Stay

Stay
By Deb Caletti
Simon Pulse, 2011. 313 pgs. Young Adult

Clara's relationship with Christian started out well enough, but as things progressed, she began to see an increasingly dark side of him, and as the book opens, Clara and her father are fleeing, heading off to a remote beach after telling everyone they'll be in Europe. Although they are hiding out from Christian, as they live on a beach that is rumored to be haunted, Clara can't escape the "ghost" of him--all the memories of their time together, the good things as well as the bad things. And even as she's trying to get things figured out--and embarking on a new romance--she can't quite shake the fear that has come to envelop her as a result of their relationship.

Told in chapters alternating between her present life at the beach and the past, detailing how she met Christian and how their relationship started to go downhill, the book weaves together the idea of being haunted as much by someone who is alive as someone who is dead. Besides the problems with Christian, who is controlling and demeaning and even stalks her, Clara also realizes that her father is haunted by things from his past, including something to do with her deceased mother. The book is beautifully written, but I did experience some skepticism when things play out with Christian; the fear wasn't quite built up enough for me to believe Clara's reaction. Overall, though, with side plots of the new romance as well as family issues to back up the main plot of the stalking, this book has a lot to offer.

AE