Detail
Title: If I Stay (If I Stay #1) ISBN: 9780525421030Published April 2nd 2009 by Viking · Hardcover 201 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Music, Death, Audiobook, Drama
Must be read
User Reviews
Heather
There are two kinds of books, those that you finish reading and leave you with fleeting memories of the attractive hero, the silly heroine, and the overall storyline, or perhaps all you noted was the glaring plot holes, inconsistencies, ridiculousness or flat characters. At any rate, it’s a book that you read, either like or dislike, but no sooner than you have turned the last page, it is out of sight and out of mind. Then there is the other kind of book that will touch your heart, or awaken a lingering memory or a potential fear that will haunt your mind so that even long after you’ve fallen asleep, your unconscious self is still wading through the details. Your dreams will be fitful and when you finally awaken, you will find yourself tangled up in sheets with puffy, swollen eyes from tears that you shed when you weren’t even aware enough to know you were crying. If I Stay is the latter.
Mia is eighteen and has the kind of family any of us would pray to be born to and the kind of boyfriend that can only exist in the fictitious world. Furthermore, she is a gifted musician and is about to be accepted into the prestigious Julliard. Mia has a choice, she can follow her love of music, go to Julliard and accomplish her cellist dreams, or she can stay with her family and the love of her life and follow her heart. Either way, she has something to gain and something to lose. Then, one fateful morning, Mia’s world is turned on its head and life as she knows it changes. The one thing that remains the same is the question that Mia has asked herself for the past few months, should I go or should I stay?
In art, the brightest colors appear beside the darkest of lines and in this book, the most endearing, tender and happy moments are surrounded by grief so palpable, that you will laugh through your tears and sob with a smile. If I Stay demonstrates the kind of beauty that can only exist alongside despair and shines all the more for it. It is filled with happiness and sorrow, laughter and tears, birth and death, love and loss. By writing a book filled with parallels, Forman proves that life has no opposite and thus leaves readers with an overwhelming since of joy and hope despite tears and grief that they are bound to feel.
**Update** I just re-read this book for the forth time and it continues to devastate and delight me.
Emory's Defunct Profile
My impression? It was good. Not fantastic, but okay. Decent. Tolerable. But I'm a bit irritated with this book right now, because it is one of those books that has been ridiculously overrated. Yeah, it was sad. But not 'devastating'. Not 'heart-wrenching'.This book was fine, but I honestly think that if I had read the first chapter and then read the last chapter I wouldn't have missed much. Yes, her parents were both beautiful people who will be missed. And I have to admit the whole story of he brother's life and death tugged at my heartstrings. But at the end of the book, I found myself feeling more bored than anything. This book wasn't new, or original, or groundbreaking. It was a way for me to kill time while I waited for my Mom to pick me up from school. I've seen stuff like this novel a million times before, and most of them were a lot more sad. Sorry Forman, but I'm not impressed.
EDIT: Guys, I wrote this review in 2010. Do you seriously feel the need to continue commenting on this, when I've been messaged by die-hard fans and fellow haters alike, had to answer every possible argument for or against it, and been criticized for ~daring~ to write a less-than-glowing review on a website whose literal purpose is to review, critique, gush about, and condemn books? Are you honestly that rilled up by a negative opinion?
If I Stay just isn't that great. My tastes have changed quite a bit since I read it, and I stand by my opinion. Why do you care? Why are you still whining about it when a simple read-through of the comments will show that I've already addressed your specific complaint? Go away. Write your own glowing review. Watch the movie version coming up (which also looks terrible, but what do I know). Go. Leave. I don't care. I do not care. I don't caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaare.
Jess
This book could have been great, but it was almost embarrassing to read at times. I know that sounds pretty mean, but c'mon.
I can appreciate any novel that mentions Kathleen Hannah and Courtney Love in positive context (it also earns points for being set near Portland!), but I can't respect a novel that is full of cliches, unrealistic characters, and CHEESE. I almost had to stop reading when one character "played the other character's body like a guitar", and I actually did stop reading for awhile when the girl brought out her damn cello bow and started running it along her boyfriend's body. Seriously? Would this ever really happen? I know this is fantasy, but the author doesn't write it like it is supposed to be a dream.
