if i stay

if i stay
what would you do if
you had to choose?

by Gayle Forman

Monday March 07, 2011
234 pages, less than 24hrs

I haven't been totally slacking, I was reading Under The Tuscan Sun, or trying to that is...Unfortunately I just could not get into the book and after I gave up I just hit a lull until yesterday. My daughter, my little beautiful reader, asked to make another trip to B&N to keep spending that gift card of hers. I made a girls day of it asking my mother in law who also loves a good read to go to church with us then hit up the book store, just us girls. We had a wonderful refresher of faith at church and then hit up B&N! I told myself not to look because I have too many other books waiting for me at home and even one at the library on hold for me. Yikes! I casually looked around just to see what is out and then we headed upstairs to the kids section. Keara, my daughter, is on her second book in a series Frankly Frannie. Her very first chapter book and she loves it! Anyway, I pass by a table with a sign labeled as "Tough Reads". What that means exactly I am not sure, emotionally pulling?! "if i stay" has an appealing enough cover with a girl about 18-20 years old lying down and looking up and looking just...heavy. The book says it's a New York Times Bestseller and "Will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight."-USA Today (that would be me!). So I pick it up and at the same time a youngster tells her friend this book "is soo good!". Okay I have to buy it.

This story is about Mia, choices, music, true love, friendship, family and one incredibly hard choice only she can make that will change everything. Mia, a senior in high school, has a wonderful life surrounded by supportive loving people. Right away you love her and everyone she has in her life. In the beginning of this book tragedy quickly turns this happy ending story to a hold-your-breath page turner that sucks you right into the life and mindset of Mia. It flips from her present time to past tense memories in her life that gets you more and more involved with all the characters. It pulled a couple of emotional strings and I just could not put this book down! I had to find out what will happen to Mia, what will she decide or if she even has a choice at all. Every time I looked at the clock it seemed to just skip 30 minutes in what felt like seconds of reading. I hate that but love it at the same time. All in all I give this book an 8. Oh, and the best part...Summit already has the movie rights, yayyyy!

My next book will not be YA, it is either The Hunger Games recommended by a great friend or the book on hold at the library which is fantasy-ish. Thanks for reading my blog!