mariethelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Well Im very glad I waited so long to read this because now the hype is gone and I can enjoy it in peace. Which I did. Enjoy it I mean. It was a very interesting ride and I liked it a lot. I enjoyed the flashbacks cause they didnt feel messy or out of order but it all made sense. I like books that make sense. I just really enjoyed this book. It was sad, but not depressing, cute, but not overthetopcute, nerdy, and awkward and sweet. I just really liked it.
bwolf16's review against another edition
emotional
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Child death
titanic's review against another edition
1.0
"Mia?"
I hate this book, I've been putting off reading it for most of 2017 because I wasn't that excited for it, but some part of me was hoping that the hype that it caused when it was released would be justified, but it really wasn't and it was such a letdown. There was a lot of excitement in the beginning, the car crash and if Teddy lived, but frankly it was boring. It was just her wandering a hospital whilst her friends and family mourned her, and she reminisces about how her parents were hipsters and it doesn't really have an interesting plotline. It all goes out the window after she arrives at the hospital. It would have been better if she had supernatural powers but she doesn't, so that sucks.
I expected her to live simply because I knew there was another book, and because this one was written in her point of view I'm going to assume that one is as well. Whether it will be about her life after waking up in hospital, and going to Juilliard and pretty much struggling with life after the crash. But the thought of this book drains me of energy, it has nothing about it that excites me. There are literally only two things good about it and that's Gramps and Teddy, and one of them got killed off so...
I hate this book, I've been putting off reading it for most of 2017 because I wasn't that excited for it, but some part of me was hoping that the hype that it caused when it was released would be justified, but it really wasn't and it was such a letdown. There was a lot of excitement in the beginning, the car crash and if Teddy lived, but frankly it was boring. It was just her wandering a hospital whilst her friends and family mourned her, and she reminisces about how her parents were hipsters and it doesn't really have an interesting plotline. It all goes out the window after she arrives at the hospital. It would have been better if she had supernatural powers but she doesn't, so that sucks.
I expected her to live simply because I knew there was another book, and because this one was written in her point of view I'm going to assume that one is as well. Whether it will be about her life after waking up in hospital, and going to Juilliard and pretty much struggling with life after the crash. But the thought of this book drains me of energy, it has nothing about it that excites me. There are literally only two things good about it and that's Gramps and Teddy, and one of them got killed off so...
lizamariereads's review against another edition
2.0
I'll let you go, If you stay...that was the only line in this story I enjoyed. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator was ok, but not the best. The book was just ok to me. I found it to be a little boring and it dragged on a bit. It was a cute concept and the relationship Mia had with her family and friends was beautiful, but the story got repetitive. I might read the sequel just to get some more insight on Adam and Mia's future, but It is not one I will be in a rush to get to.
octagonal's review against another edition
4.0
Reread review:
Still precious, but the bad thing about rereading is that I spent the whole book thinking, "Aww yiss, almost to the sequel!!" This must just be a thing that happens when the sequel is better than the first book. Not that you see it happen very often! And not that this one isn't great. It's just, the sequel is nngggh.
First read:
4 stars
Read from February 17 to 19, 2011
Review:
I finished this, and my Kindle appears to have died. I think it's a sign!
But, yes. Sweet and depressing. The last few pages made me cry, and I had been so proud of not getting teary before then. Bah!
Still precious, but the bad thing about rereading is that I spent the whole book thinking, "Aww yiss, almost to the sequel!!" This must just be a thing that happens when the sequel is better than the first book. Not that you see it happen very often! And not that this one isn't great. It's just, the sequel is nngggh.
First read:
4 stars
Read from February 17 to 19, 2011
Review:
I finished this, and my Kindle appears to have died. I think it's a sign!
But, yes. Sweet and depressing. The last few pages made me cry, and I had been so proud of not getting teary before then. Bah!
page_karla's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the wit and sense of humor that Ms. Forman infused in her characters. It's just so refreshing to read. What irked me a little bit was the initial nonchalance and unconcern of Mia towards her brother, Teddy. She seemed to care more about when will her boyfriend visit her than her brother's whereabouts. Still worth my time, and will be reading the sequel.
omccloskey's review against another edition
4.0
I have been so excited to read this, especially after receiving it as a birthday gift back in June (thanks DR - you know me too well!). After reading countless rave reviews and seeing the movie trailer, I couldn't wait to get started. Needless to say, I had fairly high expectations for If I Stay (this is starting to become a bad habit, because expectations are meant to be broken and I'll only be setting myself up for disappointment). However, I was a bit weary of the plot initially. From the summary, the book sounded like a conglomerate of other works, from The Fault in Our Stars to My Sister's Keeper. I sensed the potential for a patchwork plot composed of completely unrelated storylines pulled from a variety of other books. Let's just say I was relieved that my prediction never came true.
Mia's senior year of high school is riddled with college applications, Juilliard auditions, cello lessons, and spending time with her rocker boyfriend, Adam. Mia's life is average, nothing extraordinary. At least until the family car skids on a patch of ice, crashing headfirst into oncoming traffic. When the smoke clears, Mia realizes that she is watching the scene of the accident as an invisible being, unable to interact with those around her and helpless as paramedics arrive to assess the situation. With both of her parents proclaimed dead upon impact, Mia is loaded into an ambulance, orphaned, helpless, and alone. In this hours to come, Mia repeatedly contemplates whether she should stay or depart this world forever.
