Book Review + Giveaway: Stay by Deb Caletti

Stay by Deb Caletti

Reading Level: Young Adult

Release Date: April 5, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Pages: 320

Source: Received from publicist for honest review

Summary: 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....

My Review: A fated, heart-stopping connection to a stranger is not only exhilarating but, scary at the same time. From my past experiences, the nerve-wracking feelings fly out the window while the electrifying chemistry takes over. Due to the illusion, sometimes the red alerts are missed causing the person to fall into dangerous territory. This predicament finds Clara the moment Christian captures her heart. Caletti's storytelling is simply superb. The chapters go back and forth between her past and present, leaving no room for confusion. The crisp, and clean transitions comfortably flowed through the text. As a reader, I was happy to see all the missing pieces were ready to be put together. Clara's introduction started out on a remote location where she laid low for the summer with her father. The mystery behind their location had me curiously reading to find out what caused her to escape from Christian. Clara was a decent character whose voice has the ability to potentially reach out to girls dealing with unhealthy relationships.

On the other hand, Christian was just ugh. Just thinking about him makes me want to vomit. He started out okay but then his personality started to take a turn for the worse. Which obviously turned out to be a perfect portrayal of how sometimes people aren't as nice as they seem. Some parts of the novel did bother me though. For some reason, I wasn't a huge fan of Clara's father. Considering how lenient he was with his daughter, his parenting skills seemed a bit off to me. As for Clara, I still can't figure her out completely. Her mentality didn't come across as boy crazy, however her feelings toward boys escalated too quickly. Besides my little annoyance, I did enjoy Caletti's realism behind the dangers of dating. Also, in Stay, the author did a phenomenal job including footnotes that balanced the intense plot with a dose of humor. Overall, it was a pleasant start to reading more works by this talented author!

My Rating:

Want to read Stay? I have two extra copies, so here is your chance to win!

::Contest Details::

-Two people will win Stay.

-This contest is for U.S. residents only.

-Deadline will be on April 5, 2011.

CONTEST IS CLOSED.

Author's Info:

Deb Caletti is an award-winning author and a National Book Award finalist whose books are published and translated worldwide. Deb grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and earned her journalism degree from the University of Washington in Seattle. When Deb is not writing books or reading them, she is a painter and a lyricist, and speaks widely to audiences on writing and life as an author. Deb lives with her family in Seattle.

For more info on Deb, visit her sites:

-Website

-Facebook

-GoodReads