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Stay

by Deb Caletti (Goodreads Author)

3.88 of 5 stars 3.88 · rating details · 4,991 ratings · 668 reviews

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

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Hardcover, 313 pages

Published April 5th 2011 by Simon Pulse

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Jun 24, 2011 Cara rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, realistic-fiction, whoa-that-s-heavy

This story just made so much sense. You know in that way how you feel somebody really understands the way you think? That's how I felt the whole time reading this. Not to say I've ever been through anything like this, not even close.

Clara sees herself as a normal girl. Nothing too spectacular but all that changes when she meets Christian. He's enigmatic and charismatic (gotta be careful of the matic's obviously) and makes her feel powerful and like a whole new person with countless possibilities...more This story just made so much sense. You know in that way how you feel somebody really understands the way you think? That's how I felt the whole time reading this. Not to say I've ever been through anything like this, not even close.

Clara sees herself as a normal girl. Nothing too spectacular but all that changes when she meets Christian. He's enigmatic and charismatic (gotta be careful of the matic's obviously) and makes her feel powerful and like a whole new person with countless possibilities for change. As time moves along though their relationship takes an ugly turn; Christian has become dangerously obsessed with Clara. She has to flee with her father to a seaside town where secrets will be revealed and hopefully some good changes can happen.

It's hard to read about how a character is slowly digging themselves into a hole they may never be able to escape, so with that in mind I thought I was going to be really uncomfortable reading this. The book is told in alternate chapters. One side of the story is where we see how Clara gets involved with Christian to the point where she leaves him and the other when she is in the seaside town with her father. The layout worked and was the only way it could have been told so it could leave a moving impression on the reader.

I loved almost everything about it. Clara is an introspective character, and is frank about how things went down, her feelings, and her part in things. She knows that she has to move past this and the place they chose for this is perfect. I could feel the pull of the ocean, its commanding beauty, the waves splashing, and the sharp smell of salt. And all of this is coming from a person who has been to a beach once in her life. The other characters are fully fleshed out and there isn't a flat one among the bunch. Clara's father was a real intriguing character and isn't MIA (but there is a dead mother I guess we can't have everything, but Clara makes an interesting comment about that) like in many other YA novels. He is in the story quite a lot actually and is a main player in Clara's recovery.

There is a stark contrast between Christian and Finn (the other love interest). You can tell one is just healthier for her. I'm glad Caletti wrote this story. She is clear about how wrong it is for someone to revolve their life around you and that real love is much more gentle and doesn't feel wrong ever.

The only qualm I had is that it could get a bit verbose and the little bit with her father's secret I thought was just a teensy eensy bit over the top, but I'm fully satisfied. Fully satisfied.

Just a note: Since it's summertime I'm listening to lots of music and one song kept inching into my brain while reading this. The link is here. The song's chorus has this one line that says, “for as much she stumbles she's running” and the words really struck me as true. Even though Clara is in trouble and is stumbling over how to get over this she keeps moving forward, she keeps running.
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Apr 24, 2011 Morgan F rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, young-adult, galleygrab, realistic, not-yet-released, e-book, pretty-covers, read-2011, favorites, fiction, its-a-girl, ive-got-issues, medium-sized, summer, lets-reminisce

I always knew you had it in you, Caletti. I've read a few books of yours, and while they were good, certainly more substantial than most YA literature, there has always been something missing. I think, whatever that is, you've found it.

Clara is at the age when she is supposed to spending time with her friends in the last summer before college and her future starts. Instead, her and her father have packed their bags and are leaving town to spend the summer in small coastal town where no one know...more I always knew you had it in you, Caletti. I've read a few books of yours, and while they were good, certainly more substantial than most YA literature, there has always been something missing. I think, whatever that is, you've found it.

Clara is at the age when she is supposed to spending time with her friends in the last summer before college and her future starts. Instead, her and her father have packed their bags and are leaving town to spend the summer in small coastal town where no one knows who they are. A place where no one can find them.

Clara is escaping from her ex-boyfriend, Christian, an intense, needy boy who just isn't able to let her ago. After nearly two years of jealous accusations, futile discussions, criticisms, and endless and insistent reassurances, Clara has decided she has had enough, although Christian is determined to do anything to make her stay.

I loved this book because it featured an abusive relationship in a realistic light. These relationships are not romantic. They are unhealthy and tragic and just wrong. What I loved about Clara is that she understood that. Once she saw Christian for what he was - a psychologically disturbed young man, she was scared, and rightfully so. And she wasn't weak for falling for him in the first place. Perhaps as a reader, we were able to look into her life, as she did in retrospect, and pick out all the clues and warning signs, but I don't think anyone should blame her or assign guilt. I just like how the relationship and its aftermath was portrayed. Realistically, yet somehow sympathetically. I've never been in anything close to such a destructive romance, but I was still able to relate to Clara perfectly. I understand that it was not her fault, it was something that happened to her, and she was brave to handle it as she did. Quite a refreshing outlook in comparison to other YA novels that portray abusive (because either emotionally or physically, it is abusive) relationships as romantic, can't-live-without-you, I-know-what's-best-for-you, let-me-watch-you-while-you-sleep love.

I also love the relationship between Clara and her father. I wish I had such an awesome relationship with my father. They were open with each other, had good witty banter, were friends but it was still clear it was a father/daughter relationship. Kind of like the relationship between Lorelai and Rory Gilmore. Clara's father was an influential and active part of Clara's life, and was his own character with his own complexities. Unlike most YA novels, he is not just a plot device.

