If I Stay is, if I dare say, a somewhat unusual novel written by Gayle Forman, and it takes place entirely through the perspective of a young girl named Mia who, at seventeen years of age, is fighting for her life.
In the blink of an eye she suffers an accident, and she has no memory of what happened. The only memories which remain are the ones before the accident, and the story takes place entirely in her head, for she can only do two things: think and see.
As the doctors are trying their best to save her life, Mia is trying to piece things together bit by bit, remembering not only how she got into the accident, but the entire life that led her to reaching that point. Trying to figure out the consequences of her accident and her potential future, Mia is then forced to make the hardest decision possible: to leave or stay.
Of course, it goes without saying that this isn’t a book that is fast-paced or filled with thrills, action and mysteries. Rather, it is an introspective and slow-paced exploration of the human nature, and how life can be interpreted by one on the verge of departing from this world.
As the doctors are trying their best to save her life, Mia is trying to piece things together bit by bit, remembering not only how she got into the accident, but the entire life that led her to reaching that point. Trying to figure out the consequences of her accident and her potential future, Mia is then forced to make the hardest decision possible: to leave or stay.
Of course, it goes without saying that this isn’t a book that is fast-paced or filled with thrills, action and mysteries. Rather, it is an introspective and slow-paced exploration of the human nature, and how life can be interpreted by one on the verge of departing from this world.
Mia’s perspective on things isn’t simple and is far from being that of the average seventeen year-old; she is very sharp and accurate with her details, and many of her self-evaluations are quite thought-provoking, and I know they made me rethink certain aspects of my own life.
Though Mia is our vehicle to the story, her friends and family members often steal the spotlight, each one of them having unique character traits and quirks. Practically every character in this story is three-dimensional, believable and relatable on a certain level. After you get to make their acquaintance, you will start to develop a connection to these secondary characters, and that just made me even more emotionally-invested in the story than I already was.
All things being considered, If I Stay is best-described as a bittersweet tragedy that offers us a very unique and thought-provoking angle to look at life from. I recommend this to anyone who doesn’t mind a slow read and is interested in the workings of the human mind and the purpose of life in general.
 | Gayle FormanPersonal site Gayle Forman is an American author of young adult fiction whose career began when she started writing for Seventeen Magazine about youth and various social concerns surrounding them. She is the author of the widely-celebrated novel If I Stay, as well as Just One Day and Just One Year. She is the recipient of, amongst other awards, the 2099 NAIBA Book of the Year and the 2010 British Fantasy Award. |
I really enjoyed this emotional addition to Adam and Mia's story but I think I liked If I Stay more. Maybe If I Stay touched me more or maybe I was just upset at Mia for too long. However, all that to say, Where She Went was still amazing. It was emotional, intense, and Adam and Mia's love story really is one of a kind. They are just perfect. :)
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