Stay

Clara Oates begins a summer job with her father at a seaside town, hoping to escape her ex-boyfriend Christian. Through alternating timelines, she recounts the progression of their relationship and the events that led to their breakup. During her time at the beach town, Clara processes her past while working at a nearby lighthouse. She observers her father's new romance and meets new people, including a local boy named Finn. The novel explores obsessive love, emotional manipulation, and the gradual erosion of boundaries in toxic relationships. Through Clara's perspective and experiences, the story examines how passion can transform into control and how breaking free requires both physical and emotional distance.

Readers describe Stay as an authentic portrayal of toxic relationships and stalking behavior, with particular appreciation for how it shows the gradual progression from romance to control. Many note that the book helps identify red flags in relationships. Readers liked: - The parallel storytelling between past and present - Clara's realistic voice and thought processes - The father-daughter relationship - The beach town setting Common criticisms: - Slow pacing in the first half - Too much detailed backstory - Some found Clara's decisions frustrating - Several mention the ending felt rushed Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (13,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.3/5 (80+ ratings) "Finally a YA book that doesn't romanticize obsessive behavior," wrote one Goodreads reviewer. Another noted: "The slow build of tension made my stomach hurt - in exactly the way it should." Multiple readers mentioned they wish they had read this book as teenagers to better understand relationship warning signs.

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🌊 "Stay" was inspired by the author's own experience with stalking, which she encountered during high school and college. 📚 The book's coastal setting of Bishop Rock is loosely based on Cannon Beach, Oregon, where Deb Caletti spent time researching and writing. 🏆 "Stay" was named a 2012 Best Fiction for Young Adults title by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 🎨 The story's theme of obsessive love was deliberately crafted to counter popular media's romanticization of controlling relationships. 🌟 Deb Caletti wrote the first draft of "Stay" in just six weeks, though she spent considerably more time revising and polishing the manuscript.