If I Stay: Summary and book reviews of If I Stay by Gayle Forman, plus links to an excerpt from If I Stay and a biography of Gayle Forman.

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.

BookBrowse

I closed this book without a single criticism or negative comment. I think Forman is a skilled and funny writer who captivates her readers from the first page to the last. The book is tightly constructed and thought-provoking, and will leave you wrestling with Mia's dilemma even after the book's resolution.  (Reviewed by Allison Stadd).

Full Review (922 words).

Media Reviews

Kirkus Reviews Forman excels at inserting tiny but powerful details throughout ... which will draw readers into this masterful text and undoubtedly tug at even the toughest of heartstrings.   Booklist Starred Review. Laced with insight, good humor, and wonder..   VOYA Starred Review. There is little wasted prose, and not a single event rings false. Music lovers will appreciate the passions of Mia, Adam, and her family, who adopt an eclectic mix of favorites.   School Library Journal Starred Review. Both brutal and beautiful, this thought-provoking story will stay with readers long after the last page is turned. Grades 5+   Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Intensely moving, the novel will force readers to take stock of their lives and the people and things that make them worth living.

Recent Reader Reviews

Rated of 5 by Amanda
Awesome
This is the best book I've read in a long time. I read the whole book in one day I can't wait until I can get Where She Went. My uncle needs to stop being a bum and buy it for me..lol

Rated of 5 by Louise Jolly
Beautiful Novel!!
If I Stay is a tear-jerker that will illicit emotions about things buried deep inside you. There are so many words I could use to describe this story: inspiring, funny, visceral, humbling, touching, powerful, sad but yet calming. Young Mia is a...   Read More

Rated of 5 by Alyssa
If I Stay :)
I think it was great! I'm glad my book club teacher recommended it. I really want to read the sequel of it (Adam's point of view "Where She Went") I wish it told a little more after she woke up though.

Rated of 5 by sensitiveguy01
Awesome
I loved it. Nothing else. It makes me depressed though, that the story is fiction.

Rated of 5 by Cindy
If I stay by Gale Forman
When I finished reading this book, I had the feeling deep inside me that I needed to share it with someone, everyone else. I was totally caught up in the characters and felt a sense of loss when I finished the book. I went out and purchased the...   Read More

Rated of 5 by tinkerbell
awesomeness
I loved this book so much! It is really sad though, but other than that I loved it so much! I read it in about 1 day!!!

...1 More Reader Reviews

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Books with similar themes

• Young Adults
  
• Adult-YA Crossover
  
• USA 
  
• West 
  
• Wash. Ore. Idaho 
  
• Contemporary 
  
• Dealing with Loss 
  
• Strong Female Leads