The parents were the worst part of the book for me. They were the parents absolutely every teenager in the Western world wishes that they had- cool, young, know music, laidback, had wild young adulthoods, act like teenagers, and are just so damn awesome it hurts. There really is no happy medium in teen fiction- parents are either antagonists or sidekicks these days.
The premise was a great one- being able to choose between life or death. And it could've been awesome. But this book was sadly not awesome, it was poorly written and cheesy.
Watermelon Daisy
In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...
A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make -and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
- - -
WHY I DROPPED IT:
I didn't like the book. I just thought it was completely useless. Nothing was really "sad" except times where Mia had to choose between staying/going, etc. And the plot didn't hold my attention -mainly because there wasn't much of a plot in first place.
I was a little reluctant to admit I didn't like it in first place. Mainly because so many people loved it, I felt as if I was bursting their bubble. But as time moves forward, a lot of people didn't like it either. So I'm not alone.
But before you completely screech at me for not liking such a "brilliant" book, I have my reasons.
- Mia is too dull for my liking. Sure, she likes music and it's supposed to "set her apart" from the rest of the world. Nuh-ah. It doesn't work like that. She's as ordinary/simple as possible.
- There isn't much of a plot. Just a girl wondering if she'd rather die or stay. Maybe for a lot of you, it's a wonderful plot. Not for me. Sorry, but recounting isn't my thing.
- Which brings me to the third point. This story is the wrong story which is being written. As a writer, I worship the rule, "If you have to add a lot of back-story to make your book understandable, then you're telling the wrong story." I agree.
This book is just memories stringed together. Maybe I'm the only one who has a problem with this, if so, forgive me. But I really, really didn't like this.
Oh and as for Adam, I didn't like him much either. He seemed the usual "dark" type. And one of the things I really hate in romance, is when I can't see why the boy and the girl fall for each other. I do understand they both have the passion for music, but so many other people do.
*rant over*
Comment all you like. My mind's not going to change. Sorry.
Kat Kennedy
I played the violin for five years and the viola for three. It is the piano that only lasted for one year. My older brother and I began our lessons together when I was nine.
My brother was a smart kid, but he didn't know it then. It didn't help that his little sister was extremely competitive, precocious and bratty. I think he always believed he didn't have much going for him - but boy he has it where it counts.
Back then I thought I was so much smarter than him, and taking up the piano was another chance for me to prove that. Unlike my brother, who had never played an instrument before, I could sight-play and was already studied in the necessary music theory aspects from the violin.
And, in form, I was better than him. For a while. Effectively speaking, I always was always going to be better at him in the technical arena. But he was better where it counted. When it came to the heart of the music, bringing a piece alive and making it beautiful - I was completely outclassed. I played like a robot and he played with his soul.
This book makes me regret that more now than I've ever regretted it before in my life.
If I Stay is a beautifully written, character-driven novel about a girl choosing between life and death. It was also one of the best narrated audiobooks I have ever listened to.
Mia's body is in ICU and she is waiting to die. As the events from her car crash unfold, she examines her relationships with everyone to determine whether or not it's worth staying or dying peacefully from her crash.
There were parts of this novel that had me weeping, my heart aching and my chest pounding with emotion. Mia's voice, her relationships, her struggles and her pain are so brilliantly related to the audience.
The writing isn't perfect. There are some parts that could have been a little more polished. Some paragraphs that probably needed another edit. However, the technical writing aspects are far and above overcompensated by the heart and soul of this novel.
This novel is like Mia's Cello. It is beautiful, resounding and emotional. Just as Mia can play Adam like her instrument, so too can Forman play her audience - strumming all the high and low notes with perfect, breathtaking clarity. Without a doubt, Forman has it where it counts.
Summer
I was actually quite shocked to find that this book did not even make me shed one tear. Weird, huh?
Other people: THIS BOOK OMG THE FEELS I’M SOBBING UNCONTROLLABLY.
Me: Wait where was the part where I was supposed to cry?
