Search This Blog







2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)

2025 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas
- California (5)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida (1)
- Georgia (1)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa (2)
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine (1)
- Maryland
- Massachusetts (1)
- Michigan (2)
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York (5)
- North Carolina (2)
- North Dakota
- Ohio (1)
- Oklahoma
- Oregon (1)
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (1)
- Utah
- Vermont (3)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (1)
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (1)
- Washington, D.C.* (1)
International:
- Australia (3)
- Canada (2)
- England (5)
- France (1)
- Puerto Rico (1)
- Scotland (1)


2025 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge



2025 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
Subscribe to:
Posts
(Atom)


Reading
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Listening
If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell


Followin' with Bloglovin'

-
Century of Viewing, Month Four6 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Top Ten Tuesday20 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
TTT – Who Runs The World? Girls23 hours ago
-
-
-
-
-
Impact of Evidence by Carol Carnac1 day ago
-
-
Quantum Radio by A. G. Riddle2 days ago
-
-
Bookshelf Bounty3 days ago
-
-
I have been reading...1 week ago
-
Sunday Post #5681 week ago
-
-
-
-
February 2025 Reading Wrap Up1 month ago
-
-
One Big Happy Family by Susan Mallery2 months ago
-
-
The Music of 2024: Q43 months ago
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October5 months ago
-
Review: The Duke and I8 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus9 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years 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)


2025 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction

2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