One thing I've loved about every Caletti novel I've read is the writing. I just think she is spectacular. Although some of her syntax may be clumsy, her prose is overall lyrical and very, very truthful. Every chapter is like a goldmine, with little nuggets of awesome found everywhere. She has a way of taking the most ordinary, every day things and relating it to the meaning of the universe or something. People have a way of not noticing ordinary things, just because we become so accustomed to them. Caletti has a habit of pointing out the overlooked things, and casting them in a new, sometimes bittersweet, light.

I also loved the footnotes. They were so cute. And often very, very funny. Clara is quirky, charming, and real.

The only aspect of the novel that didn't exactly hit home with me was the rather optimistic relationship between Clara and Finn. It was cute and all, but perhaps a bit too fast and unrealistic. I think perhaps it sends the wrong message that in order to get over one relationship, one must enter a new one. I didn't think it was necessary to the story, and the book would have been just as powerful if they had stayed friends.

This book is surprisingly tense. It had me turning the pages long after I should have stopped. I was just racing for the relief of all that tension. The novel felt like all along it was building towards something that would culminate in one big dramatic explosion. That didn't happen. I would even venture to say the ending was a tad bit melodramatic. But I don't think that is a bad thing. If anything, it only adds to how true this book is. Real life is not a movie or a story. Life doesn't end after the final scene of the film or the final chapter of a novel. It's an ongoing reel, full of ups and downs. It doesn't have one big moment. It's all one big moment.

Overall, a powerful, truthful novel. Caletti has climbed her way to a well-deserved spot amongst my favorite authors. God, I hope this book is a commercial success. It needs to be.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Galleygrab for providing me with an ARC copy :) It has been greatly appreciated.

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Feb 17, 2011 Nic rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, cover-crazy, realistic-fiction, arc, ebook, favourites, young-adult, read-in-2011, favourite-of-2011, swoon-worthy-read

This is my first Deb Caletti book and won't be my last because I LOVED it. Stay is masterfully written and so powerfully honest, it is just an absolutely brilliant read.

Stay is the story of Clara, a normal teenage girl. It is just her and her Dad as Clara's Mum pasted away when she was younger. Clara meets Christian and quickly falls in love. At first he appears to be the perfect boyfriend - sweet, caring, gorgeous and treats her so well. But Christian becomes controlling and obsessive. It is to...more This is my first Deb Caletti book and won't be my last because I LOVED it. Stay is masterfully written and so powerfully honest, it is just an absolutely brilliant read.

Stay is the story of Clara, a normal teenage girl. It is just her and her Dad as Clara's Mum pasted away when she was younger. Clara meets Christian and quickly falls in love. At first he appears to be the perfect boyfriend - sweet, caring, gorgeous and treats her so well. But Christian becomes controlling and obsessive. It is told in two different perspectives, before and after and alternates each chapter. Before is Clara's and Christian's relationship and After is Clara's and her Dad's escape for the summer to Bishop Rock.

This book could be a true story, as Caletti really captures how it feels to be in a controlling and obsessive relationship. Like how you are always anticipating their reaction, how they put you down, how you do anything to avoid a fight and the lies you tell. I wish I could go back in time and hand this book to my teenage self, it was the kind of book I needed and one I think all teenage girls should read.

The writing in Stay is beautiful and full of raw emotion. I badly wanted to put a favourite quote up but since it is an ARC I am not allowed. But I noted over 30 quotes! I kept highlight paragraph after paragraph. Something about Caletti's writing really connected with me. I think it is the honesty and all the heart in the story.

The characters are exceptional. Clara, her Dad, Finn, and Sylvie, I loved them all. So well fleshed out and so fully alive especially Clara. You can completely see why she fell for Christian and understand her decisions as the relationship went on. I have to say I would have probably made the same choices she did. Clara is definitely one of the most realistic characters I have read in a while.

I also enjoyed the relationship Clara had with her Dad. He was a loving father but he still had his flaws. And again it nice to see a parent being present consistently throughout the story. Their is also some very swoon worthy moments provided by Finn. He was such a good guy, confident, happy and caring. Having Finn in the story you could easily see Christian flaws and the difference between a healthy and a unhealthy relationship.

Overall, this book is amazing. I highly recommend Stay to all fans of contemporary fiction. Definitely a favourite read for 2011.

Thanks to Simon Pulse, S & S Galley Grab for providing me with a copy

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May 06, 2011 Lamia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction, stand-alone, arc, kindle, 2011, want-to-hump-the-writing, wishlist-hardcopy

This can also be seen at The Book Eater

This would normally earn 3.5 stars from me because I rate books based on how I felt about them, not how well-written they are or how awesome the plot/characters are. But I can't in good conscience give this less than 4 stars. I can't bring myself to. So I'm rounding up. And you know what? I don't mind, because this book deserves it.

This is a story about love, loss, family and overcoming your fears. It's the strength of a father-daughter relationship, the h...more

12 likes · like · see review

Jun 21, 2012 April rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-review, ya

FINALLY! Finally it’s happened to me. A book where the creepy relationship is played out as exactly that. Oh, friends, the heavens must have opened and sung a beautiful song while Deb Caletti wrote Stay, because this book straight up gets it. It gets that bad relationships are bad. Obsessive relationships are scary, not sexy.

