One of the reasons I couldn't put down the book was because of the time period change in between chapters. I'm a huge fan of writers who structure their books having a pattern of one chapter in the present then the next recalling memories. I think its an effective way of telling the story but also allowing readers to know more about the characters through their previous actions and this almost allows readers to predict how someone may act in the situation they are in.
So basically, Mia, the main character, goes on a car drive with her family and they get into a terrible accident. Mia is the only survivor and has an out of body experience as she watches herself being transported to the hospital and rushed into surgery. She watches as her extended family comes pouring into the waiting room and witnesses Adam, her boyfriend, attempt to visit her in the ICU. While all the chaos in the hospital is happening, readers learn about her family and family friends through a number of stories. I liked this because even though her parents and little brother were killed off during the first chapter, I still learned about them throughout the entire novel so they were never really gone. Mia realizes that the reason she is in this spirit mode is because she is the one who gets to decide whether she wants to join her family or if she wants to live and find a way to continue her life with all that she has lost. She may not have her parents and little brother but she still has her grandparents and Adam and Kim, her best friend, and the cello. Mia is a gifted cellist and had a bright future in the music industry. I won't spoil the ending but it pissed me off. I just couldn't believe that Gayle Forman finished the book were she did and the excerpt from the next book that was included at the end had me a little peeved. I just don't understand why the author did that to the characters. I want to read the next book but I cannot bring myself to accept the story line.
My favorite part of the book was when Mia's grandfather had come to visit her. He was alone this time, without grams, and he just sat at Mia's hospital bed and silently cried. I'll admit, I teared up a bit. He went to on to tell Mia that he understood if she was ready to leave them and join her parents and teddy, but he also expressed how really did not want her to go. Gramps, always the strong and silent type, was pleading Mia to stay. I felt like I was on the other side of the bed watching everything unfold before my eyes. The entire novel was filled with these type of heart wrenching moments.
I clearly have mixed feelings about this book. It was a situation that I hadn't read about before. The structure was cool and the characters were interesting. On the other hand, I hated the ending!!!! I'm not going to be able to let that go.
My favorite part of the book was when Mia's grandfather had come to visit her. He was alone this time, without grams, and he just sat at Mia's hospital bed and silently cried. I'll admit, I teared up a bit. He went to on to tell Mia that he understood if she was ready to leave them and join her parents and teddy, but he also expressed how really did not want her to go. Gramps, always the strong and silent type, was pleading Mia to stay. I felt like I was on the other side of the bed watching everything unfold before my eyes. The entire novel was filled with these type of heart wrenching moments.
I clearly have mixed feelings about this book. It was a situation that I hadn't read about before. The structure was cool and the characters were interesting. On the other hand, I hated the ending!!!! I'm not going to be able to let that go.
Well it seems like everyone that has read this book has loved it! I should definitely put it onto my "must-read" list. When I was younger I read every YA book I could get my hands on, I basically devoured them. However after a while, a combination of my changing tastes as I got older and the growing amount of awful horribly written vampire series caused me to lose interest in the genre. This makes me sad because those books were such a significant part of my childhood, and I haven't read or re-read any in years. I like reading adult fiction and non-fiction, but sometimes I'd rather read something I can get through fast and really enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI think it's interesting how you started out by stating how much you loved If I Stay, but by the end you were explaining all the reasons why the way the author treated the characters and ended the book peeved you. I think this doesn't make If I Stay a bad book, but actually a great one. It was so captivating and realistic that you developed an attachment to the characters and subsequently felt for them. Hating something isn't the opposite of loving something, indifference is.
I also like how you were reading like a writer and took such notice of the structure, sometimes when people recommend books to others they focus heavily on plot, but for our purposes in a creative writing class technical aspects to a book are just as or even more important when we choose what to read.
Ugh, Kathy, look at what you’ve done. Now I’m going to have to read this book so that I can see what the ending is, and then I’m probably going to get angry too, but I still have to do it anyway. At least we can share in our distress.
ReplyDeleteI’m actually glad that I have a recommended YA novel lined up though. I feel like lately it’s been hard to find good ones. There are too many “chick flick” type books. No offense to people who like to read that type of book.
I like what you said about the time period changes. Those can add a lot to a story when done well. It also just seems a little more natural, you know? Like that’s how we tell stories in real life. You get out the big punchline, and then you fill in the details and back story. “Oh, did I tell you about that time when I…” Then they’re hooked.
People who say that and then drop the story suck though. It’s like, thanks for getting me all curious and invested. Maybe that’s why we get upset when the end of a book is disappointing. It didn’t do justice to the story, and now we’re emotionally invested.
Isn’t interesting how books can make you cry? Like, I haven’t read any books that can make me legitimately afraid, but a book can bring me to tears (Bridge to Terabithia anyone? Marley and Me?”. Movie’s don’t do that for me. Except for Free Willy- almost. And those gentle, quiet sad scenes are the worst (or best? I don’t know, I guess it depends on how I feel about crying at the moment).
This Grandpa character seems really lovable. I’m excited to see if he convinced Mia to stay or not.
I agree, Kathy. The idea that chapters of the next book were included at the end drove me crazy, too. That was, undoubtedly, a publisher's decision and not Foreman's. The novel is a page-turner and I know that I will read the next one...eventually. I wonder if you could take the structure idea and use it for your fiction pieces now? Just an idea since you commented how much you enjoyed the pattern.
ReplyDeleteThe way this book was written sounds very unique! You analyzed the way it was written just like a writer should, and I can see that you’ve learned a lot about writing from it. I’m really interested by the way you interpret and describe the characters in your own words. It shows how well the author is able to create believable and relatable characters. I’m also a super big fan of messing with time flow in stories, and I hope you were able to include this technique in your writing, if you wanted to. Even though I haven’t read If I Stay, I feel for the characters you talked about. I’ve had quite a few older relatives die, and it’s always sad to watch them go. I know how the people around Mia must have been feeling, worrying about having someone so important to them die. I imagine that the events that happen in the book also affected Mia. If she saw a lot of people worried about her, she’d probably make the decision to stay, right? I really want to read this book so I can find out the way it ends!!!
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