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Sunday, May 22, 2011

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Reading Level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 196 pages

PublisherDutton Juvenile; 1st edition (April 9th 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10
0525421033
ISBN-13
9780525421030
Source: Purchased from Book Depository
First Sentence: "Every one thinks it's because of the snow."
Favorite Line from the Book"And that's just it, isn't it? That's how we manage to survive the loss. Because love, it never dies, it never goes away, it never fades, so long as you hang on to it.
Book Summary:  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.
If I Stay had me reading until the wee hours of the night.  I finished the book in only one sitting.  Although this novel is quite short as compared to the other YA books, the book can give you a mean punch.

Mia is your typical seventeen-year old.  She has a bright future awaiting her and planning on attending Julliard once accepted.  She is a cellist.  She has a family which everyone might wish for (I especially fell in love with her younger kid brother, Teddy).  Mia has a boyfriend that utterly loves her and a bestfriend who will never leave her and is very much loyal.

One snowy day, a tragic event changed all these.  And as Mia lingers in ICU, looking at her comatose self, she tells us her story.

I am at awe at how the author wrote this heartbreaking novel.  I cannot imagine myself in Mia's situation and I cannot even predict what I will choose in the end.  Dying is part of this novel, but the author didn't present it in a morbid way.  She has written the novel in such a way that can make you understand the reason behind the difficult predicament that Mia is in - to move on along with her family or to stay.

The title of the book is very apt to the story.  It clearly defined the state wherein Mia is in.  It is a lingering question... full of uncertainty and pain, full of hesitations and what-ifs.  Eventually Mia chose something in the end (I am not going to tell which one as there might be others who hasn't read this yet) and it left me reeling from pain.

If I Stay had me in tears during the last 4 chapters or so.  It is just so heartbreaking and I applaud the author for writing such masterpiece which simply sucked you in.  If I could just describe this in three words, they will be - intense, moving, and definitely heart wrenching.

P.S. If you decide to read this novel and I definitely recommend you to... be ready to have a box full of tissue.

Here's the book trailer:

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2 comments:

Frosy

I recently read this one too. It's so heartbreaking. great review!

My Recent Post: http://frosybookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/05/book-review-if-i-stay.html

Unknown

This sounds so good, I really want to read it. It's now definitely a contender for this weeks On My Wishlist, I'll be posting a link to your review to explain why!!

Louise
www.book-bliss.com

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