Stay Paperback – December 3, 2019

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.

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

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.

This is a story about the people that touched the life of Lucas Painter, in the summer of 1969. Lucas was fourteen years old, he was trying to find himself during that hot summer. This is his story.His Mom and Dad was continuity fighting and yelling at each other. His older brother was fighting in Vietnam War. His best friend, Conner was depressed his parents never talked to him or each other. Lucas and Conner had been best friends since they were three years old. Zoe Dinsmore was an elderly woman living in the woods forever. The main character Lucas Painter, was telling the story as he tries to help his friends and stay true to himself.This is a wonderful story with passion, heart warming, realistic, and sweet. I don't usually read this type of book, but I was unable to put it down until I finished it. I loved the characters with their own personilities, the settings, an especially the plot and the novel was well written. At times I had a few tears. I had never read anything by this author before but I was right there in the story. Thank you Catherine Ryan Hyde for sharing this novel. I loved everything about this book.

This was my first Catherine Ryan Hyde book. I didn't realize that she is such a prolific writer. Most importantly, she is an excellent writer. It is very refreshing to read a well-written book, considering some of the terrible stuff that becomes published and passes for literature.I liked this coming-of-age story about a 14-year-old boy set during the 1960s, Vietnam-War era. can't figure out if this is a book intended for the young-adult audience or for adults, too. I did not really like how Part 2 neatly wrapped up all of the questions created during Part 1. It seemed as if the author didn't know how to end the story any other way. I also didn't like how a particular, outcast character in the town became everyone's savior after being a hermit for so long. It was just too perfect.Overall, an enjoyable book to read. I'm looking for the next Hyde book to read.