Stay With Me - Paul Griffin

::Post by Jackie Lindert::

Synopsis: An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit.
Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.
From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.

This book is beautiful. From the very beginning I was hooked into the honesty of Stay With Me. Paul Griffin's writing is just fantastic. The language of the book make the characters so real and authentic, you're just sure this is an actual story about real people. The two kids in the story come from some pretty messed up homes, but they find each other and every seems less bleak. I LOVE Mack and Cece together. Love. Love. Love!

If you are an animal lover (so basically, in my opinion, if you have a soul), you will fall hard for this book. Mack rehabilitates pit bulls that were abused and used for dog fights. Hello, Mr. Amazing. He helps the dogs, but the dogs also help him--I can't say any more, so you'll just have to find out for yourself!

Stay With Me isn't just about dogs, obviously. Cece is such an interesting character to me. She's a tough girl, yet very self conscious and sensitive. The things she is able to get through are unbelievable, and you will adore her family, especially her brother. 

The end of the book was not what I was expecting, and I was so nervous about what was going to happen. I I feared I might not have a heart afterward, depending on how things turned out. Although it wasn't what I expected, I think it was a great ending. It really leaves you thinking about life and growth. A lot of books about teen love are really romanced up and glamorized, so it was refreshing to read about something that seemed more real. My heart felt healthier after reading this book. 

It's not easy to keep spoilers from pouring out, which makes reviewing this book a little difficult, so I'm going to have to avoid some of my favorite parts of the book :( Trust me that there is more too it, though, that will make your heart wrench and your tears fall (both in good ways and sad).

My Life Next Door - Huntley Fitzpatrick

Synopsis: The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself? (From Goodreads)

There are a lot of dysfunctional relationships in YA lit. Lots of stalking like it's cool, lots of possession and control, plenty of it's forever as long as we don't talk about anything really serious, and of course- quite a bit of - I'm 100 years older than you so I know a lot more than you do. So I can't thank Huntley Fitzpatrick enough for writing a book that shows what a healthy relationship looks like. There are plenty of great descriptors I could use for this book but I can't help fixate on this one - healthy. This book looks like the one vibrant sunflower if a field of dead plants.

Jase and Samantha have some problems, but I love the way they TALK about what is bothering them which allows them to resolve the issue. They also TRUST one another. Even when Samantha makes some poor decisions, Jase is so good about forgiveness. Their channels of communication are completely open. When they go through things, they go together. This relationship feels real and vibrant. This is what you should strive for in a relationship, and I'm so happy there's an example out there now to refer to.

The Garretts were an amazing part of this book. I don't know how Huntley managed to write so many characters and make each one a well rounded individual. Even with a mom and a dad, and 8 kids, somehow each one had their own thing going on and were an important piece of the story. I can see how Samantha was so drawn to them. I used to wish I had a ton of siblings (I'm now, honestly, grateful that I don't) and families like the Garretts always seemed like they'd be so fun to be a part of. Watching Sam become an appendage of that family was like watching one of my own wishes come true. These people had so much love and life in their house and that's just beautiful.

There are some questions about what makes a good family that are raised through the comparison of Samantha's quiet and sparse household next to the noise Garretts next door. In the end it comes down to the people you love and how you show that love, but it's still interesting to see the way this is laid out. Friendships are also incredibly important in Sam's life. Samantha and her friends go through fluctuations - she loses some, she gains some - just like all teenagers. But still what's incredible is all these things are going on in Sam's life, but she and Jase share all these things with one another.

I'm just so incredibly impressed with Huntley Fitzpatrick's debut. It really is the perfect summer read and Jase puts all (or most) other YA boys to shame. If you're ever feeling overwhelmed by negativity or darkness, or books that seem to exist only to rip your heart out of your chest - turn to this book. Or if you just want to read awesomeness. This is a book that lifts you up and gives you something to aspire to - that really, shouldn't be out of your reach if you look in the right places. Most YA relationships make it seem like forever is easy and I get really cranky about that. Jase and Sam are one of the few (fictional) couples that I've really had faith in making it through the (theoretical) forever.

Five Flavors of Dumb - Antony John

Synopsis: The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.
The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.
The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf? Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb. (From Goodreads)


I've been seriously nostalgic for the days when I had friends in bands and my BFF and I would traipse all over the Midwest for concerts. So I turned to this book in order to indulge in the memories of days long gone. It was great watching these band members interact and learn about what it means to be in a group and what the forces are behind some of the greatest rock idols in history. I almost just wish there had been more concert settings, because, I guess that's the perspective I had when it came to rock bands and that's what I miss. 


Although, I guess because Piper is deaf, the audience aspect is a bit hindered. Piper is a fascinating character. She's deaf, but she's quick in learning about the music industry and what it takes to make great music. But really, her position comes down to people managing, and it probably is to everyone's advantage that she's more focused on money than the actual music (a value that someone is trying to eradicate from Piper's thoughts). She's strong and smart. But most of the time she drove me crazy. She's incredibly selfish and very vocal about anything that is taking attention away from her.


There are great relationship dynamics in this book. Piper's family plays a very important role, and I really appreciated that. Piper's brother ended up being one of the best characters in the book and it was cool to see him rise from the background into a prominent position. And the relationship between band members was great as well. One of the weakest characters became one of the strongest by the end and that was an incredible moment. It's interesting how the characters who are quiet in the beginning become the loudest and the dynamic characters in the end have become muted in some way. 


There is so much substance to this book and I do think that the author masterfully pulled each strand of this story together to create something great. It was good fuel for wallowing in memories of the days of blasting music in the car and losing control at concerts.

Chime - Frannie Billingsley

Synopsis: Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.

Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know. (From Goodreads)

I had a hard time getting into this book. I read about fifty pages and then set it aside to read a few other books. Then I went back to it and trudged through another fifty pages. Then suddenly I found myself completely sucked in. I didn't like Briony at first - I don't think you're supposed to. She hates herself so much and she's so bent on making sure she hates herself that I was completely frustrated by her. But then as Eldric begins to draw her out of her home and her own mind she begins to become much more like-able. When I actually started to care what happened to her, I was very invested in her story. 


This book was a finalist for the National Book Awards (re-call the Shine/Chime controversy of November...) and it's not hard to see why. It is of such high literary quality - it's expertly written and it takes great risks in experimenting with writing style - with narrative style. There was one quote that I pulled out of the story that by the end I realized held the key to the entire book (at least for me). Briony muses, "That's what stories do. They connect the random dots of life into a picture. But it's all an illusion. Just try to connect the dots of life. You'll end up with a lunatic scribble" (p. 64). The plot is one thing, but there's this underlying aspect of storytelling and it's purposes. This quote held the entire book together - it ties the plot and all the underlying meanings together. 


It was hard to get into, but the end was worth it. This is one to pick up and stick with because it really is something extraordinary.