Read the rest of my review here

10 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2011 Zemira Warner rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: realistic, contemporary

Well,this is what happened. I picked up this book and I just could't get into it. First night I just read 4 pages,the second night wasn't any better. But I was determined to finish it today even if it turned out to be awful. I was thinking I will have to give it 2 stars,I just know it... Then the shift came out of nowhere and I could't put it down.
The main character had this boyfriend Christian who was sweet but we already know he is a total psycho. He is controlling(checks her texts and e-mail...more

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Apr 05, 2011 Arlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-contemporary, favorites, read-2011, reviews-with-music, surprise-surprise-i-cried, young-adult

Sometimes that’s all you need. To know it’s not broken. To know you’re still whole and that you’ll heal.

Wow! This book is absolutely amazing and horrifyingly realistic. Five stars plus more for Stay by Deb Caletti!

I’ve read hundreds and hundreds of books in my lifetime and yet I can count the number of novels that have made me cry on one hand and one hand alone. It takes an amazing author who writes with a pen filled with power to push me into that emotional pocket of reality and hold me captiv...more

34 likes · like · see review

Sep 22, 2011 Valerie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Hope I remember this right. The book was about a girl who has gotten out of a horrible (to put it lightly) relationship with her stalker boyfriend, and this is not me being sarcastic. Clara learns how to live with the past on her summer after graduating high school.

What surprised me most about Stay was that Clara was kind of ashamed of the past relationship because she felt responsible for letting it go so far, but it’s always easier to say its okay when it isn't you. It's easier to say 'it wasn...more

2 likes · like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Sally Monem rated it 5 of 5 stars

Stay by Deb Calleti is a very moving novel about a girl named Clara Oates, who struggles with battling against her boyfriend. The story takes place when Clara finds out her boyfriend is crazy, and tries to escape his clutches. The rest of the novel is basically an account of what happened with Clara’s boyfriend, and about what is happening in the new little beach town she moved too. The novel portrays the struggle Clara had to face when overcoming her problems, while it is also a powerful anecd...more

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Oct 29, 2010 Eva Leger rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: b-fiction, y-a

This could not be fiction. It could so easily be non-fiction it's scary. Caletti's voice is bulls-eye accurate. There are people who love words and people who love words. Calletti loves words. She can string a set of words together and paint the most vivid picture in her readers heads.
I probably read a great portion of this with my mouth open in amazement. I had no idea what I was in for when I opened this book. I not only found a new favorite author but a new all-time favorite book in Stay. Th...more

13 likes · like · see review

Mar 25, 2011 Peep (Pop! Pop!) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, what-a-creeper, addicted-to-ya

Overall I did like this book. Not too many books will touch on the subject of abuse, especially in popular young adult books.

I have a friend who is pretty much in the exact same situation, only she doesn't want to leave. It's very frustrating. It was hard to read this, just because of that. All I could think about was my friend, and how she deals with that every single day. I noticed how Clara tiptoed around conversations. She filtered what she said so she wouldn't make Christian upset. That is...more Overall I did like this book. Not too many books will touch on the subject of abuse, especially in popular young adult books.

I have a friend who is pretty much in the exact same situation, only she doesn't want to leave. It's very frustrating. It was hard to read this, just because of that. All I could think about was my friend, and how she deals with that every single day. I noticed how Clara tiptoed around conversations. She filtered what she said so she wouldn't make Christian upset. That is true! Whenever we go over to see my friend and her husband, We find ourselves filtering what we say! And it's not because we fear the husband (I actually dislike him to no end), but it's more for her benefit. If we say anything upsetting, he'll take it out on her once we leave. Sad, but true. But what can you do??

That's one of the reasons why I liked Clara. She was strong and not at all timid... for the most part. When it started to occur to her that, "hey, this isn't right", she stood up to Christian. Though I don't know why she didn't get a new email address sooner...

I did like her Dad. He seemed cool. Finn and the rest of his family seemed sweet.

All of this sounds good, but for some reason it just didn't work for me. Maybe it would have been better if these were two separate books? It's not like Clara isn't likable, she is, there's just this disconnect. I couldn't imagine myself being friends with Clara if I knew her in real life.

On the one hand I can see how the author would want to show Clara in a healthy relationship, on the other hand I thought it weird that she had this need to be in a relationship the entire book. It's weird for me to explain. Too dependent? I don't know. Couldn't she have just met new friends? Her whole self is focused on being in a relationship.

And sometimes I just wanted to scream, "Why? Why would you do that? It's OK to do X, but did you really have to reveal X (X being super secret information)"?

One thing I'd like to point out is that if the overuse of terms like God, Jesus, and Christ upset you, you may want to use caution when reading this book. Almost every character, every few pages used the terms. After a while it did annoy me. Mainly because they were from different towns and age groups. It just seemed weird.

So all in all a good story. I'd recommend it to people who'd like to read about signs and things to recognize when it comes to controlling behavior. At times you'd think that Christian wasn't that bad then he'd turn it right around on you. So, good for noticing the little things that might be swept under the rug. It doesn't really offer any true solutions. I am having the hardest time making sense. I think solutions would be the word you'd want to use.
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Aug 14, 2011 Jude rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: in-my-shelf, favorites

http://inbetweenwritingandreading.blo...

Definitely a keeper.

