If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Plot

The plot of this story is simple. It's what might happen to someone in a coma, how they feel, what their existence might be like, when all they've got left is one decision, whether to live or whether to die.

The person who has to make this choice is seventeen year old Mia. One single second has changed Mia's entire life and has forced her to tread the boards between life and death.

The majority of the book is memories as Mia goes through her life deciding if she should stay

Writing

This book is really beautifully written, it's so emotional as you go through Mia's journey with her, and if you're anything like me, willing her to live.

I love how instead of chapters we rejoined the story at random points during the day. The book takes place in a little over a 24 hour period which is essentially: the lead up, the event and the aftermath. More than anything this is a story of love and loss. It's a story that needs a huge amount of emotion or it won't work, if you didn't get the emotion it would be a pointless exercise to read, thankfully the author gives us the emotions of everyone in spades.

Characters

There's only one character who truly matters in this novel and that's Mia. If you hate Mia even for the smallest of moments then the premise of the book falls apart, because if you aren't with her then what are you doing? Personally I adored her, she's so adorable and her love for her family, her friend, her boyfriend and her cello are all things that add depth to her and make her seem like an ordinary teenager who has suffered from extraordinarily bad luck.

Overall

A flawless book that made me cry it felt so real to me. I devoured the book, it only took me two hours to read it, and I couldn't help but wish that it could go on forever.

It's a five star book for beauty and the fact that I'm still thinking about it now. I can't help but feel that this is a new favourite of mine.

I got the image off Google, no copyright infringement is intended