I recently finished Gayle Forman’s “If I Stay” at approximately 11:45 p.m. last night. Needless to say, it was a good book. I have not seen the movie or read the sequel (though I plan to do the latter,) but I thought I might review it anyway. I do not plan to see the movie because it was a very emotional book, and while reading it is one thing, seeing it on a screen with real people is another. I would not recommend this book to everyone, simply because it is just too emotional. There are also some slightly gory/graphic scenes. The book was set up so for one “chapter”, the main character narrated the present, while for the next she had a flashback, which made me feel more connected to her and also helped me understand the people around her and her connection to them.
There were, however, a few things I found odd. For example, Mia, the main character, did not have her name revealed until page 24, and for no reason in particular. And I know this is a minor annoyance, but in my 20% off edition purchased from Target, it ended on page 234 and then had about 70 pages of “great bonus matter from Gayle Forman”. In the beginning, the dialogue was also pretty dull. And I was unsure what decade the story was set in, though I am sure a more experienced reader than I could have deduced it. Aside from that, the story is beautiful with complicated and realistic characters that you fall in love with and is absolutely beautifully written. I mean that sincerely. I found myself reading sections three times over to absorb it more. Gayle Forman’s voice and description is absolutely stunning. I will definitely read “Where She Went” the first chance I get.
No comments:
Post a Comment