<h3>If I Stay</h3>

Forman, G. (2009). If I Stay. NY: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN: 9780525421030.

Plot Summary: When Mia and her family go out for a drive on a snowy morning, none of them realize everything is about to change. It was a freak accident. Suddenly, a truck swerves into their car and the next thing Mia knows, she is staring down at the dead bodies of her mother and father. She can't find her younger brother, Teddy. What Mia does find is her own broken body being rushed to a hospital.

Before the accident, Mia had a lot of decisions to make about her future. Should she follow her love of music and go to Juilliard in New York? Should she stay on the West Coast to be with her boyfriend? After the accident, Mia only has only one choice. Should she stay or go?

Readers learn about Mia's past while she tries to make this impossible decision. Scenes of Mia watching her body at the hospital are interspersed with snapshot flashbacks of the life Mia used to have: discovering the Cello, meeting her best friend and her boyfriend, and memories of her idyllic family. No matter what her decision, we discover that Mia will ultimately find peace.

Critical Evaluation: The writing of this novel is superb and pitch perfect. Never does the reader feel like they are being manipulated or that the story turns melodramatic and sappy. The story is tragic but engaging, because the writing is evocative, lyrical and memorable. The characters are realistic and their emotions authentic as we learn about her life before the accident. This novel is a heartachingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends. It will leave you tearful, ponderous and having a deep understanding about the process of death and the human will to live.

Reader’s Annotation:
Seventeen-year old Mia is a gifted cellist with a supportive family, an amazing boyfriend, an awesome best friend and a bright future. In a few seconds, a car accident puts her in a coma. As she awakens and hovers over her own body in the hospital, she must make the ultimate decision: Should I stay?

Information About the Author:
Gayle Forman is an award-winning author and journalist whose articles have appeared in numerous publications, including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, The Nation, and The New York Times Magazine. She also teaches about travel writing and young adult novel writing with MediaBistro Education Courses. If I Stay has already received much critical acclaim and a movie adaptation of the book is currently in development. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and children.

Genre:
Teen Issues: Death and Deadly Disease
Curriculum Ties: English class, Music class, Psychology class, Book Clubs, Social Clubs

Booktalking Ideas:
1.) Mia’s life before the accident
2.) The process of dying and if we have a choice
3.) How the author’s writing style affects our understanding
4.) The value of family or friends when it really matters
5.) What choice would you have made?

Reading Level/Interest Age: Grades 9-12

Challenge Issues/Defenses:

Potential Challenges:
• Depictions of Violence
• Portrayal of sexual behavior
• Adult Language
• Content includes references to drinking and smoking

Defense Strategy:
• Provide our Collection Development Policy (which includes Young Adult scope): http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/library/collection.asp

• Provide author interview of why she wrote this book especially for teens:
http://www.amazon.com/If-I-Stay-Gayle-Forman/dp/0525421033

• Provide book reviews by actual readers on a publicly accessible website:
http://www.amazon.com/If-I-Stay-Gayle-Forman/dp/0525421033

• Provide a teacher’s guide used to address issues or book content:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature-guide/printable/60187.html

• Provide advisory reviews for parents about this book’s content and age appropriateness:
http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/if-i-stay

Why This Book Was Included: I received a strong recommendation for this book from the recent CLA conference. Also, I am acquainted with the folks involved with MediaBistro, where she teaches, so I was curious about this newly published book. Fellow librarians have given it great reviews and I agree that this is a sophisticated and layered book that will greatly effect teen readers.