My Faery God Mother gave me this book – My Faery God Mother being an amazing girl named Kristina - I had been wanting to read this book for so long and I’m so glad to say that it definitely lived up to expectations. This is my first Deb Caletti book and I’m still slapping myself for not picking up her books sooner. New Deb Caletti Fan Right Here :)

I had it as an e-book and I don’t recall marking so many pages in a book, My brother actu...more

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May 08, 2011 Stephanie (StephTheBookworm) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Summary: Clara and Christian meet at a high school basketball game and fall instantly, and intensely, in love. They talk about marriage, children, and "forever." Soon, however, Clara realizes that Christian has crossed the line into obsession, turning their once dream relationship into a dangerous, violent, and unhealthy one. She wants to leave, but Christian makes it clear that he will do anything to make her stay. She and her father have left home for a quiet beachside community to escape Chri...more Summary: Clara and Christian meet at a high school basketball game and fall instantly, and intensely, in love. They talk about marriage, children, and "forever." Soon, however, Clara realizes that Christian has crossed the line into obsession, turning their once dream relationship into a dangerous, violent, and unhealthy one. She wants to leave, but Christian makes it clear that he will do anything to make her stay. She and her father have left home for a quiet beachside community to escape Christian, and allow Clara the freedom to live again without fear. Soon, though, it becomes clear that she still isn't safe from Christian, who will do everything in his power to find her and bring her back.

My Thoughts:What struck me most about this book was the writing: it's beautiful, eloquent, vivid, melt-in-your-mouth kind of writing. Does that make sense? It's so smooth and subtle.

The story line itself was, of course, fantastic as well. I've read a few stories about stalker/obsessive types of relationships (such as Stalker Girl, by Rosemary Graham, another great book), but there doesn't seem to be too many books on the market about this topic... and it's fascinating! The story is told in alternating chapters between the present, of Clara and her father in a small beachside town where they have run to escape Christian, and the past, in which Clara and Christian's story unfolds from a blossoming and intense love to a dangerous, violent obsession. I found myself looking forward to and anticipating the chapters on their relationship. I loved watching it unfold and crumble. Maybe 'loved' isn't the right word... I would say I was very captivated by it though. While the chapters taking place in the present were important for the story in order to see the relationship's after effects, I wasn't as enchanted or interested in them.

One thing I didn't necessarily love was... the writing. Yes, I know I said it was beautiful, and it really was, but at times, it felt like the details were dragging on when I really just wanted to hear more of the story itself. I feel like some of the story was overdetailed in describing things that were irrelevent to the story, such as trees or scenery. I was just dying to know what would happen next and those long, drawn out details were holding me back from knowing right away.

So, all in all, an intense and fascinating story with just a few minor setbacks that keep me from giving it a 5.

My Rating: 4/5(less)

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Apr 13, 2011 Ariana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, emotional

~4.5 stars~
"I tried to read that book again before I went to sleep. I didn’t like that book, but I kept going for all the reasons a person hangs in with something that isn’t good-you feel bad about not giving it a chance, you've already come too far to give up now, you believe it´s going to get better. When you're a person whose life has mostly brought good things, you believe in goodness. You believe that things will work out. Even the worst things will work out. You believe in a happy ending....more

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Jul 09, 2011 Aleeeeeza rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley-galleygrab, 2011-read, absolute-favorite, 2011-faves

*4.5 stars*

Some time ago I read Dreamland by Sarah Dessen and I absolutely loved it. The whole love-turns-into-obsession topic really, really intrigues me. So it was natural I was so into reading Stay too, once I read it’s summary on Goodreads a whole while back.

So when I got this book on GalleyGrab, I was beyond excited—and I know I seem to say that about every other book, but I was really thrilled to get my hands on this one, considering how much I love contemporary novels and how I’ve been wa...more *4.5 stars*

Some time ago I read Dreamland by Sarah Dessen and I absolutely loved it. The whole love-turns-into-obsession topic really, really intrigues me. So it was natural I was so into reading Stay too, once I read it’s summary on Goodreads a whole while back.

So when I got this book on GalleyGrab, I was beyond excited—and I know I seem to say that about every other book, but I was really thrilled to get my hands on this one, considering how much I love contemporary novels and how I’ve been wanting to read Deb Caletti for a long time. And this novel—it did NOT disappoint. I finished it under twenty-four hours (big deal for me). I was planning to read it between Accounting exam preparations, but I Could. Not. Stop. Reading it!

First of all, I am going to have to mention how hot Christian is. I mean, he’s DANISH, for cryin’ out loud. And I had the hugest of crushes on this Danish model called Mathias Lauridsen, and his fellow Danish model Adrian Bosch is how I imagined Christian in my mind.

And guys, Adrian is HAWT. Like, yeah, with All Caps, dude. Like, this HAWT:

Now, before you go thinking I’m some hormone-crazed idiot (which I sorta am, actually), I should tell you why I’m talking extensively about Christian’s HAWTness. That’s because it totally makes sense he’s this good-looking and has this amaaaazing Danish accent since Clara was crazy-attracted to him. And wowzers, their relationship unfurled amazingly well. They have all these cute couple quirks and complement each other quite well…until it turns out Christian ain’t as normal as he seems. That’s because he’s obsessive, and when that love for Clara turns into freak-obsessiveness, things go REALLY awry for them. The gradual built-up of how Christian slowly turns into this…monster, it’s so, so believable!

So on one side of the novel we have their new love playing out, while on the other Clara has come to a small beach town for the summer with her father, to escape Christian’s stalking. And Clara’s author dad was an absolute treat! In fact, every character in this novel kind of was, even psycho-esque Christian. Especially Finn, the sailor-guy Clara meets in this new town and shares a mutual attraction with. The setting was also perfectly done—and the whole beach-town feel was awesome. I was reading another beachy-book while reading this one, and so the whole beach feel was really awesome, considering I was trudging through accounting homework in the stifling Karachi heat.

