Just because Valentine’s Day is about sharing the love with
people near you, that doesn’t mean there aren’t heartbreaks, or stories of how
love almost died. Not every story is a fairytale, and for some, love is hard to
find and even harder to keep. Especially for the characters in the next book
this week, If I Stay by Gayle Forman.
This heartbreaking story is about Mia, a musician from Oregon country, who loses love
and her struggle to keep the love that is left.
Mia is the daughter of a local ex-rock star and his music
obsessed wife. They have straightened up over the years, abandoning their rock
lifestyle once Mia’s younger brother was born. But, they have always pushed her
into music, but unfortunately, she didn’t want their kind of music. She fell in
love with the cello, and classical music, causing her parents a short time of
grief. But, when they finally accepted her wish, they learned how extraordinarily
talented she is.
In the book, she talks about how she got her start as a cellist.
She always was in orchestra at school, which lead her to Adam. Adam was a year
above her in high school, and he was a rocker. He was in a popular local band
and was very popular with other girls, too. But, he picked her to take to a
Yo-Yo Ma concert, where they talked about music. They were slow in their
relationship, but they fell in love quickly.
Mia now has a choice to make. She can stay in Oregon, be
with Adam and her family, and go to a local school. Or, she can go to Julliard,
the school of her dreams, which happens to be on the other side of the country.
Mia is troubled by this because it is her dream to be a cellist, but she loves
Adam and doesn’t want to leave him. Adam seems to be okay with her going to
Julliard, but she can tell it troubles him, too. Mia is confused and needs help
to decide what to choose.
The choice, though, is taken from Mia. On a beautiful
morning, Mia and her family go out for a drive, and don’t come back. They get
in a car accident, and Mia is the only survivor. She is also in a coma, but in
a strange out of body experience, she can see and hear everything that happens
in the hospital surrounding her. She finally has a different choice, should she
stay with her broken life and her complicated relationships, or should she choose
to go and be with her family? Suddenly, there is a new meaning when she says, ‘If
I stay’.
RED’S ALL STAR REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars. It is beautifully
written and I love the point of view from the ghost-like Mia. There is a sequel
out to this book, and you should read this, too, if you like this book.
MASS APPEAL: Girls, this is a heartbreaker! Anyone who has
lost love or faced a choice between two things you love, you will relate so
much to this book. It is the people who are left behind and talk to Mia, who make the decision for her. Can she stay,
or should she go?
Click here! to buy this book on Amazon.
No comments:
Post a Comment