Despite what you’re probably thinking, I did not base this review on whether or not I would cry. I gave it two stars because it did not affect me in any way. Rather, it bored me. Other than the fact that I was bored to tears, I had several major issues with If I Stay.
For one, I failed to empathize with a vast majority of the characters. The connection just wasn't there, slightly contributing to my disliking of this book. Identifying with characters is extremely important for me as a reader, especially with these types of books. I did not appreciate Mia’s emotionless voice -which I know was deliberate on the author’s part- because it did not fit this sort of story.
The characters in this book were much too perfect. It was palpable from that first (view spoiler) scene from the beginning of the book, when the family was all together. It was like those perfect, unrealistic American families you see on T.V. It was pretty painful to read about. If you want to know anything about me, I loathe perfect things. Perfection is boring as hell.
Quite often, I found the story to be a bit… messy. It constantly jumped from one thing to another, much to my irritation. To sum the book up, If I Stay was just a jumbled mess of memories, lacking one necessary ingredient: cohesiveness.
I like to compare the plot of this novel to a lost dog. It wanders aimlessly, endlessly, not really going anywhere. More times than I would like to admit, I contemplated giving up the book altogether. I kept questioning why I wanted to continue with this endeavor.
One might argue that that was the author’s intent; to show this feeling of aimlessness to symbolize how Mia was feeling. While this is a good idea in theory, all it really does is bore the reader and make them question why they are reading this book.
But probably what bothered me the most was the very unsatisfying ending. Whilst reading this, I had inferred that maybe, just maybe, all this suck will cease because the author would write such a brilliant, beautiful, life-changing conclusion that would make me give this book 5 stars without a second thought. That I would be blown off my feet by the brilliance of the ending.
Needless to say, my inferring was smashed by how incorrect it was.
The one redeeming factor of this book that stopped me from giving it one star was Mia’s passion for music. You’d be hard-pressed to find a main character as passionate as her, which is one quality of her’s I admired greatly.
Maybe I expected the wrong things from this book. Maybe I’m reading into this all wrong, and missing the message by a mile. I’m sorry, I just didn't like the book. Besides failing to move me in any way, it failed to keep my attention, and for that, I simply cannot give this book any higher than 2 stars.
For the record, I don't exactly hate this book, but I think it was very undeserving of the hype and that it was merely descent. Not anything special.
Others can have If I Stay. I’ll be flaunting my copy of Before I Fall.
Ahmad Sharabiani
If I Stay (If I Stay #1), Gayle Forman
If I Stay is a young adult novel, by Gayle Forman, American young adult fiction author, published in 2009.
The story follows 17-year-old Mia Hall as she deals with the aftermath of a catastrophic car accident involving her family.
Mia is the only member of her family to survive, and she finds herself in a coma. Through this coma, however, Mia has an out-of-body experience.
Through this, she is able to watch the actions around her, as friends and family gather at the hospital where she is being treated.
We follow Mia's stories and the unfolding of her life through a series of flashbacks. Mia finds herself stuck between two worlds; the world of the living, and the world of those who have moved on.
Mia realizes that she must use her past and her relationships to make a decision for her future.
Her options are to stay with her grandparents and the love of her life, Adam, or to move on and avoid the pain of living without her mother, father, and little brother.
تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز سی ام ماه نوامبر سال 2014میلادی
عنوان: اگر بمانم - کتاب اول؛ نویسنده: جیل (گیل) فورمن؛ مترجم: فرزام حبیبی اصفهان؛ تهران، بهنام؛ 1391؛ در 206ص؛ شابک9789645668899؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان ایالات متحده آمریکا - سده 21م
عنوان: اگر بمانم - کتاب اول؛ نویسنده: جیل (گیل) فورمن؛ مترجم: مهرآیین اخوت؛ تهران، هیرمند؛ 1393؛ در 204ص؛ شابک 9789644083587؛
کتاب دوم این مجموعه با عنوان: «جایی که او رفت»؛ است
در یک چشم برهمزدن همه چیز تغییر کرد، «میا»، هفده ساله، به خاطر تصادف حافظه اش را از دست داد؛ ایشان تنها میتواند، آنچه را پس از آن رخداد روی داده، به یاد بیاورد، او بدن آسیب دیده ی خویش را مینگرد؛ به آهستگی تلاش میکند، تا تکه ها را، کنار یکدیگر بگذارد، تا چیزی را که از دست داده و ترک کرده، یا برگزیده، بفهمد؛ همین به شکلی زیبا اما غم انگیز، دیدگاه «میا» را به زندگی، عشق، و خانواده اش دیگر میکند
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 29/06/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 02/06/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Emily May
Despite the general hype about this book, I had my reservations because I had gone into The Lovely Bones with similar optimism and been highly disappointed by a story that never really took off and was simply drab and boring. After reading the goodreads description for this, I imagined something of the same and could only hope I wouldn't have a repeat performance.
To be honest, if you're looking for fast-paced adventure and a really gripping plot then I'm not sure this book is for you. Gayle Forman uses subtleties and beautiful writing to tell her story in a deeply emotional and moving way. She creates wonderful moments from the most simplistic things as playing cello or going to a concert or the protagonist spending time with her grandfather. Where The Lovely Bones was a book about death, 'If I Stay' is very much a book about life and how the small things we overlook are so important. Forman creates the sense that life is always worth living, even when it seems that your whole world is falling apart - if you have nothing else, you still have a friend who'd risk their life for you. Still think your life isn't worth living when someone would disagree to such an extent?
The many different relationships in the book are told in varied but equally moving ways. The author shows the intricate relationship between mother and daughter, father and daughter, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, boyfriend and girlfriend, and just that of a person's closest friend. Mia, a shy cello-player from Oregon with only one close friend, is shown in this book to have a life full of love and things to be grateful for. I found it truly inspiring and heartwarming. I will be reading the sequel, without a doubt.
jessica
dear, oh dear. this gave me major ‘before i fall’ flashbacks, which was one of the most disappointing books i read this year. this isnt as terrible as that, but i definitely have come to realise the whole ‘teen dies but given second chance’ trope is just not for me. which is a shame because there is a lot to be said for the messages and lessons taught within that kind of story.
but for this book in particular, it actually isnt the plot that bothers me the most (although it does, a little). its the constant switching between the present moment at the hospital and flashbacks to the past. only because i was more invested in what happened to mia after the accident and what was going on at the hospital, so the flashbacks to random points in her life distracted me from that. i appreciate that they are used for character development, but i often found myself skimming forward to the present day sections.
on a different note, i actually really enjoyed the ending and i thought it was well done! i quickly read the synopsis for the sequel and it honestly sounds a million times more interesting than this book. so i will definitely be picking that up, as it sounds much more like my kind of story!
↠ 3 stars
Luffy
If I stay was a bit confusing at first, but further reading addressed these nebulous matters. I thought that the concept of a family killed in a car accident was something that few thrillers do.
In fact the only time I remember that happening was in D is for Deadbeat by Sue Grafton. The survivor of the vehicular massacre in If I Stay, is in a coma but is conscious. She is able to travel and visit most of the characters that matter in this world.
I thought If I stay elevated itself beyond airport literature due to its risky portrayal of the events unfurling here. Mia, the lone heroine in the book, is a complex persona. Anyway it's hard to describe what happens, you know? Just give the book a try.
NickReads
The book is kind of boring but there are some parts that are so very beautiful. Especially the part when Mia joins Adam and her father and they form a mini orchestra in their garden.
Flannery
Books about death and dying are particularly hard to review. The way we react to them is so deeply personal that I'm skeptical about the actual value of my (or anyone's) review of the work to other readers. When we read, we don't come to the book with a clean slate--we come to it with years of experiences, friendships, and memories that provide us with a vantage point from which to view the story. And if you have an awful tendency toward existentialism, like I do, these books only become more emotional as you evaluate your own life,choices, and relationships along with the protagonist.
