Postcard For Reader

Stay

Stay
Author: Deb Caletti
Series: ---
Publisher: Simon Pulse
How Received: ARC

Clara’s relationship with Christian is intense from the start, and like nothing she’s ever experienced before. But what starts as devotion quickly becomes obsession, and it’s almost too late before Clara realizes how far gone Christian is—and what he’s willing to do to make her stay.

Now Clara has left the city—and Christian—behind. No one back home has any idea where she is, but she still struggles to shake off her fear. She knows Christian won’t let her go that easily, and that no matter how far she runs, it may not be far enough...
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Before I review this, I want to clarify: I did not go and request Stay to review. I haven't read anything of the author's before. I had no interest in it prior to getting it in the mail. In fact, if I hadn't gotten it in the mail with the release being recently (it was about to be released when I started reading it), I probably never would have picked it up.

This is important, because most books I pick up I think I'll like. I'm even harder on books I start reading that I don't think I'll like.

With that in mind, Stay may be one of the best books I've read since I started blogging.

Anybody who reads WORD regularly knows I don't often say I adore a book, and if I do, it sure as hell usually isn't a contemporary novel. But Stay is one of those books I will recommend to anybody - boy, girl, old, young, new to YA, an old blogging pro.

It's absolutely brilliant. Clara's voice comes through strongly; it's less reading a book and more being in a person's head, or even their diary. I laughed out loud when something funny happened - my roommate will testify to this, as I kept stopping her from doing homework to read aloud the bits I thought were funny - and was genuinely terrified when Clara was. Cried when she cried, laughed when she laughed - I don't say that often about books.

And the rest of the cast of characters were so fantabulously developed. From her dad and the back story with her mom to Christian himself, you knew a bit of each character. (Though how well can you know a person? Oh, the questions this book makes you ask.) There's no typical villains here; you won't find a Mary Sue in this book, folks.

The way it was written was absolutely brilliant as well. I normally hate footnotes in anything, especially novels, but the few used in Stay were funny, stayed in character, and added to the book. Then there's the fact that the story moved in the two different directions - you're watching Clara run from Christian, and at the same time she's flashing back and you see how they got to know each other and everything that happened.

And the most brilliant thing about this is that it's a true story. Sure, it's not a true story for Deb Caletti, or maybe even for anybody she knows. But it's true for some girls out there who go through it every day. And it makes you feel it. It shows that obsession is nice in thought, but when it comes down to it, you're not going to want somebody stalking you and watching you while you sleep.

And I have a favorite quote, but it's rather long - anybody who reads this and gets to page 233, it's that giant paragraph.

Overall Rating & Final Comments: 10/10. What I'm trying to say: Stay is bloody brilliant. If you like contemporaries, if you like good books, if you like reading - read it. Now.
Cover Comments: The cover is perfect for the book - it's actually a direct scene from the book, down to the clothing, I think. I could say I wish it was less oriented towards girls (font choice, coloring) because I want everybody to read it, but it'll get the audience it deserves. Hopefully.

Psst. Read "Click More" to see my song choice for this book.

I happen to have a song for this book as well, based on the content and these quotes.

"Nice is the difference," I said to Dad. Nice was protection enough.

"Do you ever hear yourself? Nice isn't the same as good," he said. "People are 'nice' for a million reasons. 'Nice' is the outside. What people get to see. What you want people to see. 'Good' is the inside, And this is a bad person, C."

I wonder if Deb's ever heard it. It's "I Know Things Now" from the musical Into the Woods. It's sung by Little Red Riding Hood after her encounters with the Bad Wolf. (You can listen to it on YouTube here; it's not letting me embed it.)

Mother said,
"Straight ahead,"
Not to delay
or be misled.
I should have heeded
Her advice...
But he seemed so nice.

And he showed me things
Many beautiful things,
That I hadn't thought to explore.
They were off my path,
So I never had dared.
I had been so careful,
I never had cared.
And he made me feel excited-
Well, excited and scared.

When he said, "Come in!"
With that sickening grin,
How could I know what was in store?
Once his teeth were bared,
Though, I really got scared-
Well, excited and scared-
But he drew me close
And he swallowed me down,
Down a dark slimy path
Where lie secrets that I never want to know,

And when everything familiar
Seemed to disappear forever,
At the end of the path
Was Granny once again.

So we wait in the dark
Until someone sets us free,
And we're brought into the light,
And we're back at the start.

And I know things now,
Many valuable things,
That I hadn't known before:
Do not put your faith
In a cape and a hood,
They will not protect you
The way that they should.
And take extra care with starngers,
Even flowers have their dangers.
And though scary is exciting,
Nice is different than good.

Now I know:
Don't be scared.
Granny is right,
Just be prepared.

Isn't it nice to know a lot!
And a little bit not...