The writing was also beautiful. Caletti writes with this smooth, easy grace and it's very easy to read and conjures up very vivid images. The only thing that bothered me a little bit was how at times the sentences sort of stretched on and on up till the point where I lost track and had to go back to the beginning of the paragraph to get it. There were also numerous passages where Clara would begin lecturing a little bit about stuff, and I wish I could quote here, but I don’t think I can quote from ARCs. It wasn’t really that irksome, it just seemed kind of unnecessary in some parts. On the whole, however, I don’t think I minded it that much. But maybe it could’ve been toned down a little…? But still, some of the passages were actually quite insightful, really, so I’m totally willing to pardon it.

Despite the flaws, this novel is still such a stunning, impactful read, guys. I think the best adjective to describe it would be POWERFUL. (In all caps, no less!) So yes, I whole-heartedly recommend this book to everyone. READ. IT!(less)

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May 19, 2011 Erin rated it 5 of 5 stars

For Clara, it was practically love at first sight. She felt an instant pull and magnetism towards Christian. She wanted to be his everything - fill every void within him and build a loving 'forever' with him.

For Christian, it was more than love at first sight. The feelings he had for Clara far surpassed love and quickly moved to obsession. Clara was his sun and his moon, dictating the tides of his love, his jealousy, and his rage.

After 1 1/2 years of being with Christian, Clara was a master of...more For Clara, it was practically love at first sight. She felt an instant pull and magnetism towards Christian. She wanted to be his everything - fill every void within him and build a loving 'forever' with him.

For Christian, it was more than love at first sight. The feelings he had for Clara far surpassed love and quickly moved to obsession. Clara was his sun and his moon, dictating the tides of his love, his jealousy, and his rage.

After 1 1/2 years of being with Christian, Clara was a master of walking on egg shells and evading dangerous conversational territories. Being Christian's continuous pep squad, affirmation counselor, and lover drained Clara to the point where she lost all sense of self. After one too many fights revolving around Christian's overactive and overly insecure imagination, Clara ends their relationship.

The question now becomes, how do you escape someone who won't let you go? He seems to always be watching, always reaching out for you...

They say desperate times call for desperate measures, and that is exactly what Clara and her father take. They leave home and begin their healing process in a new town. The thing with running, though, is that sometimes you don't know if you're running away from one problem or running into a web of new ones... Eventually the past, no matter the elapse, catches up with you.

Will Clara and her father be prepared to confront the ghosts of their past decisions and actions when they knock upon their door? Will either or both of them be able free the guilt they hold into the outgoing tides and welcome the promise of happier futures offered by the incoming tide?

Reading Stay made me realize something - I need a new adjective! The writing and story telling far surpassed "beautiful". Everything about Stay was stunning, haunting, and exquisite. The story telling was so personal, it felt as though I was sitting across from my dearest friend listening as she shared the deepest and darkest parts of her experiences with me.

I loved every character created in Stay - even the most insignificant and fleeting character was crafted with care. And when Finn and his family came along, they just added the icing to the cake. I have to admit, though, one of my favorite relationships in this book was between Cleo and Gulliver. Who are they? You'll just have to read to find out! ;o)

Truly a 5+ and highly recommended read!!!!!!(less)

1 like · like · see review

Jul 30, 2011 Olivia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, books-read-in-2011

BEAUTIFUL! I don't know of any other word to describe this story than that. The book is so captivating and so realistic. Truly the best out of Deb Caletti's work. From the very first page, the heroine Clara, captures you into her world of a victim of obsession and abuse.

The book is told is alternating chapters, starting with the present then the next chapter going back to the past to tell how it all began. I loved how Caletti did that! I found that intriguing and made me keep reading until my mo...more BEAUTIFUL! I don't know of any other word to describe this story than that. The book is so captivating and so realistic. Truly the best out of Deb Caletti's work. From the very first page, the heroine Clara, captures you into her world of a victim of obsession and abuse.

The book is told is alternating chapters, starting with the present then the next chapter going back to the past to tell how it all began. I loved how Caletti did that! I found that intriguing and made me keep reading until my mother forced me to put the book down. The writing was simply wonderfully haunting and beautiful. It is so easy to let yourself slip into Clara's position, and wonder if you would react the same way or would you do something different. The relationship between Clara and Christian is crazy! I never understood why somebody would stay with a guy who would control them, but I understand a little bit more why Clara did. There is a mystery of Clara and Christian when you first start the book, but it eventually becomes revealed once you dive more into the past.

Bishop Rock. I love that town and everyone in it. I could picture it so clearly in my head. I loved the idea of everything that dealt with this town! Cleo, Finn, Jack what a great trio of siblings! I loved each one of them. I could easily find myself being friends with Cleo in real life. I found her little story hilarious, of the sea gull following her around. I also loved Clara's job at the Lighthouse. I really loved the ocean and Lighthouses, so that was great! Finn was a good guy and liked him a lot. He was adorable and a nice guy, which was refreshing after reading Clara and Christian's relationship.

The ending is fast-paced and makes your heart race right along with Clara. I had no idea what the resolution between Clara and Christian would be. I truly thought Christian would kill himself and injure Clara in the process. I am not going to say how it ends, because I want this to be spoiler free but the ending that Caletti happened made it seem not so much like a Lifetime movie, but an actual true-life story. Which has become my favorite part about this book. This whole story could actually be true, it is so realistic.

