If I Stay in Penguin's Point of View Books

Dec 16, 2010 Natshane rated it really liked it · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Is it possible for one to be shocked, caught off guard after just reading a few pages into the book? Barely even getting the hang of things and then had their jaw dropped so wide open that it might pop off any second? I did. This is nothing I've ever expected, nothing in comparism at all.

How often that you read a book about the realm of purgatory? The clash between science and religion? Facts and spiritualism? Fiction and non-fiction? As how Kim and Mia grouped things, everything in the world mo Is it possible for one to be shocked, caught off guard after just reading a few pages into the book? Barely even getting the hang of things and then had their jaw dropped so wide open that it might pop off any second? I did. This is nothing I've ever expected, nothing in comparism at all.

How often that you read a book about the realm of purgatory? The clash between science and religion? Facts and spiritualism? Fiction and non-fiction? As how Kim and Mia grouped things, everything in the world mostly consists of two groups. It's a question of yes or no, and once again, it's a question of if, it's a question about choice.

I am attracted to how the author had written the story, how I feel Mia being so present yet distant at the same time. Those flashbacks held the key that unlocked my emotions when I was reading this book. When I read the accident scene, I was struck shockingly, as I mentioned before, just a few pages into the books and the grief had seized me, amazing. And as a matter of fact my jaw did popped wide open and my mind raced to sort things out. It's not possible! What? How? The accident took me by full frontal surprise and also spin me off the emotional roller coaster, I found myself to be stiffling a sob when I create the image of Mia finding out about her parents death, horrid. I could just throw up but I didn't. And as I proceeded through the story, I felt Mia's emotional turmoil even more, her concerns, her worries, her desires, her feeling tired and just wanted to get on with it, I felt her frustration. And with the 'aid' of her flashbacks, I felt myself connecting to the story even more, as if I was bonded mentally (and emotionally) with it. Everytime when she recalled her memories with her parents and Teddy, I had the urge to cry, how could such awesome parents die? It seemed impossible, but that's the moral isn't it? That Death is unpredictable?

Having to feel their closeness and then to relate to the present moment when the ties is broken, it's depressing. How would you feel when you woke up one day and find yourself an orphan? it was as if you have no more reason to live, and that's what Mia was pondering - to give up. But giving up means dying, and dying means leaving the ones who loved her, not really her family but means as much as her family does to her -Adam, Kim, Gran, Gamps...She would hurt them as well. That was why Mia had to choose, to face the unknown, a new realm for her to explore....or....to face the challenge of the known world. And she sure took a long time to figure that out.

I broke down when Kim professed her love (in a weird way) towards Mia, they were best friends and I was also picturing myself as Mia, will I have a friend like this? I cried when Gramps had given his permission, knowing that he is telling her to let go, if she wants to. And even harder when Adam cried, because guys don't cry, and when they do....it means something deep, and I knew that he loved Mia with his whole heart. Yet, I was surprised once again at how everything ended, I think I should put it like this: The ending was predictable but how it ends was unpredictable. Got it? Haha.

Right after Adam confessed his 'soul' to Mia semi-lifeless body, something happened, Mia had choosen - and yes, you probably guessed it right. That's the predictable part. But then, I was thinking that maybe the ending would be more elaborated, but it ended with a simple 'Mia?' and I don't condemn that, I loved the way it ends! So......unresolved, which puts me in a junction of an amazing 'what-the-hell?' moment and also a 'Oh-My-Gosh!!!!' minute. And this is the exact quote of what I said when I finished the book 'How can it just end like that?!' in a shocking yet amused tone.

As for the characters, everyone was different and yet fun to read at the same time. All the while while I was reading, it's like every flashbacks tell us more about someone's personality. Mia's (according to Aunt Glo's theory) quirkiness of liking classical music and plays the chello when her family members and boyfriend Adam prefers punk; Grans and Gramps, Adam- why he fell in love with Mia, Mia's mum, dad, Teddy - I felt their connection, the family bond is strong and it ached me to know that it had been broken. And Kim. I didn't and couldn't in a million years guessed that Mia's and Kim's friendship was started off with resentment. I supposed so since negative repels negative but multiplies to form a positive. Math theory works in real life! Ha!

If I stay- The title itself is enough to guarantee myself to cuddle up with this book and escape to a few hours of 'reading wonderland' and promising me that I will ruin my face for this one. If you had a rough day and find yourself wanting to cry but couldn't, Try reading this. It managed to make me shed tears, haha. - I think I've been repeating that plenty times already!

To sum it all up, this is a book about choices, life, and bonds. Pick it up, you might find yourself being insightful later, haha. A standing Oviation to Gayle Forman for the extraodinary plot and characters. It was a blast and it's a good way to start my sleep:) - I can't sleep if I don't read, haha. Habits.
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Dec 30, 2010 Candace rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Wow! I'd heard so many things about this book. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful. Heartbreaking. The list goes on, but you get the idea. And yes, it was all those things, but it was also about life, about living, about accepting and about family. It's about a girl who is looking back at her life and all the wonderful, and less wonderful, experiences she's had in her short life. It's her watching herself dying and having to make a decision whether to live, or to die. And it is all in one day (well 24 h ...more

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Jan 09, 2011 Nancy rated it liked it · review of another edition

This is an interesting premise. Mia is in a horrible car accident and steps out of her body. She follows herself to the hospital and watches as the drama continues to unfold. The story is told from memories and the current moment. Mia is in a position to choose whether she stays in her body and goes with her family. It's not a religious or spiritual book. It's YA Literature.

Although the premise is heart-wrenching and the descriptions gut-twisting, I just didn't connect to Mia or her parents. I f ...more

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Oct 14, 2011 Keturah rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

More reviews on my blog!

I... Don't know what to say. If I Stay was...... Incredible. I cried and laughed and enjoyed it more than I ever thought was possible. Again I let myself be the barrier between me and an awesome book. Now I feel stupid because I can't even remember why I didn't want to read it in the first place. I thank whoever did the My Book Boyfriend post on Adam because that was what pulled me into this story. I can't even describe how it affected me. I had to stop reading because I ...more

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