Stay With Me

I just finished reading the new young adult novel Stay With Me by Garret

Freymann-Weyr. Set in New York City in the year following 9/11, it is the

story of sixteen-turning-seventeen year old Leila trying to discover all of

the stories that make up her family after the sudden suicide of her much older half sister. Because she is dyslexic, she is perhaps more capable than most to take the nessecary time to understand things before coming to quick conclusions. Although it was hard to always relate to Leila with her being one of those tall, beautiful, uppercrust Manhattan types, I genuinely liked her because of her thoughtfulness and keen perception of the people and circumstances around her. Presenting a wealthy, gorgeous, well-traveled and fabulously complicated network of characters, the book could have easily become pretentious. But because of Leila it escapes this --things happen subtley and the characters are essentailly all good, likable people. Ultimately, as the dust jacket states, Stay With Me "is about how impossible and important love is." Recommended, especially when looking for fiction that deals with dyslexia, suicide, NYC after 9/11, and teen relationships with older love interests.