1,544 books
—
9,180 voters
Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read.
Start by marking “And We Stay” as Want to Read:
And We Stay
by
Senior Paul Wagoner walks into his school with a stolen gun, he threatens his girlfriend, Emily Beam, and then takes his own life. Soon after, angry and guilt-ridden Emily is sent to a boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, where two quirky fellow students and the spirit of Emily Dickinson offer helping hands. But it is up to Emily Beam to heal her own damaged self, to
...more
Get A Copy
Hardcover, 224 pages
Published
January 28th 2014
by Delacorte Press
(first published January 10th 2014)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Reader Q&A
Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of And We Stay
2.5 stars
I'm rather disappointed with this. Going into it knowing that it won the same award the same year as I'll Give You The Sun, my expecations were huge. But the plot was a bit dragging, the characters were bland, and it was very forgettable. Nothing about this was special or made me feel like it was deserving of an award. It is nowhere near as great as IGYTS. I would not recommend this, and I feel like I kinda wasted my time tbh.
I'm rather disappointed with this. Going into it knowing that it won the same award the same year as I'll Give You The Sun, my expecations were huge. But the plot was a bit dragging, the characters were bland, and it was very forgettable. Nothing about this was special or made me feel like it was deserving of an award. It is nowhere near as great as IGYTS. I would not recommend this, and I feel like I kinda wasted my time tbh.
And We Stay is a book that will resonate with some, and left others feeling detached. It's a very poetic writing style which on one hand gives us a beautifully written novel, but on the other hand it makes it hard to embed yourself into the main character's thoughts and emotions.
The main reason for this detachment is due to the fact that it's written in 3rd person present. This tense always makes it hard for me to feel anything but indifference towards a story and its characters. It does make f ...more
The main reason for this detachment is due to the fact that it's written in 3rd person present. This tense always makes it hard for me to feel anything but indifference towards a story and its characters. It does make f ...more
See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads
Jenny Hubbard is a fantastic writer. I'll give her that. She can form sentences out of nowhere and still make it sound poetic and beautiful and grand. The poems that are inserted here and there are just another example of her talent. I really wanted to love And We Stay because of that. The prose and verse--I don' ...more
This is how they will go.
This is how she will go: on.
The light almost speaking,
and March halfway gone,
the green fields beyond,
and the staying.
Jenny Hubbard is a fantastic writer. I'll give her that. She can form sentences out of nowhere and still make it sound poetic and beautiful and grand. The poems that are inserted here and there are just another example of her talent. I really wanted to love And We Stay because of that. The prose and verse--I don' ...more
**A free copy of this book was provided by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
DNF at 40%
I'm really sorry for doing this, but I just can't finish it. Honestly, I don't remember when was the last time I DNF a book.
Every reader has some things that are huge no for them. For me it's an inability to connect with main characters.
I admit I was drawn to this book in a first place because of that beautiful cover and the blurb sounded really promising. I expected a beautiful heart-b ...more
DNF at 40%
I'm really sorry for doing this, but I just can't finish it. Honestly, I don't remember when was the last time I DNF a book.
Every reader has some things that are huge no for them. For me it's an inability to connect with main characters.
I admit I was drawn to this book in a first place because of that beautiful cover and the blurb sounded really promising. I expected a beautiful heart-b ...more
Jan 31, 2019
Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach
rated it
it was ok
·
review of another edition
Quick, easy read...
But at the end of the day, I am just not a fan of poetry, and this book really centered around that. Emily Dickinson's poetry, Emily the main character's poetry, there were even a lot of Emily's actual poems in the book. It was just not for me.
Other than the poetry aspect, I liked the story of her background with Paul, but that was such a small part of the book. I had to give it 2 stars
But at the end of the day, I am just not a fan of poetry, and this book really centered around that. Emily Dickinson's poetry, Emily the main character's poetry, there were even a lot of Emily's actual poems in the book. It was just not for me.
Other than the poetry aspect, I liked the story of her background with Paul, but that was such a small part of the book. I had to give it 2 stars
This was a bit of a different kind of read. Both sad and somewhat..strange maybe? Hard to describe. I did like the poems throughout the story and the bit about Dickinson was very interesting but other than that, I didn't find myself connecting with the story at all like I wanted to. That being said though, I think this maybe was more of a case of, it's not you, it's me. I seem to be having a hard time lately finding a really great read.
I was just talking to one of the booksellers at the King's English about the Printz Awards and YA fiction in general. We were discussing how many of the books lately seem to have lots of crude language or sex in them, not because it's part of the story, but almost to show off. I said that it reminded me of a rebellious teenager fighting with her parents, yelling,"That's right! I drink ALCOHOL! And HAVE SEX! This is my LIFE, MOTH-er! DEAL WITH IT!" And you want to pat the book on the head. "Okay,
...more
"So. You're a poet." Emily shakes her head. "No," she says, "I'm just a girl who writes poems."
