If I Stay

If I Stay

Author	Gayle Forman
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Young-adult fiction
Publisher	Dutton Penguin
Publication date	2009
Media type	Print
Pages	210
Followed by	Where She Went

If I Stay is a young adult novel^[1] by Gayle Forman published in 2009. The story follows 17-year-old Mia Hall as she deals with the aftermath of a catastrophic car accident involving her family. In a coma, Mia has an out-of-body experience, and watches as friends and family gather at the hospital where she is being treated. Mia watches as her memories flash before her eyes as she comes to realize that she must decide if she should wake up and lead a life far more difficult than she ever anticipated, or slip away and die. Her decision will determine her fate. It has received positive reviews.^[2] A sequel hit shelves in April 2011, entitled Where She Went.^[3]

Characters

Mia Hall: Mia is a quiet teenage girl living in Oregon. Her most defining quality is her love for her cello. Though she cares deeply and has a great deal of love for her family and her boyfriend Adam, the one place in which Mia feels most secure is when she is playing her cello. Mia struggles with a sense of fitting in, especially amongst her parents and her younger brother Teddy. While her entire family shares a great passion for music, Mia stands out as the only classical music inclined member. Both of her parents were great promoters of the rock movement. Even her younger brother Teddy, while young, is already showing an interested in rock. Mia struggles between the two versions of herself, the version that fits in with her music and the version that longs to fit in and get along easily with her family and her boyfriend. Mia struggles to understand why her boyfriend, Adam, cares for her the way he does. She can’t understand how he can see past their differences. This poses problems for the two, though their relationship is inherently very strong otherwise.

Adam Wilde: Mia's boyfriend. He is very handsome, and loves music. He plays guitar in the band Shooting Star, which is rapidly gaining popularity throughout Oregon. Adam’s band is on tour when Mia has her accident, and this tour sets the tone for potential issues with their relationship. Though their love for each other is very strong, they both seem to be heading in separate directions. Ironically, it is their love for music that is causing the separation. Mia is considering going to Juilliard and Adam must stay in the Oregon area to continue playing guitar for his band. More than anything though, Adam loves Mia and would do anything to make her happy. Through Mia’s stay in the hospital after her accident, Adam does whatever he can to get to her and wake her from her coma. He ultimately is the reason she makes her decision to continue living.

Kim Schein: Mia's best friend. Although they originally hated one another when they first met, they soon become best friends. They are said to be very alike and are perceived as "dark and studious"—assumptions that often work to their advantage. Kim is sarcastic, and obedient to her emotional mother, up until her breaking point in which she tells her mother to get her stuff together. Kim’s strength is depicted through this scene in which she pushes her own feelings aside to be a support system to her best friend. Kim has a private connection to her Jewish heritage, which she doesn’t display but relies on when Mia is injured. Despite Mia’s attempts to get them to be friends, Kim and Adam are not fond of each. Kim said that their connection is only through Mia, and this connection is clearly strengthened through their ventures to get Adam to Mia when she is in the hospital.

Teddy Hall: Mia's little brother. Mia is extremely fond of Teddy, saying he is like her own kid. Teddy admires Mia and the two are very close. The relationship between Mia and Teddy is much closer than the average brother-sister relationship. Mia's fierce protectiveness is shown immediately after the accident. Though it's clear that her mother and father's deaths affect her a great deal, her immediate concern is over Teddy's well-being. She finds herself depending her decision on whether to leave or to stay on Teddy's survival. His death hits her extremely hard. Teddy's innocence and the loss of this innocent life is a representative of the innocence Mia will lose should she choose to stay in the physical world.

Kat Hall: Mia's mother, who is "tough as nails, tender as kittens." She loves rock music and her family, of whom she is protective and fiercely loyal. Kat struggles to understand her daughter, who is so unlike herself and the rest of the family. She loves her unconditionally, and does her best to make Mia feel accepted and loved despite the differences between the two. Although she accepts Mia's differences, she encourages Mia to step out of the box and not be afraid to try new things. She's honest and dependable. She tells Mia all of the things she needs to hear, despite whether or not she actually wants to hear them.

Denny Hall: Mia's father. Denny also possesses a great love for music and was in a rock band of his own before he became a father. Though music was extremely important to him, his family was more so, and because of that he finds it easy to move on and "grow up". Mia and her father share a special relationship and find themselves connecting as artists. Mia appreciates who her father is, both as a musician and a lyricist. Though Denny has given himself over to the idea of fatherhood and settling down, he still clings to his rock and roll self, dressing in odd hipster fashions and playing rock music for his family in the car. Denny pushes Mia to be the best musician she can be, and shares a special connection with her. He buys Mia her first cello and gives her a pep talk before her first ever performance.

Sequel

The movie is followed by Where She Went!

Reception

Lyn Rashid of the School Library Journal explained that the novel has "captivating characters" that "will cause [readers] to laugh, cry, and love" and "question the boundaries of family and love." Mia has a "compelling story" said Rashid.^[4]

In terms of thematic interpretations, Elle Wolterbeek of the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy explained that "[m]usic is an extremely important aspect of the story."^[5]

According to the Thuy On, "The title refers to the battle between fate and self-will." The reviewer also agreed that the novel addressed "the tug of familial and sexual love and the bonds between friends as well as the passion for music."^[6]

Film adaptation

In December 2010, it was announced that a film based on novel was in works at Summit Entertainment, in which Dakota Fanning, Chloë Grace Moretz, and Emily Browning were in talks to play Mia.^[7] Catherine Hardwicke was attached to direct, but was replaced by Brazilian filmmaker Heitor Dhalia,^[8] who also left the film later. On January 24, 2013, Moretz was cast as the lead and R.J. Cutler was announced as the new director of the film.^[9] On January 2014, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Warner Bros. Pictures was announced to distribute the film and released on August 22, 2014.^[10]

References