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Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Apr 2009, 208 pages
Paperback:
Apr 2010, 208 pages
Book Reviewed by:
Allison Stadd
Buy This Book
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.
Excerpt
If I Stay
7:09 a.m.
Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I suppose that’s true.
I wake up this morning to a thin blanket of white covering our front lawn. It isn’t
even an inch, but in this part of Oregon a slight dusting brings everything to a
standstill as the one snowplow in the county gets busy clearing the roads. It is wet
water that drops from the sky—and drops and drops and drops—not the frozen kind.
It is enough snow to cancel school. My little brother, Teddy, lets out a war whoop
when Mom’s AM radio announces the closures. “Snow day!” he bellows. “Dad, let’s
go make a snowman.”
My dad smiles and taps on his pipe. He started smoking one recently as part of this
whole 1950s, Father Knows Best retro kick he is on. He also wears bow ties. I am
never quite clear on whether all this is sartorial or sardonic—Dad’s way of
announcing that he used to be a punker but is now a middle-...
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...continued
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(Reviewed by Allison Stadd).
As Mia's source of strength, the cello plays a central role in If I Stay. Playing her instrument is her true passion, her future and the reason for her bond to her first love, Adam.
The first cellos were made in 16th century Italy. Composers sought an instrument with a similar sound to other stringed instruments but a lower tone than the violas and violins that were held under the player's chin. Cello is an abbreviation of the Italian word "violoncello", an oxymoron meaning "little, big viola."
Yo-Yo Ma
As she wrote her novel, Gayle Forman was inspired by the life and work of world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. In essence, his music sways Mia to make her final choice between life and death. Yo-Yo Ma is Mia's musical idol, and joking with ...
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