It's weird for me to think of And We Stay as the story of an ex-cheerleader who starts afresh at an all-girls boarding school after her jock boyfriend shot himself in the school library, but that is the gist of Emily Beam's situation. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those elements, but they make the story seem flashier than it actually is, and flashy is one word I wouldn't associate with An ...more
It's weird for me to think of And We Stay as the story of an ex-cheerleader who starts afresh at an all-girls boarding school after her jock boyfriend shot himself in the school library, but that is the gist of Emily Beam's situation. Not that there's anything wrong with any of those elements, but they make the story seem flashier than it actually is, and flashy is one word I wouldn't associate with An ...more
Feb 19, 2014
Wendy Darling
marked it as dnf
DNF a few chapters in.
On page 6, the main character references how the decision to send her to boarding school was "very Brothers Grimm." Really? I don't remember any of those in my fairy tales. I really just didn't care for the writing style and structure, though, and would not have picked this up had it not randomly showed up at my door. The dramatic subjects, somewhat heavy-handed style, and verse sections are just not my thing.
On page 6, the main character references how the decision to send her to boarding school was "very Brothers Grimm." Really? I don't remember any of those in my fairy tales. I really just didn't care for the writing style and structure, though, and would not have picked this up had it not randomly showed up at my door. The dramatic subjects, somewhat heavy-handed style, and verse sections are just not my thing.
I read this a couple of years back at the end of the year and am just now writing a review for it since listening to the audiobook version. This will be a brief review/summary because I'm reacting to the overarching story itself. "And We Stay" is a difficult book to read (and rate, to be honest with you). It touches on quite a few sensitive topics, from suicide to depression to issues regarding teen pregnancy and abortion. Emily Bean is a character I followed well throughout the narrative - havi
...more
I'm caught between 3 and 4 stars...
And We Stay is about a girl who is dealing with pain of losing her ex and other personal issues in her life. She puts a lot of pain into her poetry which is written out in these pages. I enjoyed the story and the way it moved a long.
For more reviews visit The Accidental Reader
Do you love poetry? If so, you might want to give this book a chance.
But for those of you who don't like poetry or don't feel anything particular towards it, well, you might want to hear me out.
(Those who love are welcome to join as well, of course)
When I started this book I was awed at the beauty of the writing. But as the story progressed I found myself thinking that I might give this book 5 stars despite not liking it at all because the writing wa ...more
Do you love poetry? If so, you might want to give this book a chance.
But for those of you who don't like poetry or don't feel anything particular towards it, well, you might want to hear me out.
(Those who love are welcome to join as well, of course)
When I started this book I was awed at the beauty of the writing. But as the story progressed I found myself thinking that I might give this book 5 stars despite not liking it at all because the writing wa ...more
I will remember And We Stay and Emily for a long time after having put it down last night. I felt Emily residing somewhere in my chest as I read her story. It felt so personal, so ethereal, so damn sad it broke my heart. Paul broke my heart- the wonder of his thoughts, the confusion, and how damn alone he must have felt at the end. How terrible Emily's experience directly following his death & how patronized and bulldozed she was by her family- by her sense of fear and guilt.
But mostly I will re ...more
But mostly I will re ...more
1.5 Stars
When I read a novel where the main character has gone through some serious shit, I expect a few things. I expect a relatable/likeable character who has quite a few flaws. I expect a lot of emotion and confusion and above all, a lot of sympathy. I expect to love this book and feel as if I am apart of the story, that, this horrible thing that happened to the protagonist actually happened to me. I want to be in their shoes. And We Stay gives me a narration that left me more tired than ...more
I spent far more of this book wondering why 1995 than I did thinking about how gorgeously written it was, how wonderful the way Emily works through her grief is, how incredible the friendship between her and KT is, and how many really nice feminist/female-empowering messages were woven in without becoming Messages. This is a tougher read -- it will have a more limited appeal to teen readers -- but it's worthwhile. At heart, it's about grief and loss, and it's about grief and loss not just on the
...more
Aug 13, 2015
JenacideByBibliophile
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction-ya
As a book reviewer, I have a list of books that have been sent to me by the author or a publishing house AS WELL AS a HUGE (and I mean ginormous people) stack of books that I have already purchased on my own or plan to. And We Stay was one of the books that I purchased on my own, and I wasn’t entirely sure I would enjoy it. I always read reviews before I purchase anything (which is probably what lead me to reviewing) and I was getting a lot of mixed feedback about this book. Some reviews praised
...more
Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?
The first thing I learned about this book was it had some parts of it written in verse and as soon as I heard it also has some connections to Emily Dickinson and that it deals with emotional issues - basically it sounds like a perfect read for me. So I grabbed a chance to read it. Luckily I got approved for it, but sadly I expected too much.
