Author: Deb Caletti
(site) Published: April 5th, 2011 by Simon Pulse
Synopsis: 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.... (Goodreads)
Review: Contemporary Fiction isn't usually my cup of tea, but this book really blew me away. Caletti's writing style is beautiful. So lovely, in fact, that I kept stopping to re-read a particularly perfect section. I almost
never do this when I'm reading YA. The writing would have been enough to hook me, there were also perfectly real characters and the added element of suspense; you know the ex is going to show up, but
when?! The story is what initially drew me to
Stay. A girl and her father go into hiding after her boyfriend (ex now) turns out to be obsessive and violent, which sounds like a
very creepy tale. I was expecting a thriller about a girl on the run. When it turned out to be more about Clara learning to trust herself again after falling in love with a psycho. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I loved this story even more than I would have an exciting (but not nearly so touching) story about a girl confronting a love-crazed maniac. There is a second romance, but it's handled very well. There is no rushing into things, no questionable teen Love at First Sight. Instead, she meets a guy who is exactly what she needs at the time; easy-going, patient, and kind. Finn is practically the polar opposite of her ex, Christian. Things move very slowly and she is just beginning to relax and get to know Finn when IT happens. That's right; the dreaded Return of The Ex. The story of how she became involved with Christian is shown in flashbacks. As we watch the relationship develop, it's scary how very easy it is for a normal girl to find herself involved with a seriously insecure, possessive jerk. Clara isn't damaged goods; she isn't secretly looking for someone to mimic abuse she suffered when she was young. She is just a normal girl who doesn't realize what she's getting herself into. If I hadn't already known how things turned out, I'm not sure that I would have known about him from the beginning.
Stay is a beautifully written book about a girl trying to learn to trust herself again after she falls for a boy who turns out to be unstable in the worst kind of way. The characters are realistic and the story is believable and chilling. Deb Caletti is an amazing author and I can't wait to pick up more of her work.
