 |
| Image from www.kirkusreviews.com |
Reviews:
Publishers Weekly:
Starred Review. The last normal moment that Mia, a talented cellist, can remember is being in the car with her family. Then she is standing outside her body beside their mangled Buick and her parents' corpses, watching herself and her little brother being tended by paramedics. As she ponders her state (Am I dead? I actually have to ask myself this), Mia is whisked away to a hospital, where, her body in a coma, she reflects on the past and tries to decide whether to fight to live. Via Mia's thoughts and flashbacks, Forman (Sisters in Sanity) expertly explores the teenager's life, her passion for classical music and her strong relationships with her family, friends and boyfriend, Adam. Mia's singular perspective (which will recall Alice Sebold's adult novel, The Lovely Bones) also allows for powerful portraits of her friends and family as they cope: Please don't die. If you die, there's going to be one of those cheesy Princess Diana memorials at school, prays Mia's friend Kim. I know you'd hate that kind of thing. Intensely moving, the novel will force readers to take stock of their lives and the people and things that make them worth living. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)
Kirkus Reviews:
When snow cancels school, Mia and her family pile into their beat-up station wagon for a drive. Unlike most 17-year-olds, Mia is secretly enjoying hanging out with her quirky family until an oncoming driver shatters their lives, leaving the gravely injured Mia with the ultimate decision: Should she stay or go? As a spirit-like observer, Mia narrates the next 24 hours, describing how her medical team, friends, boyfriend and extended family care for her each in their own way. Woven into her real-time observations are powerful memories that organically introduce Mia’s passion for classical music, her relationship with her boyfriend and her bond with her parents and brother. These memories reinforce the magnitude of Mia’s decision and provide weight to both sides of her dilemma. Forman excels at inserting tiny but powerful details throughout, including the realistic sounds, smells and vocabulary of a hospital, which will draw readers into this masterful text and undoubtedly tug at even the toughest of heartstrings. (Fiction. YA)
Response:
I really enjoyed this book. For me, it was a tearjerker, I cried at many times during the book. The book could be considered contemporary realistic fiction as it dealt with relationships and tough decisions throughout the story, but there is also the fantasy element since Mia is experiencing what's going on outside of her body.
Forman, G. (2009). If I stay: A novel. New York: Dutton Books.
Response:
I really enjoyed this book. For me, it was a tearjerker, I cried at many times during the book. The book could be considered contemporary realistic fiction as it dealt with relationships and tough decisions throughout the story, but there is also the fantasy element since Mia is experiencing what's going on outside of her body.
Forman, G. (2009). If I stay: A novel. New York: Dutton Books.
No comments:
Post a Comment