Customer Reviews

Stay

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Being a dog lover, this book immediately caught my attention....although one doesn't need to be a dog lover to enjoy this book, an appreciation for the canine species would certainly help. That being said, here are my thoughts on this book:

I loved it!! Savannah Leone stands by as the maid of honor in her best friends wedding, while her best friend weds the man that Savannah has been secretely pining for for the past 7 years. While she desperately tries to be happy for both of them, this proves to be a difficult task and she drowns her sorrows in vodka and Kool-Aid. One night while watching a Rin Tin Tin marathon and being plastered out of her mind, she goes online and orders a German Shepherd puppy from Slovakia.

Enter said puppy.

The tiny little ball of fur that Savannah ("Van") is expecting turns out to be a hip-high, seemingly mutant version of some sort of wolf hybrid. "Enormous" doesn't quite adequately describe the size of this "puppy". Van is stunned, to say the least, and quickly learns that not only does this dog only understand commands in Slovakian (for wihich the sellers have considerately supplied a list of these commands for the new buyer), but the dog also has been trained to "search the building" and "find narcotics". Ha! Ha! Ha!

The first half of the book is filled with humor as Van tries to adjust to life with a dog (she's never owned a dog in her life) and I found myself frequently laughing out loud as Van rearranges her life to accomodate this overgrown ball of fur. Anybody who has ever owned a dog will surely understand how easy it is to lose all sense of reality when trying welcoming a fluffy, four-legged creature into one's life. Van does a remarkable job and soon grows to love and protect her new charge, whom she names "Joe".

Van's life takes a turn for the better when she brings Joe in to the local vet, Alex, for a check-up (where, by the way, she finds out that Joe REALLY IS a puppy, and is expected to get even bigger!!) Things develop fairly quickly between the two and it seems like Van is ready to move on with her life and leave her troubles behind, and begins thinking that a future with Alex might not be so bad. Then the honeymooners return from Europe and Van is thrown back into her past troubles, this time dragging Alex in with her.

While the first half of the novel was light hearted and filled with humor, the second half has less humor and more reality. Van is still trying to deal with her mother's death three years earlier, and her current troubles with the newlyweds and sudden problems with Alex cause Van to reevaluate her life in a new light.

The characters in this book are very well drawn and we get to really see inside Van's head as she deals with the complexity of life in general, and relationships both past and present, and how some things (despite how desperately we try) simply can't stay the same forever. Life happens, unfortunately, and what one makes of it is the determining factor to how happy one is in life. Be prepared to shed a few tears towards the end of this book.

This is Allie Larkin's first novel, yet it reads as though she's written a dozen or so already. I am thoroughly impressed with her style of writing, and will be keeping my eyes peeled for more of her works in the future.

It would be very simple and convenient to classify Stay into the chick-lit genre. It would also be quite easy to dismiss this book as just one more book about a twenty-something woman struggling to find "the one." It'd be easier still to classify this book as that book about the dog who helps a woman find true love.

The fact of the matter is that Stay is a book that embodies all three of those characteristics; it's a book that prominently features a dog on its cover and details the circumstances surrounding a woman's acquisition of a dog and her subsequent understanding of who she is as a person.

It would be simple to dismiss this book as being a lesser book because of the aforementioned characteristics. However, that would be a mistake. Allie Larkin manages to embrace those characteristics and by incorporating them into her first novel it's as if the author is saying that she knows that this book is meant to entertain. Larkin doesn't want you to dismiss her, yet, she doesn't want to be taken too seriously either.

The story of a woman who accidentally purchases a dog from Slovakia over the Internet and then falls in love with her puppy's veterinarian isn't going to win a Pulitzer Prize, but it's not meant to either. Larkin's debut novel is a quick read, with humor-filled passages. Stay belongs on your bookshelf with those rare chick-lit books that you treasure, right next to the other rom-com books that don't take themselves seriously but provide you with unlimited reading pleasure. Stay can hold its own on the shelf right next to Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones novels and it wouldn't be entirely out of place there.

I think in all honesty, this book deserved a more average rating of 3 but I was inclined to go with a 4 out of 5 because I enjoyed meeting Joe and watching a bond grow between Van and Joe, her new "puppy."

Van has been in love with her best friend, Peter, since college. Unfortunately, he has been in love with her best friend, Janie, and now, they have just married. It's a standard chick lit type storyline basically. Van does the wallowing thing and in that wallowing, amidst some alcohol and Rin Tin Tin, she decides to order a German Shepard puppy off the internet. And oh yeah, this puppy is coming from Slovakia. $6,000 later, Van is in for a shock because her puppy is definitely not a cute ball of fur. He is a growing German Shepard who obeys Slovakian commands.

Let the hijinks begin! Joe, as he is christened, becomes the cause for many changes in Van's life, including meeting a new guy. But he is also the best friend she has, her only family. Then of course, Peter comes back into her life. The story then falls into some well known plot points making it fairly average in the will she or won't she, what will she really do, type of chick lit style.

What I liked about this story was the relationship between Van and Joe, even though he is a dog. I enjoyed Marley & Me and well, most dog stories so really, if you don't like dogs, you are not going to like this story. However, I did feel like he helped Van move forward a bit. It was kind of a one step forward, two steps back, but she was trying to change, trying to find her own path in life rather than wishing she was Peter's Janie. And frankly, I really liked how rude Janie was. She wasn't afraid of mincing words. She likes vodka Kool-Aid, she can't believe her dog crapped a huge one on her carpet, and her life is far from orderly. She does not have it all together and I could relate. I thought the author did a great job of conveying the pet/owner bond that springs up and that is what held my attention even as Peter dropped back into the picture, even as Van put her life on hold again. This is probably a more average story than I am giving it credit for but I read through it quickly and was engrossed. It was not a bad way to spend a few hours and I just love the cover. Allie Larkin has caught my attention and I would be inclined to see what other books she may publish.

So in short, this is an imperfect but enjoyable story. And if you like dogs (particularly more happy dog stories) I think you'll enjoy Stay.

Savannah "Van" Leone wasn't never NOT a dog person, as she says, she was just never allowed one before. But in an alcohol-clouded funk after literally playing bridesmaid as the boy of her dreams hitches up with her best friend, she puts in a order for a Slovakian hound that proves an answer to her problems.

Allie Larkin's new debut novel showcases a nice wit and a sensitivity for emotional journeys. I'm not the ballpark demographic for this undeniably "chick-lit" novel, but it wasn't painful to read. The characters do come off pat, though, and the plot twists seem little more than people in need of getting over themselves. Van puts up with a lot, and Larkin's effort to keep us sympathetic to her is largely successful if at times strained.

At the heart of Larkin's story is money. Van grew up around it without being of it. Her late mother was a maid for a rich woman named Diane, whose daughter would marry the guy Van wanted. Diane isn't subtle. When introduced to Van's dog, Joe, and told he's from working lines, Diane can't resist: "So he's a working-class dog?" she asks. Pete, the guy Van wanted, likewise is from money, and has parents who all but threw Van out of their house for not being the same, we learn in one long flashback.

Could Van have been made less of a victim without losing the story's punch or appeal? In the beginning, we are introduced to something of an alcohol problem on her part, but it's never dealt with head-on. When neighbors complain about Joe's barking, Van responds by banging on their door and telling them off with ample profanity. It's a cathartic if unconstructive approach to dispute resolution Larkin uses more than once to rally more reader sympathy for Van rather than question what makes her protagonist tick.

Most problematic for me was the constant windfall of goodies that fall into Van's lap. Whether it's a six-figure check or a sweetheart deal for a new house just as her neighbors make more trouble, Van doesn't endure very much in the way of interesting stress, just a bit of uncertainty. Even Joe is pretty manageable despite his enormous size and his only being able to understand commands in Slovak.

Larkin at times reminded me a bit of Nick Hornby, with her offhandedly humorous descriptions and her first-person voice in describing the pain of love. New bits of business keep popping into the corners of the frame, like the bad-taste refrigerator magnets Van collected with her mother, or the thrice-married old bachelor who serves sfogliatelle in his hideously decorated home. Larkin has fun giving her imagination a spin, and it's pleasurable following along.

The story also offers some entertaining characters, and moves along. Larkin writes carefully toward a final catharsis that may keep you from minding how everything turns out alright in the end. Life is like that. Sometimes. The rest of the time, I guess, books like "Stay" offer some compensation.

I really loved this book! I laughed, I cried. I couldn't put it down and wanted to just tear through it, but at the same time, I wanted the story to continue on and on and never end.

In this story, we meet Van, a 20-something woman who never really knew her father and lost her mother a few years back to cancer. Her best friend Janie is marrying her other best friend, Peter - whom Van is madly in love with.

Enter a bottle of vodka, some Kool-Aid, a Rin Tin Tin marathon, and the Internet. Next thing she knows, Van has woken up completely hungover, and comes to the realization that she just ordered a German Shepherd puppy from Slovakia for a mere $6,001. Desperate to have a companion in her life, somebody to fill the void left in her heart, Van learns just what life is like with a (very) large, lovable puppy.

The story that follows is one of unconditional love and learning to let go, while evolving and forging forward into a new life.

Each character is so beautifully drawn and developed - Van, Peter, Janie, Alex, Louis, and even Diane.... Each description is so detailed and expressive - I couldn't help but feel like I was right there with them. The images described are so vivid and real. I genuinely could not put this book down and really hope Allie Larkin continues to write, as I will definitely continue to read!

This is one of the best books I have read in a really long time. After finishing it, I almost want to re-read it over again. The story is both funny and heartbreaking, and the journey you are taken on over these 311 pages is one I won't soon forget!

PLOT: Van's best friends, Peter and Jane, are getting married. There's only one problem. She's been in love with the groom for seven years. The day after the wedding, while highly intoxicated, Van orders a puppy via the internet. Purchasing Joe leads to Van meeting veterinarian Alex. For the first time, Van is truly interested in a man other than Peter.

PROS: I liked Van immediately. I also liked Alex and many of the other characters. The author did a wonderful job of creating fully rounded believable characters. The pace of the plot is quick. Stay is never dull. I found it impossible to put down. There's just so much going on here, but I don't want to ruin it for other readers by disclosing all the dynamics of Van's relationships with Peter, Jane, Alex, her mother, etc.

CONS: A minor issue for me was the number of flashbacks at the beginning of the novel. Though they were always interesting and served to advance the story, give background and helped with character development, they also made me feel as though I would never get to the actual plot.

Van never fully discussed with Diane (the mother of the bride and her late mother's best friend) how upset she was over not being told about the seriousness of her mother's illness. I also felt that Van's discussions with Alex could have been deeper. Even after a rough patch in their relationship, there's no true discussion of why Van lied to him.

4 STARS: Don't be fooled into thinking this is a story about the hijinks of a German Shepherd. Joe must have one serious agent to have gotten so much mention. He's always there, but he's not the main focus of the plot. Stay is a really good novel. I finished it in three days and would have finished sooner if it weren't for the non-essentials of working, bathing and eating.

I don't understand all the rave reviews about this book and author. It was a totally predictable story with average (at best) writing. It wasn't even interesting until the dog makes his appearance quite a few pages into the book. Except for Alex and Joe (the dog), the characters aren't really that likeable--whiney yes, likeable no.

A teenage girl would love this book but it's a run-of-the-mill read for anyone else. There is nothing new here.

This is a fantastically funny and touching story about Savannah "Van" Leone, a twenty-something woman struggling against her unrequited love for her best friend Peter and her jealousy towards Peter's new wife, Jane... who happens to be Van's best friend. Sounds like every other chick lit plot, right? Wrong.

Enter Joe - a Slovakian German Shepard Van ordered during a foggy night of Rin Tin Tin reruns and vodka.

Van hopes that the small puppy will fill the holes in her heart and help her move past her unrequited love for Peter, her mother's illness, her feelings of inadequacy, loneliness and frustration. Essentially, she hopes that the tiny puppy will fix her life. And in a way, Joe does - even though he is anything but tiny.