While, there are a few things I dislike about this book - the good outweighs the bad - in this situation. I recommend fans of Sarah Dessen's "Dreamland" to pick up a copy of this book. While both stories are completely different, I think it will appeal to fans of that particular story. And if you have read Dreamland and is a teenage girl, please pick up this book. You won't be disappointed at all :)

There are meaningful passages, haunting messages, realistic characters, and a gorgeous story that should be read by everyone.(less)

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May 14, 2011 Good Golly Miss Holly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Once again, Deb Caletti has failed to live up to the hype. I constantly find myself comparing her contemporary style to the great Sarah Dessen and wonder how she manages to miss the mark each and every time yet I still end up adding her books to my wish list in the hopes of something brilliant.

STAY; April 2011 is based on the life of CLARA and her father as they venture into a beachside town for the summer before she goes off to college in the hopes of warding off her obsessive boyfriend. In alt...more

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Apr 12, 2011 Sonia rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just love Deb Caletti. This will go into my top tier of my favorites of hers. I just finished it so am still soaking it all in.. she's a true talent when it comes to realistically writing about teen girls. I identify with her characters so much as an adult, thinking back to my teens- I can only imagine how much these books would've impacted me as a 16 year old. Amazing.

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Nov 07, 2011 Tauna rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: free-from-pulse-it, don-t-bother

The writing style bothered me, especially the footnotes and frequent breaks in the story to attempt to ponder and expand on pointless little details. The storyline was also disappointing. The book is about a girl trying to escape her obsessive and emotionally unstable ex-boyfriend by moving away with her dad for the summer. I was waiting for some kind of dramatic encounter, but the big confrontation ended up with the boyfriend sobbing and running away. Really? Okay. That was lame. 1 1/2 - 2 star...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Fiona rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: ugh

I don't know where to begin. All I know is that when I finally reached the last page of this book, I was overjoyed. I'm not 100% clear on what I disliked the most about this book - but I REALLY disliked that Calletti made Clara look so, so stupid. I mean, come on, WHY would you immediately jump into an intense and consuming relationship when you have only met the guy once?! Talking about "forever" when you've barely known them two months is CRAZY!!!! Christian was so incredibly good-looking that...more I don't know where to begin. All I know is that when I finally reached the last page of this book, I was overjoyed. I'm not 100% clear on what I disliked the most about this book - but I REALLY disliked that Calletti made Clara look so, so stupid. I mean, come on, WHY would you immediately jump into an intense and consuming relationship when you have only met the guy once?! Talking about "forever" when you've barely known them two months is CRAZY!!!! Christian was so incredibly good-looking that she could not stay away???? OH MY GOD. Where has the originality gone?!?!?!?!?! COME OUT, COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE ORIGINALITY, I'M DYING TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!!!

I'm not belittling the issues that are talked about in this book (issues like dangerously obsessive partners and emotional abuse etc), they are very real issues and are not to be taken lightly. I commend Deb Caletti in trying to tackle an issue that seems to be occuring more and more in the relationships of young adolescents, but I really struggled to get through this tiny book. It was plain and boring and I can't excuse Caletti's poor expression of the terrifying emotions that Clara would have been feeling. I used to be friends with a girl who dated a guy just as controlling as Christian (maybe a bit more) and when we would talk about their relationship/the emotions she felt when it started getting bad... it was terrible for me to hear. I was scared just listening to her speak about it. I did not feel the same way when reading Clara's thoughts. Clara was scared, but that's all I could tell. It just didn't feel real to me - I know how I would behave in that situation and I could not relate to Clara's behaviour at all. Clara should have been enraged and terrified - maybe Deb Caletti thought that she had expressed those emotions well, but I feel like she didn't. Emotions, when written about in a book that is trying to tackle an issue of this type, are everything.

Usually, when I feel this way about a book, I don't really want to read the whole book. I just skim through it, reading a few paragraphs each chapter. I was tempted to do the same with this book, but after reading such promising reviews from people who loved this book, I thought I should at least read the whole book before passing judgement. Sadly (and very sadly because I so badly wanted to be able to praise this book!!!!) I did not like it at all :-( (less)

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Apr 03, 2013 Rebecca Huss rated it 4 of 5 stars