Firstly, I must say that I really enjoy books written in verse so I hoped I'd enjoy this one for that but things weren' ...more
The first thing I learned about this book was it had some parts of it written in verse and as soon as I heard it also has some connections to Emily Dickinson and that it deals with emotional issues - basically it sounds like a perfect read for me. So I grabbed a chance to read it. Luckily I got approved for it, but sadly I expected too much.
Firstly, I must say that I really enjoy books written in verse so I hoped I'd enjoy this one for that but things weren' ...more
Emily Beam is attending a new boarding school in Amherst, Massachusetts, in order to recover from a horrifying event at her old school-- her ex-boyfriend brought a gun to school and shot himself in the school's library because Emily was breaking up with him. Emily is also a poet, and writes poems in order to help heal from her past and feels a connection to Emily Dickinson, a local celebrity of sorts.
This book just didn't do it for me. I kept feeling like the character Emily in the story-- in ma ...more
This book just didn't do it for me. I kept feeling like the character Emily in the story-- in ma ...more
"He kissed her lifeline
and sealed his secrets there."
I thought this was a wonderful story - about the struggle to survive and the will to endure. I think the synopsis typically gives too much away so I just bought this one without reading it and I'm so glad I did. I let the story unfold without knowing the details and it was scary and real and so very sad.
I loved the interwoven story of Emily Dickinson and how poetry was a part of every chapter. I think it added a depth to the book that would ha ...more
and sealed his secrets there."
I thought this was a wonderful story - about the struggle to survive and the will to endure. I think the synopsis typically gives too much away so I just bought this one without reading it and I'm so glad I did. I let the story unfold without knowing the details and it was scary and real and so very sad.
I loved the interwoven story of Emily Dickinson and how poetry was a part of every chapter. I think it added a depth to the book that would ha ...more
Well written, the author captured the angst of teen aged relationships and the drama, the mistakes, and the prices paid are all included in this story of 17 year old Emily Beam.
Emily developed a relationship with Paul, and all too quickly it became consuming. When Emily discovered she was pregnant and told Paul, she also noted that she was not going to keep the baby and was not going to stay in the relationship with Paul.
Unfortunately, Paul didn't handle it well and found a gun. He killed himsel ...more
Emily developed a relationship with Paul, and all too quickly it became consuming. When Emily discovered she was pregnant and told Paul, she also noted that she was not going to keep the baby and was not going to stay in the relationship with Paul.
Unfortunately, Paul didn't handle it well and found a gun. He killed himsel ...more
“It does not have to define who Emily is, was, or will be.”
This is a difficult book to review because it is a difficult book to read. Although it doesn't get into graphic detail, I want to put a content warning for suicide, depression, and abortion.
Emily has just experienced a traumatic event, and she suddenly finds herself in an all-girls boarding school where she is forced to confront her feelings on her own. She uses poetry to find her solace, so there are verses throughout the book that are ...more
This is a difficult book to review because it is a difficult book to read. Although it doesn't get into graphic detail, I want to put a content warning for suicide, depression, and abortion.
Emily has just experienced a traumatic event, and she suddenly finds herself in an all-girls boarding school where she is forced to confront her feelings on her own. She uses poetry to find her solace, so there are verses throughout the book that are ...more
Dec 16, 2013
Christina (A Reader of Fictions)
marked it as dnf
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
audiobook
Amount Read: roughly 30%
And We Stay isn't bad. I don't hate it and I debated with myself whether to actually DNF this one. The narration of the audiobook is good and I predict this would end up a 3 if I finished. At the same time, though, I have a lot of review books coming up, and not enough days on which to post them, and I'm under no obligation to review this. Plus, I really just do not care what happens to any of the characters. I don't hate them, but I'm not curious about them. They don't f ...more
And We Stay isn't bad. I don't hate it and I debated with myself whether to actually DNF this one. The narration of the audiobook is good and I predict this would end up a 3 if I finished. At the same time, though, I have a lot of review books coming up, and not enough days on which to post them, and I'm under no obligation to review this. Plus, I really just do not care what happens to any of the characters. I don't hate them, but I'm not curious about them. They don't f ...more
The cover is really good. But what I like most about this was the poetic writing style the book had going.All the while poems were intertwined with the story. It did get sad at times but also had moments when it was good. Like the growing friendship of Emily and her classmates. Reminded me a bit of another book, A Breath of Eyre, what with the literary theme. Quick but good read.
First posted here: https://kailynkausen.wordpress.com/20...