I spent two years of my life moving around the US doing service projects, and most of that time I lived in the gulf after Hurricane Katrina. Living in a tent city and gutting houses for months in what basically felt like a post-apocalyptic world was life-changing for me, but the absolute devastation of the area wasn't what did me in, it was the people. Most of the people whose homes we gutted had not returned from evacuation yet. Their homes had been under 10-12 feet of water for two weeks. My point is this: we threw out almost all of their belongings. Barely anything was salvageable--at the most, we found a few pictures or some of their silver or china. I cannot imagine what it was like for those families. Is it better to come back to a nightmare or to come back to an empty, clean slate from which to start again? I still don't know. But I realized, after speaking to so many residents, that most of their stuff didn't matter to them. They had their lives. Their family. Their connections to other people. I know it sounds cliche, but I feel like it is something that a lot of us tend to forget. Even when it feels like all is lost, there is always something there to hold on to. (view spoiler)
Mia, the protagonist of If I Stay is in the intensive care unit after a horrible car accident. While she is in a comatose state, some part of her (her soul?) is able to see everything that is going on outside of her body. I found it fascinating--so often with an outside watcher, we see a person hovering over their funeral or watching to see what happens afterward. In Mia's case, we were able to follow along with her while she makes her decision to stay or go. I wasn't sure what Mia's choice was going to be, even to the last second, and I appreciated that fact--Gayle Forman gets it. The relationships between the characters felt so real to me, especially because a lot of my immediately family are doctors and nurses so I've spent a lot of time in hospitals.
I read an article today about the decline of the "book review." The author was discussing the extent to which people used to depend on critical and objective book reviews for suggestions of what to read and how the number of literary critics has severely decreased. (actual literary critics, not just reviewers)It got me thinking about what I actually look for in a book review. What makes me want to read it? Though I definitely enjoy the NYT Book Review, I am much more likely to buy a book that my friends recommend, on Goodreads or in real life. Give me a subjective book review about what a book made you feel and I am all over it. If you are the same way, you should know: This book made me feel optimistic for the future at a time when I have been feeling completely lost, so for that, it is getting 5 stars.
As an aside, I'd just like to add that this book was fantastic in audio format. Once in awhile, cello music played in the background and it was lovely to hear it considering Mia was an amazing cellist. Also, having a person actually read me the lyrics to Mia's father's song and to hear Adam say his speech to her was beautiful. I'd definitely recommend this book in audio format.
Pavlina Read more sleep less blog
5 AMAZING STARS
“Sometimes you make choices in life
and sometimes choices make you.”
I decided to read this book because I noticed that the movie is coming out the next month!So I thought that finally I must read it!!!And now that I finally finished the second too I'm thinking..Why I didn't start this series sooner???Why???? The story,the characters and general all the concept was perfection!!It's a heartbreaking story about love,family and life!
This book deals with life and death.Mia is a seventeen years old girl who experienced a car accident with her family and now she is the one who is still alive and has to decide..
If she wants to stay...
If she wants to leave...
There are flashbacks from happy moments with her family,her best friend Kim and her boyfriend Adam.I loved so much the fact that music is a big part of this book!Music brought them closer!
If you read this book you will fall in love with Adam and definately like Mia!Mia was an interesting character!She was an average girl who cares a lot about her family,her friends and her boyfriend!And Adam was so sweet and so in love with Mia!!!He was willing to do whatever it needed to get Mia back..(The scene when he goes to the hospital and trys to go to she her and they don't leave him see her...omg :( I feel his sadness...and the scene when he finally can see her omg :(( I was crying...)
"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 loved their relationship how I see it in the flashbacks!!It is slow and deep!They are so comfortable together and this is what I love more about their relationship!
If you are looking for a unique story that will make you think about life,family and love this is what you need!!I highly recommend it!!!Can't wait for the movie!!!!
"I know,Adam said quietly.
But I'm still here.And I'm still crazy in love with you."
"Me too."
