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    If I Stay
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    If I Stay
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    If I Stay
    Audiobook5 hours

    If I Stay

    Written by Gayle Forman

    Narrated by Kirsten Potter

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    YALSA Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
    YALSA Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers
    YALSA Best Books for Young Adults

    The critically acclaimed, bestselling novel from Gayle Forman, author of Where She Went, Just One Day, Just One Year, and I Was Here.

    Now a major motion picture, starring Chloe Grace Moretz!

    In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heart-wrenchingly beautiful, this will change the way you look at life, love, and family. Mia’s story will stay with you for a long, long time.

    Editor's Note

    To live or die…

    The sadness Forman elicits as Mia’s spirit clings to life and watches others grieve for her is a dull ache that intensifies at unexpected moments. Full of quirky, relatable characters and a sweet, heartbreaking romance.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateApr 21, 2009
    ISBN9781101052969
    Unavailable
    If I Stay
    Author

    Gayle Forman

    Award-winning author and journalist Gayle Forman has written several bestselling novels for children and adults, including Not Nothing, the Just One series, and the number one New York Times bestseller If I Stay, which has been translated into more than forty languages and in 2014 was adapted into a major motion picture. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.

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    Reviews for If I Stay

    4/5

    2,606 ratings311 reviews

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    • 4/5
      When Mia, a senior in high school, is in a car accident with her family, she goes through the thought process of whether or not she wants to fight to live.Mia, along with her friends and family, are good characters and the story line is a sentimental one. Even though I wasn't deeply affected by her story, it did have some tender moments that I appreciated. For the most part, it is told in flashbacks and has an overall bittersweet flavor.Originally posted on: Thoughts of Joy
    • 4/5
      I admit it: I judge books by their covers. There, I said it. If it weren't for the cover of this edition, with the girl staring up into a blue-grey space, I'd have missed this book entirely. There is just something haunting and beautiful about the cover of the edition I read, and to me, it implies that the story within will be haunting and beautiful too.

      Covers are important. This is the first impression that a potential reader has of your book, and so the cover must convey what you want it to, and communicate to a reader what your book may have to offer.

      This cover makes me feel like the story inside will be playful and fun and it reminds me of birds, and spring and happiness. It's a lovely cover, but in my humble opinion, doesn't do well to represent the story. I've passed by this book, dozens of times with hardly a glance at the blue cover. But my eyes were instantly drawn to the haunted quality of the image on the edition that I bought.

      My next cover related comment will pertain to the little "note" on this edition, which says, "Will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer's TWILIGHT." --USA Today This too is somewhat misleading, because my initial thought was that it would indicate that there's a supernatural element to the story (vampires or werewolves, etc), but that's not the case. There is a quality of the story that is a bit paranormal, but not in the way that people would associate with Meyer's story. Rather, this comment is about the romance aspect of the story, but I feel like it would have been better left off altogether. I didn't even realize the quote was regarding Twilight when I bought the book, as there was a price sticker over almost all of it. I could see "Will appeal to fans of" and "A Today". So this thought is what occurred to me after reading the story and then removing the sticker.

      I don't normally talk about the covers much in my reviews, but this one just has so much bearing on how the story can be seen, especially if one is inclined to determine by a cover if a book looks like it might be to their taste, that I wanted to talk about it.

      After first cracking the book, and reading a little bit of it, I have to admit that I didn't think that the writing really warranted the praise lavished on it. The writing was simple, and direct, even somewhat vulgar, seeing as how much of the story pertains to the punk music scene, which is full of colorful language, but isn't exactly flowery. I read, waiting for the "achingly beautiful" parts to kick in, and was thinking that I'd be writing in my review about how, yes, it was sad, but I wouldn't exactly call the writing beautiful. And then I realized that it IS beautiful, in the unflowery, punk-rock and down-to-earth way that fit the story perfectly, and made my heart break for all that it represented.

      I loved the way that Mia, the main character, showed us her life, and her family, and her world. Interspersed with "now" events were her memories, which showed so perfectly all that she no longer had due to an unfortunate accident. One minute everything is fine, and the next, everything is gone, and Mia has to decide if she wants to live in a world without the people she loves the most.

      I loved the characters, and how they were all unique and true to themselves. I loved the way that they each represented a choice in how they wanted to live, and made that choice almost without effort. This seemed to contrast the decision that Mia has to make, and the difficulty and pain that it causes, both to her and her friends and loved ones. I could really identify with Mia's grandfather, who tells her that it's OK if she needs to let go even though he desperately wants her to stay, because I had a similar conversation with my grandmother when she was in the hospital a few years ago. It was incredibly hard to remember that feeling, reading this, but it was honest and true, and made sure that I understood the depth of Mia's family's love for her to want to let her be free of her pain.