The characters were...unique to say the least. This is the first book I have read to date featuring a cello player as the protagonist, which was a refreshing twist. Having played the piano for 11 years, I enjoyed the musical references and components which generally aren't found in the YA genre. I found Mia to be an honest, down-to-earth narrator who chose not to fabricate or embellish her story. Her painstakingly raw emotions were expressed with such clarity as a result of Forman's admirable writing style, impressing themselves upon the reader. Mia experiences a wide range of emotions throughout the book from elated and giddy to downcast and dejected, leaving readers both chuckling and sobbing along the way.
One of my only complaints is regarding the placement and content of the flashbacks in the narrative. The story alternated between the present and past memories or recollections of certain events and individuals. The transitions between some of these scenes were a bit shaky, causing the book to erratically jump from one unrelated thought to the next. On several occasions, flashbacks seemed to splice important plot points, causing the flow of the story to become a bit rough and disjointed. The flashbacks could certainly have been arranged more logically in the narrative, but this was only a minor irritant while I was reading.
Overall, the tender relationships, gripping plot line, and lovable characters made this a challenging read to put down, so I would definitely set aside some reading time before you begin. While lacking the action and adventure found in many popular YA books, If I Stay is a heartfelt, gut-wrenching novel that highlights each individual's mortality and emphasizes the cliche, yet startlingly true, advice to live life to the fullest. While I'm excited to see the movie, I doubt that any film could completely and truly convey the beautifully striking writing. Therefore, I'd strongly recommend to read the book before seeing it in theaters - even nonbelievers, you may be surprised. It's amazing that such a moving book can cause you to reconsider your past choices and decisions, wondering what you may have done differently to procure alternate outcomes. While it's certainly not a light read, it's a sentimental, meaningful one, one that truly hits home.
Mia's senior year of high school is riddled with college applications, Juilliard auditions, cello lessons, and spending time with her rocker boyfriend, Adam. Mia's life is average, nothing extraordinary. At least until the family car skids on a patch of ice, crashing headfirst into oncoming traffic. When the smoke clears, Mia realizes that she is watching the scene of the accident as an invisible being, unable to interact with those around her and helpless as paramedics arrive to assess the situation. With both of her parents proclaimed dead upon impact, Mia is loaded into an ambulance, orphaned, helpless, and alone. In this hours to come, Mia repeatedly contemplates whether she should stay or depart this world forever.
The characters were...unique to say the least. This is the first book I have read to date featuring a cello player as the protagonist, which was a refreshing twist. Having played the piano for 11 years, I enjoyed the musical references and components which generally aren't found in the YA genre. I found Mia to be an honest, down-to-earth narrator who chose not to fabricate or embellish her story. Her painstakingly raw emotions were expressed with such clarity as a result of Forman's admirable writing style, impressing themselves upon the reader. Mia experiences a wide range of emotions throughout the book from elated and giddy to downcast and dejected, leaving readers both chuckling and sobbing along the way.
One of my only complaints is regarding the placement and content of the flashbacks in the narrative. The story alternated between the present and past memories or recollections of certain events and individuals. The transitions between some of these scenes were a bit shaky, causing the book to erratically jump from one unrelated thought to the next. On several occasions, flashbacks seemed to splice important plot points, causing the flow of the story to become a bit rough and disjointed. The flashbacks could certainly have been arranged more logically in the narrative, but this was only a minor irritant while I was reading.
Overall, the tender relationships, gripping plot line, and lovable characters made this a challenging read to put down, so I would definitely set aside some reading time before you begin. While lacking the action and adventure found in many popular YA books, If I Stay is a heartfelt, gut-wrenching novel that highlights each individual's mortality and emphasizes the cliche, yet startlingly true, advice to live life to the fullest. While I'm excited to see the movie, I doubt that any film could completely and truly convey the beautifully striking writing. Therefore, I'd strongly recommend to read the book before seeing it in theaters - even nonbelievers, you may be surprised. It's amazing that such a moving book can cause you to reconsider your past choices and decisions, wondering what you may have done differently to procure alternate outcomes. While it's certainly not a light read, it's a sentimental, meaningful one, one that truly hits home.
ablotial's review against another edition
2.0
I ended up not really liking this book very much. My favorite part was the list of all the musical reference explanations at the end. I did tear up slightly during the initial accident scene because of the little brother, Teddy.
I found it hard to like Mia, though I can't put my finger on a specific reason why. I also did not like Adam at all. Maybe that's why I didn't like Mia... she was so obsessed with this guy and she could have done so much better. But that's high school girls I guess.
The way the story was written also did not appeal to me. Each chapter there was a paragraph, or maybe a page or two tops, set in the present, and then there would be a flashback to something in the past. And a good third of the time, the flashbacks would also have flashbacks. I can't imagine how this would work in the movie version... maybe that will be enough to convince me to watch it and find out.
Finally, although this idea of getting to choose whether to live or die was really intriguing to me, I'm not sure it was well executed. It bothers me that we don't know why Mia got this ability although it seems that no one else did. Or did they, and for some reason they all chose to die? I find that harder to believe. What made her special?
I found it hard to like Mia, though I can't put my finger on a specific reason why. I also did not like Adam at all. Maybe that's why I didn't like Mia... she was so obsessed with this guy and she could have done so much better. But that's high school girls I guess.
The way the story was written also did not appeal to me. Each chapter there was a paragraph, or maybe a page or two tops, set in the present, and then there would be a flashback to something in the past. And a good third of the time, the flashbacks would also have flashbacks. I can't imagine how this would work in the movie version... maybe that will be enough to convince me to watch it and find out.
Finally, although this idea of getting to choose whether to live or die was really intriguing to me, I'm not sure it was well executed. It bothers me that we don't know why Mia got this ability although it seems that no one else did. Or did they, and for some reason they all chose to die? I find that harder to believe. What made her special?