I actually found out about the new movie coming out before I'd even heard of the book, and had first fallen in love with the idea of the movie. However, once I'd discovered that it was based on a book, I was delighted!
In my opinion, no matter how phenomenal a movie may be, the book is always better. I think this is mostly due to the fact that some of my favourite parts in books happen to be left out of movies.
I tend to know what kind of books I will like just from reading the blurb, and this book was no exception.
I'm not really sure why I like the sound of some of the most saddening books - it's not like I enjoy the heart-cramps I endure while reading them. This is possibly because I know I have such an easy life and am interested in getting inside the minds of people who have gone through things I will hopefully never go through. Also, in my experience, the books that focus on the fragility of life are the most breathtaking (in more ways than one), and potentially the most beautiful.
Mia, the narrator of the story, has such a fascinating outlook on what she experiences in the short amount of time she spends in the hospital, which seems a lot longer than it really is when you think about it.
Although I am capable of putting myself in the shoes of someone extremely different in comparison to myself, it was definitely easier to follow Mia's story in the knowledge that she is a girl not much older than myself (three years older, to be exact). By empathising with her, it was easier for me to ask myself the question that she is forced to ask herself throughout the story. When it really gets down to it though, I suppose the whole book is just one big question that the reader ends up asking themselves:
Would I stay if I were in Mia's situation?
Truthfully, I don't know. In the end, it all depends on what you have to live for. Despite the fact that I could not fully understand what Mia was going through, I was always rooting for her to stay due to the same reasons that Kim and Adam were. However, I did understand Gramps's reasoning for his unpopular -yet kind and considerate - advice. I think that is all I can really say without spoiling it for anyone who has not read the book!
On the whole, I think that Gayle Forman did a magnificent job on the book. The set up is an intriguing idea that has been drawn out into a heartrending (but not exactly depressing) story. Although it is certainly not at The Fault in Our Stars's level on the feels-scale, I did close the book with a tear-stained face, and would not recommend the book if you are sensitive on the subject of death.
Despite this, it is still different from any book I have ever read. Yes, it focuses on death, but the whole story is so much more than that. First of all, it included many flashbacks from Mia's childhood and life leading up to that moment. Also, it makes the reader focus on the heart of what they live for. If almost all you had growing up was suddenly gone, what would be left for you? Just how much is left for Mia - is it worth staying for?
I am so excited for the movie to come out! I am sure Chloë Grace Moretz will do Mia justice, and from what I've seen in the trailers, it's looks like they've done a great job.
Not only that, but there's a sequel!! I will be sure to by "Where She Went", the book set three years after "If I Stay" and told from the point of view of Adam.
I hope you liked this book review! I wasn't really sure how to write this kind of thing, but I thought I did alright. If you have read the book, tell me your opinion of it in the comments.
On another note, I was thinking of writing a blog entry on skincare, acne and stuff like that, so watch out for that on WhatTheFudge too :)
Speak to you soon,
Lucy x
The trailers for "If I Stay"
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