If I Stay

April 4, 2011 Uncategorized 8

If I Stay

Author:Gayle Forman
Publisher: Speak, an imprint of Penguin Group
Publication Date: April 2009 
Pages: 208
Source: purchased


About the Book: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Thoughts: I know I’m way late to the party on this one. I’ve been reading about how amazing this book is for some time now but I just never sat down to read it. Honestly, I think I was a little afraid of it. From the description on the back of the book and what everyone was saying I knew it would be an emotional read. I just didn’t know if I wanted to put myself through that. Now that I’m on the other side (having finished the book moments before starting this post) I can say that it was so totally worth it! Yes, it was as heartbreaking as I anticipated… actually more so. But it was also beautiful. And hopeful. And it made me feel things and think things and remember things that were important to me. 
My dad stopped by my house when I was about a third of the way in to the book and we had a great discussion about life and death and choices and healing. And then he left. I finished the book. And here I sit, trying to put in to words why I loved it and why it touched me the way it did. I don’t think I can. I can (and will) tell you some “surface” things I loved about it. But the essence, the part that seeped in to my heart and took hold… that’s personal. And I don’t mean “none of your business” personal. I mean “shaped by my life experiences” personal. If I Stay is the kind of book that “hits” each person differently. The ways you’ve experienced life, death, love, hope, grief, loss, family, friendships, etc… will play a major role in how you read this book. Reading Mia’s story felt intensely personal. I loved that about it. 

Okay, so… some “surface” things I loved:

Mia is a teenager who, get this, LIKES her family! No, you did not read that wrong. He family is more than functional… they actually get along!

Her dad is a hippie turned middle school English teacher. I love me some middle school English teachers 🙂

Adam.

The jolt you get every time the story transitions from one aspect to the other (I don’t want to say more about that for fear or ruining it for others.)

Kim. 

NO INSTA-LOVE! Yea for actually knowing the person you are crushing on!

My least favorite part? The fact that I don’t have a copy of Where She Went sitting here so I can devour it as well. 

8 Responses to “If I Stay”

  1. Elleby (from France)

    Wow! I TOTALLY agree with your review! I read each of them (in French) in a couple of hours last year (09.10.2010 and 11.12.2010). I HAD TO know what was going on with Mia and Adam…
    Now I’m really feeling like re-reading them in english…

  2. Liz

    I need to buckle down and read this one already. Everyone keeps raving about it. Thanks for the review!

  3. Jayme @ Horribly Bookish

    I just read this book today. So much emotion, so much love for this book. Adam is swoon-worthy, Kim reminds me of my best friend–lover her, and Mia…Mia is amazing. She’s talented and honest and I cried throughout the entire dang thing.

    I really want to read Where She Went, but I think I’m going to give my heart a break for a week or two 🙂

  4. Aleetha

    However I did not get Mia’s emotions, I loved every chapters that told us about her family. I read the translation, it might be the cause.

  1. I Have Lost My Way - YA Bibliophile

    […] have been a huge fan of Gayle Forman ever since I read If I Stay back in 2011. If you read my review you can see that I connected with that one in a really personal way. I went on to read and […]

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