Review: Stay by Deb Caletti

Book:  Stay by Deb Caletti
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-Alone
Pages: 313
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: April 19^th, 2011

How I Got This Book: ARC Tours at Good Golly Miss Holly

Description (From Goodreads): 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....

Stay by Deb Caletti is a book that certainly makes an impact. This is one of those rare fictional treats that doesn’t feel the least bit fictional; it could be anybody’s story.  Clara is a character that anyone could know, she could easily be the girl next door, your friend or your cousin. 

Like the character of Clara, the story was very realistic to me. It was gritty and ugly at times but it was also lovely in places.  This isn’t a neat story; it doesn’t come wrapped up in a pretty bow. It’s a story about a stalker, but it is also a story about a teenage girl finding herself and maturing in all aspects of her life. Her relationship with her father is explored and questioned, and she finds herself having to come to terms with a great many things.

I don’t want to say that I enjoyed watching the story unfold, but I did. it was a bit like watching a car crash that you know is coming – you know it’s going to make you feel terrible, you know that witnessing it will change you forever, but you still can’t look away. I feel like Caletti did a marvelous job telling Clara’s story. In fact, I would say that the format was perfect; it’s actually quite a unique setup. 

The book is written completely from Clara’s perspective – she is writing her own story, looking back at the events of her life and trying to make sense of everything. She alternates between two time periods with each chapter – one before leaving Christian and one after leaving him. This format gives the reader an interesting perspective because you see Clara falling for Christian, but you immediately see the aftermath as well. My favorite part of the format though, would have to be the footnotes. The story is peppered with footnotes from Clara where she adds random tidbits about certain passages. It gave the story a very personal feel and at the same time it allows you to better understand her character.

Another point that I wanted to touch on was Caletti’s writing style. I feel like this is something that you are either going to absolutely love or hate. First of all, let me say that the narrative and writing style fit perfectly with Clara’s character. Her father is a writer and she is a self professed lover of words. Everything is very descriptive and there are tons and tons of extended metaphors. There are pages and pages of just Clara and her thoughts – her different takes on certain events. I must say it is extremely beautiful writing – but at times, it was just too much for me. I sometimes found it difficult to get through. Which is a pity, because even as I was reading it I knew how exquisite the writing was. I just feel that things dragged in certain spots – I wanted to keep piecing together the story, but Clara wanted to analyze a facial expression for 6 pages. 

That being said, I had a very difficult time giving this book a rating because it was so beautifully written. Unfortunately, at times it actually hindered my reading experience. This in turn caused to like a book that I would otherwise have loved. I want to be clear though, in saying that many of you will probably love the book for the exact same reason. It’s completely up to the reader’s discretion.

Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Book: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney
Series or Stand-Alone: Series, The Mockingbirds #1
Pages: 332
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2010
Description (From Goodreads): Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.
In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

 The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney is nothing short of phenomenal. This book has been on my radar for a while now, and I was eagerly anticipating the day when it would finally show up in my mailbox. Well, it came at last, I immediately starting reading it - putting my current read aside. I finished this book the day I began it - I could not put it own. I read it under my table during my Psychology, Children's Lit and Government classes - I read it walking to my car, walking from my car - I had to draw the line while I was actually driving. 

The Mockingbirds is a story that absolutley sucks you in. It begins with a heart-wrenching scene; the morning after Alex's first time. The morning after Alex was date raped. From that point on you follow Alex on her quest to find out exactly what happened that horrifying night and then eventually as she seeks out justice. Fearful of her parents reactions, she decides not to go to the police, but instead to enlist the help of the elusive Mockingbirds. Now, being the dense person that I am - before I read the book, I did not get the reference to the beloved Harper Lee novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. Somehow, I missed the image of the tree on the cover, the one from the cover of  Lee's book. But alas, a light-bulb finally went off while reading. You see, the Mockingbirds are named after the book - they aim to right the injustices of Themis Academy - just like the injustice Tom Robinson faces in Lee's book when he is wrongfully accused and convicted of rape. 

I honestly, cannot explain to you how much I enjoyed this book. The entire thing was beautifully written and was one heck of an emotional roller-coaster. You cannot help but identify with Alex as she tries to cope with things and tries to overcome everything. It is absolutely heartbreaking to read as she begins to hide from everyone - she stops going to the cafeteria, she takes the long route to all her classes, she hides in her room; all because she fears she will run into Carter. I would imagine that this is the same reaction I would have and I am sure many other girls would react similarly. We would all like to say that we would never hide - we would stand up and face things, but could we really? I don't know if I would be able to look at something that ugly head on. I would be frightened and unsure, just like Alex.

Alex's narrative is flawless; every thought that she has seems completely spot on with what I would imagine. She is terrified of the entire situation; at first she simply wants to forget it every happened, but as horrible details start coming back to her, she finally realizes that she has to take a stand. She is backed by her faithful group of friends, including her roommates, her music friends and the Mockingbirds. Everyone shows Alex support and it provides her with enough strength to do what is needed. 

