Friday, November 30, 2012

Review: If I Stay by Gayle Forman

If I Stay (If I Stay #1) by Gayle Forman
Synopsis (Goodreads):
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.
My Thoughts: I was warned that I'd need a box of tissues nearby while reading this one. Those who warned me weren't lying. I cried. More than once. I thought I could withstand the deluge but the pressure builds and builds until it reaches the breaking point and then one tiny little thing pushes it over and suddenly it was all about the tears.

It really was the little moments that did it to me. The moment when Mia realizes what she's lost even though we've known all along. The moment when she's given permission to make her choice, for good or bad, by someone she loves.
"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. 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." --pg 181
That moment did me in. Just rereading it is getting me all weepy again.

Mia's journey isn't easy. It's lovely and sad and heartbreaking all at the same time. Her world has been shattered by a static moment in time and as you see how tightly her life is woven in with her mother, her father, and her brother, you can see that the decision on whether to stay or go is weighing her down.

I'm still a little shell-shocked to be honest. This book had a slow emotional build and when it finally boils over, it's overwhelming. It's beautiful. It's sad. It hurts a little to read. And I would do it all again.

Books in this series
1. If I Stay - Hardcover | Paperback | Kindle
2. Where She Went

Author Links
| Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon |

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

14 comments:

  1. And... and... Gayle Forman has a new book/series coming out in January. I CAN'T WAIT!

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  2. This one was so good. I'll admit, I must be hard-hearted. There were no tears. But it was so emotional and well done!

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    1. Lol! No worries. I wasn't much of a crier until recently. This book was VERY emotional. It was just so beautiful.

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  3. Great review! I also really enjoyed this book but I don't remember crying. It was really good though! I have the next one but I still haven't read it yet! I hope you like it :)

    Crystal @ Elegantly Bound Books

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    1. The second book was very good. A little different in tone than this one since it's told from Adam's POV but still so SO good.

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  4. Oh, so agree! I bawled while listening to the audio book of this, and then I put myself through it again when I read it in paperback. LOVE this book!

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    1. I kept putting off reading it simply because I had a feeling it was going to gut me. It did, but in a good way.

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  5. *kicks self* I still haven't read, but I do have students glued to it passing it from reader to reader.

    As soon as I have kleenex to spare, I'll try to get it in my lap.

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  6. This book is hauntingly beautiful. It really makes you think about what's important to you, and puts shit into perspective.

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    1. Yes. Hauntingly beautiful is a perfect way to put it. It's just... *pets it*

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  7. This really was a great read!! Definitely sad, but one that I will remember for a long time.

    Can't wait to read her newest book next year!

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    1. Every time I read that quote in the review, I tear up. EVERY TIME. *weeps*

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