If Only You Stayed by Callie Ann Frey begins when Schuyler, or “Skye”, laments as her boyfriend leaves to attend school in England. They love each other deeply, and she is horrified when she receives news that his plane has crashed. Her boyfriend lives, but he develops amnesia, and the doctors are uncertain when, or if, he will recover his memory. Skye is convinced that she can regain her boyfriend’s love, but his lack of memory wears on her. When a new boy from Canada shows interest in her, Skye’s emotions tumble, and she wonders if she should try something new with her Canadian love interest, Louis, or stay with her boyfriend who may never remember her.

As I read the book, part of me hoped If Only You Stayed was based on a true story. Skye’s emotions came through poetically, and Callie Ann Frey conveyed Skye’s loss more acutely than if the character had outlined her feelings in more structured prose. The titles above each poem gave the reader enough information without revealing too much about the content, and the story moved along at a moderate pace. Flashbacks of the relationship Skye shared with her boyfriend helped engage the reader in the love story, and her boyfriend’s name is not mentioned until the end, highlighting the absence of his true consciousness. I recommend the book for readers above the age of twelve, as a few expletives are found in the story, but the romance and language are mostly clean and sweet.

In Callie Ann Frey’s If Only You Stayed, Skye Hartman was going to miss her boyfriend. Against the odds, the popular kid in school had chosen her, a nobody, and what they had was not shallow; it was deep, precious. But sometimes all it takes is one small thing to change the course of the future. She was devastated he was leaving for England, but they were determined to make it work. But the next phone call after his departure wasn’t one to say he was safe. His plane had crashed, and whilst he was battered and bruised, he’d survived. Unfortunately, their relationship had not. He woke with amnesia. Can she rekindle the memories sealed away, or will someone else turn her head while she’s lost?

When I look for a book, I often find myself wanting one that conjures up vivid and vibrant images of the characters, their surroundings becoming a world for me to immerse myself in with the characters. Callie Ann Frey’s If Only You Stayed does not offer this to a reader. What it does offer, however, is a story told by the inner monologue of the main character. Each bite-sized chapter, or free-verse poem, focuses on the next part of the story, unfolding in the voice of the character, her thoughts, reactions, and pleas written for us to read. This makes the book unique in its presentation. While I ended up knowing little about the world and surroundings, I got a strong insight into the character and her struggles. It was definitely an interesting read that captures the thoughts and processes that can run through a person’s mind. If you fancy an easy-read romance that strays from standard storytelling, then this may be just what you’re looking for.