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A review by snugshelf
Stay by Deb Caletti
5.0
Stay is a beautiful book. It's real and sad and thoughtful and just gorgeous.
Clara had a great life, a normal life. Then she meets Christian. Everything seems amazing at first, there seems to be a deep connection between them, and he's so nice, but slowly things start to change.
I think Deb Caletti did such a great job with Clara and Christian's relationship. I've never really understood why anyone would stay with a controlling or abusive boyfriend, but I think I do now. Clara reminds me of me a lot. She reacts to Christian almost exactly the same ways I would (although I do hope I'd see things more clearly than she does), and that's what makes this book so scary and real. There's a scene near the end where Clara is so panicked and afraid, and I found myself getting that way too; even my heartbeat picked up a bit.
There were so many beautiful and meaningful passages that just seemed so true and simple and poetic. Also, I really liked how Clara was the narrator, it just made the story seem more personal, and the footnotes were a nice touch.
Stay was mostly told in alternating chapters, from Clara's past with Christian, and the present at Bishop Rock. I think that added more to the sort of mystery of how their relationship got to the point that it did, and since Clara is narrating, you see all the little clues that she missed.
The atmosphere was also really great. I loved Bishop Rock, and I can just picture it in my mind really clearly. The names of everything was a nice touch too hah. I loved Clara's dad too, he's just really fun and they seem very close ,at the beginning of the book at least, and I loved their little conversations and banter.
The relationships Clara has with the boys in the book are soo different. Christian is serious, jealous, controlling, cold at times, and Clara has to work so hard with him. Finn is carefree, warm, easygoing, and a sailor!! :) I like sailors. Ahem, anyway. I really liked him.
I'll definitely be picking up more books by Deb Caletti, and I'd recommend this book to anyone really, it was just gorgeous. :)
Clara had a great life, a normal life. Then she meets Christian. Everything seems amazing at first, there seems to be a deep connection between them, and he's so nice, but slowly things start to change.
I think Deb Caletti did such a great job with Clara and Christian's relationship. I've never really understood why anyone would stay with a controlling or abusive boyfriend, but I think I do now. Clara reminds me of me a lot. She reacts to Christian almost exactly the same ways I would (although I do hope I'd see things more clearly than she does), and that's what makes this book so scary and real. There's a scene near the end where Clara is so panicked and afraid, and I found myself getting that way too; even my heartbeat picked up a bit.
There were so many beautiful and meaningful passages that just seemed so true and simple and poetic. Also, I really liked how Clara was the narrator, it just made the story seem more personal, and the footnotes were a nice touch.
Stay was mostly told in alternating chapters, from Clara's past with Christian, and the present at Bishop Rock. I think that added more to the sort of mystery of how their relationship got to the point that it did, and since Clara is narrating, you see all the little clues that she missed.
The atmosphere was also really great. I loved Bishop Rock, and I can just picture it in my mind really clearly. The names of everything was a nice touch too hah. I loved Clara's dad too, he's just really fun and they seem very close ,at the beginning of the book at least, and I loved their little conversations and banter.
The relationships Clara has with the boys in the book are soo different. Christian is serious, jealous, controlling, cold at times, and Clara has to work so hard with him. Finn is carefree, warm, easygoing, and a sailor!! :) I like sailors. Ahem, anyway. I really liked him.
I'll definitely be picking up more books by Deb Caletti, and I'd recommend this book to anyone really, it was just gorgeous. :)