James
4+ stars to Gayle Forman's If I Stay, the first of a two-book series and recently made motion picture. I first stumbled across this book when I saw the movie promo last year, and I recall thinking "oh, that looks like a great story." I had just finished reading JoJo Moyes "Me Before You" series and felt they'd be similar in story and character. I went on my merry way, happily choosing from the physical books on my own bookshelf or my electronic digital subscriptions. (I always need to have 15 to 20 books on hand so it's like a surprise when I choose a new book each time) And then, one day, while waiting for the dryer to finish in my building's laundry room, I perused the small library next door (it's awesome, my building shares books all the time and I constantly find new things to read!), and this book was sitting on the shelf. I grabbed it, tossed it in the laundry basket and well, went on with my day... but yesterday I needed to choose a new book and landed on this one, as I need to read it before I watch the movie perhaps this weekend. And it was an AMAZING choice!
Story
This is the hardest part to write in the review, as I'm not sure where to begin. This book was about so many things, so many, many things. I'll keep it simple:
Mia is a beautiful, caring, intelligent and warm seventeen-year-old in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, sharing her days with her grandparents, parents, younger brother, best friend, boyfriend and mentor. She's an accomplished cello prodigy nearing graduation with a choice in her soon-to-be future: move to NY for Julliard or stay closer to her boyfriend who needs to remain in Oregon. The thing is... Mia is the teenager we'd all love to meet and be around; she's just amazing as is her family and everything else around her. And you know the cliff is coming, as you've read the book jacket cover and know there's a terrible accident. But then it happens when you least expect it -- and everything changes. Mia is somehow separated from her body and she watches as she's rushed to the hospital for surgery. As she sleeps in a deep coma, her separated self wanders the hospital halls to learn what else happened in the accident (no spoilers here, so I won't say who was with her when it occurred, nor what happened to anyone else). One by one, her remaining friends and family visit her bedside, possibly to say goodbye given her grave condition, and as each person sits near her, Mia's separated self tells readers who they are, how they met, exploring key moments in her life... you fall deep into this tragedy as Mia must make her own choice: to stay or go -- but it's not about moving to NY anymore, it's about whether she will stay alive or go [die].
Strengths
1. Writing: It's simple. It's direct. It's evocative. It's endearing. It's thought-provoking. You won't be able to put it down.
2. Characters: The entire story takes place over one day's events, but through the story-telling, Mia recounts how she knows each person over her 17 years... and every person is wonderful and stunning and real. I want to be a part of this group.
3. Emotions: You will feel a lot. You will want to know what happens beyond the last few words of the final chapter. Good thing there is a book 2, but your imagination will think a lot about what could have been.
Suggestions
Too short and I wanted more? (~235 pages)
The only reason I didn't give this a 5 of 5 stars is because I felt like it should have gone on longer... I want to know more about her struggle to decide if she stays or goes... to know how each person feels other than thru her eyes and ears. Maybe it will come in book 2, but as its own unit, I wanted more.
Final Thoughts
This is what I call a "contained" book. The story could be read on its own, or it could have sequels and prequels. Your emotions will be contained by the bounds of what you've learned in its 235 pages, and you will walk away from it as a changed person. Not in any magnificent way, but in a subtle way... one where you think about your own life and how you'd make a choice of staying or going, assuming you were in a similar situation as hers. This book makes you think for a few minutes, hours or days... and you won't forget it. Contained because you'll experience a journey in the time you read it, put it down, and after you're on to the next book, it'll feel like the impact was contained to just those few days where the pages were in your hands and the words in your dreams... but far into the future, it will pop back in your head as you wonder how you would have handled it.
About Me
For those new to me or my reviews... here's the scoop: I read A LOT. I write A LOT. And now I blog A LOT. First the book review goes on Goodreads, and then I send it on over to my WordPress blog at https://thisismytruthnow.com, where you'll also find TV & Film reviews, the revealing and introspective 365 Daily Challenge and lots of blogging about places I've visited all over the world. And you can find all my social media profiles to get the details on the who/what/when/where and my pictures. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. Vote in the poll and ratings. Thanks for stopping by.
Natalie Monroe
3.5 stars
Welcome to another exciting
Nice Natalie: Here we are again, about to rag on another beloved book.