      Mia's boyfriend, Adam, was perfect. I almost don't want to talk about him. He is the kind of boyfriend that girls dream about: gorgeous, a little wild and dangerous and unpredictable, but sweet and honest and caring and sensitive too. His speech to Mia was so... raw and painful that I could barely see the page to read it. It's a good thing I was sitting up, or I'd have to wring this book out. Adam's request to Mia rivaled Wentworth's letter to Anne, and that is saying something.

      This story was beautiful, achingly so, so it absolutely deserved the praise that it received. I was very surprised by this book, by it being so musically oriented, and how big of a role that played in the lives of everyone in the story. I was surprised by the roughness of the story, but glad that it was written this way, because it more real than any poetic prose could offer. Life is ugly and dirty and unfair and mean, so why shouldn't a story about these things be the same way? I thought it was beautifully done, and can't recommend this book highly enough.

      I'm off to call my parents and tell them I love them.
    • 4/5
      This is a very tragic book that pulls at your heart many times. Mia and her family go for a drive on a snow day. I live in the Midwest and that is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard. You stay home when it's snowing bad enough to cancel school. They are hit by a huge truck that scatters them all over the road and ditch. Mia immediately has an out-of-body experience and watches what happens to her body as it's taken to the hospital and watches how her family reacts. It also has flash backs of pieces of her life so you get to know her family, friends and Mia a little bit. Mia has the choice should she go back in her body, stay and live her life or should she quit and die. Only one family member understands and gives her the option but it's up to her. This book really makes you think how a life can end so suddenly and you need to live it to the fullest. I found myself with tears running down my face several times. It's a good book and well written and one of the young adult books that should be read by teens and adults. I'm looking forward to seeing if the sequel is just as good.
    • 4/5
      It's a book about family...tragedy....and unthinkable choices. Choices we should hope that we never have to make. Even though there decisions were a part of the story it wasn't by any means the main focus. Most of the book is about Mia's back story... her relationship with her parents...her best friend and her boyfriend...her love for the cello and her music. The back and forth between the past and the present was sometimes a bit hard to follow but it didn't distract from the story. If you like a good, emotional read that isn't all perfect happy endings...then this is certainly your book.
    • 5/5
      Style-wise, I'd compare this book to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones, but it's about a million times better. Mia is in a wreck with her immediate family, and leaves her body to see everything around her. She sees the friends and relatives who come to visit her, she relives past moments, and thinks what her future would be like if she lives. That's the key to this book - Mia knows she has the choice to fight for life, or to give in to death. It's so heart-wrenching without being overly sentimental, but I admit - I bawled like a baby in many parts. It's just extremely well-done, and I recommend it highly.
    • 3/5
      This was okay, but it could have been so much better.
    • 4/5
      It snowed in Oregon that winter morning. Mia celebrated the day off from school; it was a day off from everything, really. Her cello was at school, so she couldn't practice. Her parents stayed home from work and the family decided to visit some friends.On the way there, a truck ran into their car. Mia's parents were killed instantly. Her brother, well, she wasn't sure what happened to her brother. And Mia found herself standing outside her broken body and facing a decision: should she stay or should she go?This is a beautiful little book. The characters came to life for me as I got to know Mia through her memories. Her relationship with her boyfriend was developed very organically and realistically. Mia's passion for music adds a little something extra to the story.
    • 3/5
      This was an okay book. The story is told by Mia, a girl whose family is tragically killed in a horrific car accident. Throughout the book, Mia is clinging to life in the ICU of the hospital after the accident, all the while telling her life story.
    • 2/5
      I would really probably give this 2.5 stars. I had high hopes for this book after seeing the preview for the movie at the theatre a few weeks back. However, this is the first time I've ever said this but I actually think the movie will be better than the book. This book seemed to drag on for me and it wasn't even that long. It was kind of dull and how you can make such a horrific event dull is beyond me. But somehow the author did.
    • 4/5
      Beautiful book. Left me wondering what choice I'd make in Mia's situation.
    • 4/5
      Until today, the biggest decision seventeen-year-old Mia has faced is whether to go to Juilliard to study music or stay at home with her family and boyfriend. Now she has an even more important choice to make: a choice between life and death.It's been snowing outside and school has closed for the day. Mia, her parents and her younger brother Teddy decide to take advantage of the unexpected day off to visit friends. They pile into the car, laughing, joking and arguing about which music to listen to, like any other family going on a drive. The next thing Mia knows, she's standing in a ditch looking down at the wreckage of their car. At first she thinks she's survived unscathed, but then she discovers her own body, unconscious on the ground...One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was because Mia was a character I really cared about. She seemed a genuinely nice person, the type of girl I would have liked to have been friends with at school. She does have some insecurities - she loves playing the cello and listening to classical music for example, and worries that she's too incompatible with Adam, her rock musician boyfriend - and these are explored throughout the book. I liked the way the musical aspect of the book was handled to show how people from different musical backgrounds are able to respect each other's tastes and how music can form a bond between them. At the end of the book Gayle Forman gives us her reasons for choosing the various songs that are mentioned in the story, which I thought was a nice idea.I don't read many young adult novels anymore but I probably should, because it means I'm missing out on great books like this one. Although If I Stay may sound like a dark and depressing book, it's actually not. It's a moving, emotional story about the importance of love and friendship and is a book that can be enjoyed by both adults and teens.
    • 3/5
      *shrug* It was okay.
    • 4/5
      Simply told, but powerful and moving. A story of love and loss and life and healthy relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Great book
    • 4/5
      This was definitely a different type of book for me to read. I enjoyed this book. If I Stay is a book that looks at death and life. The day starts with Mia and her family at the breakfast table and finding out that school is cancelled due to snow. So they decide to go out for a ride. Mia, her mom, dad and brother Teddy. They are going to go visit friends and their baby.It was interesting to follow Mia around after the car accident. Is she going to live or die? Will Mia be the one to make the decision if she lives or dies? It was just an interesting premise and I do plan to read the next book.
    • 5/5
      This book had my attention from the moment I started reading it.
      Mia is your average teenager in some ways and unique in most ways. She's a gifted celloist who loves her family, friends and boyfriend Adam.
      She's recently had an audition to Juilliard which she feels went well though part of her hopes she doesn't get accepted for if shes is, she'll be leaving her family as well as Adam in Oregon to go to New York.
      Then on a February morning when school is called off due to some snow, she goes on a drive with her mom, dad and brother Teddy and in a split second, her world is turned upside down.
      Her dad accidentally collides with a truck on a slippery road and the aftermath leaves Mia literally having an out of body experience as she rides in the ambulance with her body and eventually med flighted to the Pirtland hospital, in shock and not fully aware of what's going on.
      Over the next several hours, she learns what happened though most of her feelings seem to have been blocked while being out of her body. Family and friends come to visit her, trying to rally around and offer their support while trying to deal with their own grief. Eventually she realizes she has to make a choice between staying or going to the other side and realizes that it's completely up to her.
      I enjoyed learning about her life, growing up with quirky parents who have always been a bit on the wild side and a brother she adores as well as friends who are like family and other family.
      I found myself wishing I had friends with such quirky parents and my heart went out to Mia having to make such a difficult decision.
      Full of humor, love, grief and the right dose of everyday life and tough decisions. I am looking forward to reading the next book and another book that I can't put down.
    • 4/5
      sigh... *sniff*
    • 3/5
      This is another one of those stories where I read reviews of people gushing about the book, and then I read it and I feel like I've missed something. Did I not LOVE this book because of the protagonist's incredibly perfect, accepting, free-spirit family? Was it because of the progatonist's incredibly perfect, hot, and rising star boyfriend? Was it just that the protagonist herself is pretty perfect? I don't know. Perhaps I'm just jaded and should come to terms with the fact that, well, some people are just perfect.

