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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
I could not put this book down! It's not that I can really relate to her situation, but I can really relate to her as a person and how she fell into her situation!! I would recommend this to any teenage girl.
I knew you wouldn't disappoint me Caletti, I just knew it. This book...gosh I don't even have the words to express how amazing this book was. Have you ever read a book that just made so much sense and connected to you in such a way that it left you thinking about it for days later? Because that's how I felt reading this book.
“It wasn’t fair for a person to shove himself at you again and again when you wanted them gone. We should have the right to have someone leave when we want, to only allow those in who we want in. But the truth is, people can force their way into your life whenever they choose. If they want to remind you forevermore that they exist, they will. They can reappear in a card or a call or a “chance” meeting, they can remember your birthday or the day you met with some innocuous small note. No matter how little they matter in your new life, they can insist on being seen and recognized and remembered.”
Clara the main character speaks to you in a way that no other character can. She tells her story, and she really connect with the reader. The thing that I loved most about this book is how real everything was. When we read story about a couple falling love it's always the same thing: girl likes boy, boy likes girl, they fall in love, the end. But in this story we find out what happens when you fall in love, and things don't turn out the way you hoped. Clara loved Christian and a part of her always will but the big difference between her and all the other girls in novels is that she knows when things have gone to far. She realizes their relationship is not healthy and even though a big part of her wants to be with him, she knows she needs to leave.
“You read all kinds of books and see all kinds of movies about the man who is obsessed and devoted, whose focus is a single solid beam, same as the lighthouse and that intense, too. It is Heathcliff with Catherine. It is a vampire with a passionate love stronger than death. We crave that kind of focus from someone else. We'd give anything to be that "loved." But that focus is not some soul-deep pinnacle of perfect devotion - it's only darkness and the tormented ghosts of darkness. It's strange, isn't it, to see a person's gaping emotional wounds, their gnawing needs, as our romance? We long for it, I don't know why, but when we have it, it is a knife at our throat on the banks of Greenlake. It is an unwanted power you'd do anything to be rid of. A power that becomes the ultimate powerlessness.”
Obsession is not something that should be taken lightly, and I like how in this novel it truly opened my eyes to how serious it could get. I don't know about you guys but I've read a lot of books where the guy falls in love with the girl and it's almost like he's obsessed with her because "he can't get enough"; I used to think it was so romantic how he would get incredibly jealous and want her all to himself, but now I'm seriously questioning the authors message. In Stay, Clara makes it clear from the beginning how scary and not romantic it is when you can't even look at anyone without you're boyfriend accusing you of cheating and verbally abusing you.
Deb Caletti really outdid herself in this book and it's honestly got to be my favorite one from her so far! It's really a shame that she doesn't get the attention she deserves, but I know for a fact that she will keep writing amazing stories that ultimately change peoples lives. Because this book definitely changed my life, and I don't think I'll ever be the same. You have to give this book a chance, trust me you will not be sorry. And not to keep ranting on but I have yet to read one bad review about this book, and that's probably because this book is so close to perfection it's almost impossible to not like it.
This review is also on my blog World of Books
“It wasn’t fair for a person to shove himself at you again and again when you wanted them gone. We should have the right to have someone leave when we want, to only allow those in who we want in. But the truth is, people can force their way into your life whenever they choose. If they want to remind you forevermore that they exist, they will. They can reappear in a card or a call or a “chance” meeting, they can remember your birthday or the day you met with some innocuous small note. No matter how little they matter in your new life, they can insist on being seen and recognized and remembered.”
Clara the main character speaks to you in a way that no other character can. She tells her story, and she really connect with the reader. The thing that I loved most about this book is how real everything was. When we read story about a couple falling love it's always the same thing: girl likes boy, boy likes girl, they fall in love, the end. But in this story we find out what happens when you fall in love, and things don't turn out the way you hoped. Clara loved Christian and a part of her always will but the big difference between her and all the other girls in novels is that she knows when things have gone to far. She realizes their relationship is not healthy and even though a big part of her wants to be with him, she knows she needs to leave.
“You read all kinds of books and see all kinds of movies about the man who is obsessed and devoted, whose focus is a single solid beam, same as the lighthouse and that intense, too. It is Heathcliff with Catherine. It is a vampire with a passionate love stronger than death. We crave that kind of focus from someone else. We'd give anything to be that "loved." But that focus is not some soul-deep pinnacle of perfect devotion - it's only darkness and the tormented ghosts of darkness. It's strange, isn't it, to see a person's gaping emotional wounds, their gnawing needs, as our romance? We long for it, I don't know why, but when we have it, it is a knife at our throat on the banks of Greenlake. It is an unwanted power you'd do anything to be rid of. A power that becomes the ultimate powerlessness.”
Obsession is not something that should be taken lightly, and I like how in this novel it truly opened my eyes to how serious it could get. I don't know about you guys but I've read a lot of books where the guy falls in love with the girl and it's almost like he's obsessed with her because "he can't get enough"; I used to think it was so romantic how he would get incredibly jealous and want her all to himself, but now I'm seriously questioning the authors message. In Stay, Clara makes it clear from the beginning how scary and not romantic it is when you can't even look at anyone without you're boyfriend accusing you of cheating and verbally abusing you.