While I read Stay, Deb Caletti made me feel as if I was a part of the story and I was experiencing the same things the characters were. I felt the fear, happiness, anger, and sadness through the writer’s words. It not only had many different twists and emotions in the book, but it was sending a clear message. She taught me that there are many different outcomes to one’s life, and even the things we expect to happen can be proven wrong. A short brief of the book is that Clara falls in love for Ch...more While I read Stay, Deb Caletti made me feel as if I was a part of the story and I was experiencing the same things the characters were. I felt the fear, happiness, anger, and sadness through the writer’s words. It not only had many different twists and emotions in the book, but it was sending a clear message. She taught me that there are many different outcomes to one’s life, and even the things we expect to happen can be proven wrong. A short brief of the book is that Clara falls in love for Christain and when he starts to be too controlling, she is dumbfounded on what she should do. When it finally gets out of hand, Clara and her father go away for the summer without telling anyone exactly where. Later, Clara starts to fall for another guy, Finn, but Clara is becoming aware that maybe she isn’t as safe as she thought she was.
I personally loved Caletti’s writing style. Just by how she wrote the book, I could tell how much it meant to her for her readers to get the clear message she was sending. And, Caletti kept me completely drawn in. Some of the techniques she used in Stay, I have never seen before. At the bottom of the pages, she would often make footnotes that would describe things into further detail, or just help evolve the meaning of something. Another thing she used, was that the perspective of the main character, Clara, switched from past to present. It helped me understand what was all going on by knowing what had happened in the past, but at the same time, it could get a little confusing which was the only part I didn't get.
In all, Stay was a mixture of mystery and romance. It was mystery because it was always a curiosity of what could happen next. Caletti writes “a restraining order, you hope, would give me some sense of peace and safety”. She uses this to express how even when Clara gets a restraining order, it doesn’t mean a piece of paper will stop someone from doing something terrible. This quote explains in itself that not all situations are the same. Just because someone went through something similar, that doesn’t mean their outcome will be the same as yours. Also, it was romance because of how Clara falls in love with Christian and is too naive to admit that he may be overly obsessive or even a little insane. She tries telling herself that maybe it is all her fault, which is a good example for what actually happens to people in real life.
I think it was definitely important for Caletti to let her readers know that it is not their fault if someone can’t respect you or accept you for being you, which I also think is the book’s theme. It happens way too much that people stay with someone abusive or controlling just because they don’t know that all relationships aren’t that way, or they start to believe their partner when they tell them that it’s their fault.
Overall, Caletti has had many of her books published before Stay. She explains how she used to be one of those kids who loved to read, and she is writing her books for them. Lastly, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who thinks they aren’t in the right relationship. She has such heart touching words on the message she’s sending. Caletti emphasizes that all endings are different and you should never get too caught up on believing that things will be different if it’s you. Because that is completely wrong. Everything can change in its own direction for better or worse in a heartbeat, and it can be up to you whether you let it get that far or not.
(less)

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Dec 21, 2012 Marianne Lee rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

I LOVED this book! It was really good.

Clara and Christian's relationship has always been intense. From the very begginning, they'd felt a strange connection between each other. But, when do those feeling become too much? Now, Clara needs to escape from Christian, before he destroys eveything. In a new place, Clara will discover secrets that will change her life, but most importantly, she'll discover herself.

The world is going to end (end of the word humor hehe). I'm not one of those overly emo...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Lilysbookblog rated it 2 of 5 stars

There’s something about this book, something i can’t quite put my finger on that just didn’t sit right with me. While stay deals with the hard issue of feeling trapped in a relationship i felt that everything in this book sort of happened randomly.

First off, Clara meets Christian and pretty much falls in love with him after just saying one sentence to each other. They then go months for not seeing each other until her school faces his in a basketball game like the night they met where Christian...more

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Jun 30, 2012 Yazz. rated it 5 of 5 stars

I literally could not put this book down. I mean, I just, Wow!

I loved the way Deb Caletti wrote the book, how it switched from past to present so you could never quite put the book down. I was Obsessed. Pardon the pun. I did not put the book down at all until I finished it.

However, I do have like 3 small complaints. Just small ones! Don't shoot!
(view spoiler)...more

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May 13, 2012 Daniella rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: rwr

Stay, by Deb Caletti, is a book about a girl Clara, who had a "love at first sight" relationship with Christian. Their relationship was seemingly perfect, until Christian started to get jealous when she talked, or let alone looked at other boys. He began to check that she wasn't lying to cheat on him when she said she said she was hanging out with friends. However, when Clara complains about this, Christian completely breaks down and says she is right: he does not deserve a girl like her. Howeve...more

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May 05, 2012 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

Love at first sight. It’s what every teenage girl dreams of, right? And for Clara, her first sighting of Christian at a high school basketball game seems to be exactly that. Clara and Christian meet again at the next game, and are soon inseparable. Christian is charming, adoring, and has a cute accent, and Clara falls hard for him. She writes effusively of the feeling of new love, of learning and discovering things about a person, of becoming “us.” And yet from the start of this novel, you can t...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was one of those books where I found myself giving unsolicited advice to the MC. You know the same way you yell at the person in that stupid "horror" movie when they stop running and go back to take a look!
I feel like the characters were pretty true to life. There are lots of people in relationships with jealous, obsessive, crazy people. I'm sure we've all had a friend in this situation or have been in a similar situation ourselves.

From the outside it's pretty easy to look at the situatio...more This was one of those books where I found myself giving unsolicited advice to the MC. You know the same way you yell at the person in that stupid "horror" movie when they stop running and go back to take a look!
I feel like the characters were pretty true to life. There are lots of people in relationships with jealous, obsessive, crazy people. I'm sure we've all had a friend in this situation or have been in a similar situation ourselves.

From the outside it's pretty easy to look at the situation and go "Dude... that guy's NUTS! You should run now while you've still got time!" but your friend insists everything's all good. "He just loves me so much! It's fine!" and then one day your friend tells you she's going on a long trip with her family and won't be able to write or call for a while and whatever you do don't tell that guy anything about anything and you're left shaking your head and going "Didn't you watch that movie where this happened to that girl... sometimes movies are right you know!"

Anyway enough rambling. I liked it. I liked the characters, even Christian because man did he creep me right out! Finn was beyond lovable if not a bit too perfect. I wanted him to have some kind of fault but then that would have been predictable so... I guess I can't have everything I want eh! I loved Clara's father. In a movie he'd be played by Peter Gallagher NO DOUBT! The seagull that stalked Cleo was a nice touch and it added some humour to a slightly terrifying scenario. The setting was beautiful and definitely put me at ease even though every other page had me looking out for Mr. StalkerObsessivePants.

