If I Stay # 1 - Paperback

If I Stay is a young adult novel by Gayle Forman. The story is about Mia, a 17-year old girl and her strange brush with death through an out-of-body experiences. The book portrays bittersweet romance, flourishing friendship and the endurance of grieving parents. Set in a short span of time, the story has won the hearts of its readers because of the writer’s ability to express the softer sides of humanity in an effortless manner.

A young girl, Mia Hall, meets with a terrible car accident and her whole life changes in a moment. When she wakes up, she has no memory of what had happened to her and about the accident. All that she can remember is riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. In the next moment, she watches herself being taken out of the wreck and sees her own damaged body. While her body lies in a coma, her consciousness has somehow managed to escape it. She can see her family members and friends waiting at the hospital where doctors are attending to her after the accident. She suddenly realises that she has to decide between going back to live a more difficult life than what she previously expected or just pass away and leave the world forever.

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is a sensitive story of love and loss. Published by Random House in 2014, the book is available in paperback.