Review: If I Stay

Author: Gayle Forman
Publish date: 2009
Source: Library
"In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen year- old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make -and the ultimate choice Mia commands." (blurb and image from Goodreads)

I've heard a bit about this book online and from a few students at school, so I decided to give it a shot. I knew that a sequel had come out this year, but that's about it. I started and finished the novel last night, so it's a quick but sad read.

This book is sad! You essentially gather that from the inside cover blurb, but I was still surprised at how gently sad it was. Most of the story is told in flashbacks, taking us back to memories of Mia with her family, friend Kim, and boyfriend Adam. The flashbacks were essential in learning more about Mia, but it was sad to remember that they were only flashbacks.

The book was really short compared to what I've been reading lately, less that 200 pages. It was pretty unputdownable, as I wanted to find what Mia was going to decide, but it wasn't as excellent as I had hoped it would be. I wasn't a huge fan of Adam, for some reason, so I'm not sure if I will read Where She Went, which was published in April of this year. Thoughts?