The back story that slowly unravels was interesting and added depth to the novel and I loved how Clara was the one telling it. Almost as if it's a warning to watch out for guys (or girls) like Christian and a message of hope that good things do happen even when it seems like an impossibility.

It was a book written in shades of pastels softly weaving across the page with the odd hard red line appearing out of nowhere. It made me want to fall in love, sail across a harbour surrounded by pine covered cliffs and obsessive seagulls. It made me want to eat salt water taffy while sitting beside a weathered lighthouse and cursing myself for buying salt water taffy just because it's what you're supposed to do in seaside towns even though it's gross and hurts my teeth. Awe books! I love when they leave me with a feeling other than "Dammit I shouldn't have bothered!"

"If love wasn't just yours first, it was like cutting up and handing out your birthday cake before blowing out the candles."(less)

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Mar 18, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: bullies, families, self-esteem, abusive-relationships

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Deb Caletti knows the hearts and minds of teen girls, and this book shows her masterful handling of complex relationships once again. Reading a Caletti book is like being immersed into the life of someone you know quite well, but you end up not knowing her quite as well as you thought you did. This is an important book because she tackles an obsessive love relationship, something with which many teens may be familiar. As many have found, it's so easy to be caught up in the relationship and the c...more Deb Caletti knows the hearts and minds of teen girls, and this book shows her masterful handling of complex relationships once again. Reading a Caletti book is like being immersed into the life of someone you know quite well, but you end up not knowing her quite as well as you thought you did. This is an important book because she tackles an obsessive love relationship, something with which many teens may be familiar. As many have found, it's so easy to be caught up in the relationship and the contentment that comes with being with someone that it often becomes difficult to realize when parts of the self are being lost, subsumed in an attempt to please the other person. The attraction between Clara and Christian is immediate and intense, starting at a basketball game they both happen to attend. But Caletti lets her readers know that this is no happily ever after relationship story in the usual sense since she weaves in from the beginning Clara's recollection of the good and the bad times experienced by the couple. When things start to go wrong, they really go wrong, and with hindsight, Clara realizes that she should have seen some of the signs of Christian's possessiveness and insecurity as well as his judgmental side from the beginning. But caught in the throes of love or physical attraction, she discounted those warning signs as well as the concerns expressed by her father and friends. Although she tries to compensate for Christian's jealousy and the fact that he checks up on her when they're not together, eventually Clara breaks up with him, something he refuses to accept. He calls, comes by, and begs her to take him back. Clara has become an emotional hostage. Now Clara and her father have come to Bishop Rock, a remote island off the Washington coast so she can heal and he can write. Clara falls quickly--probably too quickly--into a romantic relationship with Finn, a local guy who gives boat tours to the tourists who visit the island, supposedly the scene of hauntings by various ghosts. I liked the use of ghosts since it evoked the ghosts from the past [lost loves...dead wives...relationship mistakes]that Clara and her father--well, really, all of us--are haunted by as well. I also liked Finn, who is stable and not as complicated as Christian was, but I wish Clara had not fallen for his so quickly. Another aspect of the story that I particularly appreciated is that Caletti doesn't tie the relationship between Clara and Christian up neatly. Not surprisingly, once he follows her to the island and tries--and fails--one more time to make things right and Clara takes out a restraining order, she says she continues to receive birthday cards from him. There's this sense that he's still out there, waiting for her, hoping for forgiveness, and yet, Clara has chosen to embrace life, taking a chance and moving on. This is a richly layered book, enhanced by the beautiful descriptions of the sea and Clara's realization that her father also has relationship issues stemming from the past. In a lot of ways, this is a cautionary tale to not lose yourself or forget your own identity once you're wrapped in the arms of another. It's also a reminder not to blame yourself for everything that happens.

One of the interesting things Caletti does here is include footnotes, some of which add insight into the story, and others that serve to help us hear Clara's voice more clearly. The technique functions to make it seem as though Clara is telling her story of survival many years after it happened. (less)

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Dec 08, 2011 Julie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Actually I couldn't put it down. I liked the characters (especially Gulliver) and the relationship between Clara and her dad, which made me laugh out loud in places.

There is so much heavy-handed foreshadowing in this book that I might use it to teach a bunch of really dull students what foreshadowing is. I would, except there is so much gratuitous language in this book. It could be a jr. high read if not for the numerous f-bombs. Otherwise, the sex happens offstage, and there is very little rea...more

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About Deb Caletti

Deb Caletti is an American writer born in San Rafael, California. She was a National Book Award finalist, as well as the recipient of other numerous awards including PEN USA finalist award, the Washington State Book Award, and SLJ Best Book award.
Deb went to Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington, U.S.A., and graduated in 1981. She earned a BA in Journalism/Communications from the Uni...more

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Quotes from Stay

“I've heard that people stand in bad situations because a relationship like that gets turned up by degrees. It is said that a frog will jump out of a pot of boiling water. Place him in a pot and turn it up a little at a time, and he will stay until he is boiled to death. Us frogs understand this.” — 129 people liked it

“It's strange, isn't it, how the idea of belonging to someone can sound so great? It can be comforting, the way it makes things decided. We like the thought of being held, until it's too tight. We like that certainty, until it means there's no way out. And we like being his, until we realize we're not ours anymore.” — 127 people liked it

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