If I Stay Book Review

I recently read If I Stay by Gayle Forman on my trip back to Vancouver from Seattle. It's quite a short trip so it's clear to say I really burned right through it! It's a quick read; one of those books you can't put down because you want to find out what happens next.

If I Stay tells the story of Mia Hall, a 17 year old gifted cellist whose life is brimming with promise: she has supportive (and remarkably cool) parents, a boyfriend in a band on its way to the top, and a hopeful career in music. A car accident interrupts everything, potentially forever. In a twist of fate, Mia has an out of body experience while she is a coma where she watches her friends and family as they deal with the horrible aftermath. Mia has to decide if she wants to stay in a very painful world or leave everything she knows behind.

For me, this book was all about the characters. They are what make this book so heartrending.

Mia and Adam You can strongly feel the connection between Mia and Adam. It's a very sweet love beyond their years. Although at first they seem to be worlds apart (Groovy and the Geek nickname, anyone?) as Mia is a classical musician lacking the punk rock roots of her parents and Adam is an emocore guitarist, they come together through their passion for music and how it transforms them.

Kat and Denny Don't you wish you had parents like Mia's? On second thought, I'm not sure I would want my parents to be cooler than I am. Her mom is a sassy, but tender, rocker with a rebellious girl attitude. Her dad, a former punk rock band drummer turned vintage schoolteacher. Their love for their family comes across in full force in the novel.

There are various other characters that are equally endearing that pop up through out the novel, like Mia's best friend Kim and her tender hearted grandfather.

To me, the ending was a bit predictable because Mia seemed so resigned to her fate that it suggested the opposite would come true in the end. That's not to say I didn't like the ending, it was quite satisfying. I wouldn't change a thing.

I definitely plan on catching the movie and seeing how the book to movie conversion went. Have you seen it? Let me know in the comments!

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