Review - If I Stay by Gayle Forman AND Giveaway!!

Gayle Forman - If I Stay

• Pub. Date: April 16, 2009
  
• Format: Audio Book
  
• Publisher: Penguin Audiobooks
• Length: 5:02 hrs
  
• Narrator: Kirsten Potter
• Age Range: Young Adult

Lots of people have recommended this one, and now I know why! It's very sad, but it's definitely a great, worth-while read. I enjoyed hearing Mia's story, heartbreaking as it is. This first-person, present-tense *my favorite!!* novel is a one-sitting read for sure!

Mia, a seventeen year old Julliard hopeful, goes out with her close-knit family on a snow day. While it seems like a normal car ride at first, it quickly turns into chaos when they crash. The rest of this novel is the aftermath: going to the hospital, falling into a coma, and seeming to have the choice of dying or living. Mia finds that she can still see and hear the people who are with her in the hospital, and this triggers memories that help her decide what to do.

The memories really make this book what it is. Mia goes back to visit times when her family was a normal, cohesive group of people. She goes to places in her past when important things happened to her. She visits memories of her boyfriend Adam, her best friend Kim, and times they had together and separately. Adam should have made it to my awww moments list, but alas, I waited too long to read this.

Mia also has to remember her present situation and how it will affect her future. She's now an orphan in a coma still worrying about her little brother, wondering how to go on without her parents. She has so many valid reasons to give up, but then she remembers something that makes her want to stay.

What does she choose? Read to find out. Gayle Forman does a fantastic job in letting the reader learn about Mia and her family through the memories while making sure we're still in Mia's present, hospital patient and newly orphaned. It's a hard decision, and the end will make you cry! That's all I'm saying :o)

What I liked:

• The narration. I don't believe I've listened to Kirsten Potter before, but I really enjoyed her performance and voices in this novel. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't over the top, and it wasn't ridiculous sounding, that's for sure. She did a fantastic job nailing the emotion, too! I felt what the characters were feeling because of her inflection and emotion. Thanks!
• The writing style. First-person, present-tense!! I can't get enough of this. I like being able to experience the events with the main character when he/she is narrating the story. It switches to past-tense, obviously, when she's remembering past events, but that's the point. I love FP-PT!
• The story! It's different than what I've been reading lately. It's refreshing for me right now to read a story that doesn't include vampires, demons, or the end of the world! lol
  

What I didn't like:

• While Kirsten Potter was a fantastic narrator, she doesn't quite sound like a high schooler. It worked for me, but it may not work for others. Just sayin'.
  
• The cliffhanger at the end makes it imperative that I read the next one ASAP! That's not really a dislike though.. :o)

Bottom line: Read this one! It's worth your time, I promise!

Rating:

4/5 book sharks


Also!!

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