If I Stay

I heard about this book on another book blog and thought it looked interesting.  I had to see what it was all about.  It is a YA selection and for me, those can go either way.  About half the time, I am pleasantly surprised and really like the book, and the other half, well the word "junk" comes to mind.  Just because a book is written for a Young Adult audience does not mean it should be shallow and without substance.  This was certainly not one of those books. 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman is about a young girl who has just experienced a terrible automobile accident.  She then has to decide if she wants to live or die.  If she wants to stay or if she would rather go.  I can say no more- I refuse to ruin it for you.

It is simply and beautifully written.  It feels like the voice of a 17-year-old girl unsure of all the choices before her.  And reading it, I can almost see the author's outline of the story:  a main storyline with lots of tangents running off from each significant event.  But in a good way.  In a way that helps you imagine a 17-year-old girl telling you a story and breaking off at certain points to explain the significance and meaning behind it. 

I loved this book, but doing my best to avoid spoilers, it made me blubber like a huge baby.  Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I'm a huge cry baby.  I cry reading books, watching movie and TV shows, even some commercials find a sucker in me.  I'm a cryer and this book was a heartbreaker.  But I loved it.  Does that make any sense?  If you're anything like me, I think it will.  I have already recommended this and I only finished reading it last night.  Won't you pick it up and let me know what you think?