Forman, G. (2009). If I stay. New York: Speak.
ISBN-13: 978-0-14-241543-6
Plot Summary
What begins as an enjoyable snow day outing in Oregon ends in tragedy for Mia and her family. Seventeen-year-old Mia just barely survives a terrible car crash. Her parents died in the collision, and her little brother, Teddy, is barely alive. Mia is in a coma in the ICU and is having out-of-body experiences as she remembers the past and thinks about the future. She aspires to be a famous cellist, and her boyfriend Adam is in a band that is finally enjoying some notoriety. As her family and best friend Kim rally around her in the ICU, Mia wonders what life would be like without her there. Mia must struggle to choose between surviving, which would mean facing the despair of losing her family, and dying, which would mean losing out on a life of love with her boyfriend and a talented music career.
Critical Evaluation
This first person narration told by Mia gives readers a unique perspective. Mia alternates between the past and the present. Through her eyes and her realistic narration, they experience the joys of life as she falls in love, the complexities of family and friend relationships, and the hopes and concerns about the future. Readers will be able to relate to Mia’s having to make life-altering choices. Readers will also feel Mia’s uncertainty and despair as she wonders what decision to make: to live or to die. Furthermore, readers, especially teens, will be able to connect with Mia’s feelings of doubt, uncertainty, and insecurity. The setting of the Oregon coast provides a realistic backdrop for the story and ultimately affects the plot; because snow is so rare, they are having a family outing. If not for this aspect of the setting, this tragic chain of events would not have happened. This story will make readers think about their own lives, what family means, and what makes life worth living. The end satisfies the readers and leaves the story open for the follow-up book, Where She Went (2011), which is told from Adam’s point of view.
Reader’s Annotation
Seventeen-year-old Mia has everything going for her: she is a talented musician, she is in a loving relationship with her boyfriend, and she has creative, supportive parents encouraging her every step of the way. When a tragic car crash leaves her comatose and an orphan, Mia must decide between living and dying, and in the process, she comes to understand what makes life worth living.
Author Information
Gayle Forman was born June 5, 1970. She began her career as a writer for Seventeen magazine. She later became a freelance writer for Elle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and The Nation. Before becoming an author, she was a journalist who specialized in writing about social justice problems and young people. She spent a year traveling the world with her husband and as a result, many of her experiences have influenced her writing. Her first book is a travel memoir titled You Can’t Get There From Here: A Year On the Fringes of a Shrinking World (2005).
When she came back home from traveling the world, she realized that she could take amazing journeys in her head and write about them. The characters in these stories were all young adults ages 12-20. Her first young adult novel, Sisters in Sanity (2007), was based on a social injustice article she had written for Seventeen. If I Stay is her second novel and is based on true events she remembers from her childhood.
Gayle Forman currently lives in Brooklyn with her husband and daughter.
More information about Gayle Forman can be found at her website:
Also, please visit the novel’s website:
Genre
Young Adult
Realistic Fiction
Romance
Accidents
Friendship
Music
Out of body experiences
Curriculum Ties
N/A
Book Talking Ideas
What does family mean? How do you make difficult decisions?
Reading Level/ Interest Age
Protagonist is in high school; appropriate for grades 8 and up
Challenge Issues
N/A
Challenge Defense
I cannot think of why this book would be challenged, and I did not find any challenges to date. If it were challenged, I would consult ALA's Strategies and Tips for Dealing with Challenges to Library Materials.
Why did I include this title?
A very bright student of mine recommended this book to me. I appreciated Mia’s internal conflict and questioned what is important to me in my own life. It is a good reminder that your life can change in an instant.
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