fay
Added to listgraphic novelswith 39 books.
Added to listlibrary reads (support ur local library! <3)with 43 books.
got influenced to check out this book by frankie's shelf on youtube (whose channel you should check out if you're into weird, diverse books). i have a vague memory of this book being popular in the early 2010s, but never bothered to read it as my tastes were geared towards fantasy/science fiction at the time. however, after reading this, i can say with 100% certainty middle school me would have eaten this thing up.
i can kiiiinda see why this book was so hyped up back then, but ultimately i wouldn't say it's a memorable read. the whole thing is ultimately just a bunch of flashbacks juxtaposed against mia watching loved ones and nurses talk to her unconscious body, and their actions + her memories influencing her decisions. also, while i don't find the romance elements to be unnecessary in any way, i just.... don't care that much for mia and adam's relationship?? it's a good thing mia's world doesn't revolve around her boyfriend (and i like that this is lampshaded in one of mia's flashbacks with kim), i just don't think adam should have had a hand in mia's decision to stay, in the way he did it.
which, speaking of... that ending was such a huge cop out imo. literally chekov's gun with the headphones. you could tell the last few pages were rushed after the last flashback. i think it would have made for a much more interesting ending if despite the music affecting mia's emotions, she felt the pain of staying was stronger and decided to leave. based on the cover i saw for the sequel, i thought "where she went" would be about her wandering around as an untethered soul, trying to find the means to join her family in the afterlife. but no, it's [spoilers for the sequel] just about how their lives are like 3 years after the accident. apparently mia resents adam for making her stay? interesting. i mention the sequel despite not having read it, because after this ending, i'm not too emotionally invested in these two to find out what happens 3 years later.
other things that prevent me from giving this book a higher rating are much better explained in frankie's shelf video review of if i stay (namely, the weirdly insensitive comments some characters make towards POC, an ableist slur used by kim, mia's weird fixation on teddy forever being a virgin [not in an incestious way!]). i highly recommend giving that video a watch, they have a wonderfully cohesive way of explaining things
overall, it's an okay read. not a terrible one, but it does have its flaws. i do kinda get the message the author was trying to out out, though.
got influenced to check out this book by frankie's shelf on youtube (whose channel you should check out if you're into weird, diverse books). i have a vague memory of this book being popular in the early 2010s, but never bothered to read it as my tastes were geared towards fantasy/science fiction at the time. however, after reading this, i can say with 100% certainty middle school me would have eaten this thing up.
i can kiiiinda see why this book was so hyped up back then, but ultimately i wouldn't say it's a memorable read. the whole thing is ultimately just a bunch of flashbacks juxtaposed against mia watching loved ones and nurses talk to her unconscious body, and their actions + her memories influencing her decisions. also, while i don't find the romance elements to be unnecessary in any way, i just.... don't care that much for mia and adam's relationship?? it's a good thing mia's world doesn't revolve around her boyfriend (and i like that this is lampshaded in one of mia's flashbacks with kim), i just don't think adam should have had a hand in mia's decision to stay, in the way he did it.
which, speaking of... that ending was such a huge cop out imo. literally chekov's gun with the headphones. you could tell the last few pages were rushed after the last flashback. i think it would have made for a much more interesting ending if despite the music affecting mia's emotions, she felt the pain of staying was stronger and decided to leave. based on the cover i saw for the sequel, i thought "where she went" would be about her wandering around as an untethered soul, trying to find the means to join her family in the afterlife. but no, it's [spoilers for the sequel] just about how their lives are like 3 years after the accident. apparently mia resents adam for making her stay? interesting. i mention the sequel despite not having read it, because after this ending, i'm not too emotionally invested in these two to find out what happens 3 years later.
other things that prevent me from giving this book a higher rating are much better explained in frankie's shelf video review of if i stay (namely, the weirdly insensitive comments some characters make towards POC, an ableist slur used by kim, mia's weird fixation on teddy forever being a virgin [not in an incestious way!]). i highly recommend giving that video a watch, they have a wonderfully cohesive way of explaining things
overall, it's an okay read. not a terrible one, but it does have its flaws. i do kinda get the message the author was trying to out out, though.
