Image: Penguin Random House
If I Stay by Gayle Forman. 196 p. Dutton/ Penguin Young Readers, April, 2009. 9780525421030. Own.
#tbt features If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Seventeen-year-old Mia narrates this intense and moving story from outside of her body after her family was involved in a serious car crash. Both of her parents were killed instantly and she observes emergency services working on both her brother and herself. He ultimately succumbs to his injuries leaving Mia to decide whether or not to stay. The story flashes back in time periodically and readers learn that Mia enjoyed her quirky parents and had a strong bond with her brother. Life might not be worth living without them, however her extended family, her best friend and Adam, her musician boyfriend all arrive at her bedside and beg her to stay.
Ms. Forman packs a lot into this short novel! Fantastic characters, deep questions and a swoony romance make this a TMS favorite among eighth graders.
The book was published in April of 2009. It was named to several State Book Award Lists as well as YALSA Quick Picks and Best Books lists. It was optioned for film in 2010 and was released in 2014. A sequel, Where She Went, was published in 2011 and is told from Adam's POV.
Happy reading!
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