Book Review: If I Stay, by Gayle Forman

If I Stay is a heartachingly beautiful book about the power of love, the true meaning of family, and the choices we all make. 

Just listen, Adam says with a voice that sounds like shrapnel.

I open my eyes wide now.
I sit up as much as I can.
And I listen.

Stay, he says.

Choices. Seventeen-year-old Mia is faced with some tough ones: Stay true to her first love—music—even if it means losing her boyfriend and leaving her family and friends behind?

Then one February morning Mia goes for a drive with her family, and in an instant, everything changes. Suddenly, all the choices are gone, except one. And it’s the only one that matters.

***

I’m pretty late reading this one, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about the film, so I wanted to read the book first.

In all honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I think we’re all pretty familiar with basic plot: Mia is in a car crash with her family, which kills her parents. We then see Mia becomes stuck between life and death, while her body lies in hospital, she has to decide whether to fight to stay. But I had no idea how this would be done – mainly because I didn’t understand why she wouldn’t try to stay, but after all that loss, Mia has no idea what type of life she would lead after the accident. With her parents gone, maybe it’s best to go with them?

If I Stay is a truly touching and thought provoking story that is excellently told between present time and a series of flashbacks. I loved how the flashbacks helped to build a better picture of Mia’s life as you got further into the book, and the story really could have gone either way!

At just over 200 pages, this book is easily devoured in one sitting, and I think you’ll struggle not to do so!

Rating: 

Release date: 02 April 2009
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
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