If I Stay (If I Stay, #1)

by Gayle Forman

[rakesandrogues]

Have your tissues ready because If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one hell of a tear-jerker. Mia’s family was just going out for a drive one morning. Next thing she knows, Mia is watching herself get taken away by an ambulance after a horrific car accident.

I love how point of view is used in If I Stay. Even if Mia is in a coma, she has an out of body experience that sees what is going on around her while she remains in critical condition at the ICU. She cannot interact with anyone, but she can listen to conversations and follow family members and friends around the hospital.

Forman also uses flashbacks quite well. Through flashbacks, we learn more about how Mia and Adam’s relationship developed. We also learned more about Mia’s family. By the time I reached the end of the book, I felt such a strong connection with all of the minor characters that the whole novel became even more heart-wrenching. This is one of the few books in YA in which the protagonist actually has an awesome relationship with her parents. For once, the parents are not absentee or ignorant. Their relationship with Mia just makes this book all the more powerful.

Okay, there is so much buzz in the blogging world about swoon-worthy Adam. And alright, I admit it – he is very swoon-worthy. He’s such a nice guy and he’s such a perfect boyfriend to Mia. What more can a girl want?

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I had a hard time putting this book down. Now, I can’t wait to pick up the sequel Where She Went.