*Review* : If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Book review of If I Stay - Gayle Forman
The release dates are varied.
If I Stay
Series - #1 If I Stay
Released : 7th May (?)
Publisher: DoubleDay
Format : Paperback
Source : Brought
Finished : 6th May 2011
Overall rating -

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.

This was a book l hadn’t heard about until l started to blog but once l saw it on one blog, it was on every blog with a lot of hype around it. After reading the blurb l started to relate it to another book, Before I Die .Although it's completely different in terms of what is happening in the book l related the two together because of the very strong emotions which are involved in them both. I think this is where my main problem with this book comes from, l just didn’t feel the right emotions for Mia that l felt for Tessa from Before I Die and this is where l get confused. Surely l should have been crying at this book? Seriously l feel like an emotionless cow for not feeling more for Mia. I feel maybe l didn't get enough ‘time with Mia’ at the beginning of the story to make a connection with her to feel emotions for her, everything happens very quick throughout.

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I really enjoyed the flashbacks and getting to know more about Mia but at times l was confused from when this flashback actually was and l have to admit l wished there would have been some order to it. I would have preferred it if the book went forward OR backwards in time instead of skipping to random moments. I guess the best bit about going to random moments is they fit in more with what Mia was thinking.

Putting my few (small) negative feelings aside, l love this book. Maybe l didn’t feel strong emotions as much as l should have but this book still made me think and l definitely enjoyed it, enjoyed it enough to blank out my very big TBR pile and just zone in on my copy of Where She Went. What also grabbed my attention was where at the end of the book Gayle explains how good friends of hers were in the same situation and only one family member sadly survived, she goes on to explain how she feels that family member made the choice  to go with the rest of their family. I think that is such a lovely and peaceful way to think, it really added meaning to this book for me.

Overall this is definitely a must read book which will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions and make you see life from a different angle. I put this book down believing in a lovely world Gayle had created where, in certain situations, we get to choose.

~
Ratings :

Plot : 4.5/5

Cover : 4/5

Page Turner : 4.5/5

Characters : 5/5

Ending : 4.5/5

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2011 Books Challenges 

None

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