Saturday, May 26, 2012


 

Title: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman

Genre: Young Adult 

Rate: 5/5!

Comments: 

This week I’ve been reading such a beautiful novel. It was so overwhelming that I ended up crying at the end!
Sometimes people say that you can’t judge a book by its cover- and I agree with that. But, in certain situations, such as this one, I chose this book BECAUSE of its cover. The title “If I Stay” makes me wonder what the character is talking about. Where will she stay? What will happen if she doesn’t stay, and most certainly- what’s the occasion about? All of these factors got me intrigued and I just HAD to read the book. The main character is Mia, a normal girl living in her teenage life. The first few chapters of the book begin as if there will be no plot- because she seems to have an awkwardly normal life with no problems. She’s in love, she goes to school, her parents are strict, and she has many friends. This was my first impression: I’m sorry… but I don’t see the problem here. That was where I was wrong. Mia has a decision to make. This was the part where I got super interested in the book. After a car accident that has killed her, her parents and her little brother, Mia’s spirit is left to wander the rooms of the hospital her body is in. Still coming to terms with her loss, she revisits her most precious memories, about people that are gone, and about the people that are still around, and she is getting ready to decide if she stays, or if she goes. I was freaked out at this stage because I was imagining myself in her position. I wanted to stop reading the book- but I couldn’t; the book was just too good to be true. I will not mention whether or not she stays or leaves- that’s a secret, you’ll just have to read the book! There are many things I have loved about this book so it is hard to pick just one. If I had to choose, Mia’s passion for her cello was my favorite part! The way she unexpectedly fell in love with it because it seemed almost human-like to her. The saddest and most tragic part of the book were her grandfather’s words and his impression on her decision to leave:“It’s okay,” he tells me. “If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.” His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his throat, takes a breath, and continues. “But that’s what I want and I could see why it might not be what you want. So I just wanted to tell you that I understand if you go. It’s okay if you have to leave us. It’s okay if you want to stop fighting.” I couldn’t handle the tears in my eyes as I read this paragraph! It’s so beautiful! I would definitely recommend this book to everyone who likes to read sad novels!

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