Audio Book Review: If I Stay
Media Type: Audio Book
Title: If I Stay
*Series: If I Stay #1
Author: Gayle Forman
Narrator: Kirsten Potter
Publisher: Penguin Group
Format: MP3; 5 hours 2 minutes
Release Date: April 30, 2009
Source: Audible
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Intended Reading Group: Young Adult
Content Screening: Nothing of note
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Recommended to: Readers who love a good contemporary and aren’t afraid to cry.
HDB Rating: 5 Keys to My Heart
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…
A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands.
Narrator Review:
Kirsten Potter does a fabulous job as a narrator in If I Stay. I fully believed that she was Mia, and she brings life to this character that is hard to ignore. I’m honestly glad that I listened to the audio book. Potter’s voice will draw you in and keep you listening. Ready to cry?
Book Review:
If you haven’t read If I Stay yet, you are missing out. Find a copy. Seriously. I’ll wait. Mia’s story is equal parts heartfelt and heart wrenching. I warn you, pick up a box of tissues before you start reading. This is one that is going to make you cry.
Then, in an instant, everything changes. Mia is on the cusp of the afterlife. Caught somewhere between the living and the dead, Mia can see and hear everything around her but cannot communicate with those around her. The choice that faces her now is simple. Stay alive, but without her family? Or just let go? Through alternating flashbacks of her past life and present state, the reader learns about those closest to Mia. We are given a look into her life and what she stands to loose if she lets go. What Gayle Forman gives the reader is a story that will tug at your heart strings. I was constantly torn between wanting her to leave and be at peace, and stay for so many reasons. This is a book that will make you feel so many emotions that it’s almost overwhelming.
If I Stay is one of the most touching stories that I’ve ever read. This is a book that will break your heart in a wonderful way. I know that no matter what I write here, there is no way to do Gayle Forman’s gorgeous book the justice that it deserves. Instead I give this my highest recommendation, and simply demand that you get out there and find a copy. Oh, and also a box of tissues.