      I almost rated this book four stars simply because of the way in which the author dealt with atheism. Finally a YA novel that not only mentions atheism, but also had the guts to portray it in a good light--AND in a ghost story no less! Fascinating, really. I'm not sure how well the story resonates with me, however, and I feel like the overall theme is hazy. Hey, I'm not in high school anymore and I don't have to use my critical thinking skills if I don't wanna!
    • 4/5
      Actual Rating: 3.5

      Although If I Stay did not pack the emotional punch I was hoping it would, this did not diminish all the things I liked. Mia goes back and forth between past and present events, but does so seamlessly and in a way that makes her past connect with her present. I loved the relationship Mia has with her family. I feel too often that books focus on dysfunctional families or absentee parents and it was refreshing to read of a family that yes, had flaws, but that loved each other and supported each other unconditionally. However, perhaps the most crucial part of the story, whether Adam's (Mia's boyfriend) love is enough to make her choose life, is where I found the story to fall short. While I liked their relationship, I felt no real connection to Adam nor to their story.
    • 4/5
      When I first saw the movie trailer for If I Stay, I dismissed it as one I did not need to see. It looked like it would be heartbreaking, not to mention another teenage romance, one in a long string that has made it to theaters in recent years. And yet, for some reason, I found myself buying a copy of the e-book one day and with days to spare before the movie's release, I read it.

      Mia is a truly gifted musician, a trait that seems to be passed on down through her family genes. She has a true aptitude for playing the cello and those around her know it. Music is what first brings Mia and Adam together, but it also may be what tears them apart. His dreams taking him in one direction and hers in another. Then one fateful day, Mia and her family are in a terrible car accident in which Mia must make an even bigger decision, one of life and death.

