If I Stay is a powerful book about a musically inclined seventeen year old girl, Mia, who has just been in an accident that killed her whole family and left her non-feeling spirit to decide whether she wants to live by staying or die.
My initial reaction to the book was not very positive. You are thrown into the life of Mia, who seems to have everything going for her; loving parents and almost spot in Julliard for her and her cello. The only problem seems to be the seperation from her boyfriend, Adam, and his rise to stardom in his punk 'emo-core' band Shooting Star. I thought, oh, this is going to be one of those love stories where the couple has to overcome the obstacle of seperation and continue to stay in love. This did not elate me, not that I don't like those stories, I've just gotten burnt out on them latelty. Too much of Sarah Dessen XP
But the story took a really surprising change. Mia and her family get in a car accident, instantly killing her Mom and Dad. I've read a few car crash scenes, I've even written one before, but the crash scene in this story is simply brilliant. In the first few pages Mia discusses how she plays the cello and is classic music fanatic. She describes the car crash as a symphony, all colliding parts and crashing elements. Even though it is something quite horrible I saw it as beautiful. I think that Mia seeing her dead parents was done quite tastefully, without the right out descriptions of blood and gore and yet you could see the horrific scenes; they're battered bodies.
As her body is moved to the hospital I finally realized that Mia was having an outer body experience. I'm slow and I didn't realize this. The rest of the book switches from flashbacks of Mia's past to her in present time, following her body which rests in a comatose state. Throughout the flashbacks I feel like Mia's parents come to life. Even though I know they are dead, both of them lifeless within the first few pages. But yet, through her memories the reader gets to see them. Her understanding and strong mother who can be a bit of a 'bitch.' And her father, former punk band guitarist and now English teacher. Mia feels like she is a black sheep in the family, while everyone is into the 'punk' scene Mia throws herself into her cello practice and classic music. But while she feels almost left out I'm quite jealous of the loving family atmosphere they have. They are always encouraging her. The connection to her friend Kim is great. They don't seem to have the "we're best freinds forever" girly and typical teenage atttitude about it. Mostly they seem to be there for each other, even if opposite. Plus their fight, and how they became friends after it, was priceless.
In her memories we find that she was coming down to two choices in her life. Her love of music or her love of Adam. The relationship in this book was great, a brilliant one that should be looked up to. Mia and Adam aren't the teenage couple who are all mushy gushy and think they're in love but aren't. They're really in love, I think Forman did a great job here. The words, their understanding of each, and how much they try for each other shows their love. And also, her passion with music. In this book music plays a big part of it, every character seems to be linked to her in some way due to music. It's hard to understand the feeling, the passion for music unless you're actually a musician yourself. I can completly understand Mia in this sense. But even for those who aren't musicians, I think they can still feel Mia's passion--how she and her cello are one. And in the end it's music that makes Mia come back and decide to stay.
Overall I think this was one hell of a book. I'm probably going to pick up my own copy the next time I go to the bookstore. I love the way it delves into human emotion, it's compelling and it really makes the reader think. I mean, what would you do if you had the choice to live or die when it seems you have nothing more to live for?
In her memories we find that she was coming down to two choices in her life. Her love of music or her love of Adam. The relationship in this book was great, a brilliant one that should be looked up to. Mia and Adam aren't the teenage couple who are all mushy gushy and think they're in love but aren't. They're really in love, I think Forman did a great job here. The words, their understanding of each, and how much they try for each other shows their love. And also, her passion with music. In this book music plays a big part of it, every character seems to be linked to her in some way due to music. It's hard to understand the feeling, the passion for music unless you're actually a musician yourself. I can completly understand Mia in this sense. But even for those who aren't musicians, I think they can still feel Mia's passion--how she and her cello are one. And in the end it's music that makes Mia come back and decide to stay.
Overall I think this was one hell of a book. I'm probably going to pick up my own copy the next time I go to the bookstore. I love the way it delves into human emotion, it's compelling and it really makes the reader think. I mean, what would you do if you had the choice to live or die when it seems you have nothing more to live for?
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