If I Stay

If I Stay - Gayle Forman I do not consider myself an emotional person. Not to say that I don't experience the normal range of human emotions, of course, but I'm not generally the type to start crying over a book or movie, because fictional things don't usually impact me that strongly.

I cried while reading this book. In fact, I have never been more emotionally affected by a piece of fiction than I was with this book, and that alone should say something about how infinitely amazing If I Stay is. Perhaps it wouldn't affect everyone this way, and perhaps I only felt the way I did because I could identify with how close Mia was to her family and imagine how terribly devastating the choice she had to make was, but either way, I was astounded by this novel.

Mia is an amazing protagonist. She's smart, funny, witty, charming, dedicated, and strong. I love her love for the cello (she made me want to go listen to cello music, actually), and her love for her family, and for Adam, and for Kim, and for everything. And the way she was brilliantly written by Gayle Forman not only made me want to be part of her life, it made me feel like I already was.

The rest of the characters, from Mia's family to Willow to Nurse Ramirez to Adam to Kim were all amazing and interesting in their own right, but I don't feel right giving them a part of this review because If I Stay is, quite simply, Mia's story. And it is a story I am infinitely glad I took the time to read.