Review Detail

It was the snows fault. Oregoners
arent used to it. And so a freak car crash kills 17-year-old Mias parents and
younger brother and leaves her in grave condition at a Portland hospital. Mia
has an out-of-body experience and looks down at her own messed-up body: asphalt
abrasions, collapsed lung, brain contusions, orphaned, with a grim and
devastating future ahead for her.

Even with all her loved ones
praying for her in the waiting room, Mia feels like she has nothing left to
live for. So what if she gets into Juilliard with her amazing cello playing? So
what if her wonderful boyfriend, punk rocker Adam, wants her to stay? What is
it all without her adoring family, to be known as the orphan girl for the rest
of her life?

No matter what others want of her,
the decision is Mias alone. Will she let herself go and join her family? Or
will she choose the painful life and an uncertain future?

Calling this book stunning and
heart-rending is no exaggeration. I was literally in tears for the last third
of this book. Gayle Formans characters are so well drawn, realistic yet
intriguing and lovable. After reading this book youll wish you had cool
parents like Mias! I particularly loved Mia and Adam, the unlikely musical
couple: her classical versus his emo-core. Their relationship is not perfect,
but its their imperfectionsand how they get through itthat strikes such a
chord with me, makes me cheer for them through all their hardships.

I wont be surprised if IF I STAY
becomes one of 2009s most talked-about books, racking up the awardsand the
tissues. Dont miss this one, please.