Search This Blog
April Reviews Link-Up
May Reviews Link-Up
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (3)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (2)
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (2)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (1)
- Virginia (1)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
- Washington, D.C.*
International:
- Australia (1)
- Canada (1)
- England (7)
- France (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (1)
- Italy (1)
- Scotland (2)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Taut, Haunting And We Stay Short on Plot, Long on Hope
6:17 AM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
When Paul Wagoner walks into his high school with a loaded gun, Emily Beam is as shocked as everyone else. She didn't know he'd take their break-up so hard, didn't know he'd end his own life, didn't know the tragedy would shatter them both. Still reeling from it all, 17-year-old Emily is sent to Amherst, Massachusetts for a fresh start. Her new boarding school might as well be on another planet, it's so different than what she's used to, but at least no one knows her there. In this new world, she drifts through her classes like a ghost, writing poetry in an effort to come to terms with all that's happened to her over the past few months.
With the spirit of Emily Dickinson wafting through the town of Amherst—where the famous poet lived her entire life—it's no wonder the grieving teenager is drawn to her. The writer's ethereal presence seems to hijack Emily Beam's brain, her presence a comfort as Emily works through her grief. Between her obsession with the poet and her new friends in Massachusetts, a tentative hope starts to fill Emily. Is it possible to move on after all that's happened? Can she really start over, putting the past behind her and looking toward the future with eagerness? Maybe. Just maybe.
As you can probably tell, And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard is a little short on plot. Because of that, it seems unfocused and a bit anticlimactic. Still, its taut, haunting prose (and poetry) pulls the reader in, making us care about what happens to Emily Beam. Although the story as a whole is kind of bleak and depressing, it ends on a triumphant, hopeful note. Overall, then, it's a decent book, just not one that really moved or amazed me.
(Readalikes: Reminded me a little of Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for language (1 F-word, plus milder invectives), mild sexual content and adult subject matter
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
Daily Prompt 25 April Thursday1 hour ago
-
-
A Heart Full of Headstones - Ian Rankin6 hours ago
-
-
Time Travel Thursday8 hours ago
-
-
-
-
City Girls14 hours ago
-
-
The Blackmailed Bride20 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
A Letter from Italy by Rose Alexander1 day ago
-
Toxic Prey by John Sandford1 day ago
-
Final Cut by Marjorie McCown1 day ago
-
-
-
-
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth2 days ago
-
-
-
Haiku Reviews...2 days ago
-
-
-
-
-
Sunday Post6 days ago
-
Reading as a retreat from reality1 week ago
-
Reading Recap March 20242 weeks ago
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up3 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?6 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ▼ 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
I really liked And We Stay. I think there was enough plot for me. To me it was about Emily's journey to getting back to okay. It wasn't a physical journey as much as an emotional journey and I liked it. This was a total surprise for me and I loved it.
ReplyDelete