If I Stay

If I Stay
Gayle Forman
234 pages

As a senior in high school, Mia has a bright future at Julliard ahead of her, but when a single second alters that future indefinitely, she faces the biggest decision she has ever had to make. Caught somewhere between life and death, Mia spends twenty-four hours watching, reminiscing, and feeling.

As I have said before, the best kinds of books are those that make you feel something. Whether that is laughter, joy, sadness or love, if the reader can feel those emotions pouring off the page in colors of analogy and imagery, then the author has done their job.

If I Stay is that kind of story.

Mia's story is told very simply, changing between memories and the present time - almost as if her life is flashing before her eyes. This story is told with very little detail and description, but maybe that's what makes this novel stand out compared to others I have read recently. I have heard Forman's style of writing described as raw prose, which seems to be a good definition.

For those of you who feel too old to read this book, at least do me the favor of reading the following -
I know it will be awful for Kim when I die, but I also think about what she said, about not being scared, about jail being easy compared to losing me. And that's how I know Kim will be okay. Losing me will hurt; it will be the kind of pain that won't feel real at first, and when it does, it will take your breath away...But she'll deal. She'll move on....And I bet she'll be a stronger person because of what she's lost today. I have a feeling once you live through something like this, you become a little bit invincible.

Emotions will be on high alert as you read Mia's compelling story that tackles a decision no one should ever have to make. The choice between leaving and staying, and the delicate subject of what we stay for.