If I Stay by Gayle Forman demonstrates the devastating impact
of losing your loved ones in the blink of an eye. Like a typical All-American
loving family, talented Mia-17yrs with her cello destined to attend Julliard,
her brother Teddy-8yrs, budding drummer, and her parents decides to take a trip
to visit life-long friends, Willow and Henry because school is closed for a
snow day. As they look forward to a family day, nothing prepares Mia or for
that matter anyone who would walk in her footsteps of completely losing everything,
and her whole family from an unexpected and unforeseen car accident. When Mia
wakes in a dream-state, she witnesses how her parents are killed as she walks
in bewilderment searching frantically for her brother Teddy. Just when she believes
she’s spotted Teddy, she recognizes her bracelet, and like a freight train she
sees herself lying on the side of the road. No movement, absolutely life-less—yelling
and screaming for help she realizes that no one can hear or see her standing
right there. Then she understands that she has lost both of her parents, maybe
even her brother. She follows the paramedics to the hospital, and now she has
to struggle to determine if she should stay in the world of the living, or
moving on with her family as they have passed on. As Mia lies in a coma, she experiences
an out-of-body state of consciousness, and witnesses the grieving periods of
her grandparents, her boyfriend Adam, and her best friend Kim as they attempt
to comfort and talk to her. Mia questions if she is dead and needs to decide
what to do—because she knows that everything in her life would never be the
same again.
Gayle Forman crafts her story with descriptive and
captivating plot as she allows the readers to feel every emotion of lost and
grief. The author is an exceptional writer who clearly wanted to illustrate the
power of family, sacrifices, choices, grieving period, and the intense struggle to decide on the will
to live. She carefully shows how important it is to spend every precious moment
with those who are dear to you and those you love. If I Stay is a tear-jerkier that truly is an outstanding book—“5”. It is well written and
immensely thought provoking. Looking forward to reading the next book: Where
She Went.
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