      Mia has the perfect family. It was hard not to fall in love with them and want to be a part of their family the more I read about them. They support and encourage each other's dreams. They have fun together and truly love one another. Mia's Adam seems perfect too--he is attentive and thoughtful.

      Told from the perspective of Mia as she stands over her body, remembering her life and weighing whether life is worth returning to or if peace lies with death, makes this both a heartbreaking and inspiring story. It would be unfair to say this is a love story between a boy and a girl. It is also a love story between a girl and her family.

      The author, Gayle Foreman, takes a tragic and deeply sad story and tells it in such a way that brought tears to my eyes and also made me smile often. If I Stay is a reminder of how fragile life is, but also of how great life can be.

      I had every intention of seeing the movie soon after reading the book, but then Mouse and I both got sick, company was in from out of town, and then we went out of town . . . Suddenly when I had the opportunity to go see it in the theater, I decided against it (I saw The Guardians of the Galaxy instead). Maybe I will catch the movie when it comes out on Netflix or cable. For now, I'm content with having just read the book. I'm not even sure I want to read the sequel, as much as I liked this book. I have heard it is really good too. This just seems like one of those books that is fine on its own. I don't need to know what happens next.
    • 3/5
      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...(Retrieved from Amazon.com)This book is only about 200 pages. It is one of those books that requires you to read it in one sitting. Otherwise you lose the thrill and the feeling of the book.I enjoyed this book although it doesn't make it into my favourites. It was only so-so. The book starts out with the car crash which I feel was a bad choice because, although it does pull the reader in, it doesn't allow the reader to get to know the characters before they are killed. Thus the reader doesn't feel the loss as much. The author instead chose to introduce the characters after they'd died by sneaking little memories in-between the aftermath of the crash. Perhaps she did this to provide breaks from the depressing topic. Whatever the reason it took away from the excitement.Over-all I give the book 3 stars.
    • 5/5
      Wow! Such a beautiful story. Now, I can't wait to read the second book.
    • 5/5
      this book rocks.
    • 5/5
      First things first, the movie did justice to this book...it stayed mostly true to the book.

      The story tells about Mia's journey whether she chooses to live or not, knowing somehow from this "outer body" experience that her Mother, Father, and younger brother Teddy died in the car crash. Mia is given the opportunity to watch her family and friends from beyond as they encourage her to stay, if that is what she wants. Throughout the journey, Mia is torn between going with her family, not knowing if there is anything beyond this life, or staying for those who still love her on Earth, her friends, her extended family, and the love of her life, Adam...

      Expect lots of "flashback" moments as Mia's story is told, and if she choose to stay or go...
    • 3/5
      Well-written, tear-jerking YA.
    • 2/5
      Very juvenile in point of view, IMO. Quick read, grab it for an airline trip or the beach, somewhere that distractions will not be an issue in following this story. Everyone of the characters was a cliche type of person, which, while interesting, makes you realizie this is really fantasy meant for young adults.
    • 5/5
      I know, some people will say this book was fluff. What can I say, I enjoyed this story about Mia, a young musician whose life takes a tragic turn in a second. It worked for me. I don't usually like stories like this, that explore the mind of someone in a coma. But somehow this one worked for me; perhaps because it was interspersed with episodes about life before the accident. I also liked the focus on music: lots of different kinds of music: classic, pop, rock, alt.I realize now that as Mia was "thinking" about whether to stay or let go, she had good reasons both for and against either option. I also realize the significance of the title, I think. Before the accident she was trying to make a decision about a different kind of "staying." It's an easy read (which I confess, I also like!), so if you're thinking about it, go ahead. Either way, it won't take too much of your time.
    • 1/5
      If I Stay was not the book for me.I was unable to finish the book and I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.One thing I didn't like about this book was how it was written. Throughout the book, it goes from present tense to past tense back to present tense the ought the entire book. Not only was this confusing, but it was boring. The author would flash back to different times in the main characters life which seemed quite pointless and it just wasn't interesting.On the other hand, the actual story line itself is very predictable and not exciting at all. It's basically the same things happening over and over again. The characters could've been in any other book and weren't special or different at all.Overall, I really did not enjoy it this book and would've rather spent my time reading a different one.
    • 5/5
      Having watched the movie first for once, I had a pretty good idea this book was going to tear the crud out of my heart, throw it on the floor, and stomp on it, and then end just when I didn't want it to. And that's exactly what it did. Fair warning, if you are someone who generally gets a little teary at books or movies, death and heartache ensue in a wonderfully written and well read book. Keep a box of tissue handy. You will need them. Saying that, the writing was great and the reading was wonderful as well, allowing me to dive into the book as if I was reading it instead of being read to and that doesn't happen often.
    • 5/5
      the best book in the world there is no way you can ever hate it.