Deb Caletti really outdid herself in this book and it's honestly got to be my favorite one from her so far! It's really a shame that she doesn't get the attention she deserves, but I know for a fact that she will keep writing amazing stories that ultimately change peoples lives. Because this book definitely changed my life, and I don't think I'll ever be the same. You have to give this book a chance, trust me you will not be sorry. And not to keep ranting on but I have yet to read one bad review about this book, and that's probably because this book is so close to perfection it's almost impossible to not like it.
This review is also on my blog World of Books
I can't conceive of ever reading a Deb Caletti title and saying any of the following:
1. Definitely a 3. Just average.
2. Well, that was nice.
3. I wish it were more romantic/suspenseful/interesting/anything!!!
What I CAN imagine saying is this: Holy Shit, that's a GREAT friggin' book!!!
I mean, every time I start one, to be honest, I always have a "huh" moment...not from confusion or question, but because it is different than I anticipated. Then, without fail, I am at the end and I am sobbing or laughing or both! Because I have watched a story in my mind that was so real and important and interesting and moving. Like I said, So. Friggin. Good.
1. Definitely a 3. Just average.
2. Well, that was nice.
3. I wish it were more romantic/suspenseful/interesting/anything!!!
What I CAN imagine saying is this: Holy Shit, that's a GREAT friggin' book!!!
I mean, every time I start one, to be honest, I always have a "huh" moment...not from confusion or question, but because it is different than I anticipated. Then, without fail, I am at the end and I am sobbing or laughing or both! Because I have watched a story in my mind that was so real and important and interesting and moving. Like I said, So. Friggin. Good.
I love, love Deb Caletti's writing. She knows exactly what to say and exactly which words to use to describe those very moments, those very sounds and smells that we all know but can never put words to. She captures feelings and emotions and puts it down in such a realistic way that you know exactly what it feels like, exactly what the characters are going through, even if you haven't necessarily gone through the same thing yourself. Her words trigger memories you didn't know you had and make you remember emotions of long ago. She could make rubbish sound good. And this particular story is both suspenseful and slow at just the right moments. I couldn't put it done, yet wish it wasn't over. Beautiful.
I had a lot of critical things to say about this as I was reading. The footnotes bugged me. They were mostly unnecessary. Just observations that could have been included within the main paragraph. The exposition of the main storylines seemed to drag. There didn’t need to be suspense built over what douchebags her ex-boyfriends were. But I guess there did, because of the use of flashbacks which I didn’t think really worked all that well.
But what bugged me the most was the underdevelopment of the main character, Clara. I had to go look up her name just now because whenever I read a book like this I instantly forget the main character’s name. Why? Because I’ve read her a thousand times.
Clara is basically every other girl we’ve ever read about. She goes to high school, is generally shy, she lost an immediate relative (in this case an admitted cliché), likes to read and wonder about boys who are much more interesting than she is. Sometimes we get variations on the same girl, she focuses her energy into schoolwork and college applications, she plays one musical instrument fabulously or listens to obscure music that her friends detest. But in the end, they always spend their time reading and thinking about boys.
Obviously, I get this. I’m aware of the audience for these books, girls who like to read and think about boys. But if they read, it’s like their only hobby. I get it, it’s our hobby. We are girls who read. I read three books today, but if you wrote a book about my life, I’d do a lot more than read in my spare time. Being well read is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, and maybe it could be considered a talent? I don’t know, I’m not the final authority on this.
It’s just that in comparison, the boys do so much more. Clara’s male interests are interesting- they have global interests, they have career goals, they have life long passions.
Clara reads.
It’s mentioned that Clara’s takes pictures, that her photographs are used for the covers of her father’s crime novels, so why was she never taking pictures? Did she leave her camera behind to save room when she moved? She had to have known she was going to a place, rich with nature, where there’d be nothing to do, why not bring some art supplies if she is so artistic?
But this critique is not just of Clara and Stay. This applies to the larger YA romance/grieving/drama genre which is flooded with this problem. Ordinary girls with extraordinary boy problems. It’s like chick flicks- the neurotic, career-driven woman who finds her exact opposite to show her how to enjoy life. It’s degrading.
Because, in all honesty, Stay blew me away. It dealt with real issues that even adult women stuggle with. My best friend and roommate has been dealing with very similar issues for a year now with ex-boyfriend. This morning she asked me about it for the first time in months. Because I read this book, I had new insight to offer. There is valuable wisdom in Caletti’s writing and while the main character was forgotten about, nearly every other supporting character offered more depth to the story.
And in complete, admitted irony, I got really into this book because of the sailing. I love men and sail boats. So I guess in the end, it’s hard not to be that girl who likes books and boys.
But what bugged me the most was the underdevelopment of the main character, Clara. I had to go look up her name just now because whenever I read a book like this I instantly forget the main character’s name. Why? Because I’ve read her a thousand times.
