Description from Goodreads (below) can be found here along with other reviews. Linking up with Blonde... Undercover Blonde for Book Club Friday.
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....
Abuse is not an easy topic to cover.
I think Deb Caletti does a more than fair job of depicting the complex emotions of someone in an unhealthy relationship in Stay.
Stay goes back and forth in time -- Clara now, with her father, in a little beach town where her history can't catch up with her, and Clara then, when she's beginning, and then in, a relationship with Christian.
The parts in the present show us how emotionally wrecked Clara is. But then the parts in the past show how she got to be in that position, how she justified staying in an unhealthy relationship, how all the tiny decisions led up to this monumental breaking point, how small acts in their relationship led to this huge, awful, scary monster of a relationship.
Though I've never been in an abusive relationship (thank god), I'd imagine that Stay gives a pretty good perspective on what it feels like to be swept away into a romance you think will be your perfect happily ever after and then end up scared, feeling at fault, and wondering how it got this bad.
Stay is not a light read, but I didn't think it was overly intense, either. Or, at least not as intense as the topic could be. There's definitely a lot of happy, particularly with the chapters in the present. Clara is recovering, and a new romance with a very cute, sweet boy begins, and there is a lot of light to balance the heavy.
Which, I think, is so like life.
Have any of you read Stay? What did you think?
7 comments:
For being a touchy subject, I'm surprised to hear it's not overly intense. Sounds interesting though!
I think I'm going to give this one a try. It sounds interesting....
This sounds like it could be pretty decent. I mightjust have to check it out!
Sounds like a good read. I'm always looking for good books, even if they are about tough issues. Thanks for the recommendation!
I imagine this would be a tough read, but I'm glad to hear it's not intense!
It sounds like it would be an emotionally draining read...but sometimes you just need those. I'll definitely look into this! Thanks for the review!
It sounds like it would be an emotionally draining read...but sometimes you just need those. I'll definitely look into this! Thanks for the review!
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