Gayle Forman "If I Stay"

Yes, I did the mistake, that I watched the movie first and only then I read the book, BUT... It didn't affect the joy and compassion I had while reading this book. The whole story seemed like a real tragic incident. And I laughed at times, and cried at times, like it was all real.

The 1st book of the duology is from girl, Mia's point of view. She had almost everything you would want to have in life. She had a happy family, parents and a little brother, a handsome, rocker boyfriend, and a bright future full of music with her beloved cello. But one day changed it all. Changed all her life and erased almost all of what she had. Caught between life and death, between a perfect past and an unknowable future, Mia spends one day contemplating the last decision she had to make. She had to choose to stay or to go.





First of all, it's going to be hard to write about this book without writing spoilers, so the spoilers are going to be colored in yellow.

Gayle Forman, I love your writing style. It was really easy to read, I read this book in two days. It was like I was flowing through the pages. I loved the way she wrote about music and how Mia loved to play the cello. While reading, I felt like I could hear Mia softly playing on her cello and Adam rocking on his guitar.
Also I loved how the author described feelings and emotions. I was feeling the same that felt Mia. And especially when her grandfather talked to her, I just cried. I even had to stop reading for a while, because it was just so emotional.

The characters were pretty realistic, no one were overdone. I could resemble them in real life. It seemed like a real life-story. I felt all of their grief and sorrow.

The one thing I am kind of still confused about is - Was Mia a ghost or what? What was she? I understood why she was there, she had to make a choice. A hard one, that would change everything that was and that will be. But what was she? That will remain a question.

Altogether, I loved this book, I just loved it, it was amazing and beautiful. I love books that can make me cry, I think that is a true writer, who can make readers feel real emotions!
So my rating will definitely be:

10/10

” "It's okay," he tells me. "If you want to go. Everyone wants you to stay. I want you to stay more that I've ever wanted anything in my life." His voice cracks with emotion. He stops, clears his troat, 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."

” Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you.
” "If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too, I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay."
” I realize now that dying is easy. Living is hard.