Stay by Deb Caletti

Genre: YA
Published: April 5th 2011
Pages: 320
Book Source: ARC Simon & Schuster

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....

Review:

Oh how I loved this book, it's a favourite for 2011 even though it's a read that touched very close to home, which wasn't always comfortable. Stay began with a level of intrigue that was intense, a slightly sinister undercurrent and entwined with the palpable feeling of wrongness was the most beautiful, heartfelt writing ... I was mesmerised.

So many things in this book touched the fragile place in me, I was held transfixed by aspects of Clara's story that could have been my own life story in print. Raw and honest emotion, so real in fact that this book flooded me with a rush of memories from a controlling, manipulative marriage. The feelings, reactions, emotions that Deb Caletti pinpoints are so close to the truth, it's uncanny ... the walking on eggshells, filtering information, the love, the lies, the hate, the fear, the guilt, learning to trust again; to trust your instincts.

"A drop of poison on that gathering snow. That moment in the fairy tale when we know what just happened but the princess doesn't."

"I've heard that people stay 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."

I loved all the character's, (except Christian ~ too many shuddery light bulb moments) Clara, her Dad, Annabelle, Sylvie, and *sigh* Finn, he's uncomplicated, down-to-earth, a genuine good guy. I loved the honest, vivid first person narration from Clara, I loved the footnotes, I loved the setting of Bishop Rock, I loved the realness, what can I say I just LOVED STAY.

"The most true-love words are not the ones that grasp and hold and bind you, twisting you both up together in some black dance. No, they are ones that leave you free to stand alone on your own solid ground, leave him to do the same, a tender space between you."

Stay is brilliantly crafted, it's a story about love, loss, mistakes, discovery & hope. Have I done this book justice, conveyed how much I loved it. I hope so, I just can't rave enough about it; 3 more words ...
Breathtaking, Hopeful, Real.

Visit Deb Caletti's website to find out more.

Awesome international giveaway ~ win 3 books by Katherine Howell. Check this blog post for details!