Clara is basically every other girl we’ve ever read about. She goes to high school, is generally shy, she lost an immediate relative (in this case an admitted cliché), likes to read and wonder about boys who are much more interesting than she is. Sometimes we get variations on the same girl, she focuses her energy into schoolwork and college applications, she plays one musical instrument fabulously or listens to obscure music that her friends detest. But in the end, they always spend their time reading and thinking about boys.
Obviously, I get this. I’m aware of the audience for these books, girls who like to read and think about boys. But if they read, it’s like their only hobby. I get it, it’s our hobby. We are girls who read. I read three books today, but if you wrote a book about my life, I’d do a lot more than read in my spare time. Being well read is a good thing, don’t get me wrong, and maybe it could be considered a talent? I don’t know, I’m not the final authority on this.
It’s just that in comparison, the boys do so much more. Clara’s male interests are interesting- they have global interests, they have career goals, they have life long passions.
Clara reads.
It’s mentioned that Clara’s takes pictures, that her photographs are used for the covers of her father’s crime novels, so why was she never taking pictures? Did she leave her camera behind to save room when she moved? She had to have known she was going to a place, rich with nature, where there’d be nothing to do, why not bring some art supplies if she is so artistic?
But this critique is not just of Clara and Stay. This applies to the larger YA romance/grieving/drama genre which is flooded with this problem. Ordinary girls with extraordinary boy problems. It’s like chick flicks- the neurotic, career-driven woman who finds her exact opposite to show her how to enjoy life. It’s degrading.
Because, in all honesty, Stay blew me away. It dealt with real issues that even adult women stuggle with. My best friend and roommate has been dealing with very similar issues for a year now with ex-boyfriend. This morning she asked me about it for the first time in months. Because I read this book, I had new insight to offer. There is valuable wisdom in Caletti’s writing and while the main character was forgotten about, nearly every other supporting character offered more depth to the story.
And in complete, admitted irony, I got really into this book because of the sailing. I love men and sail boats. So I guess in the end, it’s hard not to be that girl who likes books and boys.
Excellent prose and a poignant story for many.
A wonderful accomplishment from author Deb Caletti.
This would have been a 5-star rating were it not for the cursing. I can deal with cursing, it doesn't "bother me" to simply read over words I'm not interested in, however the sheer amount of language used drove me to distraction while reading Stay.
Long Review TK
A wonderful accomplishment from author Deb Caletti.
This would have been a 5-star rating were it not for the cursing. I can deal with cursing, it doesn't "bother me" to simply read over words I'm not interested in, however the sheer amount of language used drove me to distraction while reading Stay.
Long Review TK
Great book about what it means to love someone, and what love really isn't. Often, especially in younger relationships, it's easy to misunderstand. But as Clara's dad shows us, this happens in adult relationships too. The only complaint I have about this book was I spent about half of it super tense, but I think that was kind of the point :)
Over all I did not like this book. The beginning of it was good, very good actually but only untill you find out what he did... It makes you think Christian did something bad to her. He was just a cry baby! Clara and everyone else in the book was just OVERREACTING!! I was expecting something like a kidnapping or something big from the way they were all acting. He scratched his face... -_- and when he found her to apologize she went in a small row boat in the middle of a storm. THAT is what almost killed her, not Christian. She almost died like her mother. And another thing! Almost everyone in the book was from another country! That really bugged me because not everyone you know it from somewhere else! Now I do know people from other countries but not almost everyone I know is from some other country. Most people I know from where I'm from. My advice: DONT READ. It will only disappoint you. Especially feminists.
This book was great! It was written so beautifully, it had me hanging on every word from the very beginning. Not to mention the writing style; I felt like I was sitting down with Clara herself drinkin tea while she tells me her story. Deb Caletti really made the characters so real and tangible that it was all the more investing to read.
It was an intense story, alternating from past to present of Clara and Christian's relationship; the whole way through the book you can feel the tension and know that at some point it is going to snap. However, the book was kind of lagging on, particulary in reaching the climax which ends abruptly.
Despite that, the story is beautifully crafted and has some very lovable characters. Clara's father is just about the coolest and most laid back person ever; his and Clara's banter was great to read. And of course Finn and his family, who are hilarious and sweet (not to mention the adorable stalker seagull).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book; I think it's a great read but it was missing something that could've taken it from great to fantastic.
It was an intense story, alternating from past to present of Clara and Christian's relationship; the whole way through the book you can feel the tension and know that at some point it is going to snap. However, the book was kind of lagging on, particulary in reaching the climax which ends abruptly.
Despite that, the story is beautifully crafted and has some very lovable characters. Clara's father is just about the coolest and most laid back person ever; his and Clara's banter was great to read. And of course Finn and his family, who are hilarious and sweet (not to mention the adorable stalker seagull).
Overall, I really enjoyed this book; I think it's a great read but it was missing something that could've taken it from great to fantastic.
dark
emotional
mysterious
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide