Stay With Me by Garret Freymann-Weyr

Sixteen-year-old Leila Abranel was born some twenty years after her sisters. Her elegant sisters from her father's first marriage have lives full of work, love affairs, and travel. Leila doesn't know either of them very well, but she loves hearing about them—details of Rebecca's ruined marriage, Clare's first job, and the strings of unsuitable boyfriends.

When Rebecca kills herself, Leila wants to know why. She starts by spending time with Clare and finally comes to know her as a person instead of a story. With Clare's reluctant help, Leila tracks down Rebecca's favorite places and tries to find her sister's friends. Along the way, Leila meets Eamon. Eamon is thirty-one and writes for television. He thinks Leila is beautiful and smart, but he does not, he tells her, date teenagers. And yet, the months go by and Leila turns seventeen and learns that you can love someone you are not dating.

Maybe letting Eamon love her back is a mistake. Maybe she'll never know why Rebecca did what she did. Maybe, Leila, decides, most people have a hard time figuring out which way is left or knowing when to let go and when to stay.

This extraordinary novel was such a smooth read. Nothing really big happens besides Rebecca's death and the writing is just so slick. I don't even know if that makes sense. But the writing is just really superb. It's not rushed or too long. It's just right for what happens in the novel. All though I felt the ending was pretty bad. It was a bit confusing and I had to read it twice. I don't think its very satisfactory. Rebecca kills herself, but you really never know why. All the characters are likeable in this book.

Leila, the main character, was a very mature, believable person. I like the way she thinks and tries to find out what happens to Rebecca and then theres here relationship with Eamon. All though it's odd and uncomforting, I felt they were really good together and likeable people. Leila's parents really don't act like parents to a seventeen year old girl who befirends a thirty-one year old guy really would act. It was strange.

Even though the writing was really excellent, I felt it wasn't for the right timeframe. Otherwise this is a really great book I would check out at your local library. The book was a really easy book to read and it follows nicely. I would recommend it.

Her newest novel, After The Moment, is scheduled to release April of '09. Look for it in your local bookstores.

~Kelsey