I finished reading If I Stay by Gayle Forman yesterday. To be honest, I wasn’t really expecting to like it as much as I did. I’m not exactly a fan of contemporary novels.haha. I’m not even sure if it should be under that category.Anyhoo, the story is narrated by Mia Hall who is also the main protagonist. The day started like any other day in the Hall’s household. The parents and children having breakfast while bickering with each other since school is cancelled and thus, Mrs. Hall decided to call in sick from work to spend more time with her family. Then of course they decided to visit a friend of theirs and that’s when everything changed.

Mia had an almost perfect life. Cool parents. A cute brother. A possible Julliard acceptance. A nice best friend, Kim. A hot rocker boyfriend, Adam. And of course, family and friends who love her unconditionally. Bottom line is Mia’s life was almost perfect until everything was taken from her by an accident. Anyhoo, I really liked Mia. She didn’t act like the typical whiny heroine from other contemporaryor whatever category novels.I enjoyed seeing things through Mia’s eyes. There were lots of times when I just wanted her to give up but then again I still wanted her to live because of everyone around her. I just love Mia. I love the way her character was written. She did not annoy me in any way.

Anyway, the story is not just about a girl’s struggle for survival. It’s about a lot of things. Unconditional love. Letting go. Moving on. Family. Friends. And of course, wanting to live. I love the way Ms. Forman incorporated all of these themes in one story. I enjoyed reading the novel and ended up finishing it in one day. The lines and the messages were all written wonderfully. I loved all of the characters. Her family, friends and even her boyfriend truly defined what unconditional love is. Bottom line is I enjoyed reading this book a lot and I can’t wait to get my hands on the second novel which is Where She Went. Recommending this to everyone.
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