Summary

 In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck…

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

–Goodreads

What I Thought

Wow. Let me just say, I read If I Stay weeks ago, and I still think about this book. There are just some books that leave you breathless and never wanting it to end. If I Stay is one of those books.

The struggle Mia goes through on deciding to stay alive, or to die and be with her family feels so real. Mia had a promising career ahead of her, and if she stayed she would still have the support of her grandparents and other relatives, and her best friend and boyfriend. However, Mia had an amazing relationship with her parents and little brother. To live without them, one would think it would be unbearable. Would staying alive without them be worth it? Honestly, I didn’t know what Mia would decide. 

This book is told in alternating times. Mia tells about what is happening now, but she also looks back and remembers her past. I loved reading about Mia’s past. From when she first started playing the cello, to when she first met Adam, and all her other memories as well. Those look-backs really made me feel something more for all the characters, and really helped me get to know Mia better, and why she should or shouldn’t stay.

Something that I really liked about this book was Mia’s relationship with her grandpa. Honestly, I think I almost liked their relationship better than the one Mia had with her boyfriend, Adam. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Adam and Mia and their relationship, I just felt like the relationship she shares with her grandpa was so special. I also really liked that Mia actually liked her family. So many times, the protagonist of a book is constantly rolling her eyes at her family, or hates her family, or is just so beyond them. That wasn’t the case for Mia. Even though they weren’t necessarily always interested in the same things (She loved the cello, and classical music, while her parents were rockers), she actually enjoyed spending time with them and being with them, and that was really sweet.

Overall, this book was so, so good! The only thing I actually didn’t care for was the language. There was quite a bit of cursing, and while I can see why it was added, I just feel like it was a bit unnecessary. However, that is my personal preference. I just don’t care for cursing. If I didn’t have a problem with it, then this book would have been absolutely perfect!

Also, one last thing. I have no idea why people compare this book to Twilight. Adam and Mia are in a relationship and Bella and Edward are in one as well, and one of them is sort of dead (Edward being a vampire, Mia being in a coma), that is where the similarities end. I wouldn’t even consider them in the same YA genre. So, just throwing that out there!

PS: You’re going to need tissues reading this one!! 😉

Review originally written Sept. 2013.