If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle Forman
Page Count: 234
Published: April 2, 2009
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Movie Adaptation: August 22, 2014
Summary:
If I Stay follows 17 year old Mia, a girl in her senior year of high school; a cellist who has applied and auditioned to Juilliard. Her life changes in a flash as she gets into a tragic car accident with her family on a snow day. In her comatose state, she must decide if she wants to keep fighting and live or give in and die.
My Thoughts:
Without getting into any spoilers, this book is absolutely heart-wrenching. I have read If I Stay previously when I was in middle school, but I did not fully appreciate the story at the time. The story flows effortlessly and is perfect for getting out of a reading slump. There are scenes that make you laugh, many scenes that will make you cry, and even some dark humor. The plot feels raw and relatable as it is an unfortunate situation that anybody could find themselves in. I’m glad I picked this book up again as it was eye-opening for me. I think it is good to have a reality check every now and then about how fragile and precious life is. I already own a copy of the sequel Where She Went that I cannot wait to dive in to.
The 2014 movie adaptation is amazing as well. I was fortunate enough to have seen it in theaters when it first came out. Every character was perfectly casted and the musical scenes were perfect.
ashleyohare 