I have heard so
many wonderful things about Gayle Forman, so I thought I would add this book to
my Project 10 list and finally check out one of her novels! Plus If I Stay was just recently made into a movie so I thought I would
start with that one! I thought
that this book was incredibly beautiful and like nothing that I have read
before … I would definitely recommend it!
Title: If I Stay
Author: Gayle
Forman
Series: If IStay #1
Genre: Young
Adult, Contemporary
Publisher:
Dutton Juvenile
Publication
Date: April 2, 2009
Pages: 201
Out in
Paperback?: Yes; April 6, 2010
My Rating: 4.5/5
Review:
Goodreads Summary:
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.
Characters:
I thought that
the main character, Mia, was such any interesting character to read about
throughout the novel, and I love how she develops. In the beginning of the novel, we get to see her with her
family – her parents and her younger brother. I think we really get to see who she is while talking with
her parents; I love the relationship they have. It is very laid back and casual with a great sense of humor
between them. I also love how
caring Mia is to her younger brother, acting almost like a mother figure. I think these characters are very
realistic and loved their dialogue.
I also really liked Mia’s boyfriend, Adam; he was another very realistic
character, who has a great heart as he tries to do all he can to help Mia.
Plot:
The plot of this
novel sucked me in right away! After
Mia and her entire family get into a car accident, she ends up in the hospital
fighting for her life. On the back
of the book, the summary states that Mia is “stuck between life and
death.” I think that this book is
so unique in that aspect, and it was very interesting to read about Mia’s
thoughts and feelings as they changed and developed throughout the story. The only thing that I didn’t care for is
one moment when Adam is fighting to see Mia, and he creates a whole fiasco in
the hospital wing … felt it was a tad unrealistic as the situation continued
for quite a while. Other than that
minor annoyance, I really enjoyed the novel and watching Mia’s character grow.
Writing Style:
I really enjoyed
Gayle Forman’s writing style! I
loved how this novel wasn’t broken up into chapters but more like a constant
stream throughout the night of the accident. I also loved how she wrote in almost-constant flashbacks. With these flashbacks frequently
sprinkled in with the timeline of the accident, we were able to really get to
know the characters, including the family and Adam, as well as continue with
the action at a great pace.
Movie Review:
I really enjoyed
this movie! I didn’t know too many
of the actors from other movies, but I thought that they all did a wonderful
job! As far as comparing the movie
to the book, I really thought that the two were very similar (there was maybe a
few scenes that were a bit different, but nothing too drastic). I’ll be honest, I actually had a few
tears in my eyes toward the end of the movie (the scene where her Grandpa is
talking to her in the hospital), and that’s how I knew that it was a wonderful
movie and a great adaptation!
I definitely loved this book and cannot
wait to check out the sequel, Where She Went! Have you read
either of these books? Any others
that you would recommend by Gayle Forman?
FTC Disclaimer:
All items
mentioned were purchased by me. This is not a sponsored post. All
opinions are my own. No affiliate links were used.
No comments:
Post a Comment