Review: Stay With Me by. Paul Griffin

Title: Stay With Me
Author: Paul Griffin
Age Range: Young Adult
Publication Date: September 8, 2011
Pages: 304
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating:

Synopsis from Goodreads: 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.

Review: Real and heartbreaking to the core, Stay With Me by Paul Griffin is a showcase to teen romance and the struggles of the reality that some teens face on a daily basis. Stay With Me is truly a breathtaking novel that shows sometimes even the deepest love is not enough create a happily ever after.

There is really so much to say about this book but I'll try to keep it short. The romance in this book may seem to be a little quick, but I still felt the connection between the two main characters instantly. It may have started off as a simple attraction, but it did blossom into a very unique love. They are so devoted to one another, and they are definitely there for each other through thick and thin.

Mack and Cece both are and have been living hard lives for a long time, and when they finally find each other, they become each other's reprieve from the harshness of their lives. Mack has to be one of the most interesting characters I have ever ready about. Since the book is told from both Mack and Cece's perspective you get to a really know the character Mack. From how he sees the world, and how the world sees him.

To be honest, this book had me in tears in a lot of places for a lot of reasons. In a lot of places, I felt like the book got really open and raw with the feelings and emotions of the two main characters that I could connect to what the both of them were going through so well. The romance, the pain, the loss, the forgiveness, and all of the problems Mack and Cece were going through were laid out so vividly to the reader that I dare you not to shed a tear while reading this book.

Stay With Me is one of those books that I know is going to be with me for a long time. It is a novel that has really touched my heart and one that I know I will never get tired of recommending.


Recommendations: If you want a deep and captivating read that will make you smile and definitely have you shedding a few tears along the way, Stay With Me is a perfect read.


Overall: 5/5

Characters: 5/5 
Plot: 5/5
Originality: 5/5
Entertainment: 5/5
Ending: 4/5
Writing Style: 5/5
Cover: 5/5





If you liked the romance in Stay With Me, check out the romances of Simone Elkeles Fuentes Brother's Series:  

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Posted in: Contemporary,POC,romance

Review: Played by Dana Davidson

Title: Played                                                       Author: Dana Davidson
Age Range: 15+
Publication Date: May 1, 2007
Pages: 240
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 5/10

Synopsis from Goodreads: When one of Ian's boys dares him to get plain-faced Kylie Winship to sleep with him in just three weeks, he thinks it'll be a breeze. Tall and fine, with honey-colored skin and eyes, Ian is used to getting what he wants from girls. And if he succeeds in playing Kylie, he'll be down with the most popular crew in his high school. But this girl, who everyone considers a nobody, is turning out to be more surprising than he ever could have imagined. 


Initial Thought:  "I can't wait for another book by Dana Davidson!!!"
End Thought: "Wow, guys can really be cruel, and some girls really disappoint me."

Review: I had very high expectations for Played after reading Dana Davidson's incredible book Jason and Kyra. After waiting over 4 months for this book to finally become available on paperback swap, I was really disappointed with the outcome.

In this book Ian is one of the finest more popular guys in Kylie's school. And he suddenly finds interest in her. Little does she know that it is only because of a bet. A bet that consists of Ian getting Kylie to fall for him, and sleep with him, in order to be initiated into some sort of popular fraternity. If you are anything like me, you are cringing at the mere thought of a guy willing to stoop so cruelly and so low in order to be a part of a crowd.

The plot went on like any other contemporary romance, except for the opposing thoughts of the two main characters. Kylie thinking that this guy who seems so ashamed of her at school is slowing falling in love with her, and Ian thinking that he only has a limited amount of time to STEAL Kylie's virginity in order to be part of the innermost in crowd. I could never get into the romance in this book because of how cruel and fake it seemed from my perspective, but I kind of feel like that may have been the author's objective when writing this book.

Ian is a creep. He can embellish all of his feelings and motives as much as he wants, but it takes a truly cruel person to be capable of such a thing. I actually admired Kylie in the beginning of the book. She takes care of her brother and sister, is in charge of a lot of things within her household, and barely utters a complaint. But by the end of the book, I felt she was acting a little bit naive. Emotions get in the way of logic I assume.

Overall, I did not really enjoy this book. But for some reason, I think that Dana Davidson expected this to be a book that will not be welcomed as well as others since this romance didn't spring as true as the others. It may have been meant to teach a lesson, and I have to say: Message Received! 

Recommendations: I recommend this book to those who have read Dana Davidson's previous books and are looking for something different from her. To those looking for a book that will make you wonder whether or not you liked it or not. And to all those out there that love a controversial romance.

Characters: 4/10 
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 8/10 
Entertainment: 5/10 
Ending: 3/10 
Writing Style: 7/10 
Cover: 8/10

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Posted in: african american,Contemporary,POC,romance

Review: Dedicaton by. Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus

Title: Dedication                                                       Author: Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
Series: Stand-Alone
Age Range: 14+
Publication Date: June 5, 2007
Pages: 278
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Rating: 7.5/10

Synopsis from goodreads:  What if your ex was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had one chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk? 
Kate Hollis's ex-boyfriend's face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he's famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her -- from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist's office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived.
On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song "Losing" -- about his and Kate's first sexual experience -- shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before.
Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate's life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now?

Review: The dynamic duo of Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus have done it again by creating a funny and entertaining book for for chick lit lovers everywhere. The book is told from the main character's perspective in two time periods. Her high school years, and her life as an accomplished 30 year old with a score to settle.

Kate Hollis is out for revenge, on her ex-boyfriend Jake. Who has made his whole music career out of revealing what went on in their high school relationship, including her secrets and her personal family problems. Kate was a fun character. She seems so fearless. This could be her only chance at confronting her ex about basically exploiting their relationship in order to build his career, an she is ready to make the most out of it.

In the beginning I really didn't get what was going on in this book at all. It was just confusing to me, but after a while things started to make sense and I got a lot more into the book. The plot was interesting to say the least and it kept my nose in the book. I enjoyed the high school years part of the book more than the present day telling of the book. The high school sections were a lot more believable, and they seemed like real actions and emotions a high schooler would feel going through what Kate went through. Though when it came to the present day sections, I found it hard to believe that it was a thirty year old telling the story. I had to flip back to the beginning of the chapters many times to see if it was high school Kate talking or 30 year old Kate. Besides that, the book was enjoyable.

There were many ups and downs in the book, that throw you off whatever idea you will have about how the book will end. Jake and Kate went through a lot of roller coasters in their relationship that I think a lot of girls can relate to. Through the high school and middle school years, Jake was a wonderful character. But as he showed up in Kate's adult life, I started to question his compassion, and how he viewed women as a whole. You'll understand what I mean if you read the book.

In the end, I did enjoy this book. I loved how the book ended and I felt Kate finally womened up and became the strong 30 year old she should have been all along. 

I Recommend: this book to all Chick-lit fans! 

Characters:  6/10 
Plot: 7/10
Originality: 8/10 
Entertainment: 8/10 
Ending: 8/10 
Writing Style: 8/10 
Cover: 8/10
Total: 7.5/10



 

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Posted in: Contemporary,romance