What makes this book so wonderful is that not only is the storyline remarkable, but it is conveyed is such a mesmerizing and beautiful way. With, The Mockingbirds Whitney pulls on all the right heartstrings and creates an exquisite heroine in Alex - she is a dynamic character who has a tremendous amount of heart and courage.  I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone - it should be added to everyone's reading list!

Review: Sleepwalk Society

Book: Sleepwalk Society (Kendare Blake)
Stand-Alone or Series:  Stand-Alone

Pages: 163
Genre: Young Adult
How Did I get this book: For Review from Kendare Blake
Description (From Goodreads):

Violet Monroe has just fumbled her way through the first year of college. All she wants now is to go home and have one great summer with her best friends, Terran, the beautiful one, and Joey, the perpetually angry underachiever.

But when she goes home, she finds that everything has changed: Joey's charismatic cousin, Brandon, has come to town, and pays more attention to plain girl Violet than she's used to. Terran and Joey meanwhile, decide to give in to their mutual attraction, only to deal with a troubling aftermath.

In the midst of everything, Violet must decide who she is, something which her parents insist is intrinsically linked to what kind of job she gets after graduating.

A contemporary coming of age story about the choices you make when you have no idea how it's all going to turn out.

Sleepwalk Society by Kendare Blake was an extremely refreshing read. Blake was able to accomplish, in her debut novel,  what many other, more experienced, writers are unable to - she created completely believable world and story. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate that she was courageous enough to write a book about young adults that teenagers could really connect with. Often times I feel that writers don't give teenagers enough credit and they produce watered down versions of reality. The world within Sleepwalk Society is not perfect; it is a gritty and confusing place - just like the world we live in. A lot of controversial issues and subjects arise within the plot - Blake is not afraid to push buttons, which allows for an honest portrayal of an 18 year old American girl. 

With Violet, she produces a character that could truly walk off the page. Everyone can identify with Violet, we all have a little bit of her within us. Her narrative is not always pretty, in fact it is often dark, confusing and unsettling. Her thoughts are not wrapped in a perfect presentable packing - but they are sincere and honest for her character. Violet is constantly struggling with what she is suppose to be in life. She suffers from a major identity crisis. She is aware of what other expect her to be, but she cannot determine who she wants her to be or what she wants out of life. One of the main causes for the push Violet feels to answer these questions, is her father. He gives Violet an ultimatum - she has to declare a major or she will not be returning to school in the fall. Not only does he want her to declare a major, he wants her to declare a respectable one. He instills the belief in Violet that what career a person chooses in life directly affects their worth. This just adds to the weight Violet feels from the decision and causes her to struggle even more.


Blake brings up some great questions about our society through Violet - my favorite being what's the rush? When did it become necessary to plan our entire lives by 18? I think Violet puts it best, she says,

 "I'm searching for the answer, any answer at all, be it the meaning of life, or the Holy Grail, or the Loch Ness Monster. Because at 18 I'm already behind schedule. We don't have time like we used to have time. I can feel mine burning away like the wax of a candle."

 I think everyone can identify with that. Especially today's youth. I know I certainly can. In today's world, you are expected to go to college and expected to have all the answers. You get your degree, then get a job and spend the rest of your life working to create a better life than what your parents had. But who says you have to go at such a break neck speed? Who says that this is what everyone wants?  

Not only was I able to identity with Violet's internal struggles, but I truly enjoyed her as a character. She reminded me of a female version of Holden Caufield - at least to an extent. Like I said before, Blake made Violet's narrative brutally honest - which sometimes makes her a little like Holden. She is of the world, but removed from it as well. She sees things differently, and often analyzes others (even those closest to her) from a distance. Her internal narrative is witty and honest - and always entertaining. However, Blake does a great job keeping Violet very human. She has a soft side; she wants to please people, which only makes herself more conflicted. There is a quote in the book about Violet, that I absolutely loved and identified with; "That's what I love about you, Violet. You're a cynic and a dreamer. Your a crowd of ten people who've fought to a standstill". Now, tell me this, who doesn't identify with that?

As the story continues Violet also has the deal with the changing dynamic of her relationship with her two best friends, Joey and Terran. The two of them begin dating and it puts Violet on the back burner. She has a difficult time with this, because like I said, she doesn't really know herself. She has always defined herself as one of the points of the Joey-Terran-Violet triangle, and for the first time in her life, she has to become her own person. She soon meets and befriends Joey's cousin, Brandon and he sort of helps her examine what she wants out of life. He is also the only one in her life that expresses that it is alright to not know.

I love the relationship between Brandon and Violet. It is never forced and like every other aspect in this novel, it is so utterly realistic. Brandon is not cast as the answer to all of Violet's problems and she does not become overly dependent on him - which I love. 

The book is highly character driven and all of the secondary characters are just as well written as Violet. There is not a single "stock" or flat character - everyone has the ability to surprise you. Blake did a marvelous job creating a novel that truly has the ability to speak to today's youth. Sleepwalk Society is a beautifully written coming of age story that really hits home. This could be a story about anyone - you, your neighbor or your best friend. This book puts into terms the pressure today's youth feels in a beautiful and captivating way.

I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Do yourself a favor and go read it, right now!