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A review by themaddiest
Stay with Me by Paul Griffin
4.0
Cece and Mack didn’t see each other coming. Even though they live in the same neighborhood, they couldn’t be more different: she’s a straight-A student working on getting into a gifted-and-talented program; he’s a dyslexic high school dropout with serious anger issues. But it doesn’t take long before they’re spending all their free time together, spilling their deepest thoughts, bonding over a rescued pit bull, and making plans for the future. Then it all goes horribly awry, and the two have to come to terms with their individual losses.
Paul Griffin has written a captivating, heartbreaking story. This is a sad book, you guys. Let me say that right off the bat. When I was looking over my notes to write this review, I started to get choked up–again. Griffin’s gritty, urban contemporary romance is going to resonate with a lot of readers. This is a remarkable book, and it’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
What is notable is the fact that Griffin has populated his story with a plethora of strong, well-drawn characters. Everyone in the world of Cece and Mack is given consideration, and all of these characters are full of believable character traits (yes, even the pit bulls). The dialogue is engaging and authentic. At the core of most of these people is some semblance of good, but boy oh boy, do they ever screw up a lot.
This book is largely plot-driven, which will keep impatient readers hooked. However, Griffin doesn’t sacrifice character development in the name of action, and his well-developed characters (especially in the case of his two leads) help add complexity to the love story. Cece and Mack are extremely different and yet have a chemistry that crackles on the page. Their story is doomed from the start, but readers won’t be able to stop themselves from rooting for the two narrators.
The story’s only fault comes from it’s too-convenient climax. The alignment of the universe feels slightly overdone, but most readers will overlook it and be thankful for a much-needed release of tension. Like I said, this story is sad but it’s never overly-sentimental.
Recommended for fans of urban contemporary. This is a stand-out title this year. You should get your hands on a copy.
Stay With Me by Paul Griffin. Dial: 2011. Library copy.
Paul Griffin has written a captivating, heartbreaking story. This is a sad book, you guys. Let me say that right off the bat. When I was looking over my notes to write this review, I started to get choked up–again. Griffin’s gritty, urban contemporary romance is going to resonate with a lot of readers. This is a remarkable book, and it’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
What is notable is the fact that Griffin has populated his story with a plethora of strong, well-drawn characters. Everyone in the world of Cece and Mack is given consideration, and all of these characters are full of believable character traits (yes, even the pit bulls). The dialogue is engaging and authentic. At the core of most of these people is some semblance of good, but boy oh boy, do they ever screw up a lot.
This book is largely plot-driven, which will keep impatient readers hooked. However, Griffin doesn’t sacrifice character development in the name of action, and his well-developed characters (especially in the case of his two leads) help add complexity to the love story. Cece and Mack are extremely different and yet have a chemistry that crackles on the page. Their story is doomed from the start, but readers won’t be able to stop themselves from rooting for the two narrators.
The story’s only fault comes from it’s too-convenient climax. The alignment of the universe feels slightly overdone, but most readers will overlook it and be thankful for a much-needed release of tension. Like I said, this story is sad but it’s never overly-sentimental.
Recommended for fans of urban contemporary. This is a stand-out title this year. You should get your hands on a copy.
Stay With Me by Paul Griffin. Dial: 2011. Library copy.