dealing with that and your own choices. About letting go. There is truth mixed with humour. The truth about fear, will, obsessions and such strong emotions. There wer great lines about promises. Things we know but we don't put into words.
And on the whole, I loved this book. After a long time, I was reading a mature novel for my age - above YA but still not adult enough and that makes me hold this book dearer. I will read it again for sure. Thus, a 4.5 stars rounded to a 5.
It switches timeline between present and what happened to bring the girl, Clara, where she is today. I will not tell you the exact outline of the plot either only the points I liked.
I read books so I can get a glimpse of a better life - something like learn from other's mistakes. There are times in life when we do the right thing but we keep feeling guilty about it for a long time. Mostly this book is about dealing with that and your own choices. About letting go. There is truth mixed with humour. The truth about fear, will, obsessions and such strong emotions. There wer great lines about promises. Things we know but we don't put into words.
And on the whole, I loved this book. After a long time, I was reading a mature novel for my age - above YA but still not adult enough and that makes me hold this book dearer. I will read it again for sure. Thus, a 4.5 stars rounded to a 5.
This was such a powerful book! I'm very impressed. There are things to take away from this book for teens, but also for adults who might choose to read it.
The thought of having a relationship that you think is so great, and truly falling for someone, only to find out eventually that there are things that are certainly not compatible is difficult at any age. When things become obsessive or threatening, it can be down right scary. And one thing that seems easy to do is blame yourself.
Along with the obsessive boyfriend story line, there is also a complicated relationship between father and daughter and the feelings any girl would have after losing their mother. I think stories that show adults and especially parents as human and fallible are so important. So many teens feel alone in their suffering and it's so vital that they see that we adults suffer through things too. That we make mistakes, that we grieve, and that we are still learning and growing.
I think this is only the 2nd book by this author I have read, but I will definitely be looking into her back list and reading more. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Susanne Colasanti, and even Colleen Hoover will likely love this book.
The thought of having a relationship that you think is so great, and truly falling for someone, only to find out eventually that there are things that are certainly not compatible is difficult at any age. When things become obsessive or threatening, it can be down right scary. And one thing that seems easy to do is blame yourself.
Along with the obsessive boyfriend story line, there is also a complicated relationship between father and daughter and the feelings any girl would have after losing their mother. I think stories that show adults and especially parents as human and fallible are so important. So many teens feel alone in their suffering and it's so vital that they see that we adults suffer through things too. That we make mistakes, that we grieve, and that we are still learning and growing.
I think this is only the 2nd book by this author I have read, but I will definitely be looking into her back list and reading more. Fans of Sarah Dessen, Susanne Colasanti, and even Colleen Hoover will likely love this book.