In the end, Joe, and the vet that saves him time and time again, turn out to be exactly what Van needs - a wake up call.

You'll laugh, smile and cringe through the very many twists, bumps, road blocks and ditches Van encounters as she realizes she needs to play center stage in her own life. This is a wonderful book that will have you literally laughing out loud.

[...]

Savannah loves Peter. Peter loves Janie. Savannah ends up as a bridesmaid at their wedding. Enter kool-aid vodka cocktails after the wedding and a connection to the Internet that finds Savannah ordering a German Shepherd puppy off the Internet. And enter Joe, a one-hundred pound plus Shepherd of dubious lineage that responds only to Slovakian.

Larkin has written a lovely book where people are people which means they have good and bad points, in other words, they have flaws and in those flaws you get a story deeper than you might normally find in 'chick lit.'

Savannah will wind her way into your heart much as Joe does in her heart. Savannah is a believable character who finds her heart broken, but still finds joy in life. Larkin does not give the reader quick fixes or easy endings, instead she gives you real people.

Some of the best parts of the book though are the scenes with Joe. Whether you have a dog or not, you'll find yourself laughing and crying as Joe and Savannah find their way in life.

Van wonders if there is a special hell for jealous bridesmaids; if so, she's living it. Her long-time best friend, Janie Driscoll, is marrying Peter, Van's secret true love. Peter is the guy who is perfect for Van in every way, although he certainly appears to be oblivious of anything beyond a close friendship with her. Meanwhile, Van must watch the two rapturously tie the knot from her uncomfortably close vantage point as maid of honor.

Janie's family is familiar to Van, because Van's mother worked as the Driscolls' housekeeper. Van and her mother lived in a cottage near the Driscolls' luxurious home. Janie's mother, Diane, had once been a quirky godmother figure, sneaking Van out of school for shopping trips. Diane had bribed Van's mother with cash to remain as housekeeper even after she attained a degree that would allow her to teach. Diane had also nursed Van's mom through her decline as she died of cancer.

The night of Janie and Peter's wedding, Diane invites Van to spend the night in the cottage she had once called home. Van is startled by Peter's arrival. He is drunk and weepy and appears to be about to confide something important when Diane arrives to shoo him off to his wedding night with Janie. She makes a point of warning Van away from Peter. In fact, she gives Van a bribe --- a hefty check dubbed by the recipient as "stay away from my daughter's husband" money.

Although she wants to, Van can't bring herself to tear up Diane's bribe. It doesn't stop her from remembering how she and Peter first met in college. She muses on their long, close friendship with painful yearning. Although her mom had counseled Van to tell Peter how she felt about him, she has never done so. Now she fears everyone must know that she has remained single in hopes of a romantic connection with Peter, only to watch him marry her best friend.

When Van flees the cottage, she drives the long hours home only to find that her condo doesn't feel remotely like a "home." She proceeds to down multiple Big Gulp glasses of grape Kool-Aid and vodka, but they don't make her feel less like a sad loser. As she tries to immerse herself in late-night TV, she fixates on the canine star of "Rin Tin Tin." A German Shepherd would be loyal and never leave her for a tinier, more genteel female, right? Finally, she discovers the German Shepherd puppy of her dreams, courtesy of the Internet. He's an adorable fluff-ball currently residing in Bratislava, Slovakia --- but Van is determined to own him.

When Van wakes up, hung over, she is horrified at the purchase she made the night before. Her horror escalates when she calculates the exchange rate and discovers she has just spent $6,001.00 for her new companion. Although appalled, she decides to go for it. But when she arrives at the airport to pick up her new puppy, she gets the surprise of her life.

While the beginning of STAY is enjoyable, the story really picks up when Joe, Van's dog, arrives. Joe has a well-realized and delightful personality that any dog lover will relate to. His presence enables Van to get on with her life rather than yearning over what might have been with Peter. This is a pleasing meld of romance and dog tale, with an empowerment theme, making for a gratifying read.