If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Summary Provided by Goodreads:

 In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make—and the ultimate choice Mia commands.

My Thoughts:
This beautifully written story begins with Mia, her parents, and her younger brother eating breakfast and deciding how they should spend their snow day. The next thing Mia knows, she is looking at her parents dead bodies and watching her own body be put into an ambulance. The next 24 hours Mia spends in the ICU as an invisible observer deciding if she should stay and live her life without the love and support of her Mom, Dad and brother, or give up and face the unknown. Mia has to make the ultimate choice and she doesn’t take this decision lightly.

I knew going into this book that it was probably going to be one of the saddest books I’ve ever read and I wasn’t wrong. Within the first few pages I was already crying. At the same time, If I Stay was so beautiful and hopeful that it made me want to read more. I can’t explain why, but this story is so powerful. Adding to the story are the flashbacks Mia tells the reader about her awesome and supportive parents, her best friend, and her adoring and loving boyfriend, Adam. Forman gives every character in this book a voice and personality, even the ones who died in the first few pages.

Reading Mia decide what she should do was unbelievably sad and heartbreaking.  The ending had me hysterical and I loved every minute of it. Despite the sadness, this book really is something. It’s thoughtful, sweet and wonderful. I highly recommend reading it.

The second book, Where She Went takes place three years later and is told in the P.O.V. of Adam, Mia’s boyfriend. I can not wait for this one! It comes out April 5, 2011.