If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay by Gayle Forman-Review

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Published by: Dutton Juvenile on April 2nd, 2009
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4/5 stars

From Goodreads:
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.

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

About a year and a half ago, I had been hearing great things about If I Stay and decided to check it out. At that time, I was preoccupied with school and family, and just wasn't getting into the story. I put it down after a couple of pages, unsure if I would decide to continue reading or not. Then, this summer, after watching the BEAUTIFUL movie trailer, I decided to try again and I am so glad that I did.

If I Stay is narrated through the perspective of Mia, a seventeen-year-old cellist prodigy. She lives in Oregon with her rocker parents and little brother, Teddy. She has a best friend named Kim and a musician boyfriend named Adam. After a horrible accident, she has to choose whether she wants to live or die.

Gayle Forman's writing style is unique. It is very easy on the eyes and sweet, while at the same time full of meaning and emotion. She used great imagery! I felt like I could picture where Mia lived and what her school and home were like.

Music is a huge component in this story, and Gayle Forman did an excellent job of integrating it. She seems very knowledgable in all different types of genres, and none of the pieces of music that Mia and other characters in the book play or listen to feel out of place or wrong.

Overall, this book was such a sweet yet deep read. Full of love, hope, heartbreak, and more. If I Stay by Gayle Forman is not one to miss.

Love,
Robin