Review : If I stay
If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Pages : 236
Genre : YA, Fiction
Stand alone
My Rating : 
What it’s about :
After a terrible car accident involving her parents and her little brother puts her in a coma, Mia ends up caught between life and death. Witnessing what happens as the doctors try to save her life and her loved ones worry about her, Mia is like a ghost, present but unable to interact with anyone. As hour passes and she evaluates her life, she is faced with the biggest decision she’s ever had to take : stay, or go…
If I Stay starts like a punch : the accident happens around page 15 an no gory detail is left out of the description. The effect is a bit shocking, but serves its purpose perfectly, facing the reader to the tragedy from the beginning of the story.
I really loved some parts of the story, and some other, not so much.
What I loved : Mia’s narration of her life. I loved meeting her parents and her brother and everyone through Mia’s memories. It was a perfect description of a teenager’s life, filled with hopes, fears, love and passion. Her stories portrayed her family vividly, and I felt that in that short time, I really got to know who they were. Many were scenes of everyday life rather than Important Events, and I think that they’re the kind of details that illustrate one’s life the more precisely. Sure, it was a bit glossed over : Mia’s life seemed more than nice, filled with butterflies and rainbows. It made sense to me though, that she would think mostly of the good : they were some of the things she had to stay for, and some of the things she had now lost.
What I liked less : how I felt, quite often, that the story was trying to pull my strings. Yes, the events are heartbreaking, tragic, the kind that brings tears to your eyes. And yes, it kind of worked on me. But in some places, I felt the writing lacked some subtlety. I don’t like when I feel pushed to be sad; it just annoys me and takes me out of the book. Therefore, the most emotional scenes for me weren’t the most emotional scenes, but those of daily life. For instance, the scene where Mia is washing the dishes with her mom and talking about her love life with her : it was such a regular scene compared to the hospital scenes, and illustrated so well what Mia had lost that I really felt my heart breaking.
I loved Mia and her personality. Her passion for music resonated through the pages and I wanted to know more about her, her life, and her romance with Adam. Except for the aforementioned problem, I loved the author’s writing. It had a simplicity that flew through the pages easily and made it a quick read. It’s also a book that gives you a lot to think about : if you were Mia, would you stay or go?
If I stay can certainly be an emotional read, but I thought it was a good one. It was a beautiful story, and if you appreciate books that shake you up a little, I recommend you this one.
Definitely sounds like it is worth a read. Thanks for sharing your views.
Beautiful review. I love how you connected with Mia.
I love a good emotional read from time to time! Thanks for your review.
Great review! Adding to my list!
I just finished this and I think your review summed it up perfectly. I really liked the book and Mia, but I wish it had a bit more subtlety. Still good though!
Cassandra Jade : It is! It was a nice read.
Juju : Thank you! I did. Her voice sounded real.
Kathy : Me too! Although I can’t take too many of those.
Freda : I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Melissa : Ha, I’m glad you enjoyed it too. The book had many qualities despite that little flaw, and I’m also curious to read more from the author.
I really hate it when I feel I am being manipulated emotionally – but honestly, I didn’t feel like that with this one. Loved it!
i loved this book and didn’t get the feeling of being pushed emotionally, but i can see how it might seem that way. i agree that some of the more subtle scenes were really what tied the book together nicely, though, and loved the relationships between Mia and the others.
nice review!
Lenore : I’ll admit that I didn’t find it excessively manipulative like some other books, otherwise I wouldn’t have loved it at all. It definitely liked it too, and recommend it!
The Little Reader : Thanks for your comment. I too can see how someone can appreciate the book without feeling it manipulative! I liked this one and this aspect wouldn’t stop me from recommending the book. Also, I know many readers who like a book that pushes your emotions, so it’s definitely more a matter of taste I think! 😉
More than anything, I really craved more information about her relationship with Adam. That seemed like such an important part of the decision she was making — and I wanted more.
Like you, I hate when I feel like I’m being manipulated in some way… and while I wouldn’t say that I definitely felt that way with If I Stay, it was headed in that direction. Maybe because it was hyped so much as a “tearjerker,” I didn’t cry a single time. The book was solid but almost didn’t live up to my expectations.
I agree, I wanted to know more about her relationship with Adam. Did you know though that the author is writing a sequel? I found that out on her blog and I must say I’m looking forward to it. Surely the road ahead of them isn’t easy, but I’m guessing we’ll get to know more about them.