Where the Staircase Ends

by Stacy Stokes

• ASIN: B00SQLF09G
• Publish Date: 2015
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Format: eBook
• Pages: 245
• Language: English

Reviews

[Suz @ Bookish Revelations]

Beautiful written and richly compelling, [b:Where the Staircase Ends|23203174|Where the Staircase Ends|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410811042s/23203174.jpg|42747229], is a wonderfully thought provoking and eye opening read. [a:Stacy Stokes|8549468|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1413319027p2/8549468.jpg] has penned a gorgeous novel, set against a backdrop of heartache, betrayal, and learning to forgive. I truly loved every moment of this book, it was just breath taking and inspired. The author, really has a way with world building, telling a story that will move you to tears, and inspire to much hope inside of you. This awe-inspiring, captivating novel, definitely put drug my feelings through the gamut and didn't disappoint in any way. If, as a reader, you are looking for a little bit of everything in a book that will leave you reeling with emotions then this is the book for you.

[b:Where the Staircase Ends|23203174|Where the Staircase Ends|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410811042s/23203174.jpg|42747229] is a story about the art of love, family, the tragedy of a friendship lost, the harsh realities of a lie, and the act of forgiveness even when you aren't truly ready to offer forgiveness. Wonderfully character driven and full of so much depth in the variety of characters, [a:Stacy Stokes|8549468|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1413319027p2/8549468.jpg] manages to touch on things in the truest sense of feeling. Taylor, is desperately hurting in such a way that it's bone deep, and it makes her just want to disappear as if she never was here. I found myself able to connect with her in such an intense emotional way that I wanted to reach out and hug her and then tell her that it would be alright in the end, just have a little hope. Her method of disappearing and getting what she wants, comes to her in the form of a huge almost never-ending staircase that winds so far up that she can't even see past it and she has no choice but to climb to the top of it, the only thing hitch is that she can't look back and she can only move forward at this point.

The idea behind the concept of this novel is so beautifully brilliant, that it left me stunned and almost speechless. As you follow along with Taylor on her journey up the staircase towards opening herself up for forgiveness to be given, it's not an easy road to take as a reader. There are things about her that will grate on your nerves, just as they did mine when it comes to her character and how she presents herself. However, as you begin to uncover parts of her that make her who she is, you'll begin to understand Taylor a little bit better and will be able to connect with her. This stunningly heartbreaking story of love, hope, and the renewal of understanding, will definitely resonate with you on a deeper level. It's such a wonderful impressive story, told through the eyes of a character so broken that she's doing everything she can to make it better.

Taylor and Sunny's relationship as best friends, was the most compelling part of this amazing novel for me. It was an eye opener of why things happen and the reason behind them. The flashbacks of how they became best friends and how they drifted apart beyond that was wonderfully fleshed out and it brought so many feelings to the surface. Sometimes things happen the way they do for a reason and that's what I think [a:Stacy Stokes|8549468|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1413319027p2/8549468.jpg] did such a fantastic of illustrating in her own poignant way through the story she started weaving from the beginning. I really enjoyed how the love story didn't necessarily evolve into a love triangle, but that even though there were two guys and it was clear from the beginning who readers were supposed to want Taylor to be with, you can't help but feel something for the other guy to and wonder what if? They were both incredibly likable and they both would have brought some pretty amazing things to Taylor's life, if given the chance. It's rare to find a story like this one being told, without there always being the presence of a love triangle and I definitely applaud [a:Stacy Stokes|8549468|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1413319027p2/8549468.jpg] for leaving that out of this one.

[b:Where the Staircase Ends|23203174|Where the Staircase Ends|Stacy Stokes|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1410811042s/23203174.jpg|42747229] is a truly unforgettable read, that will leave you experiencing all the feels. After reading this beautiful novel, I couldn't stop thinking about it and wonder what it would be like if I was presented with my own staircase. One of the most gorgeous and poignant novels that I've read in quite a while, I would definitely recommend this to anyone that I know or family members I thought might like this.

[shannonmiz]

So, I am thinking that maybe this is one of those cases where I may be too old, or too much of a goody-goody, or something because I simply could not connect to these characters. At first, I did feel for Taylor, not just because she was hit by a car, but because she was being ostracized by the entire school and all her friends. And then, you know, is hit by a car, and is stuck on these stairs, presumably that will lead her to an afterlife? So yeah, it started off pretty good, I was interested!

But then…. Taylor. She just stopped being someone I could care about, and started to be someone I wanted to smack and tell to get ahold of themselves. Yes, her “friends”, especially her best friend Sunny, were being awful, but so was she. Yet she kind of refused to acknowledge that side. On the stairs, she encounters a series of flashbacks that basically take her through different defining moments in her and Sunny’s friendship, and it kind of makes more sense as to why Sunny is so awful at times. There are boys involved in this feud of course. One was decent, and the other was pretty awful, and it didn’t make a ton of sense to me, except I guess that Taylor has some self-esteem issues, which also makes some sense because her mom was a real piece of work too.

Taylor did exhibit some character growth during the story, but it really did not have the impact I was hoping for. And when things were unraveled, and the “scandal” was revealed, I was very underwhelmed. I still don’t really understand what happened in the end, either, so if you have read it… let me know what you think! I asked someone who read it, and I thought something different than they did, so… let me know.

The bottom line is, it is a very character driven book and I did not like the characters. They were simply too harsh and immature for my tastes, and the reveals just weren’t enough to keep me excited about it.