If I Stay

Forman, G. (2009). If i stay. New York: Dutton Books.

Author Website: Forman, G. (2009). Gayle Forman. Retrieved from http://www.gayleforman.com/

Book Website: Dutton Books. (2010). If i stay. Retrieved from http://www.ifistay.com/

Author Info: Gayle Forman went to college to become a doctor but ended up studying journalism. She wrote articles for Seventeen magazine for five years and then became a freelance writer for various other magazines, including Cosmopolitan, Jane, Glamour, and Budget Travel. She then traveled the world for a year with her husband, which inspired her first novel. She then decided to write young adult fiction because all the characters that pop into her head are between the ages of 12 and 20. She also decided to write young adult novels because she had a baby and couldn't go reporting all over the world anymore. When asked what inspired her to write If I Stay, she said "Music. Oregon. People I have loved. And unfortunately, the book is inspired by a real-life tragedy that happened several years ago."

Review One: [Review of the book If i stay]. (n.d.). Kirkus Reviews.

When snow cancels school, Mia and her family pile into their beat-up station wagon for a drive. Unlike most 17-year-olds, Mia is secretly enjoying hanging out with her quirky family until an oncoming driver shatters their lives, leaving the gravely injured Mia with the ultimate decision: Should she stay or go? As a spirit-like observer, Mia narrates the next 24 hours, describing how her medical team, friends, boyfriend and extended family care for her each in their own way. Woven into her real-time observations are powerful memories that organically introduce Mia's passion for classical music, her relationship with her boyfriend and her bond with her parents and brother. These memories reinforce the magnitude of Mia's decision and provide weight to both sides of her dilemma. Forman excels at inserting tiny but powerful details throughout, including the realistic sounds, smells and vocabulary of a hospital, which will draw readers into this masterful text and undoubtedly tug at even the toughest of heartstrings.

Review Two: Cervasse, I. (2009, February 1). [Review of the book If i stay]. Voice of Youth Advocates.

Forman's If I Stay is portrayed as just another coming-of-age, pseudo-dramatic teen story in the back cover paragraph. In this case, first impressions are painfully incorrect. Original and exciting, it is a novel about relationships, life, and the people involved in both. The characters are tangibly real; the plot is fascinating and will cause pages to turn rapidly. Teens and adults alike will find themselves falling in love with Forman's stunning novel.

Activity

Diary Entry as main character, Mia - set in the future.

February 21, 2011

Dear Diary,

I recieved my acceptance letter from Jullian today! I am so exicted that I got in. I know Adam is going to be happy for me as well. I hope that me and him can work things out and that we will still be together. These past two months have been very hard and he has been great in helping me recover. Kim has also been one of the best friends I could have wished for. I could not have made it this far if it had not been for them. Gramps and Gran are thrilled for me as well; they are sad that I will be leaving their house now. I know if my parents were here, they would be proud of me. I know that I made the right choice and that life is what I make of it.

Signed: Mia