Cynical Natalie: It's called having an opinion. If you wanna play nice-nice, go stand in the corner with the Stop the GR Bullies people.
Nice Natalie: But you did like If I Stay. The writing sent shivers down your spine, remember?
"And there was so much noise. A symphony of grinding, a chorus of popping, an aria of exploding, and finally, the sad clapping of hard metal cutting into soft trees."
It was just gorgeous the way the writer meshed Mia's love for music with stuff.
Cynical Natalie: Yes, but there's a very big difference between liking something and loving it. We like ketchup, but we looove tartar sauce. And writing isn't the only thing that makes or breaks a story. Marissa Meyer is, for all her accomplishments, a mediocre writer. No offense honestly, but her writing just doesn't sing. Yet I love the hell out of Scarlet and Cress because the characters were fantastic.
Nice Natalie: But you thought the characters in If I Stay were great! They were fleshed-out, distinguishable from one another, and the relationships between secondary characters other than the main characters, like her Mom and Dad, were addressed and developed as well. Do you realize how rare that is in a YA book?
Cynical Natalie: Harry Potter.
Nice Natalie: HP is technically middle-grade.
Cynical Natalie: I don't know... I think it stopped being middle-grade four books ago.
(screenshot taken from this video)
Nice Natalie: Regardless, you can't use HP as an example. It's like telling the Pope that he'll never be God. They're incomparable.
Cynical Natalie: True that. But I still remember Celestina Warbeck even though the last time I visited Hogwarts was in January, but I'm 99.9% sure I won't remember any of the main characters from If I Stay two weeks from now. Speaking of which, what was up with that awkward, albeit beautifully-written, sex/groping scene between Mia and Adam? He was all like, "Play me like a cello."
Nice Natalie: It was meant to be a beautiful moment of bonding.
Cynical Natalie: You mean like Hazel and Gus making out in Anne Frank's house was supposed to be romantic and poignant? Yeah, all I got from the cello scene was awkwardness and moments of suppressed laughter. Try as I may, I can't picture two socially-conscious teenagers doing what they did.
Nice Natalie: First loves are supposed to be awkward.
Cynical Natalie: Not to the point where they make me laugh at the ridiculousness. And I didn't cry at all during reading. Nor did I feel sad actually. I only felt guilty because I hadn't reached my writing quota for the day and I was behind on my reading challenge.
Nice Natalie: But it's about a girl dealing with the deaths of her parents and brother! And whether she should stay because her life will be miserable if she wakes up.
Cynical Natalie: Eh, been there, done that. I don't get why Mia didn't try touching her body to see if her soul would get sucked back in. It always happens that way in movies. That's what I'd do, regardless of everything. But I guess the storyline wouldn't make Mia try that so she can Contemplate Important Life Choices.
Plus, the whole book just felt like a very long prologue. It was just a string of memories with a few strays thoughts on whether she should stay. After she finally makes her decision, the book ends, like, "You wanna find out what happens next? Buy the next book, sucker!" There's no real closure.
Nice Natalie: Do you want to read the next book?
Cynical Natalie: Sort of. But I don't like feeling suckered into it.
Nice Natalie: If you want to read the next one, that means it did its job!
Cynical Natalie: Meh, I guess it did. Still, I won't be rating this higher than a 4.
Nice Natalie: Remember those days when we'd give a 4 as long as we enjoyed the book?
Cynical Natalie: Yeah...
Nice Natalie: I miss those days.
Cynical Natalie: Go stand in your corner. Now.
Other Nice Natalie/Cynical Natalie
A Girl Like You
The Fault In Our Stars
Dreams of Gods & Monsters
The Martian
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Catching Fire
All The Rage
An Ember In The Ashes
Harry Potter & the Cursed Child
The Hammer of Thor
The Ship of the Dead
Caraval
Warcross
The Last Namsara
Our Book Collections
- Serpent & Dove (Serpent & Dove #1)
- Mere Christianity
- How We Fight For Our Lives
- Joy (Joy #1)
- The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness
- A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1)
- Call for the Dead (George Smiley #1)
- Wake the Bones
- No One Is Talking About This
- Asadora!