I'll Stay

February 1, 2018

Day, known for her insightful middle-grade novels, makes her adult debut with a laser-focused first-person tale of friendship, mothers and daughters, and the devastation secrets bring. In 1983, Clare and her best friend, Lee, are on spring break when faced with a decision that sets them on a path of heartbreak. Although everyone sees Clare as the reliable caretaker, it is Lee who sacrifices herself to save Clare. Haunted by guilt, Clare drifts through the next eight years struggling with her directionless life, avoiding both Lee and any sort of true emotional attachment. Seen through her possibly unreliable narrator lens, none of the characters is particularly likable, especially Clare's distant mother, Eleanor. Well known and praised for her award-winning book about the Vietnam War, Eleanor looms hugely in the background as the rock at which Clare continues to throw herself, taking up more than her fair share of Clare's life. VERDICT Clare's inability to understand her own motivations make this layered look at imperfect characters a book club-ready page-turner, as readers will have plenty to discuss, whether they use the included questions or come up with their own.--Charli Osborne, Oak Park P. L., MI

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 12, 2018
Children’s author (A Million Miles from Boston) Day’s excellent first foray into adult fiction chronicles three periods in the life of Clare Michaels, the aimless daughter of a famous writer. The first is her intense, college-years friendship with her best friend, Lee Sumner, which is irrevocably altered during a Daytona Beach trip when they are cornered by three men. Lee agrees she’ll willingly stay if they let Clare go. Lee is later saved, but she won’t discuss what happened to her, and as the years go by, Clare is haunted by the event. The second period covers the post-college years as Clare finishes her master’s degree and Lee, once confident, falls aimlessly in and out of jobs. The third period involves Clare’s mother, Eleanor, a self-involved writer. When confronted by a fan who claims that Eleanor stole her short story and turned it into Eleanor’s most famous book, Clare, who has mixed feelings about her mother, begins to wonder whether this is the reason why her mother remains mum about her novel’s origins. The novel is an intricate study of loyalty and guilt, providing full character arcs for both Clare and Lee, and it’s a page-turner from beginning to end.

May 1, 2018

College senior Clare Michaels is on a spring break trip with three other young women, including her best friend, Lee. When they find themselves in a dangerous situation, Lee sacrifices herself to allow Clare to escape, and she is beaten and sexually assaulted. Set at several points throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the book tracks Clare's life, focusing on the effect of that night on her friendship with Lee, as well as her complicated relationship with her self-absorbed mother, a famous author. Day has created a nuanced examination of the ways women relate to one another throughout their lives. The lack of understanding between parent and child will speak to teens, but other central elements, such as Clare's workaholic husband and her career struggles, will be less relatable. Readers may become frustrated with Clare's repetitive emotional wallowing and her endless series of obviously bad choices, all of which take place in an era in which they may not be interested. VERDICT Slow and introspective with a cast of believably flawed characters, this is recommended for large collections and for teens seeking stories about adult life.-Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.