Center for Teaching & Learning

When Mia Haul and her family decide to take a drive on a day school is canceled because of a few inches of snow, they don’t notice a truck charging by a corner until it’s too late. After a disastrous crash, Mia notices that she is out of her own body and able to see herself in a coma. She needs to figure out how she can re-enter her body and decide if she wants to stay: to keep living without her parents, or to leave her boyfriend and other family members.
When I picked up the book, I already had questions circling my mind, because the front cover asks: “What would you do if you had to choose?” That question made me feel that Forman wanted readers to see if they would do the same as Mia or make a different choice. I felt like a ghost right by Mia’s side and wished I could to tell her what I thought she should do. I love that Forman made it a visual story, with touches that allow her readers to see the story. For example, when they crash, Forman made me see the glass shatter and feel the impact of the other vehicle as it pushed the car off the road.
I would rate this book a 9.5 because I love the genre—realistic fiction for teens that will suck readers in with conflict that connects to the big problem. If I Stay has a lot of flashbacks that can help explain the relationships between characters so readers can see who is a friend or an enemy. Forman makes it easy to tell what is or isn’t a flashback, so it’s never confusing.
I recommend this book to ages thirteen and up, because it has some harsh scenes that I don’t think will be the best for a younger audience— from romantic relationships to losing loved ones. Forman has written great books like the sequel to this one, Where She Went, which talks about what happened after the big crash from Mia’s boyfriend’s perspective. I also recommend this novel to people who love If I Stay. Forman has made this book as perfect as it can get, and I hope many people will be as pleased as I was with this amazing read.
Carissa
Penguin Group, 237 pages