Stay

I thought this story to be very well-written and spoke to the life and times of small towns, as well as people and their communities everywhere. The characters are well-developed, interesting, real and ring true. The story is narrated by the main character, a young teenage boy whose home life is full of conflict, since his parents argue constantly, mostly forgetting his needy presence. The boy's best friend also lives an isolating life, since the adults in his house are emotionally remote, thus inflicting on the son as sense of hopelessness. One day, the narrator chances to meet a woman and her two massive dogs who hole up in a cabin, deep in the woods, on the edge of town. He's been warned to steer clear of those woods, as well as the inhabitant of the cabin, who seems to have turned the whole town against her. Eventually both boys and the hermit lady befriend each other. Over time, they all effect deep, but cleansing, changes in one other. The tale ends in the narrators later, adult life. And, once again, we learn that all is connected and we can all help one another, no matter the gender, age, position in society, and life goals. This novel would truly be a relevant tale for teenage readers who also grapple with the aches and pains of growing up. In the end, we all end up somewhere but it's who we take along on our journeys is what matters most.

What a beautiful heartfelt, complicated sad but at the same time , delightful story. Very well put together. Good to read in the quite as you might miss the point of the individual story being told. Really a timeless story for anyone to enjoy.

(I am fortunate to have received an ARC of this book.) Lucas is a very lonely boy in his mid-teens. He narrates this story as an older adult, and we read his narrations from the past to the present and back again, until the two timelines merge. It’s a very effective dance to keep the reader curious and invested to see what what will happen and how. His story begins by wanting to escape from a difficult home life. We find out his parents’ marriage is troubled, his brother is in Vietnam, his best friend is extremely depressed, and his only escape is running with two dogs in the woods—dogs which don’t even belong to him. The story of how he meets the dogs’ owner and his relationship with her, an older woman named Zoe, starts us on our journey with Lucas. The book is unflinching in its facing squarely the themes of addiction, suicide, loneliness, the overt and hidden consequences of war. And the synchronicity of seemingly inconsequential decisions and actions which change lives for generations. I appreciate the author’s ability to keep it real: no-one is completely bad or completely good; we never know the whole story; all are capable of redemption but never perfection. And her ability to keep us surprised even until the very end. This book will appeal to a young-adult reader and to any age adult. I highly recommend it!

Catherine Ryan Hyde writes Stay, a deeply heartfelt and human tale about friendship and mortality. The plot follows Lucas Painter, a boy who cherishes his friendships but struggles to find a balance between supporting and fixing. Nick Podehl provides fitting, believable and passionate narration. This is one of Hyde's best works to date, and it should not be missed. From a present-day perspective, Lucas looks back on life as a fourteen-year-old boy. His family is in turmoil due to his parent's near-constant bickering. He spends time with his best-friend Connor, writes letters to his brother who's in the military, and goes on frequent runs in the woods. It's on a run that he encounters Zoe Dinsmore, a social outcast with a negative outlook on life. Along with his brother's addictive inclinations and friend's depressive tendencies, Lucas strives to give the people in his life a reason to live healthy, happy lives. Along the journey, he learns what it means to be a true friend while maintaining his mental health. Stay delves into topics of friendship, war, addiction, family struggles, mental health and moral obligations. Hyde does not present these in a preachy, patronizing or moralistic fashion. Rather, she lays them out as situations and circumstances that anyone might encounter or fall victim to. In this way, the story is not constrained by time or place. The characters, especially Lucas, convey all levels of emotion and confusion when navigating each circumstance. The character's reliance on the advice and friendship of others lends to the sense that they are growing and developing individuals existing in the real world. The plot is delivered with solid, consistent and engaging pacing. The simple yet effective dialogue expertly matches the mood, attitude and disposition of each character. The plot and narrative are delivered in an even more gripping manner due to Podehl's experienced narrative skill. He conveys appropriate emotion in each scene, and his accents are varied. He provides smooth cadence, while maintaining a consistent flow. His voice never grows tiresome throughout the eight hour and 12 minute narration. Once again, Stay proves that Hyde is an expert at conveying real world situations in fiction. She presents convincing, likeable characters, an engaging and consistent plot and a compelling setting. Podehl's strong narration contributes to the believable atmosphere that Hyde creates. All of these aspects come together to present a superb novel that should be experienced by all fans of fiction and good literature.

The book touched something deep inside me. This author never disappoints. Love all her books and fall in love with most of the chsracters.

This book was a deep well of beautiful words. The Vietnam era was when I was growing up so it hit close to my heart. Things about that war affected how I live and how I think to this day. I protested the war and believed it was as a huge mistake to send our boys there. I saw how it changed the boys who did make it home. The belief that we are all all responsible for our actions regardless of those in power above us came from watching a trial of soldiers involved in a massacre of civilians. To this day I will remember that outcome. This story felt very personal to me after listening to my oldest brother and my parents discuss what he was going to do if he was drafted. I knew he was no coward but he believed deeply that the war was wrong. He would not have gone to fight. He was one of the fortunate few whose draft number didn't come up before the war was over.

This started out as the best book by Catherine Ryan Hyde I had ever read. Great premise of a young man of 14 lost until he discovered running, picking up a couple of dogs along the way living in a cabin out in the woods. The young man has a depressed best friend, a brother in Viet Nam fighting in that war and parents always fighting. He ends up saving an older woman's life (whose dogs he has been running with) and there is lots of shit happening in his life, including a first girl friend who is too good to be true and completely disses his best friend and new older woman friend. He dumps her and his brother comes back from the war with a foot mostly blown off. In the end, the second of her books I have read with AA (NA) as a main theme. What starts out as a wonderful exploration of dilemmas facing a young man and interesting characters, morphs into a glorified boring ending that loses its way totally. Very strong start, very poor finish. Sad.

This is a treasure. It should be required reading in every high school. There is so much wisdom and insight into the human condition.I find this to be true of many of Catherine’s books. Read it…. you’ll be a better person for doing so.