Full review below:
2/5 stars
I recently attended a writer's conference down in Santa Barbara. One thing we did there was workshop and the workshop mindset seems to be, "What is vital here? What is absolutely essential to this story and what can be removed? What is the reader going to skip over?" When reading And We Stay, I held these questions in my mind. What was essential to this story? I guess parts of it were important - a story was t ...more
Full review below:
2/5 stars
I recently attended a writer's conference down in Santa Barbara. One thing we did there was workshop and the workshop mindset seems to be, "What is vital here? What is absolutely essential to this story and what can be removed? What is the reader going to skip over?" When reading And We Stay, I held these questions in my mind. What was essential to this story? I guess parts of it were important - a story was t ...more
Book: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard
Start Date: January 26th, 2014
Date Finished: January 28th, 2014
So I finally have an ARC review for you guys! Its not really advanced at this point because the book was published TODAY! I really wanted to get this book read and a review put up for the release date, and I made it in the nick of time with 15 minutes til midnight. I’d say thats cutting it close!
The book I’m review today is called And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. This is her second book. She has another ...more
Start Date: January 26th, 2014
Date Finished: January 28th, 2014
So I finally have an ARC review for you guys! Its not really advanced at this point because the book was published TODAY! I really wanted to get this book read and a review put up for the release date, and I made it in the nick of time with 15 minutes til midnight. I’d say thats cutting it close!
The book I’m review today is called And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard. This is her second book. She has another ...more
It's been quite a while since I read a book by a new-to-me author and immediately wanted to read everything they've written so far. I'm happy to say that this was the case with Jenny Hubbard's And We Stay and, upon finishing it, I quickly hotfooted it to Amazon to purchase a copy of her debut novel, Paper Covers Rock.
I fell in love with And We Stay from the very first page. Something about it spoke to me straight away, and I almost read the book in one single sitting. It's written beautifully, w ...more
I fell in love with And We Stay from the very first page. Something about it spoke to me straight away, and I almost read the book in one single sitting. It's written beautifully, w ...more
Original review can be found here/.
And We Stay is such an inspirational and heart-wrenching book. It inspired me to purchase a book of Emily Dickinson poems and it showed me that the heart can heal but it will never be whole again. I know I cannot do a review that would ever do this book justice but I'm going to try.
Jenny Hubbard's writing is touching and captivating. She has a way of making a fictional book seem extremely realistic.
Emily Beam is such an amazing girl. She went through so much i ...more
And We Stay is such an inspirational and heart-wrenching book. It inspired me to purchase a book of Emily Dickinson poems and it showed me that the heart can heal but it will never be whole again. I know I cannot do a review that would ever do this book justice but I'm going to try.
Jenny Hubbard's writing is touching and captivating. She has a way of making a fictional book seem extremely realistic.
Emily Beam is such an amazing girl. She went through so much i ...more
Thank you, Edelweiss, for providing this book from Delacorte Press for review.
Emily Beam transfers to an all-girls boarding school after her boyfriend Paul Wagoner kills himself in her old high school library. She and her parents believe it would be best for her to start fresh in a new place, away from everything that could remind her of that traumatic experience. But as Emily attempts to handle her grief, she begins to call upon Emily Dickinson's works, and uses the poet as a guide to heal her ...more
Emily Beam transfers to an all-girls boarding school after her boyfriend Paul Wagoner kills himself in her old high school library. She and her parents believe it would be best for her to start fresh in a new place, away from everything that could remind her of that traumatic experience. But as Emily attempts to handle her grief, she begins to call upon Emily Dickinson's works, and uses the poet as a guide to heal her ...more
I'm sure this will work for a lot of people, but I had a really hard time connecting with Emily and her struggle. On her seventeenth birthday, she breaks up with her boyfriend because she finds out she is pregnant. His solution is marriage, hers is letting her parents make the decision (abortion) for her. Two days later, he brings a gun to school and kills himself. Emily's parents send her to Boston for an abortion she's no longer sure she wants and to a boarding school (the same one Emily Dicki
...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crazy for Young A...: And We Stay, by Jenny Hubbard → Start Date: January 17th, 2017 | 12 | 16 | Jan 23, 2017 03:53AM | |
| Printz Award: And We Stay | 1 | 5 | Sep 29, 2015 06:44PM | |
| 2017 Reading Chal...: And We Stay | 1 | 13 | Feb 19, 2015 01:12PM |
Readers also enjoyed
Related Articles
Award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa’s highly anticipated new book, Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America, arrives...
9 likes · 1 comments
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Because God didn't write the Bible. Men did, probably uneducated ones.”
—
11 likes
“Pall-- Oh, yes, she could feel it/even though the bullet/had never stabbed her skin./ The bright white heat/ burned at her core/ where two lives/ beat, and if he'd aimed/ there and pulled the trigger,/red would have crested/ like a broken dam/ over her hands/ as her last word rushed/ up to her throat-- Paul-- / a sound that took no time and also lifetimes.”
—
4 likes
More quotes…
