By Rachel McKay – Staff Reporter

“If I Stay” is a book published in 2009 and written by Gayle Forman. The book is targeted towards young adults, and has a theme of loss and tragedy.

The story follows a 17-year-old girl named Mia, who gets into a major car accident that sends her into a coma. While in a coma, she sees the world outside of her own body. She witnesses everything going on around her, however she cannot interact with anything as her physical body is still unconscious. The story is told through a sequence of flashbacks and small events as she tries to decide to stay alive or to pass away.

There are many things in this book that are very well done. The impact of the emotions characters face is powerful and realistic, and truly tugs at the heartstrings of the reader. There are also several scenes described in amazing detail, feeling very intricate yet natural to understand. The characters and their relationships feel genuine, and the reader feels emotions along with them.

However, while there are aspects of this book that are quite beautiful, there are also parts that are not. 

Though this book has vivid descriptions in certain scenes, many of the events in this book feel somewhat flat. The vast majority of events in this book are very emotionally heavy, however it is because of the focus on emotion that rest tends to fade into the background.

Furthermore, the way the story is told is mainly through isolated events or flashbacks. They do get somewhat connected at the end, however there are still many moments that end up becoming unimportant. Many of those scenes are less captivating than the others, however they still can be good. Still, telling a story mainly through flashbacks can be confusing or repetitive. 

Connected to that, much of the book is filled with ramblings. While this is not necessarily bad, it can subtract from the meaning of the book. It makes it feel irrelevant or boring at certain points, though that boredom does not happen particularly frequently. 

Overall, this book makes an interesting read. For those who enjoy emotional stories, this book would likely be enjoyable. For those who prefer more cohesive, in depth storylines and character development, this book may not be as captivating. Although the writing can be less entertaining in certain scenes, there are still moments that are well written and fascinating.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars